When a student is having difficulties in class, a place many teachers recommend is the Cougar Resource Center or the CRC, “[It’s] up stairs, we always have a math teacher in there every period of the day,” said Mr. Meeks, a math teacher.

For many students asking for help in class can be intimidating and scary, that’s where a place like the CRC can be helpful, “Sadly, I was one of those in high school who struggled with math,” said Mr. Mueller, a math teacher and a CRC instructor, “[So I know] math phobia is real.” 

Math is a subject that builds on top of itself, so after missing a day of school or zoning out in class, many students start to fall behind which can result in “…a domino effect of misunderstanding,” said senior student tutor Anvit Sidhu. 

“The CRC is a student ran space,” continued Mr. Mueller. Teaming up with other students makes it easier for many to ask for help. When help is coming from a peer students are more likely to empathize having struggled in the past. 

“[Many students] get frustrated because [some] problems take more than three minutes to solve,” said Mr. Mueller. Because of this many students are unable to problem solve “… the apps on the phone are a problem [that contribute to it]” he added. Phones can interfere with learning in many classrooms but Mr. Mueller says he’s found a way to keep up with the “21st century learners.”

He has come to the understanding that many people today are dependent on technology, “[Within my classroom] I do math purely digital,” said Mr. Mueller. His approach aims to make the classroom more compatible with his students, “[I want to] give back to students who struggle with math and show them that if I can do it, you can do it too.” 

Despite new techniques within the classroom there can still be a discrepancy between students and teachers. “We teachers can explain things, and explain it again,” said CRC instructor Mrs. Robbins, “But when a kid is sitting down with another kid to explain…it helps someone have a little light.”

According to Mrs. Robbins, students have signed into the Cougar Resource Center over 5000 times this school year. It’s clear that many students frequently return to the CRC and math teacher, Mrs. Avendano, attributes it to a sense of accomplishment felt by students, “They feel like they’ve gotten support.”