Maths Tutor
4 Traits of Effective UK Maths Tutors
Many people find Math a very difficult subject. The formulas and equations can be overwhelming. Measuring and computing require complete accuracy or else, all efforts to obtain the right answer could go down the drain. One wrong placement of a comma or a period is equivalent to a wrong answer, with no extra credit to all your efforts. No wonder, the demand for UK Maths tutors is on the rise.
What makes effective UK Maths tutors? Here are four traits to look for:
1. Patience. Math may be easy to the tutor but it is definitely hard for the tutees. The tutor should not be easily frustrated when the tutee fails to understand the lesson even after several explanations and sample computations. The tutor may think that he or she is speaking in a very plain language but for the tutee, he or she is speaking like an alien. The tutor should not show signs of impatience as this could discourage the tutee. The tutee’s self-confidence, especially in solving mathematical problems, might decrease instead of increase because of the tutor’s impatience.
2. Flexibility. Effective UK Maths tutors are flexible when it comes to strategies of teaching. There may be one correct answer but there are various ways in reaching that answer. Therefore, computation alone and memorization of formula (although these are important) are not the only ways to come up with the correct answer. The tutor should be flexible enough to try other strategies of teaching that may suit a particular learner. After all, each learner is unique. A teaching strategy that worked very well with one student would not necessary work with another student. Find the ideal teaching method that would suit the learner.
3. Ability to simplify a complicated lesson. Learning is not about how much knowledge the tutor possesses. In the end, it’s about how much knowledge the tutee acquires because of the tutor. Even if the tutor graduated at the top of his class, the tutor will be considered a failure as a teacher if the tutee does not learn anything at all. All things being equal, there is really no bad learners, only poor teachers. In Math, everything seems complicated to the learner. The tutor can help the learner understand the lesson by finding ways of presenting it in the level that the tutee can comprehend.
A good example is when one teacher demonstrated how to use the lesser than or greater than Math symbols using the computer game Pacman as the example. Any child knows how Pacman loves to eat those dots. Therefore, on the greater than Math symbol, the tutor drew the face of Pacman. The greater sign looks like Pacman eating the dots. Math becomes fun and easy to understand.
4. Willingness to match lessons to the student’s capacity. Sometimes, the learners understand the lesson. However, when actual Math problems are given, they get lost. The tutor should start with easy to solve problems and when there is complete comprehension of the formula or lesson, then harder problems can be assigned.
Many people find Math a very difficult subject. The formulas and equations can be overwhelming. Measuring and computing require complete accuracy or else, all efforts to obtain the right answer could go down the drain. One wrong placement of a comma or a period is equivalent to a wrong answer, with no extra credit to all your efforts. No wonder, the demand for UK Maths tutors is on the rise.
What makes effective UK Maths tutors? Here are four traits to look for:
1. Patience. Math may be easy to the tutor but it is definitely hard for the tutees. The tutor should not be easily frustrated when the tutee fails to understand the lesson even after several explanations and sample computations. The tutor may think that he or she is speaking in a very plain language but for the tutee, he or she is speaking like an alien. The tutor should not show signs of impatience as this could discourage the tutee. The tutee’s self-confidence, especially in solving mathematical problems, might decrease instead of increase because of the tutor’s impatience.
2. Flexibility. Effective UK Maths tutors are flexible when it comes to strategies of teaching. There may be one correct answer but there are various ways in reaching that answer. Therefore, computation alone and memorization of formula (although these are important) are not the only ways to come up with the correct answer. The tutor should be flexible enough to try other strategies of teaching that may suit a particular learner. After all, each learner is unique. A teaching strategy that worked very well with one student would not necessary work with another student. Find the ideal teaching method that would suit the learner.
3. Ability to simplify a complicated lesson. Learning is not about how much knowledge the tutor possesses. In the end, it’s about how much knowledge the tutee acquires because of the tutor. Even if the tutor graduated at the top of his class, the tutor will be considered a failure as a teacher if the tutee does not learn anything at all. All things being equal, there is really no bad learners, only poor teachers. In Math, everything seems complicated to the learner. The tutor can help the learner understand the lesson by finding ways of presenting it in the level that the tutee can comprehend.
A good example is when one teacher demonstrated how to use the lesser than or greater than Math symbols using the computer game Pacman as the example. Any child knows how Pacman loves to eat those dots. Therefore, on the greater than Math symbol, the tutor drew the face of Pacman. The greater sign looks like Pacman eating the dots. Math becomes fun and easy to understand.
4. Willingness to match lessons to the student’s capacity. Sometimes, the learners understand the lesson. However, when actual Math problems are given, they get lost. The tutor should start with easy to solve problems and when there is complete comprehension of the formula or lesson, then harder problems can be assigned.