Karen finds out her new math tutor struggled with the subject, too. Time flies as she learns new ways to learn an old and frustrating subject.

(Image created by Elembis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 3: An Easy Lesson

Karen followed Miss Natalie down a short hallway to a small room. The walls were soft white, and the only furniture was a big wooden table with two wooden chairs side by side along one edge. She sat in one chair after Miss Natalie sat in the other.

Miss Natalie quietly explained, “I really enjoy my work. When I was a kid struggling with math, someone put it all together for me. I hope I can do the same for you, Karen. I’ll be teaching you many new, fun ways to learn. These will become tools for you to use in everything you learn from now on. Learning is something to enjoy. It is fun and enlightening, and it satisfies an otherwise unquenchable hunger we have within ourselves. Learning provides food for our thoughts and for our souls. It is the one thing we never stop striving for.

“My aim is to work with you in mutual understanding and friendship. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll be right by your side. We’ll work together, step-by-step, at your pace, as you master the fundamentals of mathematics. Please ask me anything you like whenever you feel the need. We’ll have lots of fun together! To begin, let’s go over your homework. Seeing what you can do and what you have trouble with will help me understand how I can help you.”

Karen opened her book bag and took out her math homework. Miss Natalie went through it, one step at a time, and slowly guided Kitten through the problems, with Karen doing all her own work, including making, discovering, and correcting her own mistakes.

After what seemed to Kitten like only a few minutes, Miss Natalie stood up and said, “Well, my dear, with this, I think we will call it a day. We’ve been working together for nearly an hour, and you are already making progress. I’m sure that, together, we can get you on track with math. I will see you next week. We’ll check the appointment book at the front desk on your way out.”

“All right,” Kitten smiled broadly.

They proceeded back down the hallway to the front office. Karen felt so reassured that she skipped all the way.

Original text ©2022 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved.