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When I tutor my siblings if the steps aren't satisfactory I make them repeat the answer from scratch. I immediately stop them when they're taking too many short

When I tutor my siblings if the steps aren't satisfactory I make them repeat the answer from scratch. I immediately stop them when they're taking too many shortcuts. "Oh I just forgot this!" "Yes, now start over." Each shortcut or omitted step is more mental load and for these beginners they will slip. Just missing a negative sign or adding a constant would cost the points on the test. Worse, if the tests are multiple choice questions (which are stupid imo) they get 0. So to build their mechanical ability I don't even allow them to show how smart they are. I stop them when they're being too smart. I only reward complete steps. It sounds rough and it kind of is but after using these methods for years they still come to me and ask me to tutor them, rather than our parents or a private tutor. They know that my diligent checking of their work cuts down on their study time and I'm still tutoring them into college now.

virgilp 7y ago
> they still come to me and ask me to tutor them, rather than our parents or a private tutor. I wouldn't read too much into it... there's often times other factors involved. Just because you are a sibling and not a parent might be reason enough, at some age, to prefer you; and by college, it may already be a habit. (not sure about the "private tutor' part, have they actually tried that, and was the tutor ok? because normally that's what a kid would prefer, since he/she doesn't feel the need to challenge the tutor's authority. Maybe a really poor experience/ personality mismatch with one private tutor? ).
- seventhtiger 7y ago
  I coach young people in other fields like public speaking so I have some skill in it. I use similar techniques. The private tutors they've tried are actually math teachers. I think teaching a class is a very different skillset than tutoring. According to my brother he came to the realization that an hour studying with me makes up for multiple hours with the tutors. I'm stubborn and authoritative when I coach, I challenge them and it takes me a lot of effort to butt heads with a teen, but I think they see the results. Math is tough in that you don't get to enjoy it until mechanical concerns become an afterthought. So when my youngest sister, who initially didn't enjoy math, said "wow that felt good" about solving a problem I knew I was going somewhere.

virgilp 7y ago

> they still come to me and ask me to tutor them, rather than our parents or a private tutor. I wouldn't read too much into it... there's often times other factors involved. Just because you are a sibling and not a parent might be reason enough, at some age, to prefer you; and by college, it may already be a habit. (not sure about the "private tutor' part, have they actually tried that, and was the tutor ok? because normally that's what a kid would prefer, since he/she doesn't feel the need to challenge the tutor's authority. Maybe a really poor experience/ personality mismatch with one private tutor? ).

seventhtiger 7y ago
I coach young people in other fields like public speaking so I have some skill in it. I use similar techniques. The private tutors they've tried are actually math teachers. I think teaching a class is a very different skillset than tutoring. According to my brother he came to the realization that an hour studying with me makes up for multiple hours with the tutors. I'm stubborn and authoritative when I coach, I challenge them and it takes me a lot of effort to butt heads with a teen, but I think they see the results. Math is tough in that you don't get to enjoy it until mechanical concerns become an afterthought. So when my youngest sister, who initially didn't enjoy math, said "wow that felt good" about solving a problem I knew I was going somewhere.