''Finals''
Every week, for a few hours each day, I tutor students online in Math. Today I had the opportunity to tutor Gerroll, an eighth grader who came to the online classroom to get a headstart on 9th grade Algebra.
Gerroll mentioned that he understood the material but always seemed to perform below his abilities because he always gets nervous, then doesn't believe he'll do well, then, consequently does poorly.
We had to cut today's session short, but in the few minutes I spoke to Gerroll, I explained to him that going from 70s to 90s had nothing to do with studying harder, or longer since I could tell he know what, how and why he was doing things. It had to do with making himself the problem to be solved, and getting an A plus in Gerroll first, and that Algebra would take care of itself.
I found out that there were times when he scored as high as 96 on his tests. So we reviewed those times when he did do well, we talked about why he felt nervous, and we solved problems of emotional expressions rather than algebraic ones...
I asked him if he would have to think twice about his ability to get up and go to the kitchen. He said no because he knows he can, he believes he can, and he's done it before. So we talked about believing in his ability to get 96 or better again with that same conviction.
And though the final answer to this equation Gerroll faces is yet to be written..... I suspect he'll have a little advantage that I wish I had learned at 13 years old.
"Under pressure to perform," he said
"and then the time runs out
Prepared was I or so I thought
but then I fill with doubt."
"It's just a game, my son," I said
"a sport that all can master
..A race that's won before it's run
no need to run much faster"
"The what and how and why of it
are basic rules you know
And life won't test on what you've learned
but if you've learned to grow."
"I believe I can, I know can
and this I've done before!"
"Just make yourself the problem solved
and final grades will soar!"
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