Tutoring tool works well


By LINDA M. LINONIS

linonis@vindy.com

girard

Girard High

School principal William Ryser put into practice a tutoring tool that helped him as a college football player. It’s called Study Table, and it’s one-on-one assistance from a teacher in a specific subject.

Students can participate in Study Table to do their homework, use a computer, get extra help in a specific subject or to take a test. Ryser said the free tutoring also is a good resource to prepare students for the Ohio Graduation Test.

Study Table takes place from 2:20 to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays when school is in session. Stacy Adduci is the math and science teacher, and Judy Barber teaches English and social studies. The teachers, who alternate sessions, provide help in their areas of expertise.

Ryser said the Study Table has been used about six years or so in the junior- and senior-high grades.

“Study Table benefits students because it’s one-on-one,” Adduci said. “It’s a great opportunity for students.”

Adduci added that Study Table also helps students who “are not turning in assignments, have been absent and need to catch up and those who just need some help.”

Adduci said participation ranges from a couple of students to many more; it just depends on need.

Adduci said some students who aren’t understanding a math concept may be shy about asking questions in class. In Study Table, that situation doesn’t exist. She also noted that some students are “overwhelmed and distracted” in the classroom, which impedes learning. Study Table is a more-casual atmosphere, which is more conducive to learning for some students.

Recently, freshmen Samantha Brenner, 14, and Morgan Shepley, 15, were at Study Table to tap Adduci’s skill in algebra.

Morgan said she is regularly attending Study Table to improve in math. It must be working; she said her grades went from Cs and Ds to As and Bs.

“If it weren’t for Study Table, my grades wouldn’t be where I want them to be,” Morgan said.

Samantha said Study Table “has helped me a lot.” Admitting she was struggling in math, she was glad to say her grade had gone up from a D to a C. “Here, I feel free to ask questions,” Samantha said.

And because the atmosphere is more casual, Samantha said, “We have fun, but we learn.”

In Study Table, Adduci used the Smart Board, an interactive teaching device connected to a computer. On the board, Adduci posed math problems for Morgan and Samantha.

In another area of the room, Dennis Mosley, 15, used a computer to do homework for an English class. The sophomore also said he attended Study Table to “get my homework done.” He said the session has helped him learn more because he likes the “one-on-one teaching” from “great teachers."

Ryser said Study Table is an “excellent use” of federal and state intervention funds.