I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Jim Morski the president of A+ Chicago a private tutoring company Math Tutor in the Chicagoland area. Jim has helped a number of middle school and high school students achieve success with Math and have fun in the process. I was curious to see what Jim had to say about the possibilities of making math fun and how he is able to do that for his students as an experienced math tutor.

Q: What is the number one reason you see that prevents people from having fun with Math?

People do not have fun with things that they are not very good at. A person that is terrible at, say, chess, is not going to want to put themselves through to a certain defeat. It is similar to people that do not have success with math. However, if some success is made, a level of fun will be attained.

Q: What do you find fun about Math?

I enjoy math because every problem is a little puzzle that needs to be solved. There is great satisfaction in getting a correct solution to a problem that I initially did not know how to solve but spent time to figure it out.

Q: How do you help your students have fun during your tutoring sessions?

The biggest thing that I have found is the relational aspect of a tutoring session. Presenting myself as a real person that understands the difficulty in learning math is the most important first step. From there, a level of trust is formed and a more candid discussion can occur regarding a student’s individual math struggles. Once these things happen, I know what can encourage and discourage a student, and by focusing on encouragement, a sense of enjoyment can be achieved during a tutoring session. Overcoming the bad connotations and stigma that often accompany math is paramount in having a success in math.

Great thoughts from A+ Chicago. If you live in the Chicago area and are considering a private math tutor you are definitely going to want to check them out.

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Another alternative to the private math tutor and the large tutoring company is checking out an online tutoring service. With the ease and prevalence of video on the web now you can actually get quite good instruction from some of these services. Within this online option there are many possibilities available. If you learn best on your own and at your own pace there are a number of companies that have vast libraries of topic specific videos. If you are like me though and like having that one on one attention there are number of online math tutors that will work with directly over your computer. You can certainly communicate with an online tutor via chat and drawings but you really need a webcam to obtain the best possible tutoring from this type of Math Tutor.

One of the most popular online tutoring companies out there is Tutor.com . This site has tons of tutors on hand that can give you instant assistance in almost any topic. This is particularly nice if you are at home working on your homework and you are pulling your hair out trying to figure out a difficult problem or concept. Right now they are running a special promotion where your first 25 minutes are free, definitely worth checking out!

Tutor.com has a number of good articles on Surviving Math Class. I would particularly recommend How to Make Math Homework Fun. While not every assignment is going to be fun, it is good to think about different ways to make Math Fun.

Some pros to this kind of tutoring experience:

• Lots of resources at your fingertips
• Instant access to an expert from the comfort of your own home
• Don’t have to schedule appointments in advance
• Saves on travel expenses

The cons:

• It can be more difficult to stay committed because there isn’t the same ongoing accountability.
• Monitoring your spending requires closer scrutiny.
• Another pitfall to avoid is signing up for a service and then not using it. This is easier to do if you don’t actually meet someone in person.

A few suggestions if you are considering one of these online Math Tutoring companies:

• Read the fine print.
• Look around. There are many great online tutoring companies. Make sure you find the one that is right for you.
• See what other customers are saying about there experience.
• Utilize free trial periods, but don’t forget to cancel the service at the end of the free trial if you decide you don’t want to continue.

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On the other end of the math tutoring spectrum is the large tutoring firm. There are many different math tutoring companies available, such as Sylvan Learning, Kaplan, and Huntington. These big companies will have a center where the student will meet with the tutor, usually after school or on the weekend.

These companies have been around for a very long time and are respected in the learning community. A large tutoring firm will usually perform a diagnostic test to discover the different ways that they can help the student succeed. Using the results of the test, they will then map out a tutoring plan that caters to the student’s weaknesses.

A tutoring firm will have many math tutors available and will be able to match up each student with the tutor that will work best with the student. A student’s strengths and weaknesses will be compared with those of the tutors and a match will be chosen to optimize success.

The large companies have many resources available to them that set them apart from other tutoring options. Various curriculums and lesson plans have been developed by these companies that are used during tutoring sessions.

The main drawback of working with one of the large firms is the cost. Math tutoring can cost $100 or more per hour. In addition to this, many companies require a certain number of hours purchased up front. Getting out of the contract can be a problem, as 10 hours or more are standard for the beginning agreement.

Also, it may seem that these large companies are less concerned about actual improvements and results when compared to other math tutoring options. A big firm can come off as being less personal and instead appear to be more worried about profit.

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There are many different types of math tutors available for students. Yet, there is no perfect tutor that will work with every child. Just as each student has differing needs, along with a variety of strengths and weaknesses, various tutors and tutoring companies have their strengths and weaknesses. Finding the right math tutor is a process that should be carefully planned for and thought out.

The three main types of math tutors are private individual tutors, tutoring firms, and specialized companies. The next two posts, as well as the remainder of this post, will profile these three different approaches to math tutoring and detail the pros and cons of each.

Private Individual

Some math tutors are high school or college math teachers and tutor privately as a side job. Usually, these tutor will meet students in their homes or in a public place, such as a library or a coffee shop. These tutors are usually more laid back than a big tutoring company and commonly more flexible with their scheduling. A student that is busy with extracurricular activities would be a good fit for this type of math tutor.

A private individual is probably the most convenient option, as the tutoring will often occur in the home. The parents do not need to figure out transportation to and from a tutoring center and can be in the same room while the tutoring session is taking place.

Working with a private individual is usually cheaper than a big company. This is true because an individual that is tutoring as a part-time source of income does not have the overhead that a large corporation does.

A third benefit of working with a private individual is that the tutoring sessions are more informal and can lead to a real friendship blossoming between the math tutor and the student. This type of relationship can be a huge benefit for students that are struggling with self-confidence in their math classes.

The main drawback of working with a private individual as a math tutor is that there is a risk in hiring a person that you do not know. The best way to find a private, individual tutor is through a referral from a friend or teacher. Yet, hiring somebody from a flyer or an internet posting is a risk, as very little is know about the individual. However, the risk can be worthwhile, and could turn out to be the very best thin

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Once you decide that your child needs a math tutor, seeking out and hiring the right person can be a challenge. It may seem overwhelming to seek out a tutor, but there a few different avenues that can be taken that will hopefully lead to the right math tutor for your child.

The first place to contact when searching for a math tutor is your child’s school. Oftentimes, the student’s teacher will have a resource file of different tutors that she reccommends. The math teacher is with the student every day and should have an idea of what type of tutor will be best. Some students are merely underachieving and need different types of encouragement to reach their fullest potential. Other students may need more one-on-one attention. Still others may work best in small groups. A teacher should be able to suggest what type of setting will work best for your child.

Counseling offices may also have different resources for parents that are looking for a math tutor. Counselors are there to help students achieve scholastic success and will be able to help in the tutor search.

Another place to look for a math tutor is from other parents that you know. It is difficult to find a tutor, yet when one is found, parents will usually work with that tutor for many years and are willing to pass along their tutor’s information. A fellow parent will be honest with you and will not be looking to make a sales pitch.

Aside from these two options, there are countless different approaches that can be taken when looking for a math tutor. Looking on internet postings (for example, Craigslist) or city education pages could lead to a list of different tutors available for hire. Inquiring at the local library or community center may also lead to a reputable math tutor.

However you end up searching, the most important thing is to sit down with your child and the tutor before you hire them. Asking to see their resume and discussing their backgrounds is important. Getting a feel for what the tutor’s personality is like and what you think will work best with your child is paramount when deciding on a math tutor. Also, discussing the choice with your child will help make a well informed decision.

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Many parents wait until something bad happens before they will think that their child needs a math tutor. This can be a parent teacher conference, progress report or report card. Waiting for one of these to occur is less than ideal, but it is not too late. However, it is never too early to have your student begin working with a math tutor.

Preferably, a parent will have an idea that a student needs a math tutor during the first couple of weeks of the school year. While there may not be an implicit indication, there are things to look for that hint at an upcoming need. Did your child struggle in math last year? Are they in a more difficult class? Do they have a sizable amount of homework? All of these can be early signs that a math tutor may be needed.

If there is even an inkling of struggle, the risk in seeking out a math tutor is very low. Setting your child up with tutoring, even if it is just once a week, can safeguard against the potential for disaster later on. During this beginning stage, a tutor can give feedback that a new teacher may not be able to. Working one-on-one allows for a more precise evaluation of the student’s current ability and can give your child immediate help in a non-threatening environment.

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Math is a difficult subject for many students. It is easy to fall behind, as each new topic is built on the one before it. In recent years, there has been greater pressure placed on high school students to master math as they take the SAT and ACT in preparation for college. These high stakes tests can intimidate and frustrate students, but with the right math tutor, success can be easily achieved.

This web site is going to walk through the various aspects of working with a private tutor, specifically a math tutor. Realizing that a student needs a math tutor is only the beginning. Hiring, evaluating, and communicating with a math tutor are all important aspects of the tutor-student relationship. This page will also delve into the different role that each party (student, tutor, parent, teacher) needs to play in order for the greatest success to be achieved.

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