What Kind of Tutoring is Right for You: Online vs. In Person

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, tutoring has become an invaluable resource for students seeking additional help in mastering subjects like math. With the rise of technology, both online and in-person math tutoring options have gained prominence. Each method comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, catering to different learning preferences and circumstances. Let's delve into the pros and cons of online math tutoring versus in-person math tutoring. 

Online Math Tutoring: 

 Pros: Flexibility and Convenience: Online math tutoring offers unparalleled flexibility. Students can schedule sessions according to their convenience, eliminating the need to commute to a physical location. This is especially beneficial for students with busy schedules or those living in remote areas. Access to a Wide Range of Tutors: Online platforms connect students with tutors from around the world. This means students have access to a diverse pool of expertise, enabling them to find a tutor who best suits their learning style and needs. Interactive Tools: Many online platforms provide interactive tools such as virtual whiteboards and digital resources. These tools enhance engagement and facilitate real-time collaboration, making the learning experience more dynamic. Recorded Sessions: Online sessions can often be recorded, allowing students to revisit the material covered during the session. This feature serves as a valuable revision tool and helps reinforce concepts. 

 Cons: Technical Challenges: Online math tutoring relies heavily on stable internet connections and appropriate technology. Technical glitches or poor connectivity can disrupt the learning process and hinder effective communication. Lack of Physical Presence: Some students thrive with in-person interaction, finding it easier to ask questions and engage with the material when they are physically present with a tutor. 

In-Person Math Tutoring: 

 Pros: Personal Connection: In-person tutoring allows for a direct and personal connection between the tutor and the student. This can create a comfortable learning environment where questions are easily asked and answered. Real-Time Feedback: Tutors can provide immediate feedback on a student's work, helping to correct mistakes and address misunderstandings in real-time. Non-Verbal Cues: In-person interactions enable tutors to pick up on non-verbal cues like facial expressions and body language, aiding them in gauging a student's level of comprehension and adjusting their teaching approach accordingly. 

 Cons: Limited Availability: In-person tutoring might be limited by geographical location and scheduling constraints. This could potentially limit a student's access to the best tutors or suitable time slots. Travel Time and Costs: Commuting to tutoring sessions demands time and might incur additional travel costs. This can be especially burdensome for students with busy schedules or those living far from tutoring centers. Less Diverse Pool of Tutors: In-person tutoring limits students to the pool of available tutors within their local vicinity. This might result in fewer options to find a tutor who aligns with their learning preferences. In conclusion, both online and in-person math tutoring have their merits and drawbacks. 

The choice between the two depends on factors such as individual learning style, technological resources, geographical location, and scheduling constraints. Online tutoring offers flexibility and access to diverse expertise, but can be hindered by technical challenges. In-person tutoring provides personal connections and real-time feedback, but may be limited by location and scheduling issues. As education continues to adapt to technological advancements, the best tutoring method will ultimately depend on what works best for each student's unique needs and circumstances.

Keeping Math Skills Sharp Over the Summer: A Parent's Guide

 

The summer months are a time for relaxation and fun, but they can also lead to a loss of academic progress for students, particularly in subjects like math. To ensure that middle and high school kids don't lose their math skills during this break, it's important for parents to take an active role. In this blog post, we will explore various strategies parents can employ to help their children maintain and strengthen their math abilities over the summer, including the option of hiring a tutor.

1. Encourage Real-World Math One effective way to keep math skills sharp is by incorporating real-world applications into daily activities. Encourage your child to solve practical math problems encountered in everyday life, such as calculating grocery expenses, measuring ingredients for cooking, or planning budgets for outings. Engaging in these activities not only reinforces mathematical concepts but also demonstrates the relevance of math in daily life.

2. Utilize Online Resources : The internet offers a plethora of resources to support math learning. There are numerous websites and educational platforms that provide interactive math games, puzzles, and quizzes that make learning enjoyable. Parents can encourage their children to explore these resources during the summer break. Websites like Khan Academy, Math Playground, and Coolmath.com offer a wide range of math activities and lessons tailored to different grade levels, ensuring that students can reinforce and advance their math skills at their own pace.

3. Incorporate Math into Summer Reading: Reading can be a great opportunity to reinforce math skills. Encourage your child to explore math-themed books or novels that incorporate mathematical concepts. These books can spark an interest in math while providing an engaging narrative. Additionally, some books offer math-related problems or puzzles that can be solved alongside the story, making it an interactive and fun experience for the reader.

4. Engage in Math Challenges and Competitions : Many organizations and educational institutions host math challenges and competitions during the summer months. Encourage your child to participate in these events, as they can provide a competitive yet motivating environment for maintaining and sharpening math skills. Competitions like Math Olympiad or local math tournaments not only offer opportunities to apply knowledge but also foster critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Furthermore, engaging with peers who share a passion for math can make the learning process more enjoyable.

5. Consider Hiring a Tutor For students who require additional guidance or personalized attention, hiring a tutor can be a beneficial investment. A tutor can help identify areas of weakness, provide targeted instruction, and reinforce mathematical concepts. They can tailor their teaching style to your child's specific needs, ensuring a more effective learning experience. Tutors can also offer valuable support in preparing for the upcoming school year or exams. Whether it's a local tutor or an online platform, finding a qualified and experienced math tutor can greatly enhance your child's math skills over the summer.

Conclusion: As a parent, you play a vital role in keeping your child's math skills sharp during the summer months. By incorporating real-world math, utilizing online resources, and considering the option of hiring a tutor, you can ensure your child's continued growth and success in mathematics.

If you would like to discuss tutoring for the summer or for the upcoming year, email pamanniii@gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/AMannTutor

Getting ready for those Math Finals

Here we are at the end of the first semester of the 2022-23 year, whether you are a college student or high school student, everyone is scrambling to get ready for final exams and then shift their focus to a joyous holiday season. This has been an enjoyable several months for me, tutoring students from California to Pennsylvania, from college all the way down to freshmen in high school. It is a blessing to me to have the opportunity to help students find success and hopefully some level of enjoyment as they study math.

I thought I would write this blog post after a relatively long period of time not publishing any  because I wanted to remind students that though their final exams and grades are obviously very important, everything needs to be put in perspective. With that, I thought I'd offer some simple suggestions on preparing for final exams.

Perhaps the biggest key to preparing for a final exam is to plan in advance. Hopefully, your teachers or professors have provided you with study materials such as final review packets that accurately portray the information that will be on your final exam. If not, a student needs to look back at tests, assignments, or other material from throughout the semester to review on their own. If they have received study materials for the final, planning to complete the material before the exam date involves sitting down with the calendar and conservatively estimating how long it will take to get everything done.

It's really important that you do not save it until the last minute and then cram in the last day or two, or even the night before your final exam. Instead, do a little bit day by day. Get out a calendar, and for example if you estimate that it will take you 8 hours to get all the work done, and you have four days to do it, then set aside at least two hours each day and work efficiently to get it done. Preferably, even try to get it done a day or two early so that any material that you feel like you do not completely understand, you have the opportunity to ask about.

With preparation ahead like this, you're far more likely to be able to walk into the final exam with a feeling of confidence. So often when students describe test anxiety, part of the problem is that in their mind at least, they have not done adequate preparation. Of course that is not always true. There truly are people who suffer from anxiety that is not caused by lack of preparation. But it is undoubtedly true that anything and everything that you can do ahead of time will lower that level of worry that you might have.

Furthermore, it is a lesson of life that we need to learn that when we do our best, and we feel like we've prepared adequately, then our performance is going to be the best that it can possibly be. If that's true, then regardless of the outcome, we can hold our heads high and say that we did our best. With that, and again without factoring in the grade that we got on the final or the grade that we got in the class, we can step away to our holidays and enjoy them without worry because we did in fact do our best

Finally, for almost everyone they encounter things in life where they just need a little bit of help. That doesn't mean that they cannot be successful in that area. Sometimes it's just a matter of receiving a little bit of assistance, which then sets them on a path to success in that area. If math is that area for you, feel free to contact me using the link below and let's see if tutoring services might be a benefit to you. The online tutoring services that I provide are less expensive than in person, and for the students that I've worked with, they have found the online format to be very user-friendly and beneficial in that they don’t need to travel for a tutoring session or even have a tutor come to their home. Sessions are typically 1 hour, and can be done on a weekly basis or as needed. I try to keep things flexible, and completely oriented to the needs of the student.

https://www.facebook.com/AMannTutor/

Strategies for Math Success

The other day I posted a blog entry on getting the school year started right. The entry just stated some probably obvious ideas about how you, or your son or daughter, can get things going the right direction from the outset. They seem obvious, but 30+ years teaching informs me not every kid is doing these things. I also offered that in the next few days I'd make a post going over specific things that will help over the long haul. But first, I cannot emphasize enough that self-discipline is probably the most important aspect of success in the math classroom - and for that matter, anywhere!

We tend to start off any endeavor filled with enthusiasm and good intentions.  We might even have a plan. But, quoting a person I don't usually find highly quotable...

Math Success Tip #1: Self-Discipline

In life, and even in math class, even with the best formed plan, there will be bumps in the road. It's vitally important that you have the self discipline to stick with your plan, perhaps making tweaks, and see it through to the end.  You will find success in math and life employing this approach.  The following video is a tiny bit over the top, but has some great points...

Math Success Tip #2: Take Great Notes

Studies have shown that the seemingly simple process of writing information down forms the basis for greater integration of that knowledge into your toolkit of math skills. Taking notes is a skill that requires practice to master. There are note-taking strategies, such as the Cornell Note-taking Method, but my suggestion is that you develop your own system. You clearly cannot write down every thing the teacher says...you have to develop a sense for what's important and learn to summarize.

Great teachers make knowing what's important easy. The tell you what you must know, what's nice to know (but not essential), and what is conceptual material that is just interesting and you definitely do not need to retain.  Not all teachers are great. That's reality.

So, what can you do when the teacher is not clear and their method of instructional delivery isn't ideal? First, do not go to the teacher and say, "I don't like your teaching methods." Instead, try saying, "I'm trying to take really good notes to help me with homework and test preparation. I am having a hard time writing everything down and was wondering if, as you teach, you could give cues as to what is really important."

If your teacher is truly bad, the response will be, "Everything I say is really important." That's unlikely to be the case, and your teacher will likely try to accommodate your needs. They may need periodic friendly reminders, but I can say that students who care enough to make such requests, moved up several notches in my book.

Math Success Tip #3: Practice with Persistence EVERY Day!

A study was done that showed that math students in high performing countries had one characteristic that American math students did not have - PERSISTENCE. Students in these countries exhibited the trait that they would spend as much as 10x more time on a given challenging problem before quitting than American students.

I think some of this may be the "drill and kill" strategy where too many teachers assign tons of low level problems and just a few challenging ones at the end - where American students are trained they can get by just skipping the hard ones. That produces negative outcomes.

To be successful - meaning you internalize conceptually the mathematical concepts - you must be able to apply what you learn in meaningful ways. This means you have to consistently work problems, and if you are skipping any, they should be the trivial easier problems at the start of the homework. The problems that will make the difference in your success on assessments/tests/exams will be like the challenging ones towards the end. Do math every day...even if no assignment was given, go back and work previously assigned problems. Set an amount of time you will devote to this practice every single day.

At first, you may struggle mightily. But do whatever it takes to figure these problems out. Be persistent working them on your own. Be willing to ask for help - from other students, your teacher, technology (like photo-math...but be judicious and careful here), or a tutor when you are just flat out stuck. But you will gradually grow in your intellectual capacity to do hard problems...but believe in yourself and give it time.

It amazes me that students who accept the fact that playing a musical instrument or performing in a sport takes tons of time, effort, and persistence to become great...cannot grasp the idea that becoming even decent at a high level intellectual pursuit like math requires effort. Give yourself the grace and time to progress through hard work. Also, don't pay the least bit of attention to students for who everything seemingly comes easy.

Math Success Tip #4: Know what is going on!!!

Be organized with regard to due dates and upcoming tests. Keep a calendar of some kind - use your phone, use  calendar book...whatever you like, but write every piece of information down that pertains to when things are happening. When you have a test/assessment coming up, start preparing in advance...days or even a week in advance is the time to start. Work through assignments from the unit, practice tests, or whatever you can access to be best prepared. There's nothing worse than finding out in the morning from a friend that you have a test in 3rd period Algebra 2 that you were unaware of. There's really no excuse for that.

Following these four tips will give you an absolutely great chance at having success - which to me means coming as close as possible to maximizing your true potential. That might mean getting an A in the class or getting a C in the class. I suggest focusing less on the grade and more on the process and the concepts.

At the end of the day, you will be able to look yourself in the mirror and say you gave it your best shot.  That's a win!  

If you feel like you still need help, reach out. My tutoring services are best utilized by students willing to try hard, but still having a hard time.  Any tutor being honest would say the same. 

Reach out any time at https://www.facebook.com/AMannTutor/. Have a great day!!!

Get the Year Started Right in the Math Classroom

Last year at the beginning of the school year I published an article that is similar to this one. The reason that there's similarity is because the secret to being successful in the math classroom doesn't change much from year-to-year. Pretty much every student wants to have success, and certainly every parent wants their child to have success.

We all start the year with enthusiasm, both teachers and students, but it's easy to lose focus of the things that help us to be successful. This article will detail a few of the things that you can do from day one to make sure that your year is as successful as it can possibly be.

One strategy that I strongly suggest is to try to get to know your teacher from day one. It may seem like that's something that you as a student should not have to make an effort to do, but keep in mind that in many situations a teacher has as many as 150 students throughout the day, and you’re  just one. Although teachers almost inevitably want to get to know their students as quickly as they can, with the volume of students it can be difficult. What I am suggesting here is not something any more than, perhaps at the end of a class in the first week of school, go up and introduce yourself to your teacher. If at that time you feel like you have needs or concerns that you wish to express to the teacher briefly, do that. For example, if you have test anxiety, you might let the teacher know at that time. Just a little effort like this can make a big difference at the beginning of the school year. For me, as a classroom teacher, it was at least a couple of weeks and sometimes more like a month before I really knew with confidence all of my students' names, and felt like I had some knowledge of each one of them as an individual.

My next suggestion might seem overly obvious, but many students do not do it. Show up on day one completely prepared. See if a teacher has published any materials that are required for class. There might be a specific calculator or a certain kind of notebook or other items that your teacher may want you to have. Being completely prepared on day one can get you off to a great start. It also looks good to your teacher which cannot possibly hurt.

Next, I strongly suggest that you have a goal in mind. Going back to my first suggestion, this might be something that you even mention to the teacher, as he or she would certainly be impressed by the fact that you thought this through ahead of time. For example, you might set a goal that you will study one hour each day that you have class. This is just a personal opinion, but I believe it's better to set goals that are things that you can consider to be an action, than to set a goal for example as a grade. If you correctly identify the factors that lead to success, you'll maximize the grade that you would get in that class anyway.Not setting a certain letter grade as a goal, but instead expressing ahead of time the actions that you will take to find success in the classroom can minimize the amount of anxiety that you have every time you get a graded paper back with a slightly lower grade than you want. I will publish additional blog entries that will detail the types of goals that you can set to maximize your success in the classroom.

One factor that affects more high school students, in my opinion, than any other, is the fact that so many young adults are getting way too little sleep. We can't fool ourselves and pretend like this does not affect us. In reality getting too little sleep has a cumulative effect that dramatically decreases intellectual performance. The reasons why you might not get as much sleep as you like might be completely legitimate. You might be involved in sporting activities or other extracurricular activities. You might need to have a job working until late in the evening. I realize as a longtime high school teacher, and as a parent, these are real things and sometimes things that students cannot do much about. Being aware of the consequences of lack of sleep and lack of rest and not pretending like they don't exist might cause you to try to rearrange some things in your life so that you can get the sleep that you need. If I could pick one thing I think impacts negatively students’ performance more than any other, lack of sleep would be it.

These few little pieces of advice, might very well take care of any problems that might arise at the beginning of the school year. But a final piece of advice that I want to impart right now, is that the moment at which you feel like you are starting to struggle, is the time to reach out for help. Most high schools have an abundance of resources that are available to you at no cost. The high school which I last taught, for example, had a program through  the National Honor Society for students to be able to get help before or after school . Further, your teacher will almost always be available to help you either in the mornings before school, or in the evenings after school.

Of course,, your teacher's time is a finite resource. Also, the reality is that resources like after school tutoring from high school students may not address all of the needs that you have. When you have exhausted all those freely available resources that are available to you, and you just don't seem to be making the headway that you need to make, then perhaps other avenues of assistance may be called for. Tutoring services come in a variety of different forms, and are available in most locations.

During the past school year, for example, I offered online tutoring resources,  where I could address the needs of students all over the country. Being from Missouri, and having some connections still with teachers that were co-workers in the district I retired from, many of my students were from right here in this local area. But for my online students, it really made no difference whether I was working with the student here in Missouri, or in Florida, or in Michigan, or many of the other places where students that I worked with came from. Many of us, for good or for bad, are now very familiar with working online.

  Working online can alleviate some logistical problems such as simply having to travel to a certain location for tutoring. It also creates flexibility where by if you have a tight schedule working online can often be much easier to find a suitable time to meet your needs. At least for my tutoring services, because I do not have to travel anywhere when I'm working online, I can charge less per hour for those services. Some students, or their parents are concerned at the beginning that working online may not be suitable for their son or daughter or for themselves. Really, the only way I can address this concern is by trying a session and seeing if it works for you. In all candor I had no students last year, who after one session felt like the online version of the tutoring did not work for them.

So get off to a good start at the beginning of the school year, and do all you can to be successful. If it turns out somewhere along the line that tutoring is something that you need,  feel free to reach out through the Facebook page link below. This year, I may in certain circumstances be willing to do in-person tutoring for students in the Warren County, St.t Charles County, or Franklin County areas. So, if you have a need don't hesitate to reach out. 

Tutoring Services

 

Tutoring Services

I wanted to get a post up that summarized my tutoring services. It was pointed out to me that some students might not be Facebook users where most of my information has been located.  Also, I am going to begin offering very limited in-person sessions, so I will review that as well.

First, since the Fall, I have been working with students in a wide variety of math courses from all over the country and at all age levels...students as far away as Florida and ages from middle school through college.  I am comfortable working in all high school courses and most undergraduate college math courses.  Also, some students and their parents have hired me to do general review or tests prep...ACT or AP being most common.

How Online Sessions Work:

We have typically been using Zoom as the delivery system. Most students are familiar with this platform, and I have honed techniques that seem to make the interaction work quite well.  There are some advantages to such an option...students can work from home, the hourly cost is quite a bit lower, etc. Some students/parents are concerned that Zoom will not work, and so I suggest giving it a try and then deciding.  My hourly cost per session for online sessions is $35 for individual lessons. Occasionally I have groupd of students who hire me for a test review session or the like. For groups of 3+, I charge $100 per hour.

Before our first online session, I send students information that will greatly facilitate a good and productive tutoring appointment.

In-Person Tutoring

Starting the week of March 14th, I will offer a few in-person tutoring sessions. My rate will be $50 per hour plus $10 as s surcharge for driving...if per chance I have multiple sessions scheduled, I will divide my driving surcharge among the students I am tutoring.  Typically, we will meet at a local public library.

For background, I have advanced degrees in math education and over 30 years teaching at the middle school, high school, and college level. I have taught essentially all high school courses that are offered as well as ACT Prep courses, AP courses, and college level courses. I love working with students and have seen quite a bit of success among the students with whom I have worked as a tutor.

I would love to answer any questions you have. I am available through my FB page, https://www.facebook.com/AMannTutor, or email at pamanniii@gmail.com.  

Thanks very much!!!

Calc 84 Introduction - A Nice Calculator Option for Students without a Graphing Calculator

 

Many students have access to graphing calculators when at school, but not at home. They are very expensive, and often only used by students for a year or two.  I suggest strongly that students entering a STEM field invest in graphing utilities, but that may or may not be an option. Let me state up front, that I am an Android user and am unaware of the availability of this calculator for IPhones.

I am going to do a short series of features on Calc 84 in video format.  First, here is a link to the calculator on the Play Store. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=scientific.graphing.calculator.t84.t36.t83

Next, here is a quick video of one feature of Calc 84...generating the prime factorization of an integer. This is very useful in simplifying radical expressions.  Please let me know if you have comments or questions and check back for additional posts on using this really nice calculator.

Prime Factorization with Calc 84 Video (and general introduction)

Need help in your math class? Visit my FB page for online tutoring.