In today’s world, dominated by computers and high technology, mathematics has never been more important to master. Unfortunately, math frustrates more students at almost every level of learning, from elementary students learning basic numeration and arithmetic to high school math, or college students trying to master calculus I or statistics. But it need not stay this way. At Mackler Associates, you can get math tutoring sessions with an experienced tutor. Our math tutors can help you find success in your next math course.
Why do so many students experience math anxiety?
Typically, all of us at some point in learning math have some moments of frustration. For some, it can come as early as basic numeracy; for others, it may be fractions or percentages; for still others, it may be a higher math topic like algebra or trigonometry. The key to whether frustration turns to anxiety and a “snowball effect” is how a student addresses and internalizes the frustration. In nearly all of the students we have worked with over the years, they invariably can point to one moment where math went wrong – the concept was tough, the teacher seemed unable to help, test prep was a struggle and the grades dropped. At this point, the student begins to believe, “I can’t do math” and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If the frustration only lasted for one math lesson, one semester of math class, or even one school year, it might not be so terrible. But math, unlike other subjects, builds layer upon layer, year upon year. Removing a year turns mathematics into a high-stakes game of Jenga, where the student just sweats it out waiting for the whole tower to crumble. Eventually, the following year exposes a weakness from the prior year, and the hole in the foundation widens until the student gets swallowed up by the gaps.
At Mackler Associates, our math tutors know from years of experience that students of all ages and levels of ability can master the skills of basic and higher math and extend the mechanics into applied problem-solving and analytical reasoning.
How do we do it? First, we take a personalized and individualized approach to each student. We inventory math skills and learning styles, get a forensic history of math issues at school, and see how they play out in the current curriculum.
Second, we do not subscribe to magical thinking or cookie-cutter models. Some students and parents believe all math issues can be solved in a few sessions and poof! all math going forward will pose no challenges. Some tutoring services take the approach that, if you just learn like them, you will get it. But not all students learn alike. In fact, most learn very differently. Some think if you do more and more math problems, you have to get better. Well, have you tried going to a driving range or a batting cage and discovered that by the end of the day you are ready for the pros? It takes more than repetition – it requires a professional math tutor intervention to change learning approaches so that key skills finally “click” for the student.
Third, we work one-on-one with students over an extended period of time to address all of these historical math issues and improve not just the skill gaps, not just the confidence issues, but extend our learning into applied problem solving as they will see on standardized tests and in the real world. Math is a valuable and attainable skill, and our math tutoring sessions help students obtain it and appreciate it rather than fear it or hate it.
Our math tutoring sessions have flexible scheduling that allows for meeting in person or virtually with a private tutor twice a week over a certain number of weeks to maximize improvement. We also encourage students to connect with us by email in between sessions if they run into any problems or need math homework help.
Math is too vital a set of skills to fail to fully develop. At Mackler Associates, we have decades of experience turning math frustration into math mastery.
