About the Math Seminars

The math seminars will be a focused two week, six session, immersion based project that reinforce benchmark concepts and introduce core building blocks that the student will need to master for completion of the course. The seminars are specifically designed to prepare a student with background knowledge before taking on their next math course. This will allow the student to concentrate on the problem solving aspects of the lessons while being very familiar with the course content. The content is specifically designed for students in Loudoun and Fairfax County.

All seminars will be taught in a small group atmosphere. Specific focus will be placed on boosting student confidence through clear instruction and directed (and fun) group activities. Students can expect the following outcomes when they are finished with the seminar.

Each student will be required to practice and complete Gateway quizzes that will clearly show the student's progress towards proficiency.

Why a proactive approach?

Math is a foundational subject. From my experience in education, I know that when a student enters a math class feeling confident they understand the fundamentals of a concept, they can apply those principles into problem solving. When a student gets behind in a math class, many times it is a result of a core concept that is missing and the student is unable to keep pace with the new information that is presented - I term this as negative momentum. 

The basis of this proactive approach is to teach students the core fundamentals of the subject area prior to their entry into the class. Students will build foundational knowledge and their own gathering of 'fact sheets' that will allow them to be confident build the positive momentum needed to be successful in their class.

Recently, The Washington Post explored this subject of momentum in confidence when it comes to upper level mathematics.  Educators Are Challenging the Idea That Numerical Ability Must Come Naturally.