Teacher makes house call to give student math lesson from porch

A math teacher in Madison, S.D., made a tutoring house call for one student last week, showing up to her porch to deliver the lesson in person.

Sixth-grade student Rylee Anderson was expecting help with her math work via remote instruction, following her school going to online lessons due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Washington Post. So she was surprised when instructor Chris Waba arrived at her door with a whiteboard and dry-erase marker to tutor her while still practicing social distancing.

“I thought it was pretty awesome to see my teacher making a house call to give me a private lesson,” Rylee said.

The student’s parents returned home to find Waba, who says he lives just down the street, instructing her through the screen door. They snapped a photo to commemorate the moment and posted it online.

MMS Teacher Chris Waba went to the door to help a student with math today. pic.twitter.com/2Pu477cI5f

— MadMiddleSchool (@MadisonMSNews) March 27, 2020

“I was so appreciative of Chris that I wanted people to know about [what he did] since teachers across the country are having to take extra steps right now to help their students,” Rylee’s dad, Josh Anderson, said.

Waba said that he has not gone door-to-door helping other students with problems, but he could sense Rylee’s frustrations and she seemed “ready to give up.”

“She’s a good math student, but I thought working through a problem with her was a better plan,” he said. “Most questions I’ve been able to answer through email or a Zoom session, but this time, I just grabbed my board and took off out the door.”

Waba is the son of a school principal and has been a teacher for 27 years at Madison Middle School, where Rylee attends.

“Teachers all over the country are missing their students, and this has turned into a very uncertain world,” he said. “People are nervous and anxious. I just tried to do something kind, and it seems to have a heart string.”