Two Oberman Tutoring students tackled the August SAT. We are thrilled to share that one student went up 90 points, from a 640 in math to a 730, and the other student went up even more—120 points! Congratulations to our amazing students, who worked hard with Dr. Oberman to see such tremendous improvement!

Oberman Tutoring spreads far and wide

Dr. Oberman is currently tutoring students from all over the United States, including Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Texas, and Washington, DC. It doesn't matter where you live—we can always find a time to learn math together! Let your friends and family know how much success you are having with Oberman Tutoring wherever you live!

We’ve all heard adults say “I’m not good at math” or “I hated math in school.” Why is that a problem?

According to many studies, some noted in this article on the Southern Region Education Board website, the anxiety of adults is contagious, and math anxiety often leads to lower achievement. Of course we want to provide our children with the best possibility for success, so speaking positively—or at a minimum not negatively—about math allows for that.

Recent news articles and research studies have noted that many teachers themselves have math anxiety, which sets our children up to struggle in those classrooms. This makes it especially important that the messaging children receive at home is math-positive, or again, at least math-neutral. 



One particularly nefarious aspect of the message that “I’m not a math person” is its suggestion that you are either born a math person or not a math person, and there is therefore no room for growth. This fixed mindset often leaves students reluctant to ask questions for fear of looking dumb rather than actively asking questions to become better students. The idea that you are either a math person or not is contrary to the very idea of school, which is that you are there to learn and improve! This is one reason that I never say “this is an easy problem,” because this suggests that a person who cannot solve this problem quickly and easily must not be very good at math! In fact when students say “this is easy,” I always respond “things are only easy once you know how to do them!”

So let’s band together to allow our children the opportunity to love math, find it fun, and thrive in all settings that rely on understanding mathematical concepts!

What My Students Are Saying!

• “[My child] said you were awesome! Very helpful, and the first tutor they’ve ever liked. Wish we had found you sooner!”
• 
  
• [My child] scored a 730 in math…up from 640! Thank you for your help. Wish I had a tutor like you when I took the SAT!”

I’m Dr. Paul Oberman. I have worked in education for 34 years as a teacher, principal, and head of school, and I have a PhD in educational psychology. Those experiences shape my teaching philosophy:

• All students can learn (and can learn math!), and learning should be fun.
• 
  
• Learning should build on a student’s belief that they can reach their goals, because this plays a big role in success.
• 
  
• Students learn math best when they can see how it has relevance in their lives, so I show them compelling examples throughout our work together. 
• 
  
• I assure strong communication among tutor, family, and teacher. Success comes from the best methods shared among everyone.



• Lastly, I know that students don’t care what you know unless they know that you care. I develop true connections with my students so they have a relationship context in which to ask questions, fail, and ultimately succeed.