T-shirts and other goodies are available for purchase at Mathnasium in Tyler. Mathnasium of Tyler serves Smith County and the surrounding east Texas area, with students from many public and private schools in the area.

Math tutoring center Mathnasium celebrated 10 years of serving Tyler and Smith County area students on Tuesday.

The center opened in December 2012, by Frank Mann, Franchise Owner, as a response to the local and a personal family need, for math instruction for students who were struggling.

Originally, Mathnasium offered help students only up to eighth grade, but the center can now offer high school homework help and private sessions when instructors are available. Private instruction is by appointment only and should be scheduled 24 hours in advance.

Mathnasium of Tyler offers a comprehensive assessment to pinpoint concepts students already know and identify gaps in their understanding of skills necessary to be successful, according to Center Director Annette Mckee.

“We then create an individualized, proprietary curriculum to meet the specific needs of each student. All instruction is one on one, by an instructor trained in the Mathnasium Method, designed to ‘Make Math Make Sense’”, she said. “Mathnasium of Tyler also offers enrichment for students who are looking to get ahead in their classes, and test preparation for standardized tests and college entrance exams.”

McKee, a former math teacher, started as Center Director at Mathnasium of Tyler in July of 2020 after working part-time for the company for five years.

“I started as a part-time instructor in 2015 when my husband and I first moved to Tyler. I was teaching middle school math during the day and would come two nights a week to help students understand math in the evenings, which helped me feel I was making more difference than in the classroom,” she said. “When I prepared to retire from the classroom, this was my dream job.”

McKee said her start as center director came shortly after the pandemic shook the world and shut down schools.

“Since the education shutdown in 2020, we are generally seeing a significant drop in math skills, as referenced nationally by (National Assessment of Educational Progress) research, released earlier this year,” she said. “During the shutdown, Mathnasium began online instruction, which is still available, but not quite as effective as face-to-face instruction in the center.”

Mathnasium of Tyler serves Smith County and the surrounding East Texas area, with students from many public and private schools in the area. The center is open year-round and offers special summer packages to keep students engaged during extended periods away from school.

Mathnasium instructors must meet stringent qualifications, passing a Mathematics assessment prior to completing an application for employment.

McKee said the center is always looking for instructors including high school students.

“We are always looking for highly skilled mathematics instructors, including high school and college students with an ability to share their knowledge with younger students,” McKee said. “Work schedules are flexible and range from three to 16 hours a week, afternoon, evenings and Saturday. Mathnasium is an excellent employment opportunity for students and retired persons looking for part-time work.”

The center offers monthly memberships on six and 12 month terms. Two to three hour long visits per week are suggested in order to make the most progress for students who are significantly behind grade level expectations.

Mathnasium of Tyler is located in the Times Square Center at 5201 South Broadway, Suite 112, on the lower level. Instructional hours are 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mon. through Thurs. and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sat.

For more information, visit the Mathnasium of Tyler Facebook page.