Tips from Charlie: The fun of math...no kidding!

Recently I had my fifth tutoring session with a 13 year old who hated (and I mean HATED) math.  He did everything he could to avoid doing his math homework, looked bummed out during tutoring, and dreaded going to math class. 

So, I did what every tutor is renowned for doing - I communicated with him about why he hated math so much.  His two main complaints:

1) Math is boring, and he'd never use it (how many times have I heard that one?)
2) He felt freaked out and unprepared during tests (which caused him to get low grades, increasing his dislike for math in general)

Well, the second issue I knew I could handle.  After all, tutoring not only increases a student's preparedness for classes and tests, but it also raises a student's confidence level. 

The first "I hate math" issue, on the other hand, would be a little bit more of a challenge. 

After all, my tutee was 13 years old, and I knew the standard "kid stuff" wouldn't fly.  He was working on Geometry at the junior high level.  So, I put away the worksheets aimed at the elementary school crowd, and started wracking my brain for fun activities that would engage (not insult) a teenager with a dislike for the mathematical arts.

We talked for a little while during our first tutoring session together, and eventually wound up on the subject of hobbies.  As it turned out (luckily for me), my tutee loved anything to do with space, astronomy, and rockets.

Eureka!  I had found something that related to geometry, and knew I had a way to connect with him during tutoring. 

I came up with a few worksheets that laid out geometry and angles as they related to rocket launches, related angles to various space concepts (such as meteors or UFOs falling to earth and casting shadows), and pretty much presented every math tutoring session as something to do with space and rockets.

So far it has been a huge hit, my tutee is excited about learning the new concepts, and he is even talking about being an astronomer or Air Force pilot someday. 

Best of all, he just got his last geometry test back this week, and we were both thrilled to see the "Great job! A-" at the top of the paper!