I’m a virtual math tutor and wellness coach helping students and parents with ADHD. I use wellness to support math in my online math tutoring services. I give people the advice I wish I had in my younger years. I help people with ADHD skip the hard lessons I learned and go straight into thriving with ADHD. 

In this episode, I talk about what it’s like to do math tutoring online and how wellness plays a big part in succeeding in school with ADHD. Let’s dive in!

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• What does a virtual math tutor and wellness coach do?
• How to decide if your child needs math tutoring
• My virtual math tutoring services

What Does a Virtual Math Tutor and Wellness Coach do?

The core of my coaching is math, and wellness plays a role. For math to stick, your environment and wellness have to be stable. Your brain is greatly affected when you lack simple wellness standards, like a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep. 

For those with ADHD, it’s imperative for them to understand that a tidy home equals a tidy mind. A clean diet equals better processing of our brain receptors. ADHD management revolves around a healthy brain, and that’s where the wellness aspect comes into play. 

I make sure my students are eating healthy food before a big test and that their desks are clean before we get started with our online math tutoring sessions. If their environment isn’t tidy and organized, it’s harder for students to understand math because they’re distracted by the clutter. These simple things can greatly improve an ADHD student’s ability to focus on our lessons.

How to Decide if Your Child Needs Math Tutoring

The obvious way to decide if your child needs math tutoring is their math grades. If they consistently get a C or below, consider math tutoring. Once they fall behind on one lesson, it’s hard to catch up in a classroom setting. Each lesson builds upon the last, so if they don’t understand one, it’s unlikely they will understand the next.

I don’t coach students if they don’t want to be coached. I understand that sometimes parents are the ones who tell their students that they’re getting a tutor, but some kids are more receptive to that idea than others. I don’t like when students are in a lesson with me because they’re forced to be there – they’re distant, unengaged, and uninterested in what I’m teaching them. My math astronauts should want to get better at math.

Virtual Math Tutor Services

The first thing I do with my math astronauts is a free 15-minute discovery call. I take the time to understand the math help they need. It’s a good time to meet the parents and child and show them what a virtual session with me is like.

Next is a 1.5-2-hour math and wellness assessment. I assess the student’s strengths and weaknesses, current math level, and their foundation in math. I pay attention to their behavior during the assessment, too, to see how they focus during our lessons.

This initial assessment is required for all my math astronauts to see if we’re compatible to work together online. Sometimes during the assessment, I can tell this student would succeed more with an in-person math tutor, while I only offer online math tutoring services. I’ve only had that happen three times in my nine years of being a virtual math tutor. I’m very honest with the parents about my compatibility with their children because I want them to succeed in math.

Once the assessment is complete and I decide we’re compatible, we start tutoring! During the first lesson, I establish a relationship with the student. I begin to understand their learning style and how they are motivated to learn. I fill in the potholes I noticed during the assessment. I give them homework after each tutoring lesson, called Math Mission Work, to make sure they’re focused on their classwork and filling in the potholes. 

I really try to meet students where they are at. Especially with my fellow ADHD students, we work things in a structured way. We have goals, deadlines, and expectations. I keep my students accountable for their math learning. I make them feel like they’re the bomb.com because they’re my math astronauts! Each student has a different mission objective.

I have a rewards program (called Mission Bucks) to motivate students to achieve their math goals. I reward my students for doing a good job on tests, quizzes, and homework assignments. We come up with a point and reward system together, and my math astronauts LOVE it. I had one high school student earn a monthly Spotify subscription from me!

Virtual math tutoring has been super effective. It wasn’t very popular before COVID (as most things online weren’t!), but it’s exploded since then. I think it opens students up to more possibilities of working with the right math tutor for them rather than settling for someone in their area. 

My goal as a virtual math tutor is for my students to not need me anymore. I want them to learn skills they can apply in the future to succeed in math and school. Whether it takes five lessons with me or fifty, a math astronaut won’t need me forever. 

If your child needs a virtual math tutor, inquire today, and let’s help your child reach their full potential.

If you liked this episode, check out…

Episode 6: Astronaut Approved Study Tips

Episode 9: How to Get a Good Score on SAT and ACT Exams

Episode 15: School Organization Hacks: Crafting the Perfect Homework Binder for Your Kids