Written by Alonso Hsu
At first I saw my tutee Maria was very low in confidence whenever we discussed math concepts. As a result, I watched several helpful YouTube videos to gain advice on how to reduce the student’s fear based on their previous experience and start building a new perspective using some techniques:
1. Focus on Strengths First
- Begin each session by highlighting what she did well last tutoring session. For example, “You had a creative way of approaching an algebraic problem during our last session!”
- Acknowledge improvements. For example, I taught division both this week and last week, and now my student Maria understands how to solve multiple problems that she could not do by herself before. As a result, I said to her: “Wow! You have worked really hard to master this concept!”
2. Use Positive Reinforcement
- Praise effort, not just results. Say things like, "I can see how much effort you put into solving that problem!"
- Avoid generic praises like “Good job” and instead be specific: “I love how you approached this question step by step.”
3. Set Achievable Goals
- Break tasks into smaller, manageable steps. For example, I say something like: “Let’s learn how to multiply two digits numbers together this week, and then we can learn how to multiply three digits numbers together!”
- Consistency is the key. For some days when we see each other, she may feel less motivated to learn about Math. I usually say: “Come on, Maria, let’s go! Let’s finish 10 review problems today and then we can draw pictures on the whiteboard together.”
4. Encourage a Growth Mindset
- Remind students that mistakes are part of learning. I usually say something like, “It is okay, we all make mistakes in the learning process. That really means that you are putting the hard work in!”
- Show students previous math problems. She now finds them too easy and asks me if we can try harder problems 🤣. This process serves as an important way for students to experience their personal growth.
5. Create a Safe, Supportive Environment
- Avoid criticism that might feel discouraging. Instead of “That’s wrong,” say, “Let’s try looking at this from another angle.”
- Let her know that asking questions is a strength, not a weakness. I always give my student 5-10 minutes at the end of the class to ask any questions she can think of. This also helps us to build a stronger bond between each other.