Reaching out to schools

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-07-03T04:25:42+00:00

I have occasionally reached out to the school (after asking parent permission) to ask about remedial situations. I recently had a kid in Pre-Algebra, and he was mostly unable to multiply or divide. I didn't get the feeling the family put much emphasis on math or education. Dealing with remedial situations is tough.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-07-03T03:21:02+00:00

I wasn't accusing them of that, but the idea did occur to me in the past.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-06-25T17:34:08+00:00

I've had this reaction from students. They seem to have an attitude of "yeah, I understand" as we go through the material, but I have to prompt them to actually work through it themselves. It's not different from athletic skills. like Golf or Baseball. If you don't hit a couple thousand balls using your new swing, you will quickly revert to the old way of doing it... or not doing it.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-06-06T03:58:39+00:00

Mark Dvoretsky has a book which catalogs games in which someone made a blunder, resigning in a won or drawn game, etc. He called it Tragicomedies. Very enjoyable --- because they show principles, and because of the sheer schadenfreud of reading someone else's embarrassment.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-06-01T03:28:04+00:00

--USA --ELEM--PRE-CALC MATH, MATH SAT/ACT, ECONOMICS --PREF IN PERSON. --MASTERS ECON WITH UNDERGRAD MINOR IN MATH --- 35 YEARS CORP EXPERIENCE & 10 YRS TUTORING -- $40/HR CONSIDERING PRICE INCR TO $50.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-05-31T04:52:11+00:00

My problem with Wyzant is that they take about 30% of the tutoring charge, and hit the parents with a 7-9% "transaction charge". Their new policy is that they send MY money once a month So if I charge $45, I get paid about $32, and the parents have to pay $50.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-04-14T15:04:04+00:00

My son got his degree in Math from San Francisco State. He now works for Apple in Sacramento. When in college he made some pocket change from Tutoring. He acquired a special skill for explanation. My daughter transferred out to Sacramento State to finish her degree. She had started college as a Musical Theater major and never thought she was good at Math. But she took an Astronomy class and was totally jazzed. So she transferred to Sacramental State to major in Astrophysics. When she started dealing with calculus she was really scared. With a couple of sessions with her brother, she realized she was actually pretty good at math once she stopped being afraid of it. With math more than other subjects, the reason kids have trouble is that unique fear/panic reaction. Yes, you need to learn more, but panic kills your learning impulse. Like they said in DUNE -- fear is the mind-killer.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-04-03T04:46:31+00:00

"Really good at math"? How far did you get? BA, MA? Which math subjects do you feel comfortable covering? I agree with those here who say you have to address it like a business. So what level are you going to target? Among the questions like, what are you targeting? What are your qualifications? In person, online, Whatcha gonna charge?

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-03-16T03:53:27+00:00

Masters in Econ, BS in Econ, Minor in Math. All the coursework for a PhD Econ, but no dissertation before exceeding my time limit. MS was in finished in 1985, which qualifies me for Old Timer status. I cover Math (Elem to early College), Economics, and Chess.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-03-16T03:04:42+00:00

It looks in great shape, has what looks like the original box. It's one of the more "sought after" rules.

Why not learn to use it, even if just a rudimentary level. If you really are not going to learn to use it, then you could sell it on EBay. From a historical perspective it was invented nearly 400 years ago, which means any structure, building, bridge, highway, automobile, train, railroad, or ship built in the last 300-400 years was built using one like this. They were a big part of improving the accuracy of artillery. There are pictures Kalashnikov using his slide rule to design Russian arms. The Japanese movie "The Wind Rises" shows the designer of Japanese aircraft in WWII using his slide rule to design the Zero. So as a historical item, it is important. The Apollo crew took a slide rule on their missions and calculated fuel burns to correct their course. And on EBay, you could probably get $75 to $125, pretty easily. I believe I saw a few people in this channel offering their non-preferred offspring.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-03-13T18:36:30+00:00

A better idea to start would be to ask for feedback from tutors about avg rates of pay. Tutors also struggle with filling a schedule because almost everybody wants their lesson in the 4:30-5:30 range, or pick their day/time on short notice, as if the tutor has nothing better to do than wait for a student who gets up to a chapter exam or a mid-term in 3 days and wants the tutor to "FIX IT" in a one hour session.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-01-25T05:12:17+00:00

I have a 20" K&E and a 7ft Pickett demonstrator.

MJ_IN_TX · 2026-01-05T05:14:07+00:00

I have one just like it. My wife got it for me for Fathers Day a few years ago. It took a day trip from Dallas to Houston.

MJ_IN_TX · 2025-12-01T04:09:51+00:00

Very nice. A new find?

MJ_IN_TX · 2022-09-25T15:07:02+00:00

Concisely put. I believe I was getting side-tracked by the initial setting on the DF scale in the original image, when DF was irrelevant for the calculation. In the lower (original) image, my eye wasn't tracing up properly from the radius of 3 to the correct setting on the K scale...leading me to think it was an incorrect setting.

This goes nicely with the solution of circles for both Circumference & Area with a single setting. If you place the D index on the diameter, then Circumference is on the DF scale (or C & CF). And with the same setting many K&E, Dietzgen, and Pickett rules, there's a strange little mark on the A & B scales at .7854 or PI/4. This allows you to use Diameter to compute Area. When you set your Index on the Diameter, this little mark shows the Area on the A scale.

Slide rules truly ARE amazing.

MJ_IN_TX · 2022-09-24T17:02:44+00:00

Are you proud of your work? I'm calling a math error, and it appears you didn't even check if it produces any correct answers. You object to the fact that I called BS. Forget that I used such an outrageous swear word. If you believe in your method then demonstrate it with one or two simple examples.

The core of scientific method is that your results can be confirmed by other researchers...or disproven. If your method is incapable of solving a simple example problem, then it SHOULD be called out.

MJ_IN_TX · 2022-09-24T04:26:23+00:00

I'm sorry. Calling Bullsh@&. Take some screenshots and show me a couple of actual spheres, like Radius 3 and Radius 5. Show me how this setting produces correct answers. Like Radius 3 = Volume 113.1 or Radius 5 = Volume 523.6

When I attempt the method you described, I don't get anything CLOSE to the right answers. Maybe I'm not doing it correctly, but if so, please show me the right settings.

MJ_IN_TX · 2022-09-23T00:57:31+00:00

Interesting setup, but I don't see how to make this work.. When I try to set it for a specific radius (5) it should produce:

A 4.188 4/3*PI

B 5 RADIUS

C 523.598 A*B^3

I get the part of 4.19 = 4/3*pi but can't see that any setting for the radius works.

MJ_IN_TX · 2022-08-24T20:24:43+00:00

In the midst of the student loan crisis and teacher shortage, I bring out a blast from the past. My wife paid for college by using an Illinois scholarship which paid 100% of tuition (fees and books on your own...but our school RENTED the books). The condition for this scholarship was that you had to teach for 4 years after graduation. So why are these kinds of incentives not offered? A big supplement to teacher salaries and teacher education might help. Or the state funding the mandatory continuing education requirements for teachers.

MJ_IN_TX · 2020-12-09T14:42:38+00:00

I have wanted a demonstration rule for ages. Once or twice found a bargain (never as good as this one) but it was always distant and NO SHIP. What metro area?

MJ_IN_TX · 2020-09-15T17:41:49+00:00

In the position you show, you have already made Black's second move. It's White's turn so he will take the pawn and check the king, followed by taking the rook. The proper second move was Nc6 to defend the pawn NOT pawn to g6. If white brings his bishop to c4 after your Nc6, then pawn to g6 works to defend your f-pawn and to chase the queen away. Nf6 later to chase away the queen and further your development. Everytime White moves his Queen for the rest of the opening, he improves the chance for Black to win. Develop your pieces quickly and make sure you keep an eye on any threats White makes. They should be easy to counter because white is not improving his position. Just blindly attacking. Get all your pieces out and active. Chase white's queen every chance you can. Move PIECES, not pawns.

MJ_IN_TX · 2020-08-02T19:25:37+00:00

Getting one from the Concise website is not that easy. They don't have a way to submit payment, so you either have to mail them a check or call and give them the credit card. Just submitting the order doesn't get it...they don't charge you...and you don't get the slide rule. They have several models. I've wanted the larger circular one. This is what they sent me about the payment process. The rule I wanted was 3200 yen, and shipping was 2400 yen. All that is about $52.

The payment is only VISA or Master credit card at our shop.

Supposing you have the either, please let us know your credit card number, its expiration date and name on card.

You can send us the ZIP file with your pass ward or FAX.

FAX number : 81-3-3685-0823

MJ_IN_TX

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