In the bustling Titan Learning Center (TLC) situated at the front of the library, senior Priya Nimmagadda spends her free time tutoring students in math and English, carefully examining essays and assisting with meticulous math problems whenever necessary. The TLC provides students with a judgement-free environment designed to offer students help with any subject, Nimmagadda said.
Open from 7:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with a later 9:30 a.m. start on Wednesdays, and an earlier close at 4 p.m. on Fridays, the TLC gives students ample opportunities to stop by for help, TLC Co-Coordinator Joy Cooper said. While teachers are also available to tutor, much of the center’s energy comes from its student tutors, Cooper said. Student tutors are matched with peers based on their tutor card displaying the subjects tutors feel most comfortable tutoring, Cooper said. Many of the students who need tutoring are paired with a student tutor who has taken the class they need help with, Cooper added.
“Our junior and senior tutors know the teachers,” Cooper said. “They know what some of the expectations and pitfalls in the class are. Student tutors know the questions to ask and they know where somebody might stumble.”
While not actively tutoring, student tutors gather and work at tables along the front of the TLC, senior Liam Newman, TLC tutor, said. Because tutors rotate every block, they often meet new students and build relationships, Newman explained.
“You could show up any day and not know which tutors are at the TLC, but as you start going on specific days, you really get to meet people,” Newman said.
This year’s TLC theme, “Growth Mindset,” encourages tutors to maintain a positive, supportive approach with students, Cooper said. Some students visiting the TLC may be apprehensive when asking for help, so it is important for tutors to teach them that mistakes are a part of the learning process, Cooper added. Because of this, tutors help guide students through the process instead of shutting down their ideas abruptly, Newman said.
Student tutors apply the same concept to their own practices, not expecting perfection, Nimmagadda said. They tend to rely on one another for help, and often share ideas to help their tutees receive the best help they can get, Nimmagadda explained.
“Tutors are not going to know everything all the time and we are going to make mistakes,” Nimmagadda said. “I’ve tutored with another tutor before, so both of us helped one student. That was helpful, having two different sets of eyes so that if I didn’t understand something right away, the other tutor could help, and we could bounce ideas off each other.”
When students help other students, they harbor a mutually beneficial learning experience and connections, Cooper said. The relationships formed in the TLC often carry into the school day, Nimmagadda said.
“Tutoring is important so that students can get some help on their schoolwork, but it’s nice to have more people that you know around the building,” Nimmagadda said. “Having somebody that you can go to for help creates a safe environment so students know they can keep coming back to the TLC.”