An Exciting Move
An Exciting Move
Dear Eurekii Families,
In a few short days, our sign at 1544 York Road will be coming down. It will be one of the best things we’ve ever done.
Since our founding in 2019, we’ve been evolving our tutoring business. We started with three family friends willing to give us a shot. In less than four years, we now serve thousands of students across schools and families in Maryland and moving into different states. Here’s what we’ve learned.
- First, 95% of our customers come to us for math enrichment. We make it fun, it’s impactful, and we deliver results. This has been the main driver of growth in schools and families.
- Second, we do most of our work virtually. We’ve been able to translate the fun, rigorous, and measurable experiences from our in-person work to a robust, engaging, virtual experience. While nothing beats in-person, many have seen the benefits of schedule convenience and ability to watch sessions afterwards!
- Third, schools need a lot of help in math. With the ongoing teacher shortage, especially in mathematics and in urban areas, we’ve been asked to help train those supporting teachers to become effective math tutors and help organizations build up their own math capacity.
The third is the one we are most excited about – building capacity of those who are not traditionally known to teach math. Why is this so exciting and important for us? Because in many areas, students do not have access to quality math instruction. If they do, it is with great teachers who are overwhelmed and need help supporting their students. We are starting to share the “Eurekii” way of tutoring and teaching math our families and schools love.
Our results and impact have been recognized by state leadership. We are looking to scale like never before. Rest assured our work with our amazing families and schools will continue virtually, with the same level of fun, rigor, and results you are used to getting. Our ability to help more people reach children using the approach we use everyday is why we are no longer on York Road. Our new address will be – anywhere we are needed to help students fall in love with math.
With Great Excitement,
Phyllis
Four 2022 Predictions From the Frontlines
Four 2022 Predictions From the Frontlines
Throughout 2021, we’ve heard from our students, families, and the teachers and partners we work with directly. Based on what we’ve learned, here are four predictions for this upcoming 2022 year.
1. The Private School Competition
A record number of children are applying to private schools. We’ve done more test prep and sharing information with schools for younger kids than we ever have before. While every school is looking at the ‘whole child,’ it’s pretty clear that they are looking at the scores too.
Prediction: With the uncertainty brought on by the virus, we see that there is a continued desire for test prep, and we are already planning spring and summer programs to prepare children for the next level.
What You Can Do: If your child is ‘test-prepping,’ don’t add to their anxiety. They already know about the importance of tests. Help your child manage test anxiety by developing a practice schedule that includes well spaced-out practice sessions and smaller chunks of study rather than cramming. Give them lots of positive encouragement to cheer them on. If they are asking for help, there are many options.
2. Educators on the Brink
Every educator we have talked to is pretty exhausted. In addition to making sure all learners are doing snd performing their best, they are also managing students who have not been in school for a year, policing new health and safety requirements, and dealing with ever-changing rules, protocols, and schedules.
Prediction: We may lose great teachers in schools due to exhaustion. Recently we put out an ad for teachers to help us with online classes during and after school. Within a few days, we had over 400 resumes. Teachers and educators will continue to work hard, but when will they say “Enough?”
What You Can Do: School leaders, take the time to acknowledge your teachers’ needs and support them as much as you can. Parents, thank the teacher who is doing that incredible job. If your child is struggling, ask the teacher how you can help. There are no easy answers, but we are all on the same team.
3. Less Motivation to Learn
How many kids do you know who used to be so excited about school that now just want to get through it? Add juggling between in-person and virtual schooling, kids are more distracted than ever. Too much focus is about catching up, getting ahead, and micromanaging grades. There is little attention on making sure kids still love learning and want to discover new things.
Prediction: More than ever, schools’ main focus will be to keep children safe and make sure they learn their grade-level curriculum. There is a huge opportunity for families to focus on new, fun, and fresh learning experiences.
What You Can Do: Parents, remember learning can be fun if you make it so. Have a contest, take a fun class together, pique curiosity and research the answers to crazy, outlandish questions. Their learning journey and experience matters. Don’t make it a miserable one.
4. Everything Will Matter But It Really Doesn’t
So many of our parents are worried. Worried about their children’s school choice, their college entrance test score, the repercussions of poor grades, their social and emotional health, which sports team they play on, and so on. It feels like every decision matters so much. It’s an endless spiral of concern that has no end.
Prediction: If these last two years have taught us anything, it’s that we are not really in control. Things will just happen. We have to learn to prioritize what really matters, and let the other stuff go. Going into 2022, and with the new variants and recent reinstatement of indoor mask mandates – this will be another year of constantly navigating unexpected events.
What You Can Do: Sometimes, literally nothing. Just sit back and let it play out. Both my children had school experiences that made me cringe. Looking back, there were so many ups and downs, and experiences I had no power to control. Good experiences are great. Bad experiences have their own good lessons. Whatever it is you are worried about, let it go. It will work out because you will be in your children’s corner no matter what happens.