What do you do when a math tutor teaches shortcuts but your fourth grader gets confused because school asks them to show a different method?
My 9-year-old's summer tutor has been teaching quick ways to get answers. Last year's schoolwork used diagrams and explanations, and now my child says one way must be wrong. How do you get the adults on the same page without making your kid feel caught in the middle?
Send the tutor an actual example of the school method and ask them to connect the two approaches. I wouldn't want my child carrying the message that their teacher is doing math wrong. The explanation between methods is what I'd be paying for.
I'd ask your child to show you where they think the methods disagree. It might be a notation issue, or it might be a missing idea. I'd bring that exact point to the tutor rather than asking them to generally follow the school.
Tell the tutor you want your child able to explain their thinking, not just finish faster. That's a goal you can actually check during a session, without getting into an argument about which adult's favorite method wins.