I have a client who sees me 4 hours per week and she still flunked her last test! Now she wants 2 hours / week more. I enjoy tutoring most people but she leaves me irritable and drained.
Most of my clients see me one hour per week and improve by one or more letter grades just from that. But she just doesn't seem to be retaining.
I use various approaches with my clients, and help people whom most tutors can't help and have given up on. But every now and then I just can't seem to get through to someone. I don't like to say that some people just can't learn math, as most people can, but some need special approaches and extra TLC.
I wonder if maybe it's because of her cultural conditioning. She (and a few other really tough customers I've had) is a woman of certain age, in a longterm marriage, and used to having a man take care of certain aspects of life. Her husband pays for tutoring and is angry that she's not making progress.
What do you do for someone like this?
2007-01-31 05:53:29 · 2 answers · asked by Joni DaNerd 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
It's discreet math, which is a survey of advanced topics presented at the introductory level, required of liberal arts majors.
She's ok with understanding simple ideas, and knows her fundamentals such as times tables and order of operations.
Her main trouble seems to be breaking down a complex question into its parts and re-assembling them into a whole for the answer.
2007-01-31 06:14:39 · update #1
If she isn't progressing, and you have really tried teaching her well, then she's probably not practicing the problems. If it's not that. make sure she understands the material, even if it is only a small amount, while you are in the class. Test her directly in class, ask questions that tests her understanding and don't leave that point until she understands it. Don't leave her to understand it alone once you have presented it. Presentation is one thing, but make sure its in her head. For hopeless cases you must do a little hand-holding, the progress will be slower, but at least there will be progress.
2007-01-31 06:08:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You didn't say the stage of math, but if it is algebra or above, likely she doesn't even know her math fundamentals (times tables, order of operations, etc) I'd need more info to help you
2007-01-31 06:02:27 · answer #2 · answered by April 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋