By Elaine Law

Every Tuesday afternoon from 3:30pm to 4:30pm, you will hear the chatter, laughter, and the discussion of students from Mr.  Chang's room in the Math hub. Some may say they’re playing, some may say they’re arguing, some may say they're… fighting with each other?

Can you guess who they are, and what they are doing there?  As a matter of fact, it is the Math Mentors Club (MMC) in action! 

The club pairs up younger students (mentees) with older students (mentors) who assist with work on assignments and homework, solve challenging arithmetic problems, study for tests, or collaborate on math simply because of a mutual interest in the subject. It is a stress-free, helpful, and friendly environment for those who need it.

As Chang says, “The MMC gives younger students the opportunity to seek help in mathematics from their older peers- people they should respect, trust, and who are closer to them in their learning journeys. Thus, the older peers can share not just the mathematical knowledge, but tips, advice, strategies and approaches to learning skills. Furthermore, the pair forge a true mentorship that would not come about with a student-teacher interaction.” 

Chang also stated that it offers older students an opportunity as mentors to develop their communication skills, as well as provide a valuable service for the community. It can also give leaders in the club a small taste of leadership, organising quite a sizable group and dealing with unforeseen circumstances. It will also help them develop logistical skills they wouldn’t have a chance to develop in lessons.

“It’s a very fun club to be in,” said Nishant, one of the club’s mentors and a leader of the club. “I have a passion for math and I think this club is very beneficial for the school. We are currently looking for more mentees, so we encourage people to sign up.”

Anna, a mentee in the club, commented “At first, I thought it was going to be really stressful, because you are surrounded by people who are a lot smarter than you. But soon I figured out they were here to help, and the mentors were super chill!”

If students need any type of assistance with the subject, or if anyone wants to help others further improve their mathematical abilities, they can sign up by contacting their math teacher, contacting Mr. Chang, or emailing the leaders Nishant (nishak1@rchk.edu.hk) or Cheryl (wongh15@rchk.edu.hk) to participate in rewarding sessions of math-fun!