There are countless resources for math students on the Internet. Many will give you tricks, others will explain the reasons behind a concept, still others will detail the steps one must take in solving a problem. All of these are valuable in their own way. If you're looking for a little assistance, though, you probably feel the same way I did when I took math in school. Does the following sound familiar?

About The Number Man

Ralph Schatzki has taught high school algebra, and geometry, as well as trigonometry and statistics.

Referred to as "Mr.Ralph" at Ruamruedee Internatioal School Bangkok, a pretigious school where he taught for many years, he prides himself in being able to identify areas on which students need improvement and in giving them the tools they need to succeed at math.

There are countless (is that a joke?) resources for math students on the Internet. Many will give you tricks, others will explain the reasons behind a concept, still others will detail the steps one must take in solving a problem. All of these are valuable in their own way. If you're looking for a little assistance, though, you probably feel the same way I did when I took math in school. Does the following sound familiar?


Your teacher explains a concept in class. It seems so clear, and you feel confident as you begin your homework, but soon you experience a strange unease: things don't seem quite as clear as they did in class earlier in the day. Still, you feel reasonably confident that the minor roadblocks you think you're meeting- and overcoming- are easily dealt with. As you check your answer against the one in the back of your textbook, however, your jaw drops as you exclaim, “What!” The answer is nothing like yours. You try to figure where you went wrong, and if you're lucky you sort of figure it out. Then you move on to the next problem, and this cycle repeats.


The next day, as you go to class, your teacher explains the problems on the board, and again everything seems so clear.


One of the many flaws in any educational system is that each student's capabilities and deficiencies are often ignored at the expense of presenting the ideal and asking them (anything but) simply to emulate it. It's much like trying to teach a beginning golfer how to golf by showing him Tiger Woods' swing and having him try to copy it.


Now there's nothing at all wrong in having a student know where he is supposed to go. Each student, though, starts his journey from a different place, so his path is unique. What this means is each student must find both the difficulties he has to overcome as well as the manner in which to overcome them. Simply showing the goal is not enough.


In math class, of course, the teacher shows various ways to solve a problem, and this is very valuable. Still, they don't address individual problems that each student might encounter. This is why students are responsible for their own


A good teacher or tutor understands this, and will do what he can to help the student understand her own unique learning


If you have particular questions, then, what's most important is for you to explain to me your understanding of it so that I can see where you are. That way, I'll know where your Point A is, and I can direct you to Point B.

Any math problem? Ralph will be happy to help you find your way. Please use the box provided to put in your math questions. We will make sure that you will receive your answers quickly. This service is free of charge and operates on a first come first serve basis.

In a hurry for your answer? Need to brush up on your math skill? Can't solve a (math) problem? Have a quiz/exam coming up?

The Number Man is available for tutoring, both in person and via skype at a friendly hourly rate! Please contact him to set up your session.

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Math Tutorial links

• Introduction
• Finding your own way
• Knowing The Words Pre-Algebra, Algebra
• Variables and Equations - Pre-algebra, Algebra
• Postulate , aka Axiom, what is it? - Geometry
• Math Made Easy The Number Man Ralph Schatzki

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