“I decided to become a peer tutor in the Middle School Math Center because I’ve always enjoyed doing math myself and being able to help others while also doing what I love, [which] seemed like the best of both worlds.  When I heard that the English teachers were starting a peer tutor program within their department, I thought, why not for math too, and proposed my idea to Dr. Pecullan.  I’ve always believed that a good teacher is what makes the most boring and tough subject enjoyable.  Having the opportunity to help my younger peers in the same way that many Sacred Heart [Greenwich] Upper School math teachers have been amazing.”

What has been your favorite part of being a peer tutor so far?

“One of my favorite parts of the peer tutor program so far has been trying to tackle some of the questions the middle schoolers ask us to help them with.  Though all the peer tutors and I have learned all these concepts in the past, revisiting them and finding a way to explain how to go about a problem have been a really nice challenge and have shown me just how hard it can be to be a math teacher since you have to think of some way to explain a solution to a student on the spot.  Additionally, it has helped me get to know other tutors, and whenever we ever need help explaining or interpreting a problem, we always have each other there to help.”

How do you think the Math Peer Tutoring Program connects students across divisions and encourages leadership?

“The Math Peer Tutoring Program has given me and the other peer tutors the opportunity to build a connection with many middle schoolers who we may not have been able to get to know without the Middle School Math Center.  Oftentimes, middle schoolers are not just there to receive help with math, sometimes all they are there for is to get to know us and have a conversation with us.  One of the most rewarding things in the process is seeing how happy some students get when they start to grasp the concepts and get the question correct with a smile from ear to ear.  Furthermore, it fosters the sisterhood that Sacred Heart instills, allows the peer tutors to be someone middle school can always come to when they need help, and even something as simple as saying hi to them in the hallways can just make their day.”