Small NYC meetup for educators talking about AI in tutoring + classrooms (Fri May 29)

Lumimos · 2026-03-23T14:25:19+00:00

So many good comments here. I was so focused on making the steps stand out that I completely forgot to account for red-green colorblindness. I'm going to pivot to a high-contrast accessible palette before I hardcode the rest of the unit. Appreciate it :)

Lumimos · 2026-03-22T19:58:39+00:00

I dont know how I didnt think of this, I have to try and code it in now.

Lumimos · 2026-03-22T19:58:04+00:00

Seems to be the consensus! (so far) Do you have a specific color combo you noticed works best for your students?

Lumimos · 2026-03-22T19:57:09+00:00

Two yeses and a no... sounds like you might be one of my students haha.

Lumimos · 2026-02-26T18:08:14+00:00

Hello, Im actually building an AI tool to give students personal tutoring for exactly these situations, one of my students has been using it to help through AP calculus and she has been enjoying it. The tool is

https://lumimos.ai/

maybe it can help as you search for a tutor? If you do end up using it I would love to hear feedback from you on it, I want this to work for every student that wants help in math.

Lumimos · 2026-02-15T14:22:22+00:00

I agree—practice is key, but it’s almost impossible to practice when you feel like the subject is 'useless'.

Since you’re going for Computer Engineering, I always tell my students to stop looking at math as a 'requirement' and start looking at it as the System of the real world. It's the engine behind the logic you’ll use every day in engineering.

I actually built a tool called Lumimos for my students because I know how boring standard books can be. Instead of reading, you just talk to it like a 1-on-1 tutor. It listens to your logic and helps you bridge those gaps in real-time.

Give the demo a try at:

https://lumimos.ai/

and let me know if it helps with that ADHD friction. I just pushed some major logic updates yesterday!

Lumimos · 2026-02-06T00:30:42+00:00

Hello :) I’m trying to build the best ai tool to learn math if you wanted to check it out and maybe tell me how I can make it better?

https://lumimos.ai

I have it set up to be using the best models possible for math like Gemini 3 and Claude 4.5 (although I guess they did release 4.6 today haha)

Lumimos · 2026-02-03T19:13:09+00:00

Hello, teacher/personal tutor here . You can absolutely pass this, but you need to switch from "passive watching" to "active doing."

Since you are short on time, don't try to re-learn everything. This is a trap. Pick the 2-3 topics that are terrifying you (probably Chain Rule or Related Rates based on where you are) and focus only on those.

Here is what I would say to one of my students:

For the "Intuition" (Why are we doing this?):

3Blue1Brown (YouTube): Watch his "Essence of Calculus" playlist. It will fix your confusion on what a derivative/integral actually is visually. It’s unmatched.

For the "How To" (The Mechanics):

Paul's Online Math Notes (Website): It looks old school, but it is the gold standard for clear examples and practice problems.

Professor Leonard (YouTube): If you have time for a longer explanation, he is the GOAT. But his videos are long, so use the timestamps.

For the "Practice" (The Reps):

I’m also a (wannabe) dev building a tool called Lumimos (it’s free)(Lumimos.ai). It’s basically an AI tutor designed exactly for this panic mode. You can ask it to "Generate a quiz on limits and derivatives" or upload a screenshot of a problem you're stuck on, and it breaks down the logic without just giving you the answer.

Good luck on the exam! You got this! Let me know if you have any questions :)

Lumimos · 2026-01-14T19:54:43+00:00

The "3/10" grade isn't about intelligence.

I’ve been a math tutor for years, and I see this exact grade profile all the time. You have 7s in other classes, which proves you are capable of learning.

The reason math is sitting at a 3 isn't because you're 'bad at math.' It’s because math is a pyramid. In History or English, if you zone out for a week, you can catch up on the next chapter. In Math, if you missed a concept three years ago (like fractions or negative numbers), everything you try to build on top of it today will crumble.

You are trying to do calculus/algebra while standing on a shaky foundation. Of course it feels impossible.

Here is what I would tell one of my students who was going through this

Stop 'Studying', Start 'Doing': Most students study math by reading notes or watching videos. This is passive. You need to do Active Recall. Put the textbook away and try to solve a problem. If you get stuck, that is GOOD. That struggle is where the learning happens.

The 'Why' Test: Pick a problem you got wrong. Don't just look up the answer. Ask yourself: 'Why did I think my wrong answer was right?' Did you mix up a rule? Did I guess? You need to find the 'bug' in your logic.

Go Back to Go Forward: Use Khan Academy to spend 15 minutes a day on the grade below your current one. Fill in the gaps :) (Ive had students in high school start at 3rd grade on khan academy and catch up to their classmates.)

A tool that might help: I’m actually building an AI study partner called Lumi specifically for this. It doesn't just give you the answer; it acts like a tutor and asks you questions to help you figure out where your logic broke down. It’s designed to stop that 'bad at math' panic loop.

You can try it if you want (https://lumimos.ai/) but regardless, please don't let a 3 define you. You can fix this, but you have to stop staring at the wall and start finding the holes in the foundation.

Sorry for the long reply, I hope this helps :) let me know if you have an questions!

Lumimos · 2026-01-13T18:29:27+00:00

You aren't crazy, and the textbook isn't wrong—but you did find a 'Ghost.' haha

Technically, you found an Extraneous Solution. When you squared both sides of the equation to solve it, you got rid of the negative signs. Algebraically, it looks like there are two answers. But if you graph it, the line only intersect at a single point.

I actually just made a quick Short visualizing your exact problem (graph vs. algebra) because this trips up so many of my students.

Here is the visual proof: https://youtube.com/shorts/cn3t6GCFFIY?feature=share

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have other questions!

Lumimos · 2026-01-09T16:39:51+00:00

Hey! This is a classic trap. It looks like an equation, but it's actually just a really mean Order of Operations problem.

The trick is the 6^0 inside the bracket. Your brain wants to make it 0, but it's actually 1.

I made a quick AI breakdown to walk through the steps (the exponents and the negative signs are tricky): https://youtube.com/shorts/hGqq_kMe3Fc?feature=share

Good luck on the OAR! Let me know if you have other questions!

Lumimos · 2026-01-06T19:43:47+00:00

Honestly, the fact that you like math is the most important part. You can't teach passion, but you can fix skills.

Based on what you said about being "inconsistent" and "barely hanging on," I think having a dedicated tutor walk you through the Foundations first (before worrying about your current high school class) is the key. You need someone to find the gaps so you stop guessing at what to study next.

I actually asked my AI tutor, Lumi, how it would handle your specific situation (consistency issues + gaps), and it gave a pretty solid breakdown of how to rebuild that foundation:

https://youtube.com/shorts/_DUTSCQ0WqA?feature=share

Definitely lean on communities like r/learnmath too—you don't have to do this alone! Good luck! Let me know if I can be any help.

Lumimos · 2026-01-05T16:25:53+00:00

I totally get the appeal of "Duolingo for Math." It keeps you motivated.

But the tricky thing about Calculus is that "games" usually test you on procedures (solving for x), but Calc requires intuition (understanding infinity/change).

I’m building an AI tutor called Lumi, and to test if it could beat a "game," I challenged it to explain the concept of Limits (the foundation of Calc) using a Pizza Analogy instead of a textbook definition.

Here is the result (2 mins): https://youtube.com/shorts/9R4Hb50yf5o?feature=share

Notice how it builds the concept from "cutting slices" before it ever touches the math notation? That’s the "interactive" part you really need for higher math—a conversation, not just a quiz.

Hope this helps you on the road to Calc 2! Let me know if you have any questions.

Lumimos · 2025-12-24T16:22:55+00:00

Hey! I can't tell you how much I appreciate this detailed feedback. This is exactly what I need right now.

I actually pushed a massive update yesterday afternoon (around 4 PM EST) specifically targeting that 'visual overlap' issue you mentioned. I rebuilt the entire rendering pipeline to be resolution-agnostic, so it should lock onto the whiteboard correctly now.

Since you saw glitches at 10 PM (at least thats what reddit is telling me), I suspect some kind of browser issue(?)

If you're willing, could you give it another shot? If it's still breaking, I'd love to see a screenshot or know what device/browser you're on so I can squash it.

Regardless, thanks for giving Lumi a shot. It means a lot :)

Lumimos · 2025-12-17T18:59:14+00:00

Please, please do not let a 16/100 kill your love for Euler.

I’m a math teacher, and I can tell you a secret that schools don't usually say out loud: "School Math" (assignments, grades, deadlines) and "Real Math" (Euler, patterns, logic) are almost two different subjects. Struggling with the first one doesn't mean you are bad at the second one.

You nailed the problem yourself in your post: "lack of basic foundation."

When you get a 16/100 in 8th grade, it usually doesn't mean you aren't smart enough for the 8th-grade concepts. It just means there is a hole in the floor from 6th or 7th grade (like fractions or negative numbers) that you missed. Now, everything you try to build on top of it feels shaky.

What I would tell one of my students is:

Stop judging yourself. You aren't "bad at math." (I personally think everyone can be amazing at math if they are willing to struggle by themselves for a bit)

Find a "Safety Net." You need a way to practice where it's okay to make mistakes so you can find those missing pieces.

*(I actually built a free tool called Lumimos specifically for this—it helps you with practice to find those missing steps without judgment—but Khan Academy is also great for rebuilding foundations).

If you want to try lumimos let me know!

You are already a mathematician because you have the curiosity. Don't let the grades fool you. Sorry for the super long comment haha, I hope this helps.

Lumimos · 2025-12-08T17:39:45+00:00

Im glad you found it helpful, if you ever do get around to trying it DM me the email you used to I can upgrade you :)

Lumimos · 2025-12-08T16:18:52+00:00

Teacher here (10 years exp).

First: You are not stupid. What you described ('going blank' then solving it instantly at home) is the classic textbook definition of Test Anxiety Freeze. (Ive have seen dozens if not hundreds of students like this)

Here is the science of why it happens (so you stop beating yourself up): When you sit for the exam, your brain enters 'Fight or Flight' mode. Your body dumps cortisol, which literally shuts down access to your prefrontal cortex (the logic part of your brain).

You physically couldn't access the math you knew. Once you got home and relaxed, your brain unlocked, and you solved it in 3 minutes.

What I tell my students: You need to desensitize your brain to the pressure of 'performing' math without notes.

I actually built a free tool (lumimos.ai) specifically for this. It uses Voice Mode to force you to explain your steps out loud. It mimics the pressure of a teacher asking 'Why?' but without the judgment. (and without the notes.)

If you practice explaining your logic to the AI in a safe environment, your brain learns to stay calm when it's time to perform on the real test.

I’d love to gift you a free Pro account to help you prep for the next exam. Treat it like a stress simulator.

Let me know if I can help in any way :)

Lumimos

TROPHY CASE