In the 1950s, the US Air Force, faced with a spate of pilot errors resulting in an alarming number of crashes, tasked researcher Lt. Gilbert S. Daniels with improving cockpit design, which seemed to lie at the heart of the problem. Daniels’ initial plan was to design a cockpit for the "average" pilot based on measurements of hundreds of airmen. But when he checked how many individual pilots fit the average range for all ten of the key dimensions he measured, he made a shocking discovery: the answer was zero. No pilot was "average" across the board. The “average pilot” simply didn’t exist.

In an instant, he later recalled, the actual solution presented itself to him: instead of designing the cockpit to fit the “average pilot,” design it so that pilots could adjust it to fit themselves. Rather than insisting on a fixed, one-size-fits-all cockpit, the Air Force immediately adopted Daniels’ recommendation of adjustable seats, pedals, and controls. Pilots soon gained full command of their environments, and the number of crashes based on pilot error quickly took a nosedive. 

The moral of this story is profound: the myth of the average blinds us to the needs of the individual.

Just as there's no such thing as the average pilot, there's no such thing as the average math student. Yet, both traditional and progressive approaches to math instruction still tend to operate on a one-size-fits-all model, with individual students being given little control over their level of math instruction, and with age - of all things - being the primary determinant of that level. Is it any wonder, then, that so many of our hopes for math education “crash and burn”?

The You Teach You method that I’ve developed takes a fundamentally different approach to math instruction, directly mirroring the concept of adjustable cockpit design:

1. Adjustable Pacing: Traditional classrooms force all students to move at the same pace, regardless of their individual needs. You Teach You is self-paced. Students who grasp concepts quickly can move ahead; those who need more time can work at their own speed without feeling rushed or left behind (or embarrassed).

2. Customizable Learning Path: Students come to us with different levels of prior knowledge and understanding. You Teach You's sequential structure and 1:1 ratio of worked examples to practice problems allow students to fill in gaps in their knowledge and understanding as they go. They can even revisit earlier concepts if needed, customizing their learning path.

3. Immediate Feedback: Pilots need constant feedback from their instruments; students need constant feedback too, not occasional reinforcement as in most classrooms. You Teach You provides them all with immediate feedback at all times by including a fully-worked solution for every single practice problem. This strategy enables them check their work in real time and correct mistakes instantly, preventing small misunderstandings from becoming “code reds” further on.

4. Example-Driven Instruction: You Teach You's 1:1 worked examples act like a flight simulator, allowing students to visualize a problem and possible solution before attempting “the real thing” themselves. This reduces cognitive load and increases confidence.

5. "Sage at the Side" Teacher Support: Instead of attempting to provide instruction to the whole class at once, the teacher in a You Teach You classroom is free to provide targeted, individualized support to students who need it, acting as a facilitator and occasional “flight instructor” instead of trying to co-pilot the whole class at the same time.

The Benefits:

This student-centered, adjustable approach yields significant benefits, some of them surprising:

• Increased Engagement & Reduced Off-Task Behavior: Students are more engaged when they're working at their own pace and on material that's appropriately challenging – not too easy, not too hard, just right. This “goldilocks zone” minimizes boredom and anxiety, two primary drivers of off-task behavior and disruptions.
  

• Reduced Frustration & Task Avoidance: The immediate feedback and self-remediating nature of the system minimize frustration and build self-reliance; students are less likely to give up when they have the ability to overcome challenges on their own. This drastically reduces task avoidance, a common precursor to “baling out” on math itself.
  

• Deeper Understanding & Increased Motivation: Students can actually master concepts when they’re able to work at their own pace, leading to a more solid foundation and a sense of accomplishment, and triggering a desire to attack new challenges.
  

• Greater Equity: All students, regardless of their background or prior knowledge, have an equal opportunity to succeed with the You Teach You approach. The resulting equity reduces feelings of unfairness or inadequacy, greatly increasing the chances of upward mobility for all.
  

Give your students full control of their trajectory in math, and then watch them all soar, with You Teach You.