In our recent podcast, EduWW math tutor Bo Miller gave crucial advice to students. And you can use that tip can for all subjects, not just for math. She said that no problem is unsolvable, and students should be more persistent in getting to the bottom of it. Before you quit and call it impossible, or before you think you are not smart enough, give it another try. Approach the problem from a different angle.
There is no greater satisfaction for a parent when they see their child excel in all subjects in school. Yet, being good only in particular subjects, and not so much in others is fine. It is not the end of the world if a student is struggling with a particular subject. It is perfectly normal. Having a weak spot when it comes to learning shouldn’t be discouraging for students. It just means that they need to work harder to grasp a particular matter.
Often we see students struggling with a particular subject. Eventually, that turns into fear or even hate towards that subject. It leads to the point where a student does not want to even try to understand the material. They simply accept they do not know it and give up. It continues to be an obstacle for them in the future as well, and it is frustrating.
Moreover, the traditional schooling system works in favor of this situation. Schools are punishing students who do not know something with bad grades. Yet, they do not go into particularities about why a student does not understand the material. You can’t treat equally a student who is simply lazy and the one who struggles with the material for other reasons. For example, they might need a different approach and an additional explanation to understand something.
Keep On Trying — Every Problem Has A Solution
Our online school nurtures an individual approach to each student, and our tutors are giving their best to find the way to explain the lesson to a student. Therefore, a mindset that every problem has a solution is highly desirable. We try to pass that onto students as well throughout our online classes. That was also something that we discussed in our recent podcast Let’s Talk About It. Math is usually a subject that students either love or hate because they do not understand it. Here’s how our tutor Bo deals in such situations.
“I don’t think that something is unsolvable or that a student can’t understand it. You just have to be persistent. If you do not like math and are not very good at it, it doesn’t mean that a problem can’t be solved. It just means that you have to try harder and work harder. For a student that has a great feel for math, they can see the equation right away and know how to deal with the problem. But for someone who does not have that feel from math, he or she will have to look at it one time, two times, three times, but persistence is the key element. There is no problem that can be solved,” — said Miller.
Therefore, dear students, whenever you struggle with something, don’t give up. Having trouble with a subject doesn’t mean that you are not smart enough. Give it another try, and another one, and another one, until you find the solution. If you tried to solve the problem somehow and it didn’t work, try a different approach. Seek help from your parents or a teacher, but be persistent.
Be A Problem Solver
At our online school, students learn at their own pace. Each student can take as much time as they need to comprehend a certain topic. There is no rush and no bad grades as a punishment system. Here, our ultimate goal is to pass on the knowledge to students. Take your time, and do what is necessary for you to understand the lesson.
With the approach that we are taking, we are also teaching students to develop a problem-solving mindset. And that is something that will bring them a lot of advantages later in life.
Check out the entire episode of our podcast with Bo Miller in the video below.