Tutoring Reflection

Date of tutoring session: ​Beginning of Semester until now Student Age & Grade: ​5th and 6th
grade students

Answer all in complete, grammatically correct sentences.

1. What topic(s) did you cover in your tutoring session?
Some of the topics that I have been able to help with is area of squares, dividing fractions, and
converting units. There may have been a couple other topics as well, but I can’t remember them
specifically.

2. Did you use any problem solving strategies or tools from this class? If so, describe how this
went. If not, what techniques did you use to help your student?
The information that we read on the warning signs paper has helped me a lot. It helps me to take
a step back and make sure that the student is solving the problem their own way. For example,
the other day a girl was solving a problem on area of the yard but the picture showed the whole
property. The girl had tried a way and put what she thought into the computer program that we
were using. When I approach I asked what she had done to try to solve the problem. I was glad
that I did because how I would have done it would have sent her off in a totally different
direction. She would have gotten the same answer but pretty different than how I would have
gotten it. We kept going with her idea and she got the correct answer. That was a great eye
opener.

3. Describe any challenges you faced in the session. (What was your student’s attitude about
math? Did you notice any knowledge gaps? Was the lesson/homework too easy or too hard for
the student’s skill level? etc.)
I am lucky to help in a pretty advanced class so they still like it quite a bit, or are at least willing
to push through it to figure it out. There weren’t too many problems. A lot of the time when the
students needed help they just misread the problem or needed to be reminded on how to set it up.

4. Describe any triumphs you had in the session.

My triumph would have to be that girl get the answer all on her own that I mentioned in question
2. That was truly humbling for me to see that. Also, I think it boosted her confidence when she
got the problem right through her own ideas and hard work.
 Tutoring Reflection
5. What are your take-a-ways from the session? (Did you learn anything about teaching from it?
What would you do differently or the same to help your students.)
I want to always keep those warning signs in the forefront of my mind. As I follow these
warnings it will help the students learn deeper and more individually. I want to help the students
love math as much as I do, but realize that it’s okay to make mistakes or look up how to work out
a problem. There are so many resources out there.

6. Other thoughts? (How comfortable were you with the topics? Did you face challenges with
the student’s teacher’s instruction style/rules? Can you relate to your student’s
struggles/triumphs?)
I felt pretty comfortable on most subjects. Sometimes I have to think about what a word means
or the process that you have to go through to solve the problem, but it came to me. I can
definitely relate to the students. It can be so hard to sit there and not understand what you are
supposed to be doing next. It’s even more discouraging when everyone around you is moving on
and flying through the problem. It has been great to work in a school alongside the students and
see them learn.