The problem:
“When writing, I can’t seem to say what I’d like to… And when I go to my math class, when the teaching assistant is there, she explains all to me. But when she isn’t there, I don’t understand the teacher. Then I just start drawing and get told off. I learn well through colors, so what I tried to do is instead of writing with black ink I used coloring pens. It really works. But I get really stressed in my class when the girls [my classmates] shout and argue.”
The solution:
When writing you can’t seem to say what you’d like to because you currently don’t visualise the content of what you want to say. Unless you see a clear picture of the story you want to write, words will be volatile and quickly escape your memory. Visualize the content of what you want to say. Then write it. Once you have the picture in your head, you’ll see all its details and be able to write about them well and without getting distracted. Use your work with colors. Add color to all the places, objects, and people in your imagination that you want to write about. Your brain will get it very quickly.
Exactly the same principle applies to math:
when the teaching assistant or teacher is explaining, visualise as much of what she’s saying as you can. Is she talking about numbers? Do you know what a number 2 looks like written down? If yes, then you can visualise numbers. Is she talking about symbols like + – x : = < > or fractions? If no, listen to her and write as much as you can. Writing math on paper is a prerequisite for visualizing it.
Use your colors while writing on paper and mentally visualizing. They’ll help you. At present you’re easily distractible, because you know you’re not getting it and so you resign every time you start drawing and go off the course of the lesson. Learn to visualise what the teacher is explaining. Then you’ll start understanding math better and faster. Once you reach this stage, you will be more focused and the girls arguing in class won’t sway your attention.
Learn to keep both feet firmly on the ground while you’re sitting in class, listening, and visualising the content of what your teachers are explaining. Grounding is an essential skill. You can learn it very quickly and master it with patience and practice!
Could I help you or anyone you know with writing and math? Let’s talk about it.
