Building confidence, changing lives: A local math tutor shares common problems, signs students need extra help

Ashley Morris has spent her professional life teaching math to students. She taught for 11 years in Wake County public schools and local private and charter schools. But her real passion lies with tutoring, helping students one-on-one with the equations and formulas that are troubling them.

Morris, owner of Ashley Morris Tutors, now has several math tutors, an English tutor and an educational coach to help kids and families.

"Tutoring gives me the incredible opportunity to work with students one-on-one and see their lives change as they regain their confidence, get better grades, and grow up," said Morris, the mom of a two-year-old little girl. "When I was in the classroom it wasn't as easy to see the impact that my work had on students and I always felt like I could so much more with them if I just had the time."

As the school year begins, I checked in with Morris to learn more about the common issues she sees as she works with students and the signs that a tutor may help.

Go Ask Mom: You started out as a math teacher. What did you enjoy about that subject as a student yourself?

Ashley Morris: I love the logic in math and the fact that there's always a right answer. There are often many ways to get to the right answer but the answer is always the answer. Growing up, my mom was also a math teacher and my Dad was an engineer. I was surrounded by math, and it was something that inspired me and that I greatly enjoyed.

GAM: You launched your business a few years ago, focusing mostly on math tutoring, but have now added other experts to your team. What do you offer?

AM: We currently have a team of licensed math teachers who all have at least five years of classroom experience. Many of them have advanced level degrees and many have direct experience with students who are dealing with learning challenges and disabilities.

I've added English and educational coaching to our services as well. English tutoring includes writing coaching and help with reading comprehension. Educational coaching helps with executive functions, test taking, general organization, and helping students learn how to manage their time, talents, and resources. We also offer SAT and ACT prep.

All of these are offered to students one-on-one and face-to-face with their tutor in the convenience of their home through our online platform. We switched to an online platform when we found that the added convenience and tools made it even more effective than traditional in-home tutoring. The students and the parents have absolutely loved it and most importantly the results have been fantastic.

GAM: What are some common issues that kids face these days when it comes to their studies? I hear a lot about organization problems, attention issues and students not asking for help and letting issues go on for too long.

AM: All of these issues you bring up are big problems, but the main one we see is not being prepared for their current math class. Math is a cumulative subject and each skill builds on the previous skill. Kids are often able to sneak by in previous math courses and might even do OK on their assessments. However, they haven't really mastered the concepts from the previous course.

he problem then goes "untreated" until they begin to struggle in a later section or course. Most students have a number of skill gaps that have developed over the years. I spend a lot of time re-teaching topics from the past. For example, I might be re-teaching Math I topics to a student in pre-calculus because we discover that their biggest struggle in pre-calculus is actually a skill that they never mastered from Math I.

It's not enough to simply get a better grade on the current section in the course. We need to find those skill gaps and figure out how to strengthen their foundation.

GAM: What are the signs that a child needs some extra supports? At one point should you consider a tutor?

AM: Behavior problems, avoidance, and consistently bringing home lower than usual grades (not just one or two assignments) are all strong warning signs that your student is struggling at school and may need extra support.

Parents frequently comment that after tutoring their student's attitude and/or behavior has improved as a result of tutoring. I don't think that's a coincidence as we all "check out" when we feel like we're in a seemingly impossible situation.

If you start to notice your student slipping or having some confidence issues, use the resources the school has first.

Extra help sessions, peer tutoring, after school tutoring, and resources offered by the teacher and the counselor are a good place to start. Give it a few weeks and, if there is still no improvement or if you don't feel like you're getting the help you need, then it may be time to hire a tutor.

A great tutor can provide a lot more than homework help, extra practice, or additional instruction. A great tutor will connect with your student and earn their trust. Together the tutor will learn how your student learns, and your student will gain confidence in the tutor's ability to teach them.

A tutor also provides a valuable benefit in that they are not the parent or the teacher. Any parent has seen their child behave differently with someone who isn't them. The same goes for students who are frustrated. If they're frustrated with their teacher, their parents, or just the general situation, a tutor can be a helpful way to "break down the wall" and get through to the student.

Additionally, in the case of a cumulative subject like math, a tutor has the time to identify and revisit those missing or weak skills so that not only are current grades going up, but long-term competence is improving as well.

GAM: What are your hopes for your business and its future?

AM: I am working to build a team of the best educators in the country. Teachers who love what they do and have demonstrated incredible capacity to reach students and improve their grades -- as well as their lives. At a time when so many amazing teachers are burning out under the demands of the modern education system, I want to provide them with a supportive environment where they can make the impact that they've always wanted to. We work together to make each other better and to broaden the impact we can have on each student we work with.

For the students, I want them to find not just a tutor, but a team that supports them in their academic life and beyond.

For me, the greatest reward is watching year after year as my students go on to college and to the real world to accomplish incredible things. So often I'm able to see where they started and where they've ended up and as a teacher, and a mom, there's nothing more fulfilling.

For the future, adding additional tutors and subjects will allow us to help more students with their studies and hopefully, change their lives for the better long term.

Go Ask Mom features local moms every Monday.