Helena: All the Difference
March 2, 2020
By: Helena Gunderson, AmeriCorps Promise Fellow serving at Hopkins West Junior High
“I’m currently working with two students who both struggled to complete their math homework and understand the class material first semester. One of the students’ teachers mentioned to me that this has been the most work that the student has done in that class the whole year. The other student, who is taking the same class, has become highly motivated in the new semester to finish the assignments, and has even gone back to the teacher to ask for more practice problems. The other day I was working with both of them and the student who has had more practice began helping the other student understand the homework. I was really proud of them for both taking the initiative to not only do their work, but work together to understand the material. It makes me really happy to see them both so motivated, and to me this moment really exemplifies why we are doing this work and proves that having that little bit of additional support can make all the difference.”