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Math is inarguably the most hated subject in school by students and even their parents. Although some students effortlessly solve math problems, the majority of kids dread its numbers and everything found in math courses.
So, what can be done to solve this universal and persistent problem?
How can we raise students who look forward to math classes and achieve good grades in the subject?
Keep on reading to find out!
How do capable teachers deal with such students? We will explain how our Math Tutors never fail to amaze parents by making their children fall in love with math!
First of all, professional tutors show students how mathematical concepts are applied in the real world. For instance, checking the time or totaling the groceries expense. This is how a student finds the subject interesting. Once they become curious to see the relevance of numbers, they will automatically want to practice problems.
Poor engagement with math topics is another reason why so many kids hate math. Teachers find it difficult to make students engage with the content after introducing it. However, experienced tutors have many tricks up their sleeves to ensure that the student remains focused.
The most important trick is to actually know your student on a deeper level and learn their interests to deliver productive lessons.
MTS tutors encourage students to ask as many questions as possible while giving them freedom. Students are shown that solutions are derived from multiple sources. Ultimately, students begin to like math when they feel motivated to use their skills and talents to solve problems.
Rather than rote learning, students should deeply understand why and how the equations and formulas work. If you rely on rote memorization, you won’t be able to apply your knowledge. This is how students become discouraged in advanced topics.
Number-based brain teasers work great to teach students problem-solving skills. At MTS, we implement such exercises rather than rote memorization. Perhaps this is why our students show so much interest in the subject!
Here are some examples of numerical brain teasers:
All experienced teachers are aware of this universal fact - students will only want to study a subject when the topics can be linked to something they care about. This is why MTS tutors don’t just focus on the tutee’s particular interests but also add some activities and examples that they would want to try.
Here are some ways our tutors make math fun in their lessons:
All of these ideas have one thing in common - STEM. The latter links real-life careers or interests to different academic subjects. For instance, students are shown how math affects posting a picture on Instagram, traveling across the country, or music production.
Also Read: How To Get An A In Math? Top Tips
Teachers usually like seeing their students struggle and try to solve a math problem. This way, they can see how creative they are.
One of the ways MTS tutors make math easier is by following project-based learning. In this approach, students collaborate on a project in which they answer difficult questions or solve real-life problems. Students choose a topic that best relates to them, which makes them excited to discover the finest solution.
Here are some ideas practiced by our tutors:
In math, students often ignore or avoid the tasks that challenge them and demand hard work. However, MTS tutors make them realize that the hardest questions are the most rewarding when they finally solve them. Children who quickly get discouraged are also reminded that mistakes are part of math.
But Why is Math Hated By So Many Students?
The shaky foundation on which the majority of students start their math education is the number one cause of their struggle with the subject.
Many students are left to start their secondary education without understanding the basics of math. This negatively influences their academic performance if the foundation is not strengthened. How can a student be good at advanced math problems when they don’t even know the core concepts?
Read our guide on math symbols to make the subject easier.
There are undoubtedly many superior schools that follow top-rated curriculums. These curriculums might be delivered by expert teachers, too. However, even the finest curriculums are useless if the methods used to judge a student’s performance do not relate to the individual they were designed for.
In simple words, choosing the correct techniques to fulfill a student’s learning demands is a core necessity to make the person attached to the subject matter. Being receptive to the student’s learning style will make them understand the subject.
Adults seek constructive criticism to improve their performance. But children look up to adults, which is why they require praise and validation rather than criticism. And no, this does not mean that adults should never criticize them. A better idea is to offer criticism in the manner of feedback.
Adults and teachers sometimes deliver criticism with harshness, which hurts their confidence. Rather than being disappointed at them for coming up with an incorrect answer, there are many alternative actions you can take.
For example, honestly praise them for the correct steps they performed. Make them realize the changes they need to make the right answer.
Schools and modern education now frown upon rote learning. However, students still need to memorize tables, equations, and formulas, which is a big challenge. And yes, timetables will always be relevant and important in math. Students who are good at rote learning are more likely to like math by recalling numerical information quickly.
Tip: You don’t have to manually memorize tables. Use interactive worksheets, apps, books, games, and songs to make them stick in your head.
Math cannot be studied without lots of practice and practice will include many mistakes. However, students dislike redoing the exercises and facing the same difficulty repeatedly.
Sometimes, in a string of exercises, students have to perform the same steps and follow the same reasoning with contrasting data. This trick is overwhelming, and kids easily lose motivation. But it’s perfectly normal to make mistakes while learning math.
Failures are here to teach us lessons way more than successes. However, when a child falls into a loop of constant bad grades, they will definitely get demotivated. It even leads to a mental block that makes them believe that they are unable to be good at the subject.
Children also compare their results with their peers. If a topic constantly confuses them, they will dump the blame on the subject for being too tough. Ultimately, without anything to look forward to, children end up disliking the subject and move on to another one with no failures.
Teachers and parents must stop children from comparing their grades with their peers. They should direct their focus to working on their own mistakes and practice harder.
You don’t see its relevance after the school bell rings.
Plenty of students naturally hate math because they believe its content won’t be used once they pass the course. This makes them more frustrated as there is no reason to invest in those difficult numbers, graphs, and formulas.
Do adults use trigonometry while paying taxes? Do we use theorems while cooking? So, why learn it in the first place?
But hear us out - math is literally everywhere. It’s present in paychecks, shopping, weather forecasts, and even baking chocolate muffins! Hence, it’s an everyday skill that applies in all industries.
By realizing this, you won’t view it as an irrelevant subject. Numbers exist everywhere, right?
Tip: Parents can use routine examples to put math in context and prove how important it is. For instance, measure the time required to drive them to their friend’s home or plan a road trip.
Maths is ‘challenging’ and ‘uncool’
Hating math is the hottest trend in school. Hardly any student claims it to be their favorite subject. It’s cool to follow the common belief that math is dull and too difficult. Adults are also guilty of implanting such thoughts. For example, they act shocked if a kid expresses that they like math.
Tip: Adults must show the potential of math even if kids don’t see it as an appealing subject. Students won’t dismiss math if they are shown the bright opportunities it could open in their futures. Point out exciting careers in fashion design, cooking, or game development if they stick to math.
The wrong teacher
This is a real pain for many parents. Not every student is blessed with a supportive teacher. Things only get worse when kids get an unprofessional teacher on top of the subject that they despise.
In many cases, math teachers lack the right expertise in dealing with weak or stubborn students. Other times, they simply don’t come with a pleasant personality or behavior. A teacher who lacks ambition won’t care whether their students understand the concepts.
And if a teacher themselves does not grasp math, they won’t effectively teach the subject. It is impossible to give what you lack yourself! This will lead to a destructive academic performance.
Some parents think that putting their children in a class that surpasses their current mental age will make them succeed. But there is a fine line between challenging a student and setting them up for failure. Making a subject too challenging will result in the child’s hatred towards it. This will create an internal bias, which is hard to remove.
Only some exceptional students like to sit down for homework. Completing homework is needed to be confident and knowledgeable in the subject. Ideally, homework should be based on the content currently being taught in the class. When students realize that their homework is offering more knowledge, it makes them feel capable.
Sadly, parents have no authority over the assigned homework. However, they can build on what their kid is learning and add fun to the mix. For example, if the homework includes fractions, practice with routine life examples (cutting a cake into pieces at home) or use puzzle worksheets to assess their knowledge.
Tip: Card games, number puzzles (Sudoku), animated subject books, or board games are all useful to sprinkle some fun in numbers.
Parents have a notorious habit of expressing anxiety or fear regarding math in front of kids. They do this subconsciously or maybe to make them aware of how tough the subject is. But this always backfires as it adds fear in children. Therefore, parents need to speak positively about math.
More often than not, the dislike for math stems from psychological causes. It is too common for kids to have a headache before or during math classes. Their mind is subconsciously wired with negative notions of the subject. Some students even go as far as to blame the teachers for their low math grades.
Teachers and parents should stop agreeing with students that it is too hard and they cannot do it. If you are helping them with their homework and you get stuck on something, learn the topic with your child and be educated yourself first instead of delaying it to their teacher.
Showing plenty of methods to solve a calculation is often needed. However, introducing too many methods, particularly in the foundational classes, is not encouraged. An overwhelming amount of methods confuses children, and they end up disliking math.
Teachers should only show different methods after the simplest one. In the end, they should give students the freedom to pick the method they want. When a concept is being introduced, teachers should play it safe by following a simple method. With time, as the student’s speed improves, teachers can present other ways to give them an upper hand during exams.
Since math is all about techniques and numbers, only devoted students can succeed in it. Even the brightest students need to be committed and practice new concepts many times to understand.
Unfortunately, this is everything that a lazy student hates doing! They don’t want to put in the effort.
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