When intrinsic motivations are present, we realize how good it feels to attain goals and get things accomplished. Intrinsic motivation can be long lasting and amazingly effective.

Athletes, dancers, and prestidigitators all practice with determination because they know that is the most successful path to mastery. Practicing not only gives them confidence, but it also creates “muscle memory,” that ability to repeat a task without thinking about it. Consider learning to ride a bike or drive a car.

In my mind a tutor can patiently take time to explain concepts in ways that the student can understand and remember. Ideally, they also coach the student through the problem-solving process so that the student does the work and can take ownership of the solution. If the solving process is like finding a certain destination, the tutor is the guide, or GPS, for the student. The goal is to make it to the destination (solve the problems) many times, until the student is confident with their ability to find the solutions without the GPS.

I draw my attention to the decoding of the word problem... Some people, perhaps most, concede that this process is the most difficult part of the problem.

Whether we hate word problems, fear them, or just feel they are sometimes complicated and confusing, if we are to do well in the study of mathematics they need to be dealt with. A clear and organized pattern of attack can take some of the difficulty away.

So, the way I see it, success consists of perseverance, faith in your trainer, faith in yourself, and a collection of multiple failures. There is one more thing that I believe leads to success, and that is a realization of the things that matter most, what really makes us feel good, what keeps us happy.

When we start to understand the purposes of concepts and algorithms, and when our minds are open and willing to shed the “math is hard” stigma we may have been exposed to in school, we have the opportunity for a grand a-ha moment, a joyful moment. In math, the higher the level of understanding, the greater the joy, and whatever a person learns with joy they will remember the rest of their lives.

Educators understand that all students learn differently; their objective is not to teach a lesson; their goal is to teach learners.

Learning to play a musical instrument can be fun, but not at first. Once I get to the point where it starts sounding like I want it to sound, it gets easier to practice, even enjoyable. Before that point, it takes mental discipline, persistence, and patience.

We can turn our most cherished dreams into reality when we turn desires into action, one step at a time.