The need for extra lessons, homework supervision or additional support for maths and arithmetic can arise for many reasons. Pupils may fall behind as the result of an illness, difficulties at school between pupils or a poor relationship with the teacher, a crisis in their private lives or any number of other circumstances, as a result of which they have difficulty concentrating at school. Sometimes pupils just need a bit more explanation to master the learning material.

Whatever the underlying cause may be for falling behind, the decision to take extra lessons often follows a period of struggle with the subject matter by pupils in an attempt to solve the problem themselves. This often results in fear of failure or a blow to their self-confidence. "I can't do it." "Maths is too difficult for me." "I am not interested." These are often the sorts of comments that give expression to this.

 

 

In giving extra lessons, I always take into account the need to deal with these underlying emotions. If may be important, for instance, to build the pupils' self-confidence by helping them to develop strategies for solve maths problems and, by doing so, to acquire insight in the maths. Offering tips can certainly help to achieve this, but quick solutions, tricks or rules of thumb, without the accompanying insights, only serve to increase dependence on the teach and may actually increase the lack of self-confidence.

The ultimate aim of extra lessons is that the pupil can say with confidence: "I can do it." "It's actually not that difficult." "If a think about it carefully, I will always find a solution." "If I can't find the answer, I can always ask and I know what my question is."