I just posted a task on Airtasker

D

depreciator

It's that website where you post stuff you want done and people respond. There are all sorts of things on there. Here's the task I posted:


Explain some algebra to my 13 year daughter.

I'm hopeless at maths - especially algebra. Goodness knows why somebody decided to put letters into maths. She has a test on Wednesday so I'm looking for someone to come round on Tuesday night for an hour and give her some coaching and explain some of the things she's not quite getting her head around.
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I put $25 on the task. I'm curious to see how it goes.
 
Its straight forward logic. Just remember and apply all the rules rather than how to answer the individual questions.

Have you used the site before? Many responses?
 
If your daughter has a test on Wednesday, are you not better served to call a tutoring service and book someone who you know is good at the specific issue she wants help with?

Without the Wednesday deadline you could wait and see what happens with the advert, but I'd be booking something definite. It will cost you more, but you know what you are getting... and when.
 
I used the site recently to find someone to do some really unpleasant gardening chores that I wouldn't inflict on anybody I know.

I'm not too concerned about the test - certainly not enough to bother with a tutoring service or anything like that. I'm curious to see what responses I will get.

I have had one guy ask what sort of algebra it is. I didn't know there were different sorts. I told him it was the sort a Year 8 kid in a Sydney high school does.

And I got a response from an enterprising Year 12 kid out west who said she could do it by Skype. I praised her initiative and told her that given we don't have internet as reliable as the civilised world that it would end in tears.
 
I used helpx the other week. Had an empty room and offered it up in exchange for gardening.

A lovely Americans couple stayed for a week and did a few days work. Huge amount actually.

Better than couch surfing :)
 
Pity you don't live next to me, depreciator. My next door neighbour holds a PhD and Masters in Math and is an ex-Math teacher. He gives tutoring to year 11 and 12 VCE Maths students. He likes particularly to teach Specialist Maths and Mathematical Methods. His fee is $25 an hour, I think.
 
He would be perfect.

I just got contacted by a guy who lives in the next street, coincidently. Out of work IT guy with uni level maths. He's coming round at 7pm. We'll see.

I told him if he gets her head around the algebra quickly, there will be some IT stuff to do. Maybe he can work out how to make the telly talk to the internet? My kids think I'm a bit lame for showing no interest in pursuing that.
 
depreciator said:
He would be perfect.

I just got contacted by a guy who lives in the next street, coincidently. Out of work IT guy with uni level maths. He's coming round at 7pm. We'll see.

I told him if he gets her head around the algebra quickly, there will be some IT stuff to do. Maybe he can work out how to make the telly talk to the internet? My kids think I'm a bit lame for showing no interest in pursuing that.
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I just sent you a pm but in the time it took me to post it you've updated the thread!
Hope it goes well & good luck to your daughter for tomorrow. :)
 
depreciator said:
He would be perfect.

I just got contacted by a guy who lives in the next street, coincidently. Out of work IT guy with uni level maths. He's coming round at 7pm. We'll see.

I told him if he gets her head around the algebra quickly, there will be some IT stuff to do. Maybe he can work out how to make the telly talk to the internet? My kids think I'm a bit lame for showing no interest in pursuing that.
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I thought $25 for just an hours work was insanely low and you'd have no takers. I guess he's go no travel time/costs, so that makes a big difference.

Also, I don't think your daughter will benefit much from just one hour of tuition. You really need to make the tuition a regular thing if she is struggling.
 
I thought I would get a local youngster responding.

She not really struggling, but sitting down with someone who isn't family for an hour and looking at some maths problems can't hurt. It will be an interesting experiment. I might learn something, too.
 
So I was driving Mimi (my daughter) and her friend Ivy to school this morning.

Me: Did you have to do that maths test yesterday, Ivy?
Ivy: Yep.
Me: How did you find it?
Ivy: Really hard.
Mimi(surprised): Oh, I thought it was easy.
Ivy: There was stuff we hadn't done in class.
Mimi: Yeah, I know. But dad got some guy to come over on Tuesday night and he showed me that stuff.

Anyway, we'll see.
 
There are plenty on good videos on youtube explaining different math problems... khan academy comes to mind.... They have everything from times tables to multivariate calculus all with worked examples. Your daughter may find that useful, most of the time they explain it a lot better than a teacher/ lecturer.
 
Perhaps, Spanna. I use youtube sometimes to get tips on DIY stuff, but I would much rather have somebody beside me explaining it and showing me. I'm probably old fashioned. I think Mimi benefitted from somebody sitting beside her with both of them mucking around on paper.
 
Ed Barton said:
I thought $25 for just an hours work was insanely low and you'd have no takers. I guess he's go no travel time/costs, so that makes a big difference.

Also, I don't think your daughter will benefit much from just one hour of tuition. You really need to make the tuition a regular thing if she is struggling.
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I have a nephew and niece who both do maths coaching for a couple of kids. $25/hr wouldn't get them into the car.
 
I did some high school maths tutoring when I was in undergrad uni, and I found that in almost every case it wasn't that the kid was dumb or anything, they simply needed someone to step through the methods with them and let them ask questions without other kids either laughing or interrupting them, or being told to hold questions until the teacher had gotten through their spiel.

Giving kids the chance to ask questions in a place they feel safe is probably the biggest advantage a tutor will bring.
 
It worked. She got the fourth highest mark in the class - normally she would be in the bottom half of the class. It was just a class test so doesn't matter much, but it was a useful experiment.
 
depreciator said:
It worked. She got the fourth highest mark in the class - normally she would be in the bottom half of the class. It was just a class test so doesn't matter much, but it was a useful experiment.
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Well done!

Have you thought about engaging a regular tutor? One on one tutoring works really well for some children.
 
Woohooo!! Sometimes just hearing a different voice (especially not your parents) review things with you makes a good difference.

Way to go Depreciator Junior!
 
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