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School is already around the corner or, for some of you, has started back. I hope you all had an amazing summer and are feeling good about the year ahead!
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Because we would love to support ALL families in their academic journeys, we ask that you share your Oberman Tutoring story, so other families can recognize what it feels like to work with an Oberman Tutoring tutor. We would be grateful if you would fill out a quick form, linked right below this note.
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As always, please share this newsletter with other families who want inspired curiosity and strengthened confidence.
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Looking forward to a great year of collaboration and learning!
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Dr. Paul Oberman
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Is Your Child Actually Learning… or Just Getting Homework Done?
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As school gets underway, it's easy to equate completed homework with learning, but they aren't always the same thing. A student can finish every assignment and still not truly understand the material, especially if they've learned to follow a familiar process without understanding why it works. That gap shows up the moment a teacher changes the question or the next unit builds on that skill.
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One of my favorite questions to ask a student isn't "Did you finish your homework?" It's "Could you explain how you got that answer?" If they can explain their reasoning, catch their own mistakes, and apply the concept to a slightly different problem, that's real understanding, not just completion.
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A few things I look for: Can they solve a problem without the sample solution of a similar problem in front of them? Explain it in their own words? Recognize when an answer doesn't make sense?
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Homework matters. But the goal was never completion; the goal is understanding. That's what actually sticks, and what gives a student the confidence to tackle the next challenge.
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When Students Ultimately See Their Capabilities
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Every once in a while, a student comes along who reminds you why you became an educator in the first place.
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I started working with a young man when he was in 8th grade. At that time, I saw a bright student with plenty of ability, but I also saw a student who hadn't yet figured out how much he was capable of.
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Over the next several years, we worked together. There were successes, frustrations, breakthroughs, and plenty of moments when things didn't come easily. But something was happening beneath the surface. He was growing, and not just academically. As a result of our sessions he was becoming more mature, more independent, and more confident in his ability to tackle things that initially seemed difficult.
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Then, the summer before his junior year, he took the SAT for the first time. He performed at a level that reflected the student I had come to know, but perhaps hadn't always seen in himself. The number was gratifying, of course. But what meant more was what that number represented. He had finally begun to see his own potential.
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That's one of the things I love most about working with students over a period of years. Sometimes the most important changes aren't immediately visible. A student may struggle with a concept today, lack confidence tomorrow, and then, months or even years later, put everything together.
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It's tempting to think that a student's potential is something you can measure at a particular moment. I don't believe that is entirely true. Students develop at different rates. They mature at different times. And sometimes a student needs more time, encouragement, experience, or simply the right person in their corner before their ability begins to show itself consistently.
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That young man reminded me of something I try never to forget: Our job as educators isn't simply to help students perform at the level they are capable of today. It's to help them discover what they're capable of becoming. The SAT was only one moment in this student's journey. For me, the real victory was watching him become the kind of student who could walk into that testing room and say, in effect: "I belong here. I can do this."
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That's what makes tutoring so rewarding. Sometimes you're teaching algebra. Sometimes you're teaching test-taking strategies. And sometimes, without even realizing it, you're helping a young person learn to believe in himself.
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What Our Students, Parents, and Fans Are Saying about Oberman Tutoring
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| | “I highly recommend Paul Oberman as a math tutor. Paul has worked with several of my students over the past couple of years, and I have been consistently impressed with the level of care and attention he gives each student. One of the things I appreciate most about Paul is his communication. He is incredibly detailed and thoughtful in his emails with me, making sure he understands exactly what we are covering in class, where a student may be struggling, and how he can best support what we are doing in the classroom. As a teacher, that communication is invaluable. Paul does an amazing job reinforcing the material in a way that complements classroom instruction rather than simply helping students get through an assignment. It is clear that he wants his students to truly understand the mathematics and build confidence in their abilities. I am always happy to hear when one of my students is working with Paul because I know they are receiving knowledgeable, patient, and purposeful support. I would highly recommend him to any family looking for a dedicated and effective math tutor.”
—Danielle Waterman, math teacher, Walker School
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Contact us
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If you have any questions, please contact us at poberman@ObermanTutoring.com or call/text us at (404) 210-4938. And be sure to check out our website at www.ObermanTutoring.com
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