FAQ
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HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR A MATH TUTORING SESSION?
Be prepared to bring up problems that you have already attempted, with whatever progress you have made. Even better if you highlight where you might have gotten stuck. Prioritize what you would like to work on. Approach the session with an open mind and a positive attitude. Leave any distractions behind so that you can fully focus on learning. During the session, actively participate and ask questions. Try to explain your thought process to the tutor (we will definitely ask!). Remember, the private tutoring session is an opportunity for personalized guidance, so communicate openly with your tutor about your learning preferences and challenges.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH?
We owe this to mathematician George Pólya , as detailed in his book How to Solve It. For brevity, we will mention the first two of his four-step approach to solving mathematical problems:
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Understand the problem: Do you understand all the terms and what is being asked? Can you restate it in your own words? Does any information seem to be missing?
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Make a plan: There are various strategies for solving or at least making progress in a problem. Some might sound familiar and even obvious, but being aware of them can only increase your math expertise. These strategies include: Make a List, Draw a Diagram, Look for a Pattern, Work Backwards, Solve a Simpler Version, Process of Elimination, Estimate, Consider Special Cases, Trial-and-Error.
(Steps 3 and 4 are Implement the Plan and Review/Evaluate/Revise the result and solution.)
WHERE ARE PRIVATE IN-PERSON SESSIONS HELD?
Currently, in-person lessons are only available in the Pittsburgh, PA area. The venue would be a public location with minimal distractions, such as a public library, certain malls, a coffee shop, etc. Tutor and student would discuss this in advance (prior to payment, of course). If the estimated driving time for the tutor is more than about 10 minutes, there may be a slight surcharge, but again, this would be conveyed prior to confirmation and payment.
HOW DO ONLINE SESSIONS WORK?
Online sessions are conducted via one of the popular video conferencing solutions. The tutor will be equipped to bring up a whiteboard and upload documents (such as practice tests), which can be marked up. Ideally, the student would be working on a tablet, touch screen laptop, or a desktop computer, rather than a phone. This would facilitate screen-sharing and collaborative work. Some students use a phone to connect to the online meeting, with a larger device on the side containing the material they are working on, which the phone can focus on. That works too!