While studying mathematics or physics, you may feel like you are falling behind. The homework problems are not looking anything like the examples, or you may be looking at an exam problem and you really have no idea what your first move is. Maybe you have a feeling that you are the only one that doesn’t understand, and you don’t want to hold up the class with your questions. There are many ways that you can feel lost: maybe you just moved to a new school; maybe you were out sick for a few days; perhaps a substitute teacher is not teaching the way you were used to; or maybe even a pandemic has thrown your class online and you find that is not your best learning venue. First, if you are thinking that you are the only one having a hard time, you are probably thinking wrong. Ask your teacher questions whenever you are not understanding. They need to know your difficulties. But when you still feel like you are in the dark, you might start thinking about getting a tutor. You might start looking for a peer tutor or hire a professional. But what can you expect from a tutor?

In my mind a personal 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.

A tutor should never be expected to solve the homework problems and hand them over to the students so they can copy them down. This is not tutoring. I am not too sure what it is, but the student is not benefiting much from this activity. Surprisingly, however, this happens.

Students have many different opinions about studying mathematics. Unfortunately, some of those opinions are developed at a young age when they hear from others that math is hard. This influence delivers expectations that can be self-fulfilling. Regardless of the student’s perspective, my suggestion for those wishing to be successful in learning the subject is to simply put the pencil to the paper and do your best to work out sample problems (usually termed homework). For the severely motivated, just keep doing more problems. When I was studying engineering, the mantra was “do them ‘till you drop.” However, if the work is haphazard and seldom leads to a correct solution, this method will certainly lead to disillusionment, if not severe depression. Something is needed to act as a guide in this wilderness called the study of mathematics. To find any of the correct paths towards a solution a roadmap is needed; we call these textbooks and class notes.

Let me be clear, any learning process needs to have room for error, room for mistakes. Mistakes are important and beneficial in the long run if they are perceived as part of the learning activity, and not an excuse to give up. When we think we are lost we are finding our way; we are just taking the scenic route. When Daniel Boone, the famous explorer was asked if he had ever gotten lost, he reportedly replied “No, but there were a few times when I was a might bewildered.”

A tutoring program should start with a discussion of the next set of concepts before embarking on problem solving. There are subsets of tools and processes that need to be understood before they are used. Specific rules and limitations need to be fully understood. I think of this process like learning how to tune up an instrument before I learn how to play it. It is an important step. You will be learning to use new tools properly.

It takes time and effort to learn mathematics. You need to follow similar roadmaps repeatedly before confidence is claimed. You may need a GPS to help you find some of the hidden, dark roads. A tutor can be an asset to learn math concepts thoroughly, understand what is going on, and prepare for the next new concept. They can be there to guide you. They can remind you to accept mistakes as learning tools. After all, the absolute best musicians hit a lot of wrong notes on the road to becoming great. It takes a lot of practice to be successful at mathematics. If you are feeling lost or just falling behind in your studies, a tutor can help you gain the confidence you need.