| How to find a good math tutor? | | | | method or algorithm really can help children get high |
| ???????????? | | | | math marks. The following example was taught by |
| Frank Ho, Amanda Yang | | | | one tutor and that tutor asked the student to |
| Ho Math and Chess Learning Centre | | | | convert all denominators to be the same and then |
| ????? | | | | add all numerators. Is there a better way to do it? |
| BC certified Teacher | | | | It is easier if one would just use the special nature of |
| Vancouver, BC, Canada | | | | dividing decimals by 10’s, 100’s or 1000’s |
| After teaching and tutoring math for over 15 years, | | | | without doing any division. |
| my own experience shows that it is important to | | | | . |
| realize that after 4 hours of instruction and if the | | | | Lots of parents feel that the math at grades 1, 2, or |
| students show no sign of improvement then it is | | | | 3 is “nothing” in such a way that really |
| time to consider changing your tutor. With the above | | | | nothing to be learned other than the basic |
| in mind, the most important ingredient to improve | | | | computation. Personally I totally believe that it is |
| math is still that the child has to have a mind of | | | | important for children at young age to build a solid |
| wanting to be a good student. If this pre-condition | | | | foundation for basic computation skills, but it is equally |
| does not exist then all tutoring efforts must be | | | | important to have built problem-solving skills or |
| discounted. | | | | thinking skills at young age. |
| A practical way to find if your math tutor is good is | | | | A good tutor is very patient to listen to children and |
| perhaps by comparison, have the child to go through | | | | watch how they react after a brief lecture, a parrot |
| a few tutors and then the child will know which is | | | | style teaching is not a good sign of teaching. I have |
| better one. This one of the reasons that Ho Math | | | | noticed that some tutors will spend entire hour on |
| and Chess Learning Center offers free lesson. | | | | non-stop talking. Instead, I rather teach for a short |
| A good tutor is not working just for money. He must | | | | time and watch my students’ reaction. I am |
| be genuinely interested in teaching. Personally, I found | | | | always interested in finding out why my students |
| out my enjoyment of teaching comes from the | | | | could not work out the solution. |
| team efforts that is my students and I have actually | | | | To follow student’s thoughts and trace their |
| formed a good team - not only my students learned | | | | problems is very important. How can one be a good |
| math from me they also provided me with good | | | | teacher if he does not even know why students |
| feedback. Many of our workbooks were produced | | | | could not get the right answers? I am interested in |
| because I have discovered the gap in their | | | | going over student’s hand written notes to get |
| understanding. | | | | into their thoughts and find out what are the |
| Many tutors taught fraction by firstly dividing pies and | | | | problems. |
| have students draw pie charts but where is fraction | | | | A good tutor is interested in finding out what |
| coming from? If we can get students to understand | | | | procedure is good and what is not. For example, |
| the source of fraction then students will understand | | | | there are many ways of getting factors for a |
| better. It is also interesting for me to discover how | | | | trinomial but there is only one method the student |
| Chinese look at fraction by saying it from bottom up | | | | needs to master and be good at, so the math |
| and North America teaches fraction by naming | | | | teacher or tutor needs to be flexible to allow |
| fraction from top to down. Because of this | | | | students to have their method to get the correct |
| discovery, I teach children by explaining fraction in 2 | | | | answer even if it means the methods is a bit slower. |
| ways. For example, means one half but in Chinese, | | | | A good tutor needs patience. What would you do if |
| they say “taking one part out of 2 parts”. | | | | the tutored child is your own child and your are a |
| A good tutor not only teaches well, but also | | | | math tutor? The same treatment must be applied to |
| interested in doing research. If the tutor is really | | | | the tutor’s students as if the student were |
| interested in teaching math then most likely the | | | | tutor’s own children. I was at shock when I |
| interest will carry on to research this is the reason Ho | | | | discovered that one tutor would insist her own son |
| Math and Chess has produced over 25 innovative | | | | to do some open problem solving questions but just |
| workbooks – many of them are world’s first | | | | ignore all those questions when teach other children |
| and one-of-a-kind. | | | | since they are time consuming to mark and explain. A |
| A good tutor not only teaches but also knows what | | | | tutor without heart will not be a good tutor. |