Greensville Middle School

Candice White was a fifth grader at Greensville Middle School, and she loved school. She loved the way the teachers greeted the students in the hall, she loved the way her classmates would all high-five each other and ask how one another's day was, and she especially loved learning about all of the different subjects in school.

She loved all of the subjects except for one, and that subject was math. Candice tried to give math a chance, but no matter how hard she tried, she just did not get it. This frustration of not being able to understand math led to her dislike of the subject.

Tutoring!

Test

Name: 

Candice White

1. A 2. C 3. D

One day, Ms. Apple, her math teacher, told her that she would schedule some tutoring sessions for her. Ms. Apple was determined to get Candice to understand math and love it.

Tutoring Session Day One!

On tutoring session day one, Ms. Apple was going over some of the lessons from class, but she noticed Candice seemed distracted.

"What's wrong, Candice?" asked Ms. Apple.

"I just feel like math is not important. I see how history is important because it describes where we came from, what examples to follow, and what examples not to follow. I see how English is important because we have to be able to read and write. I see how science is important because science is everywhere, as it includes our body, the inside of buildings, the outside world, and the air all around," replied Candice.

Ms. Apple quickly came up with a way to show the importance of math to Candice.

"Let's start with the number two. In what ways is the number two important?" asked Ms. Apple.

1 + 1 = 2

After unsuccessfully finding the number two's significance, Ms. Apple approached the confusion by asking Candice, "What would happen if the number two disappeared?”

“Everybody would be very confused when counting money and other items and when doing math homework,” replied Candice.

“That’s right, so do you think the number two is important?” asked Ms. Apple.

“Yeah, I guess it is important,” said Candice.

Tutoring Session Day Two!

On tutoring session day two, Candice entered the classroom with a more open mind, determined to figure out how to do the math assigned to her.

880 / (11 x 40)

Ms. Apple decided to allow Candice to compute the math for the tutoring session on the whiteboard, and she began by saying a numerical expression and having Candice write it.

“Write eight hundred eighty divided by, open up a set of parentheses,  eleven times forty, and close the set of parentheses,” stated Ms. Apple. 

880 / (11 x 40)

= ?

After writing the math problem on the whiteboard, Candice asked, “What was the point of that?” 

“The point is writing out numerical expressions was one of our class lessons from last week, and while you may have been struggling then, you are doing fantastic now!” exclaimed Ms. Apple. 

“I did do it!” shouted Candice. 

“Now, try to solve the problem,” stated Ms. Apple.

See you next time!

After a few failed attempts, Candice said, “I cannot do it. Also, I do not see why it is important.” 

“I will give you some time to think and reflect on this problem, and we will pick back up on it during our next tutoring session,” said Ms. Apple.

Tutoring Session Day Three!

880 / (11 x 40)

= 3,200

On day three of the tutoring sessions, Candice was prompted to rewrite the math equation on the whiteboard, and she tried to solve it again. After several more failed attempts at solving the problem and still failing to see the importance of it, Ms. Apple decided she needed to step in and help.

11 x 40 = 440

While attempting to get Candice to understand how to do the problem, see the importance of math, and love the subject like all of the rest of the subjects, Ms. Apple said, “Let’s look at this problem from a real-life perspective. Step away from the numerical expression you just wrote, and answer this. If you had a job working forty hours a week, and you got paid eleven dollars an hour, how would you figure that?” 

Candice was very interested in figuring money, and it came very natural to her, so she replied, “That’s easy! You just do eleven times forty.” After solving this equation, she wrote the answer on the whiteboard. 

880 / 440 = 2

Then, Ms. Apple asked, “If you were to divide four hundred forty dollars evenly among eight hundred eighty people, how would you figure out how much money each person receives?”

“Once again, that’s easy! You just do eight hundred eighty divided by four hundred forty,” explained Candice.

After completing this computation, Candice wrote the final number on the whiteboard.

880 / (11 x 40)

= ?

11 x 40 = 440

880 / 440 = 2

Then, Ms. Apple pointed to the numerical expression. Candice’s eyes grew, and she discovered what Ms. Apple had been doing the whole time.

“Wow! Did I just solve that problem? How did I do it?” questioned Candice.

“You did solve the problem because you broke the problem into parts. Instead of being overwhelmed by the entire math equation, you heard the problem I read aloud in the same order that you are supposed to solve that problem,” explained Ms. Apple, pointing again to the initial problem.