Your student is falling behind in math.

It sometimes seems obvious how to help a student who is struggling with a subject. Other times, it is less clear or you have already tried the obvious without success. At that point, it makes sense to take a step back and explore what other options you might have to address your current dilemma.

Step in the meta-problem	Illustrative Example
Dilemma The high-level issue you are trying to address	Your student is falling behind in math.
Goal The change you have decided to make to address the dilemma. There are usually many choices. Selecting the best set is also a meta-problem.	Supporting Goals Improve their test scores. Improve their math fluency. Reduce their math anxiety. Improve their homework completion.
Problem Space Consider the cluster of adjacent problems that you could solve to deliver the goal.	Options The student doesn’t understand what the math problem is testing for. The student doesn’t understand the method you have taught them. The student does not see the real-life utility of the math skill you are teaching them. The student’s learning style is experiential, not conceptual. The student gets flustered by tests. The student needs support to complete their homework. Et cetera.
Problem Neighborhood This is your shortlist of problems, selected from the many possibilities in the problem space.	Selection Criteria How widely should you cast your net in the problem space? Is your goal fixed, or is there a “good enough” option that’s acceptable? Could you live with achieving 90% of your goal? What about 50%? How does that affect your shortlist of problems? For example: How could we help the student improve their test scores a little? Is the problem about their knowledge, how they are using what they know, or something else? How could we help the student improve their math fluency a little? Do they just need more practice, or to be taught some new things? How could we help the student reduce their math anxiety a little? Is this part of a larger challenge for the student, or is it math-specific? How could we help the student improve their homework completion a little? Do they need more support at school, or at home? Since math builds, is there a specific earlier topic the student missed that is causing the dilemma?
Meta-Problem Which of the many possible options in the problem neighborhood is the best set of problems to solve in order to achieve the goal?	Selection Criteria Which problem will best support the goal? Which problem will deliver the best outcome for the least amount of time, effort and money? Which problem is the student most excited to take on?
Implement, Learn and Adapt	Observe and learn as you go. New information may reveal itself as you implement your chosen solution, so check continuously that you’re still solving the right problem