Nathan Mannings

My name is Nathan Mannings.

I've worked as a Math tutor at the Mathnasium learning center in Collegeville, and I am currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Penn State University.

One thing I've learned over the years is that (often times) the main barrier separating a struggling student from their success is STRESS, so I'd like those reading to understand how and why I am a good person to tackle this problem.

1.) When working with others, I make sure to take the extra time to ensure their fundamental understanding of the concepts are strong. I slow down to the student's pace, and pay attention to details like body language and/or tone of voice to help me gauge the learner's grasp of the concept(s) at hand.

2.) After taking care of the fundamentals, the time for us to further extend that knowledge comes, and this is where we, as learners, are most susceptible to confusion and (consequently) stress. It is at this stage where we are required to apply knowledge we have previously learned, but in new environments that feel unfamiliar. We are expected to make connections to previous topics without always being told what the best way to do so is.

As a student myself, I have directly acknowledged this aspect of our learning, and make it a core part of my tutoring process to directly point out HOW to make those connections, and to even create new ones as needed; Whether it be by rephrasing certain sentences, taking a different approach, or some other variation of the learning process.

3.) Regularly spaced repetition is KEY, and I make sure to help them not only learn, but retain the information for the future. This is step is crucial in boosting our confidence around the subject, as it proves that there need not be stress in a situation where the concepts need to be applied. Brief reviews of topics learned in the past have a HUGE impact on our brain's ability to remember long-term, so we also exercise those on a regular basis.

These are how I help keep my clients' stress under control, resulting in GREATLY improved comprehension of the subject.