Tutor: Write a Problem Down Clearly
...and the matter is half solved
In our digitally driven world, handwriting has become a deprecated skill, which is giving the cursive crowd fits. Even highly literate professionals can go days without putting pen to paper. This aversion to manual transcription extends to math as well, where highly advanced physical and digital calculators obviate many steps in the problem solving process.
Note the word “many” instead of “all” in the previous sentence.
Calculators cannot, as I routinely inform my students, tell you how to solve a problem. These tools can only handle the operations once you determine what needs to be done. Thus, a fundamental step in solving any problem is strategizing exactly how to solve it, which is often better done on paper (literal or digital) than in your head.
Such an ironclad axiom deserves a law. In this case, Kidlin has covered: “Writing a problem down clearly is the first step toward solving it.”
Kidlin, mind you, was not an actual person but rather an astute character created by James Clavell of Shogun fame. However, his fictional origin detracts not a whit from the cogency and applicability of the law itself in nearly any problem solving scenario. Describing a problem with clarity and concision often represents the toughest part of solving it.
And before you shake your head thinking about all those math students you see operating in clear violation of Kidlin’s Law, consider the heuristics, algorithms, and analyses you rely on in times of trouble. How frequently do YOU write down a thorny problem in the process of solving it? This law transcends math; all problems require solutions. If you write a problem–potentially any problem–down clearly, you’re halfway to the answer.
Whether problems beset you or your students, Kidlin’s Law provides a path forward. Writing a problem down clearly is the first step toward solving it.
Sometimes the solutions to your tutoring problems are best found in a professional SAT/ACT curriculum or live training with an industry leader. Let me help you master the strategies needed to unlock your students’ best results. Register for our July or August training sessions now:
JULY
SAT/ACT Verbal – July 20-21, 1-5pm EST
SAT/ACT Math – July 23-24, 9am-1pm EST
AUGUST
SAT/ACT Math – August 10 + 11, 2-6pm EST
SAT/ACT Verbal – August 13 + 14, 9am-1pm EST
Get better. Get TestBright!
Tips, Tools, And Thoughts
Desirable Difficulties, Variation and Creativity
Strive to cultivate adaptive rather than routine expertise.
The Great Cognitive Divide
Resist the sirens of cognitive offloading.
The Reading Habit That Changed How I Understand Books
To annotate or not to annotate, that is the question.