- #1
zeronem
- 117
- 1
Hello, I am tutoring someone Calculus 2 and I am desperately needing help at the moment.
Alright, I try to be clear to this person as much as possible.
We're taking derivatives of natural logarithms and exponentials, and we're also integrating functions that will lead to a natural logarithm answer. So I began working problems with the person. I work the problem on my paper and he works the problem on his paper. The deal is, I am trying to show him how to work the problem.
He looks at my paper while I solve the problem and also try to explain as I solve the problem. We do this for awhile, and so I decide to see if he can solve the next problem by himself. He couldn't even make a dent in the problem but only a dent in the paper with his pencil writing what he thinks is solving the problem. So I simply explain to him as clear as possible the first step. Well, then he has no clue how to do the first step. So I show him on paper how to do the first step like how I was showing on my paper earlier on solving a couple problems. The 1st step is done.
Then I explain to him in words, the 2nd step. I throw a couple word hints out there for him to catch and use. Well, it doesn't work. He always writes things down wrong, and always says things backwards. For instance, I say "divide by x", he'll mumble to himself, "hmm,,,divide by y" and I'll correct what he says. But the thing is, he divides by x in the first place. However sometimes I'll catch him not doing what I am clearly stating to do, but he would do something different. In his mind he will alter what I told to him and do exactly on the paper his "altered statement" of mine.
There was one problem, I could of sworn we stayed more then enough time on. And it was all Algebra simplification after doing the calculus.
It got to the point where I just gave up in trying to help him understand. So I whipped out my pen and paper and I would do the problem and explain every step of the problem while working the problem myself. He would simply follow along. He doesn't even look at my paper while working the problem, he actually does it with his eyes on his paper. Getting almost exactly what I put down, with almost no errors (Unlike he was doing earlier where there was an error in every thing he said, and put down on paper)
I figured since the guy had a problem with listening to my clear statements for solving the problem, that he might be a visual learner. I go about showing him how I work various Calculus II problems on paper, and he goes about following what I did on paper. This goes on for awhile, and I became convinced he might have actually gathered a couple of essential tools for taking the integral and taking the derivative of various Mathematical Equations.
So then I stop, and I say to him, "Okay, let's see if you can work this next problem by yourself without my intervention"
So I kind of look off into the other direction, because I certainly don't want to intimidate him. I can hear his mumbling and I occasionally glance over at the paper and I can tell he is thinking really hard about this problem. He gets no where with the problem. In fact, I look on the paper and it looks as if he took a completely alien approach in which he magically divided by 5 which was completely irrelevant to solving the problem.
When we are done doing the derivative or taking the integral of an equation, it's all algebraic simplification from then on. So I let him do the algebra simplifying by himself, since it is more important that he learn how to take the derivative and integral of particular functions. I can literally wait 2 hours, look at his paper and spot his first mistake at the beginning step of algebraic simplification. He started from that beginning step to the end of the last step of algebraic simplification with his whole paper full of nonsense simply due to his 1st mistake and the various multitude of illogical actions where he'll put a plus sign right in between two quantities that are supposed to be multipying to each other. Just the many examples of the various mistakes he would make.
I ofcourse was almost shocked as to how this guy is in Calculus 2. It turns out he had a tutor in Calculus 1 that actually quit in tutoring him. I can almost imagine he had a tutor in Pre-Cal, Trigonometry, Algebra 2, and Algebra 1. Another thing is, I am not getting payed by him to tutor him. I am getting paid by the College. His Calculus 2 teacher whom was also his Calculus 1 teacher convinced me to tutor him. Interestingly, the guy gets a tutor to work with him all Semester, he fails the Final anyways. But because he had a tutor working with him all semester, he passes the class! That's my Theory behind this person!
So, I feel bad for the person, and I am nice to him. I almost good friends with the person. We can talk about movies, music, and food.
So let me ask you guys. Anyone have any suggestions as to what else I can do to maybe get some Calculus 2 knowledge in his head? Knock him out, cut his head open and stick a Calculus 2 book in? Then sew the head back together?
I havn't looked up characteristics of Dyslexia, but I seriously think the guy has some amount of dyslexia.
Alright, I try to be clear to this person as much as possible.
We're taking derivatives of natural logarithms and exponentials, and we're also integrating functions that will lead to a natural logarithm answer. So I began working problems with the person. I work the problem on my paper and he works the problem on his paper. The deal is, I am trying to show him how to work the problem.
He looks at my paper while I solve the problem and also try to explain as I solve the problem. We do this for awhile, and so I decide to see if he can solve the next problem by himself. He couldn't even make a dent in the problem but only a dent in the paper with his pencil writing what he thinks is solving the problem. So I simply explain to him as clear as possible the first step. Well, then he has no clue how to do the first step. So I show him on paper how to do the first step like how I was showing on my paper earlier on solving a couple problems. The 1st step is done.
Then I explain to him in words, the 2nd step. I throw a couple word hints out there for him to catch and use. Well, it doesn't work. He always writes things down wrong, and always says things backwards. For instance, I say "divide by x", he'll mumble to himself, "hmm,,,divide by y" and I'll correct what he says. But the thing is, he divides by x in the first place. However sometimes I'll catch him not doing what I am clearly stating to do, but he would do something different. In his mind he will alter what I told to him and do exactly on the paper his "altered statement" of mine.
There was one problem, I could of sworn we stayed more then enough time on. And it was all Algebra simplification after doing the calculus.
It got to the point where I just gave up in trying to help him understand. So I whipped out my pen and paper and I would do the problem and explain every step of the problem while working the problem myself. He would simply follow along. He doesn't even look at my paper while working the problem, he actually does it with his eyes on his paper. Getting almost exactly what I put down, with almost no errors (Unlike he was doing earlier where there was an error in every thing he said, and put down on paper)
I figured since the guy had a problem with listening to my clear statements for solving the problem, that he might be a visual learner. I go about showing him how I work various Calculus II problems on paper, and he goes about following what I did on paper. This goes on for awhile, and I became convinced he might have actually gathered a couple of essential tools for taking the integral and taking the derivative of various Mathematical Equations.
So then I stop, and I say to him, "Okay, let's see if you can work this next problem by yourself without my intervention"
So I kind of look off into the other direction, because I certainly don't want to intimidate him. I can hear his mumbling and I occasionally glance over at the paper and I can tell he is thinking really hard about this problem. He gets no where with the problem. In fact, I look on the paper and it looks as if he took a completely alien approach in which he magically divided by 5 which was completely irrelevant to solving the problem.
When we are done doing the derivative or taking the integral of an equation, it's all algebraic simplification from then on. So I let him do the algebra simplifying by himself, since it is more important that he learn how to take the derivative and integral of particular functions. I can literally wait 2 hours, look at his paper and spot his first mistake at the beginning step of algebraic simplification. He started from that beginning step to the end of the last step of algebraic simplification with his whole paper full of nonsense simply due to his 1st mistake and the various multitude of illogical actions where he'll put a plus sign right in between two quantities that are supposed to be multipying to each other. Just the many examples of the various mistakes he would make.
I ofcourse was almost shocked as to how this guy is in Calculus 2. It turns out he had a tutor in Calculus 1 that actually quit in tutoring him. I can almost imagine he had a tutor in Pre-Cal, Trigonometry, Algebra 2, and Algebra 1. Another thing is, I am not getting payed by him to tutor him. I am getting paid by the College. His Calculus 2 teacher whom was also his Calculus 1 teacher convinced me to tutor him. Interestingly, the guy gets a tutor to work with him all Semester, he fails the Final anyways. But because he had a tutor working with him all semester, he passes the class! That's my Theory behind this person!
So, I feel bad for the person, and I am nice to him. I almost good friends with the person. We can talk about movies, music, and food.
So let me ask you guys. Anyone have any suggestions as to what else I can do to maybe get some Calculus 2 knowledge in his head? Knock him out, cut his head open and stick a Calculus 2 book in? Then sew the head back together?
I havn't looked up characteristics of Dyslexia, but I seriously think the guy has some amount of dyslexia.