Please Help! I Think I am Stuck

What Question Could Help You Get Unstuck?

Have you ever been working through a piece of math and found yourself completely stuck? Not just confused, but tangled up in the problem with no clear idea of how to move forward? It’s a frustrating place to be, but I’ve come to see it as an opportunity. When I am in this space, the key isn’t about finding the answer right away—it’s about asking the right question.

One of my favorite questions to ask a peer (or myself) when I’m stuck is this: What question could I be asked to help me get unstuck? It’s simple, yet powerful. It shifts the focus from the solution to the process, inviting curiosity and collaboration into the problem-solving experience.

Why Questions Matter More To Me Than Answers

In my journey as a math educator, I’ve come to appreciate understanding where I am stuck as much as the way out. Rather than being given a set of steps to follow or a neatly packaged answer, being asked the right question has often led me to a breakthrough. Questions don’t just show us a path forward—they illuminate parts of the problem we hadn’t even considered.

Take, for example, this math task from Francis Su’s Mathematics for Human Flourishing that I recently encountered. The problem was engaging, and I was eager to dive in. But somewhere along the way, I hit a wall. Instead of giving up, I paused and thought: What could someone ask me that might help me untangle this?

An Invitation to Collaborate

Today, I’m inviting you into this process. I’ve shared the task on Instagram along with a snapshot of how I started and where I got stuck. Here’s the challenge: Take a look at the work so far and share a question you think might help me (or anyone else) get unstuck. It could be a clarifying question, a prompting question, or even one that reframes the problem entirely.

Some Ideas to Get You Started

If you’re not sure what kind of question to ask, here are a few that have helped me in the past:

• What did you do to get started?

• What feels really clear and what feels muddy right now?

• What are you assuming here?

• What’s one question you are asking yourself that might help me generate a question for you?

Why This Matters

This practice of asking questions instead of rushing to answers is about more than solving a single math problem. It’s about cultivating a mindset of curiosity, persistence, and collaboration. It’s about recognizing that being stuck isn’t a sign of failure—it’s an invitation to think more deeply.

So, let’s work together. Check out the task, reflect on the progress so far, and offer a question that might open a new door. Who knows? The question you ask could be the very one that sparks a breakthrough.

Thank you in advance for your insight, and let’s keep untangling math together.

Kaneka