Partner+Guidelines

= __Guidelines for Helping a Friend or Partner__ =

Suppose a classmate asks you for help with mathematics. That’s great! But simply telling someone the answer is rarely helpful. In fact, it shows a lack of concern for your friend or partner, because this approach does not help that person learn the techniques to apply to a new situation or problem in the future.

If you really want to help your classmate, you must turn your answer into a mini-teaching experience. Try these responses:

·  Ask questions that will lead our partner to the correct solution in a step-by-step approach. ·  Give a hint that would help your partner focus on the problem and solution. ·  Create a specific example to help illustrate a particular concept. ·  Let your partner do most of the writing when you are giving help. ·  Ask your partner to verbalize his or her confusion or misunderstanding. In other words, find out exactly where your partner is stuck. ·  Once your partner seems to have the answer, ask a follow-up question to check understanding. ·  Select an example or non-example to check understanding. ·  Whenever appropriate, verbalize your strategies with your partner. ·  At the completion of the problem, have your partner summarize the process to check understanding of the question, the process, and the solution.

In other words, be a guide and a leader – not a purveyor of answers and wisdom.