NewsCommunity News

Alumna offers math intervention

Third grader Jayden Finister reviews his number rounding exercise with math intervention teacher Alyssa Lopez Tuesday at Roynon Elementary School. This is Lopez’s first year teaching at Roynon, where she helps third- to fifth-grade students in math. She graduated from the University of La Verne with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies in 2013 and a master’s in education in 2015./photo by Emily Lau
Third grader Jayden Finister reviews his number rounding exercise with math intervention teacher Alyssa Lopez Tuesday at Roynon Elementary School. This is Lopez’s first year teaching at Roynon, where she helps third- to fifth-grade students in math. She graduated from the University of La Verne with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies in 2013 and a master’s in education in 2015. / photo by Emily Lau

Chris McMahan
Staff Writer

As a newly hired teacher at Roynon Elementary School in La Verne, intervention teacher Alyssa Lopez is making a real impact on her students by using a program designed to help kids struggling in math.

Lopez, a University of La Verne alumna, tutors third- through fifth-graders in the program and said it is important to get kids interested in math early on.

“I think it is just that subject that’s really hard to understand fully,” Lopez said.“So kids normally just hate it at a very young age, so the hope for this is to kind of reverse that and make math fun.”

Making math fun is a crucial part in Lopez’s tutoring in order to engage her students; she will often have students sing, dance or even incorporate art to get them interested in learning.

Lopez learned these tactics while studying for her master’s at La Verne.

She also credited Valerie Beltran, an associate professor of education at ULV, as someone who was able to paint a picture for her of what it is like teaching in a classroom.

“She taught me things that are so relevant to actually teaching and that really has carried over,” Lopez said.

With the program, Lopez did acknowledge there are some things that are difficult to prepare for, such as student’s schedules.

According to Lopez, it is usually up to the teachers if a student needs to be placed in the math program and she will pull students out of another class to tutor them.

Fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Roynon Stacy Stirrett said that despite the scheduling issues, the math program is a huge success.

“Alyssa is wonderful and my students love going to her intervention class,” Stirrett said.
“She is great with them and all of the teachers she works with.”

Along with teachers, parents are also able to volunteer their children for the program if they are concerned about their children struggling in math.

With all the students she has to tutor, Lopez said the one thing she loves to see is the looks on their faces when they understand a math problem.

Lopez said she is able to relate to the students who struggle in math because she was in a similar position when she was younger.

“I know for me, when I was young, I really struggled with math,” Lopez said. “That was the area I struggled with most and I disliked a lot.”

Principal Matthew Wien said he is pleased with the program so far and said Lopez has done a terrific job with all of the students.

“What our students need is extra direct instruction and extra time with math concepts,” Wien said.
“Alyssa is providing that for our students. She has been an excellent hire for Roynon.”

Lopez credits her personal experiences and what she was able to learn at La Verne while she was a student to making her a better teacher, something she has a real passion for doing.

“I think this is a great profession,” she said. “I’m going to be doing this my whole life.”

Chris McMahan can be reached at christopher.mcmahan@laverne.edu.

Chris McMahan, Staff Writer
Chris McMahan
Other Stories
Other Stories
Previous article
Students run in undies
Next article
Lorenz explains bacterial research

Latest Stories

Related articles

Editorials

COVID vaccination should be mandatory for high school students

The lack of COVID-19 vaccinations among high school students in California is disappointing. While 69% of all Californians have received at least one dose, according to USAFacts, that number is only 9.45% for 12-17 year olds.
News

Local schools return to face-to-face learning, embracing a new normal

Kellin Olsen, a senior at Claremont High School, spent the majority of his final year of high school at home in his pajamas, rarely leaving the house, and attending school online.
News

LGBT students face harassment at Bonita High

A mural painted by the Gay-Straight Alliance club at Bonita High School was vandalized last week with discriminatory tagging.
Community News

Bonita students honor Parkland victims

While middle- and high school students across the country walked out of class in support of stricter gun control laws, over 700 Bonita High School students chose to use Wednesday’s nationwide event to memorialize the victims of school shootings. The demonstration took place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, on school grounds, and was part of a nationwide effort largely organized by Women’s March Youth Empower, an organization that encourages political change in communities and creates toolkits for event organizers.