Does math freak you out?

When I was in elementary school, I breezed through my assignments, was bored and hungry for challenge. Things changed a bit when I entered middle school. Life was so different and school got harder. I quickly learned to hate math and struggled to keep up my grades. It wasn't until I had a wonderful teacher that showed me different strategies and hands on materials, that I began to understand the concepts that the teacher was introducing. I learned a lot about myself and how I learn.

I have found, from going to college, being a teacher and tutoring, that people have different learning styles. I am more of a kinesthetic (hands-on) learning and I had a hard time with learning by just lectures. When I was introduced to manipulatives, my understanding grew in leaps and bounds.

As a tutor, I strive to understand my students' learning styles and where they need the most help. I think it's important to capitalize on what my students already know, in order to build new concepts, and in turn, build more confidence.