Katie is a senior double concentrating in Computational Biology and Gender and Sexuality Studies and is a Community Fellow for Algebra in Motion.

“My day wasn’t going well so I stayed in the art room instead of going to lunch,” Michelle said, looking up from the portrait she was drawing to look at me. We were in an Algebra I classroom at Hope High School and I was trying to get her to focus on her worksheet but the hunger seemed to be what was really on her mind.

As the class stood at the door at the end of the school day, Michelle was packing up her art supplies. The teacher asked her how she was doing and she explained that she had skipped lunch. Without hesitation, he went out into the hallway to his locker. In it, there were boxes of snacks and candy bars. He let her take whatever she wanted. Another student walked by and asked if she could take something to eat before track practice, he passed her the box.

In 2012, 80% of Hope High School student qualified for free/reduced lunch. When that isn’t enough, teachers are filling in the gaps. It’s not just about food though. They are buying pencils and rulers for their classrooms, because some of their students can’t afford to have their own. For these teachers, their job is about so much more than lesson planning.

Algebra in Motion’s in-class tutoring program works to support students in math and science classrooms. We work with teachers to give students more one-on-one and small group instruction. Whether it’s working with a student who had missed class and needs to catch up on material, or a student who needs extra time with assignments because they don’t speak English, or reviewing concepts from earlier math classes that didn’t stick the first time around, we work to help the teachers balance the educational needs of their students with the more bureaucratic needs of the district that they deliver their lessons on schedule and stay on pace with the curriculum.

I had originally thought my role as a tutor was to work with students, and only with students. I thought it was my job to advocate for my students because the teacher didn’t understand their needs. I realized that it was so much more complex than that: the teacher I worked with was deeply aware of his students’ needs, but often lacked resources to meet them. He was advocating for them just as strongly as I was, just in a different way. We’re a team, working for the success of our students.

The bravest activists I’ve ever seen weren’t at a rally, they don’t usually hold bullhorns, and I have yet to see them engage in civil disobedience, but I have seen them demanding more resources for their students. When that fails, they fill in what they can. They are providing school supplies, food, and emotional support in addition to their lessons. The teachers I’ve worked with give everything for their students and that’s a team I’m proud to be on.