The amount of maths tutors both online and in-person is continuously rising. This is beneficial for those looking to access maths grinds, so many different options to choose from when it comes to learning maths, but how can you be sure you're making the right choice?
Having a good comprehension of the applications of maths is incredibly important, however, teaching methods vary among tutors. You need to be able to find out the pros and cons of each math tutor to find one that suits your needs.
Would you prefer the help of a certified teacher whose approach may be similar to that of the math curriculum? OR would you feel more comfortable with a more liberal approach, perhaps someone who is studying maths in college or it was just a really good student in their day?
"Mathematics is not a careful march down a well-cleared highway, but a journey into a strange wilderness, where the explorers often get lost. Rigor should be a signal to the historians that the maps have been made, and the real explorers have gone elsewhere."
W.S. Anglin
The Benefits of Getting a Maths Tutor
Before looking at this we should probably ask, why is it important to seek help with your Maths education?
Perhaps you are a college student or in leaving cert and need maths guidance or you are a parent with concerns about your Child's progress in Maths. Whatever the case may be, considering some extra tuition is definitely a positive step and the fact that you are even thinking about it shows that you care about your results in maths, but not only this you were aware that maths is a functional subject that can benefit you in your day-to-day life.
Either way learning to excel in your maths studies allows you to open up more pathways and prospects for a good career. Not only this, having a good understanding of maths can help you do day-to-day tasks such as shopping knowing how much you have to spend before you go out, calculating how much fuel you need in your car to get to a certain place, even just making a meal knowing how much you will need so that you have enough to feed everyone.
Having a maths tutor can help you understand the functionality of maths and also help you enjoy learning the subject.
Is it Important to Have a Maths Tutor?
If you feel you need a lot of one-on-one attention, consider hiring a tutor. A tutor can sit down with you a certain number of times per week and go over problems with you. A quality tutor can help math start to click for you, leading you to better understand the subject as a whole.
If you have a learning disability that affects your competency at math, such as dyslexia, see if you can find a tutor who works with students with disabilities.
Maths tutors are important for them to children and adults, they help you have a better understanding of how maths marks in everyday life as well as enhance your problem-solving skills and your comprehension skills.
Even with a math tutor, you will still need to practice. Make time to practice each day. There's no real secret to becoming good at mathematics.
How Maths Helps with Everyday Life
It's fair to say that most people will agree that Maths is an essential tool to have for any person in this day and age.
All across Ireland, there are three main subjects that schools, colleges and employers all want to hear about: English, Maths and Science.
These subjects are particularly essential if you wish to follow a career in STEM.
English, Maths and Science are even being thought to toddlers, with most pre-schools introducing numeracy and literacy to children before they enter primary school, which just goes to show the importance that is placed on the subjects, particularly maths, throughout the education cycle.
When it comes to applying for jobs your knowledge of Maths can really come into question, whether or not you are applying for a maths-heavy role. Maths is useful in all areas of employment from engineering to waitressing, numerical skills are essential.
If you haven't already, then you will soon see that, on any professional application form for any type of role, you will be asked to confirm your qualifications to date, with a particular focus on the three aforementioned subjects. Often, if you are applying for a job online you may be asked to answer a number of written and numerical questions, these help the employer get an idea of your competency when it comes to English and maths.
Maths shows recruiters that you are able to take logical steps to problem-solving and, of course, that you have at the very least basic numeracy skills. You would be surprised how many people in the workplace struggle if they can’t add up, multiply or use fractions and ratios.
You don’t, have to get top marks in Maths to get a good job, but it will certainly help your case, do you have a good understanding of the core subject.
Tips Hiring a Maths Tutor
Whether you're a parent or a maths student who is struggling and needs help keeping up, a private tutor could be just what you need to provide individualised help. After all, maths is such an important subject in anyone's academic career and also when it comes to everyday life, there is no shame in struggling with the subject, you may just need a little bit of help to allow you to understand it there.
STEM careers hold such a huge part of the world we live in, and in our future. Roles like these usually need you to have a good grade in maths science and English, this is why maths tutoring is even more important since it could determine your career path.
A STEM subject is a subject that can be categorised under the following headings:
- S - Science
- T - Technology
- E - Engineering
- M - Mathematics
Before going out and hiring the most expensive tutor on the books, it's a good idea to step back and assess the situation. Yes maths tutoring can help immensely if you're starting to fall behind in class and need an extra bit of encouragement, but there are some things which you should consider.
A passing grade in Maths is essential to qualify for most jobs after school or college, if that is enough you may not need tuition so long as you are passing subject. However I have mentioned above, STEM careers are really coming up in this world, and for them will need quite a high grade in maths. If you see yourself following a career in medicine or science technology engineering you really should be getting good grades in the subject.
It is not impossible to get into a 3rd Level College or University without maths, there are many courses that take people who failed maths, but you are severely limiting your options. Unless you selected courses on the CAO application that did not require maths, if you fail the exam, you will not get into the 3rd Level which means your options are even more restricted.
I Need Help With Maths
Getting help from a one to one maths tutor for exam preparation can set you up for a successful career in fields such as accounting, catering, chemistry, physics, and social sciences.
If you feel like you're struggling, then yes you will want to hire a tutor which gives you the best advantage. You'll also want to consider which tutor might be able to offer the most tailored teaching - do they want an emphasis on Physics, for instance?
Or if it's a more general thing then you may be able to look for a tutor who is qualified to teach lessons around the Maths curriculum you are studying.
“What is mathematics? It is only a systematic effort of solving puzzles posed by nature.”
Shakuntala Devi.
To be certain of whether or not you're making the right decision, we recommend you ask the maths teacher about their experience of home tutoring - make sure you do this before your first lesson. Even if they are a certified teacher, giving supplemental instruction on a one to one basis is completely different from teaching a class of 30. Questioning them adds an extra level of precaution so that you don't hand over your money to someone you believe to be inexperienced.
If you decide to go through a tutoring company such as Superprof, you'll see that a lot of tutors have a document detailing their previous experience to give you peace of mind.
Although one on one maths tutor prices can vary quite a lot in price, depending on numerous factors, when it comes to picking a tutor you really should go for the one most qualified for the job. And that doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive.
If you don't mind studying in your own space and using video tuition. Online tuition such as the services Superprof offer, could be what you're looking for. Tutoring websites give students the opportunity to leave feedback on their tutors, so you can see what other people think before making a decision on which one is right for their needs. This has proved to be an effective way for parents and students to find the ideal maths tutor for them.
The world of private tuition has a rich community of self-taught tutors who have a wealth of knowledge to be shared. Whether you're an online maths tutor, chemistry tutor, physics and maths tutor, tutor in engineering - the list is endless!
"Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding."
William Paul Thurston
Private Maths Tutors vs. Certified Maths Teacher
When you make the decision to start looking for academic tutoring, you have a choice between people who do tutoring jobs in their spare time and those with teaching qualifications.
Maybe you're looking for a full-time private tutor with all kinds of teaching certificates or maybe you'd prefer someone who is in the education system themselves and can offer their help in maths.
What are the pros and cons of each approach?
The Flexible Schedule of a Home Maths Tutor
One advantage of recruiting a full-time professional or self-taught private tutor is the freedom in their teaching methods. This includes the freedom to approach a subject differently than the education system according to the pupil's individual learning style.
Another advantage is students sometimes feel more at ease with private tutors. This is because they come down to the tutee's level and work their way up the learning ladder together with them.
Such approaches include using different media including tablets and smartphones to play interactive maths games, for instance, or visiting maths websites. However, there is a risk of too much freedom with such methods which could lead to straying too far from the objective.
The Conventionality of a Certified Maths Teacher
This is the best way to keep in line with the school syllabus. The idea behind this is staying within the pupil's comfort zone with a familiar approach to learning.
There are many advantages to this method including focussing on maths worksheets tailored to exams.
For example, a teacher who has experience teaching Junior Cycle or Leaving Cert maths in school will be able to work through past exam papers with the student. Working on difficult math problems during sessions can get students used to the general format of the exams and put them at ease when it comes to a big maths mock test or exam day.
However, the disadvantage is that it could bore the student, who already spends around 30 hours a week with the same framework.
Some students may begin to feel overwhelmed as the lines between home and school are blurred, making maths a sensitive subject and discouraging them even more.
FREE Online Maths Lessons with Youtube
Many certified teachers such as those at The Dublin Academy of Education are uploading their maths lessons to Youtube.
This is a popular resource for students who are working through maths past papers since they are usually exam specific. So if you want to work through the Junior cycle or Leaving cert past papers, you'll find a video for your exact practice paper.
This method of revision is useful for students as they can pause, rewind, and replay parts of the lesson at any point and, of course, it's completely free! All you need is a Wifi connection.
And if you're not preparing to sit an exam, there are plenty of videos teaching general maths. So if you want to refresh your mind in maths and feel curious why not try a quick search?
If you would prefer to work one-to-one with an Online Tutor why not check out Superprof.
Just remember that no matter your age, your location or your maths ability, online lessons can help you to understand maths as well as open up more career prospects for you. At Superprof there are several tutors offering grinds in Maths. You can choose your tutor from a large selection, you can also pick times that suit you and take as many or as few revision/preparation classes as you need. No matter what the subject, if you choose to take grinds with Superprof, you will see they are affordable, as they start from just €10 and they are flexible, which makes them super convenient!
The Superprof homepage is really easy to navigate, which means you can find the perfect Maths Tutor for you within minutes! All you have to do is select the subject you would like to take lessons in, and add your area then search for a full list of tutors and their fees. A lot of the time you even get your first lesson free, which makes Superprof even better value!
Understanding the World Through Maths
Math helps us understand the world and we use the world to understand math. The world is interconnected and everyday math shows these connections and possibilities. Examples of these connections include:
- Algebra can explain how quickly water becomes contaminated and how many people in a third-world country drinking that water might become sick each year.
- Statistics and probability can be used to estimate death tolls from natural disasters, such as earthquakes, pandemics and tsunamis; the amount of aid that might be necessary to help in the situation; and the number of people who would be displaced/in hospital.
- Living in the technological age, most of the mathematics we use every day can be found in the form of computer programs and calculators. The people that create these programs all need to tell the machines how to perform the math so those people use it all the time. Anyone who works in a bank or invests in any way utilizes numbers daily. All new technology that comes out, whether it be self-driving cars, drones, smartphones etc... a mathematic approach is used in order to get all of these things to work.
- Musical rhythm often follows complex mathematical series, and math can help students learn the basic rhythms of dances used in ballet and theatre performances. Art thrives on geometry, and students who understand basic geometric formulas can craft impressive art pieces.
- Math and physics are two closely connected fields. For physicists, math is a tool used to answer questions. For example, Newton invented calculus to help describe motion.
- Managing a budget is one of the inescapable responsibilities of any teenager or adult. By means of simple operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, you can understand your income and outgoings, and how much you have available to spend. Planning on making a large purchase? The total cost over the long term can be calculated, taking into account probable income, thanks to maths.
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