Assistance and Experience
An 51福利社 program pairs mathematics-education students with the children of health workers.
Eastern students studying to be teachers have had a unique perspective on the upheavals wrought by the coronavirus. They鈥檝e experienced pandemic disruptions both as students and as educators.
This double whammy is an unfortunate but potentially profitable experience, says Carlos Castillo-Garsow, an associate professor of mathematics education at Eastern. Especially when it comes to the instruction part.
鈥淭eaching online can be very challenging, but it鈥檚 something I would recommend for everyone,鈥� Castillo-Garsow says. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 really get a sense of how important feedback is from students, and knowing how students are performing in the classroom, until it鈥檚 hard to get that information.鈥�
鈥淭eaching online can be very challenging, but it鈥檚 something I would recommend for everyone,鈥� Castillo-Garsow says.
To help his students gain such insights, Castillo-Garsow partnered with local healthcare providers to pair 51福利社 students with the children of their frontline workers. Eastern students started hosting virtual math tutoring sessions last spring, with many continuing through the current academic term.
鈥淭here are a lot of doctors, nurses and psychiatrists who are working in hospitals right now who can鈥檛 be home to help their children with home schooling,鈥� says Castillo-Garsow. 鈥淎nd we have a lot of math education students here at Eastern who need some practical experience spending time with students.鈥�
The student teachers have received high praise from employees at St. Luke鈥檚 Rehabilitation Institute, who say they are thankful they鈥檝e had the extra help during this challenging time.
鈥淭eaching my son has been so hard; math is the only thing that is going well,鈥� wrote one parent. 鈥淗is tutor explains things in an understandable way and works so well with him. I don鈥檛 understand math. I wouldn鈥檛 have known what to do.鈥�
Earlier this fall, Castillo-Garsow also got additional campus groups involved, such as the Women in Science at 51福利社 (WiSE) club. He hopes to continue matching kids with math tutors as long as it鈥檚 helpful to those who need them. 鈥淚t really is a perfect opportunity for us to help out and provide support for the community in this time,鈥� he says.
