How to challenge students when teaching maths

One difficult question tutors face when teaching Maths (and we see that with other subjects, too) is pitching content at the right level of difficulty. If you set problems that are too difficult, too quickly, students can feel overwhelmed and there is a risk they give up. But set problems that are too easy and they won’t learn how to think creatively, solve problems and master challenging content. What’s more, they could end up becoming bored.

How you respond as a tutor isn’t just a question of striking a balance: it’s about knowing in depth and in detail the topics a student knows well and the areas they lack confidence. It’s about knowing how their temperament and attitude: some students need extra encouragement, some relish any challenge. Some enjoy the procedure of learning techniques, others prefer puzzles.

What’s seems more universal is that greater levels of fluency in core mathematical skills and concepts does help students think creatively: the more at ease you are with rearranging an equation, the easier it is for you to think algebraically.

Mathematical thinking is as much a skill like playing an instrument or speaking a language as it is an innate ability. What you need to know as a tutor is how to build up this fluency in mathematical thinking: what foundations and scaffolding need to be laid for a particular topic, and when, with each student, it is time to remove the scaffolding and get children solving the problems independently.