Sometimes the regular school classroom, for a variety of reasons, does not sufficiently improve a student's math skills and achievements. In this situation a math tutor can bring a new perspective to the learning experience that can make the difference between a passing and a failing grade.

The decision to include a math tutor into a student's learning experience is a personal one and there are no generalizations that can be made about who should or should not be tutored. Students who are in need of math tutoring generally fall into two categories: there's the student who is able to complete all the school work, studies hard, and yet continues to have a hard time grasping the concepts and applications of math; then there's the student who is unmotivated and disheartened and who is just not doing well with any school work. Both kinds of student can benefit from the expertise of a math tutor.

There are many scenarios that could cause a student to have anxiety about math. One of the symptoms of math anxiety is that a student will memorize formulas without actually understanding how the problems are solved. If this habit of just working mechanically gets too deeply ingrained, students can find that they require extra help to get out of the "math hole" that they find themselves in and only then begin to adopt a true problem-solving approach -- one which can be useful in a variety of different situations.

It is important to stress to the student that needing a tutor is not in any way a reflection of his or her intelligence. Especially with young people, the thought of being "different" or being labeled as "slow" is extremely counterproductive. Grasping the mechanics of mathematics is usually about HOW we think and not about how WELL we think. A student should consider a tutor as more of a personal trainer for an academic subject than as a punishment for doing poorly. Having a tutor can make a dramatic difference for a student who sincerely wants to confront a problem with math.

Getting the Student On Board

The first thing to consider before getting a math tutor is always to ask the student how he or she feels about the idea. Students who are receptive to the thought of working with a tutor, and who realize they need help, are much more likely to benefit from tutoring. Imposing a new teacher in a close one-on-one environment when is student is resistant to the whole idea, can simply create added pressure. Frustration over low performance in the context of the social and academic pressures of school is enough on its own to cause stress, on top of the prospect of working with yet another teacher. So it's important to help the student to understand how useful a personal tutor can be.

The Parent's Homework

After doing your research by searching online, reading your local classifieds or asking your school or people in your community for a referral, you should have a list of several good candidates to interview.

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