NOT A MATH TUTOR

For when you have a hunch there's more than meets the eye

...Maybe you're trying to make sense of a child who seems capable in some situations, overwhelmed in others, and far more nuanced than any single explanation can capture....Maybe the grades don't seem to match what you're seeing at home....Maybe your child has started believing they are "bad at math," or even "bad at learning," but something tells you the story is far more nuanced than that....Maybe you've spent more time trying to make sense of it all than you'd care to admit.

Sometimes the issue is not intelligence.
Sometimes the real issue is:

When the actual barrier becomes clearer, students often become far more capable than their previous performance suggested.

FAQs

What does "Not A Math Tutor" mean?
Is there math involved?

Yes, there is math instruction involved!!
But this work is also about understanding how students think, identifying patterns beneath the surface, rebuilding confidence, reducing overwhelm, and helping students develop a healthier relationship with learning itself.
For many students, the issue is not simply “more practice.” Sometimes the real challenge involves cognitive overload, fragile foundations, inefficient strategies, math anxiety, executive functioning difficulties, or years of discouragement.
The goal is not simply to get through homework. The goal is deeper understanding, greater independence, and a more sustainable learning experience.
I believe the spark of learning exists within all of us, though it is often dampened by frustration, overwhelm, discouragement, or repeated experiences of feeling “bad at math.”
Part of my goal is to help reignite that spark.
Once students start understanding how they learn and experience success more independently, the effects often extend far beyond math. I’ve seen students become more confident, more engaged, more willing to take intellectual risks, and more hopeful about their abilities overall.

Why are your fees so high?

Fair question.
Truthfully, I had a similar reaction when I first started thinking about my pricing.
There are many wonderful math tutors out there. I know several of them personally, and I genuinely respect the work they do.
If your child simply needs help understanding a particular topic, extra practice, or occasional support, there are often excellent options available at a lower cost.
My work tends to be most valuable when something about the situation isn't quite adding up.
When the grades don't seem to match what you're seeing at home.
When you're receiving conflicting explanations from different people and everyone sounds convincing.
When your child has started believing they are "bad at math," but something tells you the story is far more nuanced than that.
When you're watching a capable child become increasingly frustrated, discouraged, or disconnected from learning, and you're not sure why.
In those situations, parents are often looking for more than instruction. They're looking for clarity.
My role is not simply to teach math. It's to help make sense of what may be getting in the way, identify strengths that may be overlooked, and create a path forward that is grounded in a deeper understanding of the student.
That combination of mathematical expertise, educational experience, and individualized analysis is what my fees reflect.

What kinds of students are a good fit?

Students who tend to benefit most from this work are often:
• thoughtful but overwhelmed
• capable but inconsistent
• discouraged by school experiences or test scores
• struggling to work independently
• anxious around math
• missing foundational understanding
• or feeling stuck despite significant effort
Some students need direct math instruction.
Others need help understanding how they learn.
Often, it’s both.
What I can say for sure, based on experience, is that the student has to want to be here...or at least want to want to be here.
Sometimes students become so discouraged by school or past learning experiences that they no longer know how to fully engage in the learning process. That’s understandable.
But if there is even a small opening...a small desire to understand, grow, rebuild confidence, or experience learning differently...there is usually something meaningful to work with.

Why are most sessions offered during daytime hours?

Not A Math Tutor is intentionally designed as a smaller, highly individualized practice rather than a high-volume tutoring center.
Many students are already mentally exhausted by evenings and weekends. Daytime sessions often allow for calmer, more focused, and more thoughtful work, especially for students who feel overwhelmed, discouraged, anxious, or cognitively overloaded by traditional academic support models.
Maintaining a sustainable daytime schedule also helps preserve the level of presence, attention, and individualized care that this work requires.
Core values of this practice include authenticity, integrity, and healthy balance. In order to provide thoughtful, high-quality support, it’s important that the practice itself be built in a thoughtful and sustainable way.
The structure and timing of sessions are intentional, and are designed to support the quality of the work, the wellbeing of the students, and the long-term sustainability of the practice as a whole.

Do you work with students who have learning differences or attention difficulties?

Yes!
I have always been deeply interested in how students learn, and in the many different ways students process, organize, retain, and engage with information.
Many students struggle not because they are unintelligent, but because learning has become cognitively or emotionally overloaded.
Support is individualized and may include:
• breaking down complex tasks
• strengthening foundational understanding
• reducing overwhelm
• improving organization and problem-solving habits
• building independent thinking
• and helping students better understand their own learning process
That said, fit matters.
Some students thrive in this type of individualized setting, especially students who feel overwhelmed in larger classroom environments or who benefit from calmer, more thoughtful support.
At the same time, this may not be the right fit for every student or every type of attention difficulty. The work generally requires at least some ability and willingness to engage in the learning process, even if that ability is still developing.
Part of the intake process is thoughtfully determining whether this approach is likely to be genuinely helpful and sustainable for the student.

What does “exam analysis” mean?

Exam analysis involves looking beyond the numerical grade to better understand why a student performed the way they did.
This may include identifying:
• recurring error patterns
• conceptual misunderstandings
• cognitive overload
• pacing issues
• careless errors
• study habit problems
• anxiety-related patterns
• or gaps in foundational understanding
An exam is viewed as data. The goal is not simply to label a student as “good at math” or “bad at math,” but to better understand how the student learns, where the breakdowns are occurring, and what may be interfering with independent success.
Part of the process involves helping students become more aware of their own strengths, struggles, habits, and learning patterns without shame or judgment. In many ways, it is approached more like a scientific investigation than a verdict on intelligence or potential.
I often tell my own children, probably to the point of exhaustion, “I would rather you get a 75 on a difficult test than a 100 on an easy one.”
Sometimes a test score reveals far more than a level of math ability. It can reveal mindset, overwhelm, confidence, resilience, problem-solving habits, or the difference between memorization and genuine understanding.

Do you take every student who reaches out?

In short, no.
Not every student needs this level or type of support, and not every situation is the right fit for this approach.
Because this is a smaller, highly individualized practice, fit matters. Different students benefit from different types of educational support, and part of the goal is to thoughtfully determine what is likely to be genuinely helpful and sustainable for both the student and the family.
The intake process is designed to better understand the student’s learning profile, current challenges, goals, and overall needs before deciding whether this work is likely to be a good match.

What happens next?

Step 1: Inquiry Form

Families begin by completing the Initial Inquiry Form.
The form helps provide a more thoughtful understanding of the student’s current experience, strengths, concerns, and learning profile.

• Initial Inquiry Form

Step 2: Review Process

Each inquiry is reviewed carefully.
Because this is a smaller, highly individualized practice, fit matters. Not every student benefits from the same type of support, and the goal is to determine whether this approach is likely to be genuinely helpful and sustainable for the student and family.

Step 3: Initial Consultation

If it seems like a potentially good fit, the next step is an initial consultation.
This conversation helps clarify:
-current concerns
-learning patterns
-goals
-scheduling
-and whether moving forward together feels appropriate.

Step 4: Beginning Support

If everyone feels aligned moving forward, sessions are scheduled and support begins.
The process is intentionally thoughtful, individualized, and collaborative rather than one-size-fits-all.

• Initial Inquiry Form

Fees

Because support is highly individualized, fees vary depending on factors such as:
session format,
level of support needed,
consultation needs,
frequency,
and overall complexity of the situation.

Most services currently range approximately from:
$175–250 for individualized student sessions
$250–500 for more in-depth exam analysis / consultation services

Specific recommendations and pricing are discussed transparently during the consultation process before any ongoing support begins.

Location & Session Format

Not A Math Tutor is based in the Five Towns area of Long Island.At this time, most ongoing student support is offered either:• in person locally
• or selectively through Zoom when appropriate for the student and situation.Some consultation services, exam reviews, and parent meetings may also be conducted virtually.Because this work is highly individualized and relational, fit and format are considered thoughtfully on a case-by-case basis.

Background and Credentials

Beth (Miriam) Siegel holds:
A Master’s Degree in Special Education (K–12)
A Master’s Degree in Mathematics Education (7–12)
New York State Certification in both Special Education and Mathematics Education
She has extensive experience working with students across a wide range of learning profiles, academic abilities, and educational settings.