Tanberg humbled by warm welcome back
Math tutor returns to Learning Lab
After going back to school and leaving his position as math teacher in the Learning Lab, Mr. Tanberg has now returned.
November 10, 2015
Junior Kirby Goodman said she spent hours working with Will Tanberg, the math tu- tor in the Learning Lab last year.
She said she missed his help when he didn’t return at the beginning of this year.
Goodman said she enjoyed hearing Tanberg recently re- turned to the Learning Lab.
“I am very excited about his return. I was very dependent on him for math and chemistry help last year,” Goodman said. “It is nice to get a different person’s way of explaining things.”
Tanberg said the welcome he received was humbling.
“I missed this place and the students and the staff. It couldn’t have been a warmer welcome from anybody,” Tanberg said. “It is great to be back.”
Tanberg said he returned for various reasons, including fond memories of working at Park.
“I had been student teaching because I hadn’t received my teacher’s license yet. Due to multiple circumstances the situation just didn’t work out,” Tanberg said. “I also realized how much I missed working here, which was a big part of my decision.”
According to Goodman, the one-on-one teaching style benefits students who don’t grasp concepts in class.
“It’s great for students to have another place to go for math help besides their teacher,”Goodman said.
Tanberg said he specializes in the smaller environment of the Learning Lab.
“It is different than a large class environment where you are trying to teach 30 or more students at the same time,” Tanberg said. “You can tailor the information to that particular student.”
According to Tanberg, he most enjoys moments when he helps students understand material they didn’t before.
“My happiest moments here are when I can really help a student, and those moments where they finally understand something,” Tanberg said. “To see them succeed in somewhere where they thought they weren’t succeeding before — that’s an awesome thing.”
Goodman said help from Tanberg raised her confidence on the subjects taught.
“Refreshing the topics we were learning about made me feel like I understood the mate- rial much better,” Goodman said. “It made me feel much more confident on tests and quizzes.”
According to Tanberg, having more adults in the building allows for more connections between staff and students.
“There is a theory that there should be at least one adult in every school that a student can connect with,” Tanberg said. “Having more adults available to do that helps.”
