No Quick Fixes In Math Tutoring
Hi there. In this math and education post, I want to go over the topic of there are no quick fixes in math tutoring. Math is a demanding subject which takes a lot of time and practice to achieve competency.
Sections
- Math Is Like A Language
- Don't Expect Quick & Effective Results From Math Tutors & Teachers
Math Is Like A Language
I understand and acknowledge that mathematics is a tough subject for many. There are many rules to follow, too many symbols and many mathematical concepts do not come easy at first. With this in mind, you can view mathematics as a language. Languages such as French, German, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and the like cannot be learned instantly. The same goes with mathematics. It takes a lot of time and practice in order to obtain fluency. Cramming in mathematics is a low success rate strategy.
Don't Expect Quick & Effective Results From Math Tutors & Teachers
There are parents out there where they send their kid(s) for math tutoring one week before a big test. They view math tutors (and educators) as an aide for cramming. "Emergency math tutors" can be good for reviewing concepts but not so much for learning. If math tutors are used for bootcamp-style learning I would think that the student would learn (a good amount of) mathematical concepts in the short-term but it won't not stick in the long term.
Some parents do put pressure on math tutors, teachers and math learning centres to provide great service for their kid(s). The pressure from parents may come from the kid(s) being at risk of failing a math course, the kid needing a certain mark to get to a certain school and/or wanting a return on the "education investment". With pressure being applied to math educators, reputation is at risk for the math educator(s). If the math student passes or gets a certain desired mark, the math educator(s) would likely be hailed as a hero(s). If there is a failure type of grade, the math educator(s) will be heavily criticized (even if the student did not do any studying or homework unfortunately).
I may make another post where I talk about math tutoring as a protection strategy which minimizes the probability of failing a math course.