What Is in My Mathematics Tutor Bag?

What is in my mathematics tutor bag? Listed in order of how often Sara uses each item. note: Don’t you like the groovy 70’s inspired bag? Note: Don’t forget to bring water with you to the tutoring session!

Image What? Why? Most tutoring organizations have given me a set of Lots and worksheets to use with students. I set these aside and do my own quick assessment of student’s skills (which Lots of I write up on blank paper). I find blank white paper is my greatest friend in tutoring situations. We draw blank white diagrams, define vocabulary. Most times the students I tutor beg to take the messiness we co-create with paper. them for future reference. OR… 2 White I prefer white paper, but I have seen other tutors use Boards & white boards effectively. markers

My favorite way to get students talking is to write in different colors. I find students saying things like “The blue equation has a slope of 2/3” when I write in different colors. Something about colors gives students an access point to engage. I also find that Lots of markers help in graphing as you can see the markings Markers on top of the grid lines.

OR I bring pens and pencils along, but I find students Lots of pens prefer markers. (Pencils drive me nuts because they and pencils always seem to need to be sharpened)

This is my newest favorite tool I’ve been using with students in the last year. Check out the list of my iPad or favorite iPad apps. I usually use the iPad for the last 20 minutes of a 60 minute tutoring session. As the tablet student works on the iPad I question the student and have them explain their thinking to me. My Script I love this App. Type in 3+4=8 and watch what calculator happens. It recognizes most handwriting and I find it is (Apple or Android very intuitive for students. phone and tablet app)

Sara Van Der Werf April 2013 I bring a copy of the MN State Standards with me (or MN sometimes I just look them up on my iPad). If I know the grade level of the student I am working with, I use Standards this document to give me ideas of what to work on. Someday I will have them memorized, but until then…

I love my TI-84 for students for all grades. I love that you can see what you typed into the calculator. I use Calculators calculators most to reinforce that the solution we just calculated is correct.

High School teachers tell me again and again that you Lots of can never have students create enough scatter plots. If I work with middle or high school students we are Graph usually making graphs. (I also never create a table or equation without connecting it to its graph either on Paper paper or on the graphing calculator)

Various You can never do enough modeling of student thinking on a number line. I often just create my own number Number lines on white paper, but at times I use number lines Lines run off on worksheets.

Linking This is my favorite manipulative for working with elementary age students. We can count, create Cubes patterns, model addition, and more.

Base 10 This is my 2nd favorite manipulative. Base 10 blocks are great for increasing students understanding of place Blocks value.

Subitize: The ability to immediately recognize the 5 and 10 number in a collection without counting. Frames In order to move beyond simple counting by one strategies, students need to see numbers as sets (subitize) rather than counting them 1 by 1. One of the most overlooked set of standards in the Dice & classroom is data and probability. I often use dice to Playing play games or create rich experiences to deepen students understanding of data and probability Cards standards.

Ruler Obvious math tool. I use it just once in a while.

Sara Van Der Werf April 2013