How to Motivate a High School Student

How to Motivate a High School Student Its the same conundrum that a lot of parents face. You know your child is intelligent. Every now and then, you see glimpses of brilliance: a high test score, a great idea, a strong grade, etc. Yet, you just cant seem to get them to put in the extra time to improve. Your child isnt reaching their full potential and it might appear that they just dont want to buckle down and make it happen. Never fear youre not the only parent who has this problem and there are plenty of ways to motivate high school students. Make them want it Do you ever feel like you want your child to get a 30 on the ACT more than they do? If thats the case, you should know that theyre not just going to all of the sudden snap out of it. You need them to want it. If you can achieve this, your student will be well on their way to high achievement. Let them make the decisions Dont push the big state school or the older siblings alma mater on them. Dont push a certain high school curriculum or dictate exactly what their GPA should be. Instead, discuss their specific goals with them. Ask them where theyd like to go to college, what classes they enjoy, or what theyre considering for a major. Then, you can ask them what they need in order to achieve all of this. Students need to feel like theyre controlling the entire process and must set their own goals to do so. Keep in mind that they might not always tell you what those goals are, especially if they think youre just going to micromanage the entire process with that information. Offer help when asked for it You can frequently ask your child if they want help, but dont offer it unsolicited. Doing the latter could kill their motivation. For example, if you sneak onto the computer to proofread their college application essay, youre essentially telling them that they arent mature enough to handle it themselves. Instead, you should just ask if theres any way you can help, and only do so if they ask for it. Dont use scare tactics One of the worst things you can do is tell a student that they definitely wont get into their choice school if they dont do X, Y, or Z. At that point, they will only study to appease you, rather than studying to genuinely improve. They will end up doing the absolute minimum instead of putting that extra effort needed throughout all areas of their application to holistically impress the admissions committee. Let them work with a tutor College admissions is becoming increasingly more competitive and many students are turning to SAT tutorsorACT tutors to improve their scores on the respective tests. Sometimes, unmotivated students can respond very well to these scenarios. However, its incredibly important that you explore these options with your child. Let them select their own tutor dont simply sign them up with a stranger who they know nothing about. Recognize hard work If your student spends a Saturday afternoon studying for the ACT, acknowledge and praise it. Buy them a pizza and show them how proud you are of the fact that theyre moving in the right direction. Stay calm Throughout the college application process, you need to be a rock for your child. There are going to be moments when they bomb an SAT practice test or get overwhelmed with the various application essay topics and start to worry. You need to be supportive and help diagnose the problems they are having.

What to Know About College Summer Classes

What to Know About College Summer Classes Many students feel that summer is meant for rest and relaxationand it should be! That said, colleges and universities offer hundreds of summer classes each year for students to take advantage of. Typically, these summer classes range from a just a few weeks to a couple of months, but the classes arent always all day or every day of the week. When taking summer classes, students often forget they can arrange their schedule and customize it so the classes they take still fit into their idea of a relaxing summer. What students need to know about college summer classes is that you can get a more personalized learning experience and still have a summer to enjoy, despite taking a class or two! Read on to find out how college summer classes might benefit you. The benefits of college summer classes are often underestimated Many students may fear summer classes because they arent familiar with what they entail and how positive of an impact they can have on one's schooling. But taking just one or two classes during the summer can help you get ahead in your degree path. This could allow you to take a lighter course load in upcoming semesters, or give you the potential to graduate earlier than expected. It can also be beneficial if you have to retake any classes, as summer classes might be more manageable to focus on and succeed in, due to not having many other classes to distract you. [RELATED: Popular Campus Jobs that Can Help You Explore College Majors] During the regular semester, hitches can come up in your degree plan. If you are waitlisted for a class, for instance, taking this class in the summer (if it is offered) could end up being a less stressful solution to your problem and will allow you to still stay on track for your degree. College summer classes dont have to bog down your whole summer Contrary to popular belief, you can still experience summer vacation if you take a class or two. Oftentimes, students think of college summer classes as the equivalent of the dreaded summer school (where classes are typically most of the summer). In some cases, yes, summer classes can last a good part of your summer. Typically, though, they wont be all day every day. The timeframe differs for every class and every school, but they can range from a variety of set-ups. Any combination, including the examples below, could occur: Three weeks long, four days a week, five hours a day Four weeks long, three days a week, four hours a day Six weeks long, two days a week, three hours a day Sometimes, classes will work homework time into the class set-up as well, and some summer classes might involve projects where you get class time off to work on your own. Not all class schedules in the summer are cut and dry, so you might be surprised at the free time you have. Just remember to take note of the attendance policy and follow it appropriately! College summer classes can provide a more intimate learning experience Class sizes vary during the regular semesters, but often, students looking for small, intimate class sizes are left disappointed. Summer classes, however, can have a smaller enrollment limit than usual. With the relaxed feel of classes during the summer and a smaller class size, students may be more likely to encounter a more personal learning experience than they would during the year. Teachers might not be teaching any other classes at the time (and if they are, it might only be one or two), so they very well might devote more attention to your particular class. The same goes for youif you arent enrolled in four or five other classes, you will be able to devote more focused time to the class, making the time requirement outside the classroom likely less. [RELATED:Top 5 Books College Students Should Read this Summer] Keep in mind, if you are planning on going home for the summer, this can still apply to you. Find a community college near you that might have course credits that would transfer to your school. You can still work to get ahead in your degree while being home for the summerjust make sure to verify the classes you choose will count toward your schools program requirements successfully. Most importantly, remember that summer classes arent as scary as they may sound, and they might end up benefiting you in many unexpected ways! Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Digital Textbooks

Digital Textbooks Professors can now customize textbooks by editing, rewriting, or deleting various sections of them through new online software. Macmillan, one of the largest publishers of textbooks, is creating a new digital textbook program called DynamicBooks. This program will be like a Wikipedia version of textbooks, according to The New York Times. Many professors use generic textbooks and assign various outside-of-the-book readings and assignments. Also, professors typically ignore certain chapters or sections of the textbook and correct other sections in their lectures. However, this process can be facilitated with Macmillans DynamicBooks because professors can make all of these changes before a class starts. Professors can use DynamicBooks to upload syllabi, pictures, videos, class notes and assignments. Professors can now use textbooks as starting points, rewriting them to teach what is most relevant. This will increase and personalize the learning experiences for students because they wont be learning material from a book written 10 years ago. Class information will be presented in a more organized fashion, and students will be able to digitally access all of the courses relevant information in one area. Also, books purchased through DynamicBooks are likely to be much cheaper compared to more traditional formats. The New York Times used the textbook Psychology by Daniel L. Schacter, Daniel T. Gilbert and Daniel M. Wegner as an example. The books list price is $134.29, Barnes Nobles price is $122.73, and the book will sell for $48.76 at DynamicBooks. Essentially, DynamicBooks will give professors more teaching freedom, and they wont be trapped in the confines of teaching a book from an unfamiliar author. It will be easier for them to personalize every class, changing the textbooks content as needed. DynamicBooks is expected to launch in August with around 100 popular textbooks. The digital program is likely to grow into the future.

Get to know some tips that will help in learning science better

Get to know some tips that will help in learning science better  Get to know some tips that will help in learning science better The concept of learning was started long back. Every child needs to go through this learning process and thus then only they can lead a better life. The future of a child is then secured when the child knows how to shape up their future. It is a very tough work but parents’ should also help their child to gain focus in their lives. Today there are many counseling courses as well that helps the students and their parents. The new way of knowing things and applying them makes the future of an aspirant brighter. But only counseling will not help, you also need good guidance that will help in making the entire process of your learning fun and comfortable. Guidance can be available only when you have a good teacher beside you. A good teacher can easily help you to know the subject or any topic in a far better way than expected. The god teachers are available only when you search for them. In school the availability of good teachers are not found as every teacher is very much concerned with their own subject and as they have to teach so many students together so it becomes a problem for them. Science is a subject that needs good teacher for the subject to be easier among the students. The weak students are not able to cope up well with the subject as they do not have any specific formula through which the subject will look easier for them. Science is divided into three main subjects and they are chemistry, physics and biology. Each subject is entirely different from the other and only an expert professional can attempt to teach the subject with ease and perfection. Have you heard about online tutoring? If you have not heard about it then here is a chance when you can hear it and also know it in a better manner. It is one of the best and the most new way through which you can learn. Advent of technology has helped in making ever work of ours turn into an easier one. Internet is the way through which every work can be possible. Here also internet has worked as wonders. Internet helps in making any kind of work come closer to you within no limit. Online tutoring is also such a way through which you can learn from the best tutors in the easiest manner. The entire process of learning is easy and accessible by every student as internet now a days can be used very frequently by every single student. Online tutors help in making the process of learning to get completed under some of the best teachers available. Now it is time that you get to know about the features of this type of learning process so that you can gain lot of knowledge and information. If you feel to enroll yourself in any of the online learning institute then these list of features will help you out. Some features that will help you to know about online tutoring more The teachers who are appointed in the institute are very much knowledgeable and have a good grip over the subject. When you have a good grip over the subject then you can pass it to your students as well. The learning process becomes easier and also faster. The reputed institutes make it a point to appoint the teachers in such a manner that they can deliver their best to their students. The expert professionals make it a point to know the subject well and also to help their students with the best possible way. A good teacher makes it a point to first analyze the student in such a manner so that they get to know about the students in details. When they have known it then they can easily conduct the process of teaching in way that will help the student to learn better. The online tutoring facility does not have any limitation over time. This is another best quality that online learning system provides you. The time limitation is not found and so every student can easily avail the classes whenever they want. This type of online facility helps in making the work pressure to get decreased.   Here you do not have to think about going somewhere and coming back. Your time also gets saved. The transportation cost and the energy that is needed to move about to any place also gets restored and can be used in your learning process. There is a facility of one on one service. This is a service in which every individual student is given special timing to attend the class. Every single student is attended by every single teacher and this increases their process to learn. When a student will be attended by one single teacher then that student can easily cope up with the subject and can make the entire process of learning easy and also fast as no disturbance will arrive in between the teacher and the student. There are many other features and the list continues to grow. But each feature is not that important and so some features can easily come up to you and with these features you can easily help yourself to learn a subject like science homework help in a very easy and accessible manner. So, for now you only have one query in mind and that is which institute to go for. This is one of the main queries that comes up in every single person’s mind and so to help you out I can easily suggest you with a name and that is Tutor Pace. It is a very renowned institute and has some of the best features that can attract a student towards it. The other best part of online tutoring in Tutor Pace is that the charges are very minimum and so it can be easily afforded by any family with less difficulty.  

How to Find Students for English Tutoring Jobs

How to Find Students for English Tutoring Jobs Becoming a Tutor: How to Attract More Students as an English Tutor ChaptersFinding Students to Teach over Summer HolidaysJoin a Tutoring CenterProvide Mentoring to Students taking Standardized testsFinding Students OnlineSome Tips for Online tutoringOnce you finally qualify as an English tutor, your next step is to find students. There are a couple of ways to find students but the first and the most obvious one is to provide your tutoring services in a school or any other institute.The perks of joining a school or teaching at any college are that you don't have to try in order to find students yourself. The school does that for you. You are assigned a classroom and all you have to do is plan your lectures and deliver it to the students.The question of finding students to teach English arrives when you are no longer teaching in an institute and you decide to find a tutoring job and teach on your own i.e Private tutoring. Now there are two ways to find students. These are as follows:Online Students (the students you teach over internet)Offline Student s (the students who need you to be physically present with them)We will jump into the strategies to find students online later on. Let us discuss some practical methods which you can use to find students outside school.display their score on your profile as a proof of your tutoring skills and English Language Skills.Highlight your teaching specialty. It is important and will help you attract the right students.Provide a brief yet inspiring introduction of yourself and put up a nice, formal profile pictureSet your initial rates low because it is hard to find clients online when you are just starting out. Once you start getting clients, you can increase your rates depending on the number of hours you have worked.Reach out to your potential clients via proposals and bids. Provide them your sample work (it could be the course material you designed) or the feedback from your previous students. Give them a reason to choose you over other online tutors. Introduce yourself actively and prov ide them with details of your teacher certifications and academic background.And if your proposal or bid gets accepted, negotiate the timing and the hourly pay with your client (they could be the guardian of the students or the students themselves).In order to attract more students, promote your profile on social media.The online method mentioned above, is for those who want to do freelance tutoring. You can be a full-time freelance tutor or you can opt for other ways such as becoming a tutor at superprof with a large reputable community of students and tutors. ?Learn to to manage teaching students with dyslexia here.Some Tips for Online tutoringOne of the most innovative ways to earn is to set-up a system of passive income for yourself. Passive income is the income which you receive without having much work to do.You have to put some work at the start but when it is out there, you continue receiving money for it without having to work on it again.The number one example for it is cr eating English course material (in form of lecture videos usually) and uploading it on YouTube or websites like Udemy.Create a repute online by working from home. ( Image Source: Unsplash)You only have to put in work once, then you can sit back, advertise your course materials and attract students who are willing to watch your YouTube videos or buy your course material.This is one of the best ways to not only earn online but also to create a nice reputation in the online marketplace.Once you know you have a nice following of students/clients on either freelancing platform or on YouTube etc. you can set out to create your personal website and a personal blog to brag about the large number of online students you have.You can use your personal website as a third-party system to attract more students on your teaching profiles across the internet.Finding students to teach English does not end here. You can consider moving abroad too! There are many countries out there, which are looking for foreign English tutors to teach in their schools. Such countries also pay a hefty salary to foreign tutors and you will surely enjoy your life as an English tutor!

Is Brazil more than Football and Samba

Is Brazil more than Football and Samba Often times when Im traveling, people are surprised that Im from the United States. They have an idea, based on what theyve seen in movies and on television of what people from our country are supposed look like, act like, what we eat, and what we do. I always tell people that the United States is more like a collection of countries that speak the same language, with many different cultures.Ive been told that Brazil is similar in this respect its much more complicated than football, samba and Copa Cabana. The video we used for this listening exercise is about the diversity and complexity of Brazil. We hope youll learn something about both Brazil and English with it.This video has a rich academic language and even included a word I wasnt familiar with, putsch, another word for a coup. Enjoy!iframe width=560 height=315 src=//www.youtube.com/embed/z-yzTSrjkxc frameborder=0 allowfullscreen/iframe1. I think creating _______ and ______ is part of the human condition.2. How many slaves wer e brought to the United States? How many more slaves were taken to Brazil?3. Why was Brazil united when the Spanish empire was breaking up?4. How does language unite Brazil?5. You cant have a dictatorship in Brazil based on _____.6. Why did people need cheering up?7. Summarize his meaning of jeijoada.8. Brazilians will ______ for their democracy.Tell me a few things about your country that you feel the rest of the world misconceive or have prejudices about.nbsp;

Guiding Your Freshman in High School Toward Success

Guiding Your Freshman in High School Toward Success If your teen is about to begin high school, you may be concerned about the transition. High school, after all, brings higher academic expectations and is a significant time of change for most students as they grow into young adults. As a parent, how can you help your teen survive and thrive his or her first year of high school? Here are several tips: Get to know the support staff Establishing good advocacy relationships at the outset of high school will be important during the next four years. Encourage your teen to stop into the guidance counselor's office early on. If he or she feels a connection with a teacher, seek that teacher's advice and help. Your support will certainly be important throughout high school, but your teen should establish a team of individuals to whom he or she can turn throughout the high school years. Don't wait for help High school isn't easy for everyone-be sure your teen understands the long-term consequences of falling behind and poor grades, and knows that he or she can and should ask for help. While high school teachers expect students to be more independent, don't let your teen wrongly assume he or she shouldn't seek assistance during tough times. He or she should visit the teacher outside of class and get outside tutoring help if needed. Let your teen know you are there to help when he or she feels overwhelmed by a difficult subject or issue. Get organized If your teen isn't a naturally organized person, now is the time to improve those organizational skills. Help your teen set up a reliable system of keeping track of papers that come home. If he or she has a desk, teach him or her to keep it tidy and consistently put things in their proper place so that homework time is productive, not frazzled. Make sure your teen establishes a study routine and sticks to it. Work on time management Perhaps your teen has grown used you helping manage his or her time, giving frequent reminders about outside commitments, homework and project due dates, and the like. Let your teen take the reins now. Teach him or her to make use of a planner or calendar to stay on top of homework assignments, upcoming tests and other obligations-and plan ahead properly. Guide him or her on this early in high school, but let him or her take responsibility quickly. Remind your teen to prioritize High school is a new and exciting social scene for your teen, and there's no doubt he or she will want to explore it. This is fine, but remind your teen that school comes first. Hanging out with friends should not take precedent over homework, but with effective time management, your teen can have a social life and keep up with school. Teach him or her about prioritizing to-dos (what assignments should he or she tackle first?) and setting goals and rewarding him or herself for meeting them (Facebook time comes after math homework is done). High school is sure to bring many changes to your teen's life-and your entire household-but with your support and encouragement, your teen can make his or her freshman year a great one and lay a positive foundation for the next four years.

The Two Playgrounds of (1960) Santa Monica

The Two Playgrounds of (1960) Santa Monica It was always dark under there, old and strange, somehow feeling in itself like a living thing. The pilings are like an ancient forest breathing and moaning. Even a good distance from the shore the wet spray fills the air. The scariest parts of being under there are the people, the so called bums, winos, and hobos that reside under there. In some places   we saw areas that were totally furnished with carpets, a bed, pictures hanging on a piling, Home sweet home?   Some of these guys we knew, many were unfriendly, and especially to us kids and we had to be careful to keep our distance from most of them.However in the day time they were usually out scavenging for thrown out treasure’s or pan handling for wine money, so then we would have an uninterrupted path to the catwalk, which leads to the secret opening. I always hated the catwalk even more than the ride we have to enter, once we get in, because on the other side the hatch opens into one of those twirling rides, you know, round and round and round, ad-nauseam. Anyway, as we walk along the narrow shaky boards the catwalk rises higher and higher above the sea. Roaring waves below crash into broken pilings with ferocity. The catwalk was so old and rickety. Every time we did this I felt like I would fall right through one of those broken down boards that were holding us up. As we shuffled along, way up high and far from the shore in a place not many ever see, I wondered, again; “Is this worth it?” Finally, there it is the secret doorway to the top side of the huge pier. We crawl through the little hatch above us to the back end of that amusement park ride. As we crawled through we jump behind a group of tourist who had just given their tickets to the attendant out front. Following this crowd we enter a large round room with all the others. The room begins to spin around slowly. Then faster and faster, like some kind of endurance test for astronauts. As we stick to the wall the floor lowers until we are all up in the air. Not my favorite park ride, but it is the one we had to go through in order to get into the amusement park. Today is no different than any other day walking out of that spinning room,   I head to a trash can because I’m about to get sick. The reward for all this; we are in the middle of Pacific Ocean Park!   The bright sunlight and laughter, fun rides, the smell of hot dogs and caramel corn , the exact opposite of where we just came from, the dark underbelly of the gigantic pier, a very different kind of amusement park below. But for us local kids, both were free! And of course our usual playground was the one below. But not on this day . Man did we have fun!