1. What is the most common thing you see in new students coming to Mathnasium for the first time?
A: The most common thing I see when students come to Mathnasium for the first time is definitely a lack of confidence. Math in school can be really frustrating, especially when teachers aren't able to teach in a way that makes sense to all students individually. It makes them unsure of their answers even when they're right. Although the lack of confidence sometimes leads new students to ask the best questions.
2. If there was one thing you could tell parents before they bring their student to Mathnasium what would it be?
A: I would tell parents that Mathnasium works best when students really want to be there and want to get better at math. The reward system helps mitigate some unmotivation but when students have decided that they don't want to be there or that they only want to be there because their parents made them, it limits the progress they make. On the other hand, a willingness to work and learn will make students progress regardless of their prior skill level.
3. What things do the most successful students have in common?
A: The most successful students are willing to ask questions! The instructors can't read minds even if they can tell a student is struggling. Working with students who ask questions allows us to get to the root of misunderstanding. Asking questions also makes students think more deeply about the problems they're working on.
The most successful students are also very thorough in showing their work. Even if they have seen the problems many times before, writing out each step helps one to organize ideas and map out a "strategy" for problem solving. This habit becomes especially useful when tackling harder problems.
4. What are some of the ways you teach math to your students?
A: Some of the ways we teach math to our students include verbally, visually, written, tactile, and mentally with Socratic questioning. I really like to teach with examples, verbally and with pictures. Examples of things that are more relatable to the students help them connect math with real life concepts and pictures/physical manipulatives allow them to visualize math.
5. What do you think is the coolest thing about Mathnasium?
A: The coolest thing about Mathnasium is seeing students gain confidence in their own work as they see their progress. It's amazing to hear them say that they got their grades up in math, or did well on a test, or finally understand a concept that was previously difficult. I enjoy seeing the moments when a student is able to find the pattern in which a problem is solved and then explain their discovery to me.
