When people hear “online tutoring,” they often picture lockdown class: a student stuck on Google Meet while a teacher talks at 30 kids, with a Google Doc open and nobody really paying attention.
Even though that feels like a distant memory now, the association is still there, and it makes a lot of parents skeptical. Add to that the fact that some families have already tried online tutoring and came to the conclusion that it was a little awkward, involved weird camera setups, or just didn’t feel natural.
But not all online tutoring works the same way. It depends on the tools, the setup, and most of all, the tutor. Online tutoring with me is one-on-one, responsive, and focused on how students actually learn math.
So when parents ask me how to do online math tutoring, the real question they’re asking is: “How does this even work for a subject that depends so much on written communication, diagram drawing, writing equations, and showing messy steps?”
Let me show you how I make it work.
I get this question a lot. Writing is a huge part of math learning, so it’s essential that I can see what students are doing.
When I first started online tutoring in 2020, I asked students to prop their phones up on a stack of paper towels so I could see their notebooks. It worked, but barely.
Now, I use a tool called Explain Everything. It’s an online whiteboard where both the student and I can write in real time.
It works like a shared sheet of paper that lives on both our screens. I can upload homework PDFs, draw alongside them, and students can write their answers right there.
If they prefer pen and paper, that’s totally fine too. They can hold up their work, upload a photo, or even screen share.
The goal is always the same: make sure I can follow their thinking.
Parents often ask, “How will you see the questions they’re supposed to work on?” Most students either have a phone or an iPad, so we use the Explain Everything app — and it makes the process super simple.
Right in the app, students can use the camera to snap a picture of their worksheet, test, or homework. That photo goes directly onto the whiteboard, where both of us can see it instantly. No emailing. No juggling screenshots. No weird workarounds.
If they’re working off something digital, like a PDF or a classroom post, I can upload it on my end too. Either way, everything ends up in one spot, and we can both write on it in real time.
I meet with students on Google Meet, but that’s just the video part. The real action happens on Explain Everything.
It’s our shared workspace. I can pull up a PDF of their homework, and we both write on it together.
I use an iPad and a laptop at the same time so I can manage the call and the whiteboard without switching tabs. It keeps everything smooth.
I always show students how to do online math tutoring during our free consultation. We make sure the audio works, the video works, the app works, and they know what to do for the first session.
The whiteboard saves all our notes, so students can come back to review anytime.
You’d be surprised how interactive online tutoring can be.
With Explain Everything, I can see what students are doing in real time. I can follow their writing, see when they get stuck, and jump in to help.
It’s like we’re sitting side by side, working on the same piece of paper. And if their attention drifts, I can tell. We pause, reset, and refocus. It’s way more responsive than people expect.
You don’t need a full tech setup to make this work.
I’ve worked with students using phones, Chromebooks, and even just notebooks and a camera.
I help each student find a method that fits what they already have. We troubleshoot together during the consultation to ensure that things go smoothly during the lesson.
It’s all part of setting students up for success.
I recently gave a talk at the Impact 8 conference for fellow tutors about how I tutor math online, and a lot of what I’ve shared here came from that presentation.
The goal was to show other tutors how it can work, and this post is my version for parents.
Now you’ve seen exactly how to do online math tutoring in a way that helps students feel supported, challenged, and capable.
If you’re curious about how it could work for your child, check out my FAQ or send me a message.
