Hi. I’m Dan Livingston and I think word problems, in general, are deadly boring.
From my time as a dad, substitute teacher, and tutor, I came across a way to make the problems slightly more interesting: add a dash of monsters and mayhem.
It’s not for everyone, but you already know if you (or your student) will dig this or not.
A Little Background
With two schoolteachers as parents, I grew up deeply valuing education. So when my son started having trouble with math, I immediately jumped in to help. A bad teacher had soured any affinity he once had for the subject, so it was up to me to keep him afloat and show him math actually had some cool bits in it.
I spent years teaching him, often going over every single math lesson, and when necessary, taught him both the basic concept and how to apply it. Math can feel so treacherous and impossible (and boring) to a child, so when they finally have the “I get it!” moment, that’s a wonderful feeling for both student and teacher.
My son is now two years ahead in math and no longer needs my help. Of course, that’s the goal, but once in a while I wish I could help him out a little.
I’ve done time as a substitute teacher and am a current tutor at the local Huntington Learning Center.
Available for tutoring (math, English, science, and social studies)!