Over the pandemic, sophomore Julianna Hatton noticed a lack of response and enjoyment in math, and she decided she wanted to help fix it. Through word of mouth, Hatton began tutoring students with a focus on math, and she started her business on Zoom where she works with students from first grade to 10th grade. 

“I love kids, and I love teaching, so this is a really a perfect balance. When I grew up, I’ve [always wanted] to be a teacher,” Hatton said. “This is great practice, and it just really instills in me, you know, this love of invigorating their minds and really show them new knowledge.”

Dance director Andrea Locke has worked with Hatton for four years. Locke said Hatton has phenomenal leadership and resilience. Hatton is in Data Science and Advanced Study Calculus AB class, and she is also on student council, athletic leadership team, dance leadership team, and the math team. Locke said she has been inspired by Hatton’s love for learning. 

“[I admire] her resilience and her way of looking at disappointment as opportunities, her ability to take disappointment on things that [didn’t go] the way she wanted,” Locke said, “to not go down or back or spiral in any kind of victim, to transforming into a more positive direction for something else.”

Hatton tutors students during her free time, whether it is at home on Zoom, or in the halls during Night of Dance tech week. She found her first student through her mother’s Facebook group, and since then, she has grown the business through word of mouth.

Hatton said that, in hopes to make math enjoyable, she has created different lesson plans, multiplication board games, math yoga and drawing pictures with multiples of seven.

Hatton said tutoring has enhanced her own math skills. 

“I’ve always been a stronger math student, but I do think that my love for math and my ability to want to learn it more in-depth is really great,” Hatton said. “I think because I’m teaching younger kids those fundamentals like adding, subtracting, multiplying [and] dividing — they have really been strengthened in my mind.”

Although she often gives up time with friends and social media to pursue her passions, she said she finds it rewarding. Hatton said she has noticed how praise motivates and improves her students’ relationship with education.

“They’re so happy to be here and happy to be interacting with math. It really fills my heart with joy and makes me want to teach more students the joy [in math] because, I feel school in general, but specifically math, is taught as no feelings,” Hatton said. “It’s work, work, work, never get any reward, but to be rewarded and to be praised one-on-one for showing these skills makes them want to learn more and inherently create a better student.”

Hatton said being educated in Archer’s environment inspired her to take her learning outside of the classroom. She has seen the value of understanding the real life applications of math.

“I want to spread the word that math can be fun. It’s not just if you’re good at it. Everyone can find joy in the simplest things that any class can provide. It’s less about math knowledge and more about appreciating school,” Hatton said. “I think this whole journey was really inspired by the pillars of Archer society and how, as students, we’re not going to just learn things. We’re trying to understand them deeply.”