This semester, I helped many of my students meet their learning objectives in math.

But

one of my most successful tutoring sessions, just happened recently. In this tutoring session, I

taught a group of 5 students in 4th grade, Angel, Damian, Sebastian, Jordan, and Taylor. These

students have struggled the most in solving division problems. Yet, their strengths are knowing

how to multiply. I have decided to go over some math problems from their worksheet together as

a group. I wrote on a small board, and began asking questions on how I can make the problem

smaller. My students decided to solve a simpler problem in steps. For example, 3√3969 can be

divided into smaller pieces. Starting with 3√3, 3√​3​9, 3√​39​6, and 3√​396​9 using long division.

By covering up the numbers, my students were able to focus on just one number at a

time. I learned if students don't understand, its best to turn the question into smaller steps to get

the bigger picture. Once all five of my students were more than halfway done with their

worksheet I taught them a quicker way. Using short division to divide 5√570.
Once I taught them short division their minds were completely blown. They were ecstatic and

took the method as a secret. Therefore, my students were able to use metacognition by learning

the new way based on what they learned previously.

My most challenging session this semester was drawing two dimensional figures

described in the problem: A pentagon with exactly 1 right angle and exactly 1 acute angle. My

students got stuck on this question because of the angles that they are asked to use. Thankfully

that week, in class I learned about interior angles and side lengths of a polygon. I made sure to

help my students learn the difference between an irregular and regular polygon by, knowing the

regular measurements of a polygon. From here my students guessed and checked, by stretching a

regular pentagon into an irregular pentagon, using a geoboard and rubber bands to meet the

angles required. My students strengths in this session was eliminating possibilities that are close

to our answer, but not quite. I learned that using manipulatives like geoboards can help students

experiment and understand what makes angles different from other angles in a shape.

irregular polygon regular polygon