A tutee has just told you the following: “I’ve been trying to solve this math problem for a while, but I keep getting stuck. I understand the steps in theory, but when I try it myself, I just mess it up. It’s really frustrating, and I’m worried I won’t get it right on the test.” by Kristen Cobio

Jolie Dinh

2025-08-05 18:23:45 UTC

Active listening: reflect their experiences of being stuck on a question and stressing about performance on exam

Reponse: relate by bringing up own struggles in past so they're not alone. Bring up strategies personally used and a outline to try for the question.

2025-08-05 18:38:13 UTC

Here I keep good eye contact and open body language while talking. First, I addressed that the frustration is normal so they feel heard. Then I offered to take a break for a minute. I also tried to make them feel like they are not alone having frasutrations learning topics in math. Finally, I offered a slow start that made use of their understanding of the theories.

2025-08-05 18:59:40 UTC

Active Listening: Normalizing the tutee’s frustration and relating to their experience, reflecting their specific concern about understanding theory but struggling with application

Active Responding: Encouraging a shift in focus from anxiety about the test to immediate progress, providing a clear, step-by-step plan that involves active participation, offering reassurance and motivation by expressing confidence in their ability to improve through practice and hard work

2025-08-05 19:22:55 UTC

In the video, I displayed active listening by acknowledging the tutee's frustration and perceived effort, showing that I understood the emotional aspect of their struggles as well. I paraphrased their issue and presented a solution that could help address their concern. I concluded with reassuring them that their struggles were fixable, and that improvement could help reduce some of the anxiety about the exam.

2025-08-05 19:26:24 UTC

I practiced active responding through trying to empathize with the tutee and relating my own personal experiences/frustrations with theirs so they don't feel alone. I also offered one specific method that may help them, along with steps to take in conjunction with this method that we can implement right away to boost their confidence ASAP and steer them in the right direction.

kaelikamp — 2025-08-05 22:26:55 UTC

I started by telling the student is is okay to be frustrated, as I have been in this position many times before with math. I encouraged them to take a deep breath and go back to the beginning with a clear mind. This will help them go over the problem step by step with a fresh perspective. We shifted from getting anxious to starting over to try and help the student’s focus. I also encouraged them to keep trying, as small improvements each day will be worthwhile when the test comes around.

aio464 — 2025-08-05 23:48:10 UTC

I showed active listening by emphasizing that what the tutee is feeling is normal, and showed that I understood their frustration. Since the tutee expressed that they felt worried, I brought up the option to take a 1-2 minute break before working on the problem again. I showed active responding by recommending different resources for the tutee's problem, and finally, I concluded by encouraging them to keep practicing as they already have a foundation of the topic.

2025-08-06 01:53:52 UTC

I displayed active listening by addressing each individual aspect of their question and included them in my answer to show that I am truly listening to their struggle. I displayed active responding by first telling the student it is absolutely normal to be frustrated when stuck on a certain question. Then I went ahead and provided several tips the student can utilize to overcome the frustration, namely by slowing things down and breaking down the questions into small parts.

What I probably could have also included is that one bad experience on a test doesn't define you and that set back are normal in college. In fact worrying about the test could make one's performance worse.

2025-08-06 01:55:25 UTC

I demonstrated active listening by acknowledging the tutee’s frustration and letting them know that their feelings are completely valid and common when learning challenging material. I made sure to paraphrase their concerns, saying that I understood how it feels to know the steps in theory but still struggle to apply them during practice. I then related to their experience by sharing that many students, including myself in the past, have faced similar challenges.

2025-08-06 02:21:55 UTC

In my response, I aimed to maintain a smile and positive attitude throughout to uplift my tutee. I sympathized and related with the tutee to make them feel seen. I also tried to be encouraging and motivating throughout to keep spirits up, even if they felt frustrated. I offered to take a step back and laid a plan to make sure they were in a good headspace and felt that they were being heard for solution moving forward. I felt I showed myself actively listening through hearing their concerns and making them feel better about their situation. I also responded by providing solutions in a kind, encouraging manner.

2025-08-06 02:30:28 UTC

I demonstrated active listening and responding by first validating the tutee's emotions, establishing that I am approaching their concerns with a sense of understanding and not dismissing their feelings of frustration. I also reflected back the idea the tutee mention of understanding the knowledge but having difficulty applying it by mentioning that I struggle with this as well. Then, I provided a suggestion to take a break and asked if the tutee would like to go over the problem step by step together. Finally, I asked them open-ended questions on how they initially approach the math problem, why they believe they get stuck on a specific part, and how they feel about doing more related practice questions to better prepare them for future exams since they mentioned this as something that concerns them.

jenterlec — 2025-08-06 03:18:42 UTC

I showed active listening by reflecting on both content and emotion from the tutee’s statement. “You’ve been trying,” “you understand the steps in theory,” and “it’s really frustrating.” This shows I heard what they said and how they feel. I also avoided interrupting or rushing to correct them. Instead, I validated their effort and acknowledged of how they were feeling. In terms of active responding, I offered a solid strategy: walking through a problem together and having the student explain out loud. This engages in a different way and gives me a clear point of feedback. I also followed up with a confidence building suggestion, showing that I’m more solution-focused and encouraging, as well as understanding the why behind the topic. I emphasized collaboration as well to reduce pressure.

ashminatoor — 2025-08-06 03:44:08 UTC

I demonstrated active listening and responding by validating their concerns and relating to their frustrations. I acknowledged their feelings, but also reaffirmed that they're capable of achieving the right answer. I also focused on trying to alleviate some of their concerns by providing study strategies and making sure they are aware of the progress that they have made in terms of understanding the steps in theory. I provided them with the option of taking a break and starting from the ground up, as well as going through more problems once we identify the root of the issue, and working through those together. I offered to find a video explaining the concept as well, if they are more of a visual learner and want extra reinforcement.

2025-08-06 04:05:13 UTC

In my response, I demonstrated active listening by acknowledging the tutee’s emotions and repeating back what they were feeling using phrases like “That sounds really frustrating” and “I totally get why you'd be feeling worried.” This shows empathy and lets the tutee know they’re being heard.

I also showed active responding by offering a step-by-step approach to help them with the specific issue, encouraging them to try with my support, and offering strategies for the test. Rather than just saying “you’ll be fine,” I responded with practical help and reassurance, trying to build both their confidence and understanding.

Rosha Vahadi

2025-08-06 04:47:00 UTC

I practiced active responding and listening by telling them my own experiences with not being able to solve specific problems in all levels of math. This will make them feel they are not alone in the process. I also would provide them with more math problems related to their struggle, videos to listen at home, and advising them to go to office hours.

2025-08-06 07:18:00 UTC

Active Listening: I empathized with the tutee's situation and hopefully alleviated some of their anxiety by making them feel less alone.

Active Responding: I came up with a plan to help overcome this barrier the tutee is facing. By breaking the problem down into simpler steps and developing strategies to avoid getting stuck, I am helping the immediate problem while also reinforcing new abilities so the tutee has a less likely chance of facing this situation again.

joseph200309 — 2025-08-06 08:52:01 UTC

I demonstrated active listening by telling the tutee I also struggled in math problems and is able to stand in his shoes to look at this issue. I also provided him my thoughts and ways to tackle the issue. Next I encouraged him emotionally by telling him you're almost there and with some more work you can master the skills. Lastly, I also encourage him to visit TA OH as much as possible. So in conclusion, I gave emotional understanding and realistic ways to tackle the problem.

2025-08-06 16:22:39 UTC

Active listening was demonstrated by empathizing with the situation and talking about past personal experiences with the subject. Active listening was also demonstrated by reflecting on specifics of the tutee's situation (their understanding of theory on frustration related to exam day). Active responding as demonstrated by coming up with a plan that is specific to their situation in order to follow through with their specific goal (10 practice problems), encouraging them to work through their confidence problems with more practice in order to make applying theory come more naturally in order to reassure them in their stressors, and reinforcing that by following on this action strategy that exam day will go more smoothly for them.

2025-08-13 01:38:41 UTC

Active Listening: I empathized and related to the student's stress and nervousness, hopefully making them feel less alone. I also reiterated some of what they said, showing that I was paying attention.

Active Responding: I suggested a concrete plan and gave her reassurance about the fact that I am here to help guide her through her confusion, and that we can practice together to ensure her exam goes smoothly.

2025-08-13 04:37:57 UTC

Active listening: I maintained eye contact as I empathized with the student. I started off by normalizing the situation and relating to the student's concerns. By saying I've been in their shoes before, I hope I calmed their nerves and frustration. I also encouraged them by saying they have a good grasp of the mathematical theory behind the problem and that they're doing great, even if they think they're not.

Active responding: I suggested three possible plans we could go over: either working on another practice problem step by step to see where they may be going wrong, taking a 5-minute break, or working on something else and revisiting the old problem later. I reassured them after these possible suggestions that I am on their side and open to taking the next best action they may feel is best in that moment for them.

2025-08-13 05:26:31 UTC

I demonstrated active listening and responding by making sure the tutee knows that their frustration is normal and trying to relate their experiences to my own. I gave some specific strategies that have helped me in my studying including taking breaks, and breaking problems down into smaller parts. I also tried to remind the tutee to give themselves some grace even though they have a test coming up. I ended by setting a specific goal for our session and assuring the tutee that I would be there to support them if they continued to get stuck on problems.

2025-08-13 14:47:57 UTC

In this video, I make sure to empathize with the student to make sure they feel heard and seen. I relate to them as I am also a student and getting frustrated with a problem is completely normal. I try to offer a practical solution and give them tangible ways to overcome this frustration, such as taking a break. I ensure to give them the space they need to recollect their thoughts. I try to tell them how I can help them work through the problem and help them through it in a useful, stress-free way.

2025-08-13 16:20:18 UTC

In my video I tried to first let the tutee know that I hear them and understand what they are struggling with. Next I proposed taking a small break to be away from the material and maybe refresh our minds. This way the tutee feels that it is okay to take breaks and it’s going to help them in the long run. Then I tried to relate to the tutee to let them know that I myself have had difficulty with math before so I understand the frustration they may be feeling. Finally I proposed continuing with practice and possibly breaking down problems to find what is not working or if the tutee is not comfortable I suggested coming back another day to get the help they need.

cbj757 — 2025-08-13 18:11:41 UTC

odinlimaye — 2025-08-13 19:02:28 UTC

Active Listening: maintained eye contact and used facial expressions to maintain a casual, yet attentive, vibe as well as relating to the student's troubles and providing anecdotal experience that normalizes the problems the student is facing. Also, encouraging the student to explain out loud what they know to help build confidence.

Active Responding: offered to take a break if things are feeling overwhelming, reassuring that this is a common problem and that lots of people struggle with this (they're not alone in their struggle), and then offering a strategy to help alleviate stress related to the test in the future outside of our session.

2025-08-13 19:40:41 UTC

Active Listening: Understanding the Tutee's frustration and incorporating empathy when it comes to the situation. Normalize it, talk about everyone is stressed during tests and how even I have gone through it aswell.

Active Responding: Breaking down the problem and letting them lead, seeing where they feel the most confident and the least confident in the steps of the problems. Offering help on a step they might need, ensuring clarification, and providing a calm response!

2025-08-13 19:58:30 UTC

Listening: Showing understanding of the tutee's worries and helping them feel like they're on the right track because I related to their worries and showed evidence that they are not alone in worrying about these things.

Responding: identifying a specific problem and giving a specific actionable solution because I looked at their work and pinpointed the issue while giving them precise advice on how to prevent the issue.

2025-08-13 20:37:33 UTC

I demonstrated active listening when I paraphrased the student's concerns and empathized with them with their feelings. I talked about how I understood the frustration they were feeling, but we will get through this! For active responding, I described the game plan for this session moving forward and normalized the feelings they were feeling. It's important to keep being positive and encourage confidence in the student.

2025-08-13 21:14:02 UTC

In my response, I demonstrated active listening by restating the student’s concern in my own words, making it clear that I understood they grasp the steps when we go over them together but struggle to apply them independently. I acknowledged their frustration and anxiety about the test to validate their feelings, and I normalized the experience by explaining that this is a common part of the learning process. These steps help the tutee feel heard, supported, and less isolated in their challenges.

I also demonstrated active responding by highlighting the student’s strengths, pointing out that they have a solid foundation to build on, and providing a clear action plan for how we would work through the problem together. This included having them explain each step aloud, identifying errors in real time, and practicing timed problems to prepare for test conditions. I reframed mistakes as valuable learning opportunities to encourage a growth mindset, and I set an actual goal for the end of the session so they would have a clear sense of progress and accomplishment.

Response

2025-08-13 21:34:06 UTC

Active listening: I made sure to empathize with the tutee by mentioning how its common for people to not get things right away and that its apart of the learning process.

Active Responding: I then recommended a strategy to solve the problem step by step first and then solving the problem fully to gain more confidence for the test

2025-08-13 21:50:53 UTC

I displayed active listening by repeated key concerns that the tutee raised with what they told me which shows that I was engaged with what message they wanted to convey to me. I also acknowledged the tutee's frustration and tried to reassure them that they're on the right track. I displayed active responding by maintaining eye contact and speaking to the tutee with a nonjudgmental and respectful tone. I also provided a possible solution that we could try if the tutee thought it would be a nice plan to try to clear some steps up throughout the process while trying to motivate them to continue pushing through. Lastly, I also made it clear that I'm here to help them learn so if there was anything they had questions about, I encouraged them to ask.

2025-08-13 22:04:10 UTC

Active Listening: I seem to really understand and empathize with the student and am able to rephrase their problem to them.

Active Responding: I validate the student's feelings by saying that it is perfectly normal to feel frustrated. I then relate to the student through my own experiences and provide a possible solution to their problem the next time they feel this way. I then propose a plan to help identify the root of their confusion so that we can help address it. This way, they can feel confident about being able to solve the specific math problem that they are having trouble with.

2025-08-13 22:06:31 UTC

In my response, I used paraphrasing to show I understood their concern and emotions. I also validated their feelings by normalizing the experience, which would help reduce anxiety. Besides that, I guided the tutee to look at the positives and parts that the tutee is already doing good at to give the tutee more confidence. Lastly, I offered a collaborative plan to shift from frustration to a problem-solving mindset. This demonstrated active listening because I acknowledged both the emotional and practical sides of their statement, and responding because I provided a clear, encouraging next step.

2025-08-13 22:14:14 UTC

I practiced active listening and responding by first validating why they think this is challenging. I also asked them to walk me through their thinking so I can understand where they need help. I then slowly walked them through a practice problem, asking them questions along the way. I also kept good eye contact and gave them a lot of positive affirmation throughout.

2025-08-13 22:21:29 UTC

In this video, I demonstrated active listening by validating the tutee's frustration and highlighting the significant progress they have already made. I also demonstrated active responding by maintaining eye contact with the tutee, providing them with the option to take a break and come back to the problem later, or to work through each step together, so we can identify which step is the most challenging. I also provide reassurance and instill confidence in them at the end by letting them know that we will work through it all together and that I am here to support them and cheer them on.

2025-08-13 22:23:12 UTC

I felt that I demonstrated active listening by referencing a lot of things from the given context: the student understands the theory but gets tripped up when actually applying it. In addition, they're concerned about a test that they have coming up. Showing empathy to their situation, referencing times that I've experienced it myself, is another form of active listening.

I demonstrated active responding by outlining a process that helps them with their specific issue (applying their knowledge) in the build up to their test.

tianathomas4 — 2025-08-14 20:12:08 UTC

I demonstrated active listening by summarizing the tutee’s concerns to confirm I understood them correctly. I also acknowledged their feelings, which helps validate their experience. Additionally, I'm identifying the specific issue they mentioned to show I was paying close attention.

I demonstrated active responding by proposing a clear plan that directly addresses their concern. I am also encouraging them to build confidence.

2025-08-18 19:29:34 UTC

I began by recognizing frustration and worry, which normalizes the student’s feelings and lowers anxiety so they can think clearly. I then restated their concern in my own words to confirm I understood the gap between theory and execution. I asked them to show the exact problem and narrate their thinking. This centers their process rather than my explanation. I committed to prompts such as What is being asked and Which rule applies to support metacognition and independence. I then introduced a clear four-step checklist that the student can reuse, shifting focus from answer-getting to a repeatable method. We finally moved from a worked example to the student leading a similar problem, which demonstrates trust and builds autonomy.

2025-08-24 20:58:19 UTC

Active listening: I validated the tutee's feelings and made sure they did not feel alone in their frustration. I also tried to keep eye contact and relate to the tutee's frustration. Lastly, I explained how to approach the problem.

2025-09-11 03:24:05 UTC

I used active listening here to make sure I understood what the student was worried about and tried to reassure them that it’s a normal feeling and experience. Then I routed the conversation to what we can accomplish in the tutoring session by offering to go through a practice problem step by step.