Mr. Garcar is a math teacher at Struthers High School. He teaches all of the College Credit Plus math classes at Struthers. College Credit Plus (CCP) is a program that allows students to take college classes while they are in high school. Students receive both high school credits and college credits for completing the classes. Teachers who teach the classes are required to have a degree in the subject in which they teach.
The classes that Garcar teaches include: Honors Geometry, CCP Algebra, CCP Trigonometry, CCP Statistics and CCP Calculus. These are some of the most rigorous subjects that Struthers High School offers. If a student completes CCP Calculus, they will be allowed to go on campus at YSU to take Calculus 2 at the expense of Struthers. Though this program is an amazing way to get ahead in college, the difficulty of the courses is too much for some students to handle.
The math teacher, Mr. Garcar, acknowledges the difficulty of these courses that students exchange for early college experience.
“The main benefit of CCP is that students can earn college credits by taking CCP classes, which can allow them to make progress towards their intended major earlier than other students. However, CCP classes can be more difficult than other high school classes. The content learned is more intense and students need to complete more work on their own in these classes,” says Garcar.
Although Mr. Garcar accepts the fact that courses have increased difficulty, he wants to help students with the difficulty and the workload. He gives in-depth lectures on every topic that is covered and recommends online study resources to help his students.
Garcar gives assistance to his students in order to help them learn and understand the material in these high rigor courses.
“I enjoy providing students with the opportunity to learn higher level math concepts. I like to help students try to understand these topics to the best of their abilities,” says Garcar.
There are also things students can do on their own to help themselves in these classes. With these being college credit classes, college level responsibility is also expected. Enrollees should study amply in order to keep up with these higher level courses.
The CCP teacher wants students to succeed in these classes.
“Try to stay as organized as possible and work hard to stay up-to-date with your assignments. Make time outside of class to work on practice problems or to review additional resources to help you master the concepts. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class or outside of class. While it may be challenging, if you are willing to work hard, you will be able to have success in the class,” says Garcar.
Overall, Mr. Garcar tells us that CCP is a valuable opportunity for students to distinguish themselves before they begin college. Although there is a lot of hard work, the teachers want you to succeed. CCP teachers agree that if you want it for yourself, you will excel in the classes. Garcar wants students to know that although the classes are difficult, if a student stays consistent with studying and keeps track of due dates, they will succeed.
