Jan Pierson spends her Mondays and Wednesdays at the library, not for book browsing, but to help local kids with math and science.
“It’s the secondary level of math that people seem to struggle with,” Pierson said. “It’s more geometry, algebra 2 and calculus classes that are looking for help.”
Math and science homework help sessions are offered two times a week at the Monroe County Public Library and the Ellettsville branch of the library.
The tutoring is a part of the library’s learning services.
Pierson said she is at the Monroe County Public Library on Monday nights and the Ellettsville Branch Library on Wednesday nights, where students can come in between 7-9 p.m. for as long as they need, with any questions they have.
She said she has been tutoring with the Homework Help for the last fifteen years.
She was previously a math and science teacher for the Monroe County Community School Corporation.
She taught at Bloomington High School North, Jackson Creek Middle School and Bachelor Middle School.
“I just wanted to give back to the community,” Pierson said. “It’s very rewarding.”
The free, drop-in sessions are for one-on-one help with math and science.
The sessions can also be for ISTEP and SAT review for middle and high school students.
The students must be in high school typically to attend the sessions.
The tutoring began this September and has continued on during the school year.
It is open whenever school is in session in the area.
She said she tries to keep the students accountable by trying to get the word out on a student’s’ progress to their parents, as well as telling parents around the community about the free tutoring service.
“I’ve only been retired for two years or so, but when I was in the classroom I’d always try to get parents to know there was this free service where all they had to do was drop their kids off,” Pierson said.
She said she has seen siblings come in to Monday and Wednesday night sessions from seventh grade all the way to their senior year of high school.
She meets with the students any day school is in session.
“They couldn’t wait until they were in middle school so they could come to Monday night math help,” she said. “Sometimes they come with questions, sometimes they just need to work in a corner and if they have questions they can ask.”
Shelly Hatfield said both of her sons come to Monday and Wednesday night math and science homework help.
Hatfield said the tutoring is helpful for particular things including a test or a quiz, or even just chapters and units the students might be struggling in a certain class.
“The great thing about her in particular is she used to teach, and she used to teach in these classes so they can come in for math and chemistry and get help for either one,” Hatfield said. “She does both libraries, so we go to both every week.”
She said the free tutoring is a good resource for the community for all families and for when the learning goes beyond what parents can help with.
“It’s a great resource for those who can’t afford it or don’t know where to get help for their kiddos,” Hatfield said.
