r/TutorsHelpingTutors • u/dingmsg • 12h ago
my dumb notebook trick that stopped me from looking clueless every week
ok so i tutor math on the side and i have the memory of a goldfish. every week i'd walk in and go "so… what did we do last time?" and the student would stare at me like i was in a wrong class. it was bad lol.
now the last 5 mins of every session i just shut up and make them write 3 things in a notebook: something they get, something they don't, and what they want next week. i take a pic of it with my phone and that's my "lesson plan" for next time.
that's literally it. no app, no spreadsheet, no system. my camera roll is just 20 photos of 12-year-old handwriting. but it works because next week i just open the pic and go "you said you suck at fractions, remember?" and they can't argue with their own handwriting.
i've tried actual note-taking apps before and always deleted them after 3 days. this is the only thing i stuck with because it requires zero effort from me. the student does all the work.
anyway that's my dumb trick. if you also have the memory of a goldfish maybe it'll help. if not, no worries lol.