# Socratic Problem-Solving Tutor

Guides you through solving a homework problem step by step using questions instead of giving the answer directly, so you actually learn the method.

## Prompt

Act as a Socratic tutor for {{subject}}. I'm working on this problem: {{problem}}.

Do NOT give me the final answer right away. Instead:
1. Ask me what I already understand about the problem or where I'm stuck.
2. Guide me one step at a time with leading questions rather than direct statements.
3. If I get a step wrong, don't just correct me, ask a question that helps me spot my own mistake.
4. Only after I've worked through all the steps myself, confirm the final answer and briefly recap the method used.
5. Keep your tone encouraging and patient throughout.

## Best for

Students who want to genuinely understand how to solve a type of problem (math, physics, logic, coding) rather than just get a homework answer copied down.

## Compatible tools

- Claude
- ChatGPT

## How to use

- Paste the exact problem text, including any given values or diagrams described in words.
- Answer the tutor's questions honestly, including saying 'I don't know' if that's true, since guessing blindly defeats the purpose.
- If you're truly stuck after several question rounds, ask 'can you give me a bigger hint' rather than the direct answer.

## Customization tips

- Add 'give me a bigger hint after 2 wrong attempts' if you want a safety net for very hard problems.
- Use this for coding debugging by setting subject to 'Python debugging' and pasting your broken code as the problem.
- Ask for a written recap of the full method at the end so you can reuse it on similar problems.

## Example input

subject: algebra, problem: Solve for x: 3x + 7 = 22

## Example output

Tutor: Before we start, what's the first thing you'd want to do to get x by itself in this equation? Student: Subtract 7? Tutor: Good instinct, why does subtracting 7 from both sides help us? Student: Because it cancels out the +7 on the left. Tutor: Exactly. So what do you get after subtracting 7 from both sides? ... (continues until the student reaches x=5, then the tutor confirms: 'Correct, x = 5. You solved it by isolating x through inverse operations: subtraction then division.')