A pilot program rolled out last spring in the Upper School provides student-led math tutoring while fostering social connection between upperclassmen and freshmen.

Woodward junior Sequoia Dow leads the program, taking over from Avi Goldschmidt ’26, who helped launch the pilot. As a freshman serving in student government, Dow was invited to join the Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement, a leadership program that acts as a think tank for improving the educational experience. Many of its members also join the Big Rocks cohort, which applies the teachings of author Stephen Covey to prioritize and confront the biggest issues (or “rocks”) Woodward students face. Sequoia says the need for peer-driven learning support was identified as part of that process.

“From there, we came up with the idea of teaching assistance programs, for math in particular, especially for underclassmen,” said Sequoia. “We focused on freshmen last year, because at the lower levels, like CP and EP, tutorials can get overcrowded. So our main goal was to alleviate some of the burden on the teachers and try to help those students.”

“In the geometry department one teacher had 20 to 30 kids in her tutorial, and she couldn't always get to everyone,” said Learning Support Department Chair Denise Twiss. “So it was really helpful for her to reach out to students and say, ‘Hey, I need your help and let's see what we can come up with.’”

The call went out to upperclassmen in AP math courses, explaining the program and seeking volunteers. Ultimately eight students signed on to tutor. Two math teachers agreed to oversee the six-week pilot, which ran from April through May of last year. Tutorials were held in the Algebra I and CP level Geometry classrooms from 10:40 to 11:10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tutors would be in class, available to answer questions and help freshman students with whatever they needed. The tutors earned service hours for their time.

There were some initial challenges,  but from the start, Sequoia says, parents, teachers, and students gave the program rave reviews: “I think it helped the upperclassmen connect with the freshmen. Then, freshmen came to tutorial more because they liked getting help from their peers. We had a lot of positive feedback from the math department. Miss Paula Gentry, one of the two teachers who oversaw the pilot, said she really liked it.”

“I think part of what made it so successful was they started with buy-in from the department chair and the teachers, as opposed to it being something we were trying to push into math classrooms,” said Upper School Assistant Principal Ronda Zents. She added that the program supports two pillars of Woodward’s new Strategic Plan by fostering academic excellence and a connected social experience.

Organizers hope to run a second, expanded round of the TA program this fall, though exact dates have not been set. An expansion into other subjects is also possible down the road. Sequoia will lead that effort.

Our Strategic Plan in Action: This story highlights Academic Excellence and a Connected Social Experience, two of the pillars of our Strategic Plan.