Many students struggle with understanding math; waiting for help without seeking immediate assistance can have detrimental consequences, especially on your grades. A math tutor can do much to help students stay up to speed with their homework and math exercises.
A tutor can do much to assist students, but he can’t implant knowledge in their brains. You can also play an important role in making your tutoring session successful.
Let us consider a few strategies you could use to make the most out of their math tutoring session.
Be Prepared
Being prepared for your tutoring session involves bringing all your course materials, such as your textbook, syllabus course notes, and other materials. It is always wise to treat your tutoring session as you would treat a regular class. Every tutoring session is different, yet your tutor needs to understand what you are working on and where you need help most.
Ask Questions
When you don’t understand something, asking questions saves you and your tutor time and energy. Being silent or shy will not help you in the long run. It is always wise to write down a list of questions for your tutor before you meet, outlining any hurdles you have. This also shows your tutor that you are interested and actively participating in the session. Make sure that your questions are specific to be immediately addressed.
If you are stuck with a math problem in school, it would be a good idea to email your tutor; he might be happy to get back to you with an explanation and an answer. There is no need to wait until your next tutoring session to address it.
Be Patient
When learning, students are always interested in getting the information quickly. Being patient with your tutor and yourself is imperative. Remember that learning is a process; logically, you will not be able to retain all the information at once. Your tutor is here to help you understand the material, not re-teach it repeatedly. It may take a while to learn the material, but you have to stick with it.
Maintain Focus
Maintaining focus is especially important when you are studying a subject like math. Reduce distractions by keeping sessions in a quiet secluded space without potential distractions like cell phones, excess material, stationery, or anything that draws your attention away from your studies.
Even though a subject like math might not seem interesting, try to find interesting common ground topics to connect with what you are learning. If you run into any issues, ask your tutor to help you relate the material to something that makes sense.
Take Notes
Your math tutor might explain a problem or example during your session without writing it down. It is a good idea to take notes of what he explains to you. Using graph or lined paper will ensure that your writing is neat and that everything is lined up properly for easy studying. Students could also encounter similar math problems with their homework; having a collection of worked-out examples can be of great help.
Be Honest
If you really don’t understand a math problem, equation or graph, be honest with your tutor and share your thoughts. If your tutor explains something and you still don’t get it, ask him to explain it again, do not be shy. He might be able to explain it to you in another way. Remember, your tutor should never get impatient with you or insist on you getting it right all the time. Persistence helps you understand things at times and work around math problems.
What Can You Do After a Tutoring Appointment?
When your tutoring session ends, you might feel like breathing a sigh of relief, and why not? Yet, there is much to do. It is essential to reflect on what was discussed and studied. When going over your notes, it helps to write down any side questions that might linger on your mind.
Reflect on whether your tutoring session was successful; remember that no one can do this task for you. It is wise to ask yourself if you found the overall session productive? Are all your questions answered? How did you feel about your tutor? Was he open and relatable? Did you encounter any recurring problems that weren’t immediately addressed?
The bottom line is that tutors want to help you, so if you don’t understand them or relate to what they are trying to teach you, be open about it, and they will feel happy. Remember that tutors cannot do assignments for you or solve math exams and quizzes. Their primary task is to guide you to achieve a remarkable level of understanding of math to excel academically.
OMC Is The One-Stop Solution For All Your Tutoring Needs
One-on-one tutoring isn’t for everyone, yet it can do wonders for struggling students. If your child struggles in school because they don’t put enough time and effort in math, then tutoring isn’t for them. However, if they are struggling because of a lack of basic understanding of math or have issues with their math instructor, then tutoring is, by all means, the ultimate option.
The OMC tutors work with your child to identify the problems and weak points and address them consistently to help them achieve the grades they want. Contact us to learn more or schedule a consultation.
We would be glad to help you!
