Mathematics Clinic at MTs Negeri Lubuk Pakam

SURYANI ROSA, an 8th grade student still has difficulty in working out the length of a tangent of a circle. To help her with this problem, Afri Wahyuni, a Mathematics teacher asked her to come to the Mathematics clinic for a therapy. Ibu Arfi gave her a tutorial and explained the theory of tangents of a circle. After she gave Suryani some problems to solve. The result was satisfactory: Suryani's score increased by 40%. However, Ibu Arfi did not stop there. " Come again tomorrow, " wrote Ibu Arfi in her Mathematics Therapy Book.

Suryani is not the only patient of the Mathematics clinic at MTs Negeri Lubuk Pakam. The clinic itself measures just12 square meters. Inside, you can find displays of various formulae, mathematics learning equipment and other media. There is a wooden table and two plastic chairs for the teacher to do the therapy. The clinic officially started to operate two years ago. The idea of opening the clinic came from the Mathematics teachers who wanted to help students who need to be supported or tutored in Mathematics. " The activity in the clinic is just a remedial class, but we modify it a bit, " said Ibu Arfi.

According to Ibu Arfi, the activity in this clinic is similar to a health clinic, between a patient and a doctor. The therapy starts with identifying students who are not performing well in Mathematics. Usually, teachers discover these students during the lessons in the classrooms. The students then will be asked to come to the clinic after school time. According to Ibu Arfi, the students are intentionally not given assistance during normal school time. They tried to do it during school time, but the result was not optimal. The students felt embarrassed and inferior because other students knew what was happening.

After that, the therapy process changed. " We try to maintain the privacy of children, " says Ibu Arfi. The process in the clinic starts with diagnosing the student's weaknesses. To support the diagnostic process, teachers keeps a notebook. In the book are recorded the date, student's name and class, the teacher who provides therapy, problems identified, type of therapy and the results achieved. The therapy strengthens the relations between teacher and student. The student feels comfortable in learning the material taught by the teacher. And the teachers are more focused in helping the students. Furthermore the students feel free to ask questions.

" Mathematics is difficult when students hate it. So, the real challenge is to make students love it. When they do, they can learn it more easily, " explained Ibu Arfi. To measure the results, Mathematics teachers make an assessment. They give problems to students. When students can solve the problems, that means they have made progress. When progress is slow, the teachers will extend the therapy. As for Suryani, she took two sessions in a row, and her skills increased dramatically. " Thank God, she made progress by 70%, " said Ibu Arfi after the therapy on Februari 5, 2010.