Winni Jiang (287), Jingmiao Liu (287), and Guang Yue Su (287)

Tutoring is a smart idea. Well, it sounds like one, but are you one of the few students at Central who actually go out of their way to do it? Getting involved in tutoring can seem daunting and uncertain at first, but teachers and participants from many tutoring options have shared their thoughts on the topic, and it’s up to you to decide.

National Honor Society (NHS) is a pretty well-known tutoring service for Central students, but surprisingly, not enough people take advantage of it. Kala Ramji-Nogales (285) described NHS tutoring as different from other tutoring options, and said, “[It’s] hard to get to school early… and people have after-school commitments, so I think it’s nice that we make time during the school day [during advisory].” NHS tutors are highly qualified, as they consist of students with expertise from across many different subjects.

On the other hand, the Writing Center is a lesser-known tutoring service that provides writing help for Central students. Elana Maser (285) exclaimed, “I wish we had more tutees… People would be shocked [by] how much help it can be having another person look over their work, give feedback, and [offer] new strategies.” The Writing Center is a unique resource, as all its tutors are International Baccalaureate program students, meaning they have extensive experience with higher-level writing. For more information contact Mrs. Hinde (kmhaskins@philasd.org) or your English teacher to learn more!

In addition, math tutoring is continued by Mr. Zak, the head of the math department. When he was a kid, Mr. Zak had often found teachers answering his questions the same way they explained it during class, which did not help. Peer math tutoring is essentially “an opportunity for students to hear about things they don’t get from someone new who might explain it differently.” It’s also a way for both tutors and tutees to know each other better, as he admired that “certain students come and go to the same tutor every single time.”

If you’re looking to tutor other students, there are two programs you can join: Mathematicians in the Making and the Central Bridge program. Ari Felderman (287), a Bridge tutor for Biology, joined the program to “give back to the underclassmen” and “enjoys seeing the growth of students.” If that sounds like you, feel free to join and help the next batch of Central freshmen. However, if you’re better at working with elementary school kids, Mathematicians in the Making may be of interest to you.

From well-known tutoring options to the ones hiding in plain sight, there will be one that fits you best. Generally, students and teachers benefit from tutoring, whether that be watching students improve, developing fundamental skills, or receiving advice from relatable sources. If one doesn’t work, try another, but remember, the first step is to reach out for help.