Math Tutoring Online - One-on-one Math Tutor - Rebecca Zook

How to use the summer to catch up or get ahead in math – without burning out or going crazy (part 1)

Rebecca Zook — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:25:46 +0000

When I was growing up, I did something pretty crazy one summer. I knew if I took Functions (also known as Pre-Calculus or Trigonometry, depending on your school curriculum), it would be with the math teacher I had for algebra 1, who was so confusing to me that I cried myself to sleep over my math homework many, many times the year I took his class.

I was so determined not to repeat that experience of working with that teacher that I decided to teach myself functions over the summer so I could skip his class entirely. So basically everywhere I went that summer I took my functions textbook with me, and I taught myself from it. It was one of the most powerful math learning experiences I ever had.

Since doing this when I was 15, I’ve helped a lot of other students use the summer to courageously and effectively catch up and recover from serious end-of-year math confusion and disappointment, as well as to prepare to skip ahead into a higher level of math.

The summer offers such a juicy opportunity to work outside the pressure, goals, structure, and rhythms of the regular school year. But it’s important to create your own structure, goals, and rhythms that work for you, so you can actually meet your goal without burning out! Here are six simple tips (three in this article, and three more in the next) to help you do the exact same thing!

1. Examine and clarify your goals. Get super specific. Is your goal to catch up? To get ahead? Or both? Do you want to cover material from specific chapters? (Like chapters whose tests you didn’t do so well on?) Do you want to master an entire school year’s worth of math? Do you want to get familiar with a really weird new curriculum in advance, so you don’t have to dive into it sight unseen in the fall? Are you preparing for a placement test? Are you hoping to bump up into a higher level class, like an honors class? Get as clear as you can on this.

2. Get materials that really work for you. Once you know your goals, get materials that really feel good to you, that you genuinely enjoy using.

If you’re aiming to get ahead, get a copy of the math book from the upcoming year. If your school won’t lend you one for the summer, you can buy just about any textbook off of Amazon that you could possibly desire. It can be very psychologically reassuring to know you’ve already worked on the exact material that you need to know in September.

If you’re aiming to review or catch up, it can help to use a combination of the textbook from the previous year with a new textbook that feels like a better fit to give you extra practice and a different perspective. But if you had a terrible experience with a textbook or looking at your old textbook just about triggers post traumatic stress disorder or makes you feel like a failure, just get a textbook that you like more and don’t worry about using the old one. There are hundreds of math textbooks out there, so there’s no need to suffer or settle for what you’ve been given to use in school.

If you’re preparing for a placement test, be sure to get a copy of the study guide or practice test from your school. Keep in mind that those materials probably won’t be enough to really review anything that feels shaky or master anything new – they’ll probably only give you one or two problems max for each problem type you’re responsible to know. So be sure to also get a textbook that gives you lots of extra practice for each type of problem that’s on the study guide, so you can do enough of each problem type that it starts to feel really automatic.

3. Get feedback. Even if you’re working completely independently, be sure to get feedback on your work as you go so you know whether or not you’re practicing correctly. Otherwise it can be super easy to do a bunch of work and not even realize that you’re practicing things the wrong way!!

To start, be sure to check the answers as you go. If you’re working from a textbook, aim to do the odd problems, which almost always have answers given in the back of your book. If you’re using materials from your school, check the study guide answer key you got from your school.

If you want to get answers or worked-out solutions to the even problems in your book, some math books offer a solutions manual that you can find and buy on Amazon, too. That way you can get even more feedback from the textbook that you’re working with.

If you find you want more feedback than you can get from the answer key in the back of the book just telling you if you got the answer right or wrong, and you’re craving something more interactive, personalized, and emotionally supportive, I’d be happy to set up a time for us to have a complimentary confidential one-on-one conversation to explore whether or not it would be a good fit for us to work together! Just send me an email at rebecca@zooktutoring.com or call me at 617-888-0160 and we’ll get that all set up!

And stay tuned, because I’ll be sharing the next three tips in my next article!

Three simple tips for the night before your math exam

Rebecca Zook — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 16:56:29 +0000

Do you find yourself tired, hungry, and rushed the morning of your math tests? Do you wish you could feel more prepared and confident, not only in your mind, but also in your body? Here are three simple tips you can use the night before any math test so you can feel relaxed and secure.

Pack a proteiny snack for exam day. To give your brain some extra fuel, pack a snack with lots of protein, like nuts, cheese and apple slices, or yogurt. This way you can be sure you won’t be crazed by hunger when it’s time to take your exam.

Get a good night’s sleep, no matter what. Staying up late to study the night before is not the best way to be prepared, because your fatigue will make it harder to concentrate and recall the material you DO know when you’re actually taking your exam. Plus, if you don’t have time to get much sleep between the late-night study session and your test, your brain won’t have a chance to organize and store the material that you were learning, so it will be hard to remember what you tried to learn during the late-night study session. Plan and pace your study time so you don’t have a big rush to cram the night before a test.

If it’s a routine test, take the time to do some practice problems and review anything you need to have memorized the night before, but wrap up your studying with plenty of time to get to bed and feel relaxed about getting a good night’s sleep. If it’s a really big test, like an end-of-year exam or state standards test, the best thing to do the night before is just to rest and relax after doing a little light review just to reassure yourself that you’ve got it down.

Plan ahead to make sure you get a good breakfast. Make sure your breakfast has a lot of protein – like eggs, meat, yogurt, or fish – to fuel your brain for the long run. Check your fridge or ask your parents to take you to the grocery store in advance to make sure you have exactly what you need. Avoid toast, cereal, juice, or pop tarts, which will make your blood sugar spike, leaving you spacey and disoriented when it’s time to concentrate on your test.

It is amazing how much of a difference good sleep and good food can make – especially when combined with being knowing the material inside and out!

If you’d like to go beyond these basics to feel way more confident walking into your next math test, please email me at rebecca@zooktutoring.com or call me at 617-888-0160. I’d be happy to set up a time for us to talk and explore whether or not it would be a good fit for us to work together!

An easy way to remember the difference between a line with zero slope and a line with no slope

Rebecca Zook — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:41:42 +0000

A lot of students get the concepts of “zero slope” and “no slope” confused when they’re first introduced.

Most students think something along the lines of, “They’re the same thing, right? Because zero equals nothing…..?????????? Wait… no, they’re totally different — BUT HOW DO I REMEMBER WHICH IS WHICH?”

Here is a super easy way to remember the difference:

Zero slope means that the line is horizontal. Just like the line that makes the top of a “Z” is horizontal.

No slope means that the line is vertical. Just like the line that makes the beginning of a “N” is vertical.

(If you’re interested in a mathematical explanation to go with the visual reminder, check out Elizabeth Stapel of PurpleMath’s lesson on slope. The part about zero slope and no slope is towards the bottom of the page.)

Many of my students have used this tip with great success — so spread the word! No one needs to be confused about this anymore!

Do you wish someone would just explain math in a way that really makes sense to **you**? Do you yearn for the confidence that comes from really GETTING it? Give me a call at 617-888-0160 or send me an email at rebeccazook@gmail.com, and I’d be happy to set up a time for us to have a complimentary conversation to explore whether or not it would be a good fit for us to work together!

Tutoring Technology Update: What I Use Now

Rebecca Zook — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:36:05 +0000

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what technology I’m currently using to work with my students. So I’m gonna lay it all out for you!

Whiteboards: For students with PCs, I use talkandwrite pro as our online whiteboard. It works as a plugin on top of Skype. (One of my favorite features is that it’s super easy to save the notes from each session as PDF and then print them and put them in your math notebook or binder.)

For students who have macs, I use groupboard designer as our online whiteboard.

I am no longer using Team Skrbl, which unfortunately is no longer functional.

I have tried every single whiteboard I can find out there, and these are my current favorites. If you have one you prefer, let me know, and I’ll be happy to give it a try.

Video: All students now use Skype video during our sessions so we can both see and hear each other.

Pen Tablets: Also, re: which bamboo pen tablet I recommend — every single one I’ve used has worked great with the whiteboards above. I just use the most basic model because that’s all my students need for writing math out — they just don’t need the fancier functions of a professional graphics tablet.

Thanks to all the developers who have made these awesome products a reality! I use them every day with my students, and I really want to spread the word about the good stuff.

Are you intrigued by using this kind of fun technology to work one-on-one with a caring mentor to master math, increase your confidence, and really improve your grades? Give me a call at 617-888-0160 or email me at rebeccazook@gmail.com and we can set up a time to talk about what you’re going through and explore whether or not it would make sense for us to work together!

Yay, it’s a new math book from Danica McKellar!

Rebecca Zook — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 12:07:03 +0000

Celebration! Danica McKellar has released her latest math book for girls, Girls Get Curves!

McKellar recently did a really thoughtful interview with NPR about her latest book, which focuses on geometry. One of my favorite parts is this bit, when she talks about taking her first college math class at UCLA:

I was actually worried about taking a math class. I didn’t know that I’d be able to handle it. And here I scored a five on an AP Calculus BC exam. Talk about perceptions. I didn’t see myself as being good at math even though I was. And that’s one of the things I’m tackling in the books. But when I did jump into that math class, despite my concerns and my fears, I did really well and I was hooked.

I was like, wow, I suddenly felt valued and important for something that had nothing to do with Hollywood. It had everything to do with something that I was building from the inside out, and you don’t have to have been on television to struggle as a teenage girl with your self-image. And that’s why I know that math is an amazing tool for all girls to find themselves, to find something that they value themselves for.

Because I admire Danica and share with her a mission of helping girls (and guys too) really GET math in a way that is fun and meaningful, I’ve read a lot of her interviews very closely (and I even got the chance to interview her myself about her third math book for Wired’s GeekMom blog — check it out here). I’ve heard her talk about how doing a difficult math problem during college would make her euphoric, and her journey of becoming a math major.

But this is the first time I’ve heard her talk about experiencing math as a refuge – a place where you can incubate and develop your own abilities and intellectual strength and work “from the inside out” in a way that has nothing to do with appearances.

This vision really resonates with me — and I hope that all girls (and guys) can experience math this way.

Would you love to experience math as a refuge – even if right now, you might not be sure that it’s possible to ever regain your confidence? Give me a call at 617-888-0160 or email me at rebeccazook@gmail.com, and I’d be happy to set up a time for us to have a conversation about what’s going on and look into whether or not it would be a good fit for us to work together one-on-one!

When a math problem just takes for-EV-ah

Rebecca Zook — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:09:10 +0000

What do you do when a math problem just takes, like, for-EV-ah?

In other parts of life, it’s considered normal if it takes a little while to …. complete a book report, learn how to serve a tennis ball, or bake a cake.

But a lot of times, when a math problem takes a while, many people start to feel like something is “wrong.” Why haven’t I figured it out by now? Did I take a wrong turn 15 minutes ago? Am I lost? OMG when am I EVER going to finish my math homework?!

How do you deal with these situations? Watch today’s video for specific tips!

Do you wish there was a way to actually enjoy math problems that take a long time to finish? Give me a call at 617-888-0160 or email me at rebeccazook@gmail.com, and I’d be happy to set up a time for us to talk, as my gift to you, about whether or not it would be a good fit for us to work together!

Awesome Canadian teenager makes graduation dress out of her math homework

Rebecca Zook — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 13:50:06 +0000

OMG! This is so cool! Kara Koskowich, a Canadian teenager, made her own graduation dress out her math homework! Check out CBC news for the full story here. Designed to look like “an explosion”! You know I love stories about girls and math, and this is one of my recent favorites!

When I was growing up, I loved making my own clothes and digging for amazing thrift store finds, but it never would have crossed my mind to create a graduation dress out of my actual homework. (Even though I went on to do things like go out dancing in college in a skirt made out of a reflective metallic poster.)

I thought it was interesting that Kara’s best friend, who made her dress out of reused plastic bags, didn’t get the same level of press as the math homework dress, even though her dress is clearly also awesome. I think it’s because of that extra layer of poetic resonance of making a graduation dress literally out of the work you did in order to graduate.

In conclusion: way to go, Kara and best friend! I look forward to seeing what you create next!

Do you want to learn math in a way that’s creative, fun, and intuitive–like making your own original dress (or tuxedo, for that matter)? Give me a call at 617-888-0160 or email me at rebeccazook@gmail.com, and I’d be happy to set up a time for us to talk about what’s going on and whether or not it would make sense for us to work together in one of my math tutoring programs!

How to convert from standard form (Ax+By=C) to slope-intercept form (y=mx+b)

Rebecca Zook — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:28:07 +0000

Here are two examples worked out of how to convert from standard form (Ax+By=C) to slope-intercept form (y=mx+b).

This is something that you get asked to do a lot as you start to get more comfortable going back and forth between different equations of a line.

And another example, because it’s nice to see more than one example when you’re learning something new:

If what you see here resonates with how you like to learn, and you’re looking to work with someone one-on-one to really master math, give me a call at 617-888-0160 or email me at rebeccazook@gmail.com. I’d love to set up a time for us to have a complimentary conversation to explore whether or not it would be a good fit for us to work together in one of my math tutoring programs!

What about the parts of math that you just… hate?

Rebecca Zook — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:30:44 +0000

Today’s video tip is about how to deal with the parts of math that you… just… ok, I’m going to say it… hate.

I mean, how are you supposed to cope with the parts that are just niggly-wiggly, yucky, or don’t make any sense? Are you doomed to feel this way forever? Should you just accept that there will be certain parts that will feel incomprehensible?

No — there is hope! Watch the video below for more details!!

Do you wish someone would explain the parts of math that you hate right now in a way that really makes sense – and might even be fun? Send me an email at rebeccazook@gmail.com or give me a call at 617-888-0160. I’d be happy to set up a time for us to have a complimentary conversation to explore whether or not it would make sense for us to work together!

It’s tempting just to reassure, but…

Rebecca Zook — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:48:03 +0000

Today’s video is about a situation that can really eek out a knee-jerk reaction.

What do you do when your kid asks something like, “Am I smart enough?” or some other similarly out-of-left-field question?

It’s really, really tempting just to give empty reassurance, like, “Of course, you’re a smart kid!” But the problem with that kind of reassurance is that it tends to get kids fixated on “looking smart” or “looking good” (also known as a “fixed mindset”) as opposed to letting them know that it’s OK to put forth effort to learn something (which is known as a “growth mindset”). It also tends to feed into a cycle of kids turning to the outside for validation, instead of learning how to validate themselves.

Today’s video shares some tips about how to turn these situations from awkward or knee-jerk-reaction moments into opportunities to help your kid develop a growth mindset.

Would you like your kid to be working on math in a way where they’re not only mastering the subject itself, but also learning that they can overcome challenges and obstacles in general – in a way that’s intuitive and genuine for them? Send me an email at rebeccazook@gmail.com or call me at 617-888-0160 to set up a time for us to talk and explore what you’re looking for to see if it would be a good fit for us to work together!