|
A+ Tutoring Center
By Iris Ruth Pastor
For years, Louise Ramsey would recall her first day of school at the
one-room schoolhouse in Hog Holler, Kansas in September 1932. And well
she should. Her mother had told the teacher that she knew Louise was too
young to go to school, but Louise was eager to go. The teacher was
instructed that if Louise cried for any reason, she was to be sent home
immediately, since that would prove that she was too young to go to
school. On the first day, Louise walked the two miles to school and,
while waiting in line in the schoolyard, was stung four times by bees.
Afraid of being sent home, she never cried and refused to tell the
teacher about the stings. That night, she was so sick that her
grandfather loaded her in the car and took her to the doctor in nearby
Uniontown. Louise had to stay home the rest of the week to recover from
the stings, but was allowed to return to school since she hadn't cried.
Children nowadays
attend massive sized elementary, middle and high schools, divided into
grades, sub-divided into classes and subdivided, perhaps again, by
ability and level of competence. Anonymity reigns and at many school
armed guards and entry barriers prevail. The dominant mood is fear of
attending school, not missing it.
At A+ Tutoring Center,
however, little Louise wouldn’t have had to be afraid to cry and modern
students wouldn’t be afraid to attend. Starting at 3 p.m. on weekdays,
parents driving SUV’s, sedans and minivans pull up in front of A+
Tutoring’s one-story stucco structure and deposit their children at the
front stoop, knowing they will be well served and well taken care of.
There are tissues for tears, snacks for hunger, top teaching materials
for learning and Master’s degree level staff – all in place to help each
student be the best they can be.
Located on Lutz Lake
Fern Road, just across from McKittrick Elementary, A+ Tutoring Center is
a busy place after school. Parents who opt to stay while their kids get
help with homework or FCAT preparation sit on the front porch or in the
comfortable inside foyer – reading, relaxing or chatting. The remainder
of the space is devoted to one-on-one tutoring – focusing on meeting the
needs of each individual student and designing and providing instruction
that enhances each student’s learning style. Whether the time is tilted
toward tutoring, study skills training, organizational assistance or
test taking strategies, students are served by teachers with master
degrees, along with specialties in special education and curriculum
planning – teachers who have taught in the area’s public and private
schools and know the pressures, parameters and structure of today’s
school systems.
A+ Tutoring Center
additionally prides itself on being a support system for both the school
and family through an optional case management system where contact with
teachers is maintained on an ongoing basis. “Through e-mail and short
written progress reports, students, teachers and parents know what is
being accomplished and what is expected, thus reducing frustration and
misunderstanding and optimizing the chance for students to succeed and
soar,” notes Desiree Daerr, M.Ed, educator and co-owner of A+ Tutoring
Center.
“The secret of a
student’s success is helping each one pick achievable, measurable goals
and helping them formulate objectives to reach them – such as turning in
their homework consistently, studying twenty minutes a night, etc.,”
says co-owner and educator, Kila Hulton, M.Ed. “We know how kids feel
when they don’t understand a concept and we adapt our methods to their
learning styles.”
Both Hulton and Daerr
say A+ Tutoring Center provides educational services that are effective,
affordable, convenient and flexible. And thanks to local businesses like
Skateworld, Grand Prix Tampa and Tanya and Matt’s Ice Cream, kids
attending A+ Tutoring get free passes and coupons when they bring in
report cards reflecting improvement.
A+ Tutoring Center is
not a one-room, little red schoolhouse. But it’s the next best thing.
|
