Tips to Reinvigorate Your Childs School Attitude Over Holiday Break

Tips to Reinvigorate Your Child’s School Attitude Over Holiday Break Its holiday break, a welcome pause from school and extracurricular responsibilities for your child. While most children look forward to the chance to relax and unwind,Eileen Huntington, Co-founder and CEOof Huntington Learning Center reminds parents that holiday break is also a good time to gear up for a great second half of the school year. If your child has gotten off to a rocky start or just wants to maintain momentum in the spring semester, holiday break is the time to reset and refresh,Huntington says. How can parents help their children recharge their mental batteries and finish the year strong? Here are several tips: Look back at goals set in the fall. If your child established goals at the start of the school year, revisit them now. Is your child on track to achieve some of the things he or she set out to do at the start of the year? What has gone well and what could go better? Talk about any previously set goals that need adjusting. Set new goals. A new semester might mean new classes and certainly means new opportunities for your child to develop and learn. Have an open discussion about what your child wants to achieve in the remainder of the school year. Raise a grade? Work on his or her organization? Procrastinate less? Whatever the goals, encourage your child to lay out how he or she intends to work toward them. Ask, What have you learned? Talk about what challenges arose in the fall semester and how your child overcame them, and any other meaningful experiences that had an impact. Remind your child that every failure means your child has learned something important. Where did your child become stronger as a result of overcoming something difficult? Fine tune any study habits. Many children take a little time to acclimate to a new school year, so now that youre several months in, consider what your child could use to improve any study or organizational habits like planner maintenance or the morning or homework routine. This holiday break, make sure your child enjoys time with family and catches up on some relaxation, but dont forget to take time to reflect on the last few months and set a positive tone for the rest of the year. The start of a new year is an ideal time for both parents and children to get into a good frame of mind to make necessary adjustments, she says. If your child has things he or she wants to fix or just wants to stay on the same upward trajectory, sit down and make a plan together wherein your child takes initiative and you offer your support. For more tips on how to keep your child on a positive path for the remainder of the year, contact Huntington at1-800-CAN-LEARN.

Why I Volunteer - Rebecca Ds Story

Why I Volunteer - Rebecca D's Story Meet Rebecca D, one of Tutorfair’s very own VIVs (Very Important Volunteers). Rebecca is about to begin the TeachFirst Leadership Development Programme in September 2016, and in the run up to her teacher training volunteered for Tutorfair, Southside Young Leader Academy and Stretch Academy. We help her tell the rest of her story below. Rebecca wasn’t quite sure what to expect on her first day at the Southside Young Leader's Academy, and walking into a room full of lively students on a Saturday morning was more than a little overwhelming. However, according to Rebecca, practicing her teaching skills with both TeachFirst’s School Orientation Experience (SOE) and as a volunteer with Tutorfair were valuable, one-of-a-kind experiences. “SOE was great to observe lessons,” she said, “but the Tutorfair programme gave me real hands on experience . . . which was really helpful, especially the subject sessions in small groups.” Rebecca took this training and ran with it, building tutoring plans for the “Gifted and Talented” students at Stretch Academy, and helping Southside Young Leaders with their literacy skills. SA and SYLA respectively target low-income students and young black boys. As a future teacher, Rebecca found working with these hardworking, but often overlooked pupils the most useful part of her experience. “Working at the Stretch Academy gave me tips on how to challenge . . . students, while SYLA gave me insight [into] differentiating work for a mixed-ability group,” she explained. “[In general, being a volunteer] gives the chance to understand the issues facing the students, [and] the experience let me appreciate how imaginative you have to be to keep students engaged!” We’re ecstatic that Rebecca found her time with us as a volunteer  both practical and enjoyable, and clearly Rebecca is, too: “[I] would recommend [the program] to anyone!” Thanks, Rebecca! If you're a tutor, teacher or an aspiring educator looking to make a difference, visit the  Tutorfair Foundation  to find out how you can join the future of tutoring.

How to Stand Out as a Scholarship Applicant

How to Stand Out as a Scholarship Applicant Image via Isorepublic.com Follow directions and ensure you are qualified It’s amazing the number of applications that are disqualified because the applicant did not follow the directions or the prompt (or because they missed the due date!). Not answering the prompt completely can cause you to miss out on the award! This mistake can easily be avoided if you take a few extra minutes to read the prompt and ensure that your essay responds to everything the prompt asks you. If it helps you, make it into a checklist and check off questions as you address them in your essay. That way, you will know exactly what the instructions are asking of you, and you know that you’ve answered all of them. Also, applications can be discarded when the applicant is not qualified. For example, if the scholarship award is only for graduate students, don’t apply for it if you are not a graduate student. Don’t waste your time applying for a scholarship that you are not qualified for. Instead, spend that time searching for a scholarship award that you ARE qualified for. These are simple mistakes that can be avoided if you only spend a few extra minutes making sure that you’ve responded to the prompt entirely and that you are eligible for the award. Submit a unique essay It’s tempting to submit the same essay to multiple scholarship applications, but I would encourage against this. Using the same essay for multiple competitions is a risky move. Instead, take the time to tailor each essay for the specific prompt. When you submit a unique essay, it will show that you are passionate about the subject, and it will impress the scholarship application judges. You will stand out among those who used the same essay for multiple competitions. For this reason, submit a unique essay each time you enter a scholarship competition. Yes, it requires extra effort, but it is well worth it. Have someone else review your essay Whenever you write something, it’s a good idea to get someone else to read it over, too. Sometimes, we get so used to reading our own writing that we overlook some minor mistakes we make. But if you have someone else reading your work, they will catch these mistakes and will give you feedback to improve your essay. Also, they might give you some ideas that you might not have thought of on your own. Go to your school’s writing center or ask your English professor to double check your essay. Their feedback will be very valuable and will increase your chances of winning the award. Submit it (and start writing it) earlier, not later It’s not always true that your chances of winning a scholarship essay contest will increase if you submit your essay earlier. Still, it’s definitely worth the extra effort to get your application in earlier rather than later. It will give you peace of mind and relief to know that your application has already been turned in. It will even give you more time to look for the next scholarship essay contest to enter! Starting it early is a good idea, too. The earlier you start writing the essay, the more time you have to craft a unique essay. You need time to write a winning essay, and starting earlier will give you that time. You won’t need to modify an existing essay you already have, because you will have time to tailor an entirely new essay to this specific contest prompt. Submitting your scholarship essay earlier rather than later might not increase your chances of winning, but it will give you great relief. The same goes for beginning the essay writing process earlier. Scholarships are a common way for students to pay off their college tuition. However, the scholarship application process can be a bit tricky, especially if an essay is involved. Still, as long as you give yourself enough time, have someone else proofread the essay, and follow all the directions, you have a good chance at standing out as a scholarship applicant.

7 Great Careers For Extroverts

7 Great Careers For Extroverts Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels Guidance Counselor The next job on the list is that of guidance counselor. Guidance counselors definitely need to be recharged by being around people because they spend their days working in schools, surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of kids every day. Beyond being surrounded by students, it is a guidance counselor’s job to connect with them to help guide them to where they need to be. A guidance counselor’s job has many parts to it. On one hand, guidance counselors help students to navigate the day to day of their academic careers. What classes do they need to take and why? But hearing a student’s feedback and what they feel and want for their academic schedule is also important. If a student feels like they are struggling or like a course holds no interest for them, that is important information for a guidance counselor to know. But if a guidance counselor has not gained the trust of a student, will they be told that information? Guidance counselors also have to step in if a student is struggling or having a hard time, whether that be at school or at home. The only way to get to the bottom of a situation is to connect with students so that they feel safe enough to tell the guidance counselor what is going on. By forging relationships with the students, they are better able to do their jobs and protect their charges. In the same way, guidance counselors needs to be able to connect with and effectively communicate with other staff and faculty members to help provide a safe and nurturing environment for students and provide them with the best care possible. A guidance counselor’s overall objective is to help guide students to success, mentally, emotionally, physically, and academically. Politician A politician is no politician without an entire community of people around them. This includes their team, their donors, their fellow politicians, and most especially their constituents. First, a politician has to have a strong team around them. It takes a village, right?   Politicians and their teams work long and hectic hours where their every action counts. A politician has to really trust their team, but even more than that, they have to really connect with their team in order to inspire the passion and devotion that a truly dedicated team has. Politicians also need to be able to network and hobnob with the best of them in order to get the support of important people in their community as well as sweep in the donations that they need in order to fund their platform or campaign. Without these people, politicians would be out of a jobâ€"literally. Then a politician has to be able to work with their fellow politicians. How else will they be able to achieve their agenda, pass legislation, or create change as a politician is supposed to do? They have to find like minded politicians and team up with them in order to achieve their goals. Finally, a politician has to be able to connect with their constituents. In the end, constituents are what get a politician elected and placed into office. Without the vote, a politician has very little chance of achieving office. Then, to stay in office, politicians have to keep their constituents happy and satisfied. A huge part of that is making sure that they feel heard and that their needs are being meant. Being relatable, reachable, and within reach are the core of what being a politician is. And if being around and connecting with people drains you rather than recharges you, it might not be the best fit for you. Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels Teacher Like a guidance counselor, a teacher has to work with dozens, if not hundreds, of students every day. That is a lot of interaction, a lot of communication, and a lot of connection going on. The teachers that people always remember the best are the ones that went out of their way to take time for their students and who really forged a strong and powerful connection with them. It can take a lot out of a person to create this kind of relationship, not to mention this kind of relationship with all of your students. It may not even be possible for you to do so, and all you can do is try to make sure your students learn what they need to, feel supported, and have the most opportunities to succeed that you can provide them with. To do their jobs effectively, teachers need to be able to work with their fellow teachers and school staff to help create an effective and safe network for their students. Teaching is a lot more about teamwork than many people realize on the surface and these relationships with your peers can be what gets you through a particularly rough day with your students. While teachers do get summer and winter breaks in order to step away from their responsibilities and recharge themselves in isolation, a teacher will quickly burn out if those are the only times they can recharge. Photographer Another great career path for those who identify as extroverted is a photographer. In some respects, photography is great for introverts. You spend hours coming up with concepts, selecting images, editing them, and more. But what you choose to photograph is key in what makes this job really good for either extroverts or introverts. If you do landscape or animal photography, even still life that does not require human subjects, then the opportunity is really great for introverts who can keep themselves separate when they want or need to. However, if you prefer to shoot human subjects, whether they be events or just posed concept shoots or candids, being able to connect with your subject is a really important part of getting a good shot. When your model feels comfortable with you, the more likely it will be that they will photograph well. They open up to their photographers, whose job it is to capture a little bit of their subject’s soul in each shot. Making your subject feel comfortable with you makes your art just a little bit closer to what you might want it to be. Finding the right career path is so important! A career is what you (hopefully) will be spending your life doing, so you want to make sure you are as happy as possible. You do not want to be stressed or drained by your job. Instead, you want to be reinvigorated by it. Discovering careers that really make you feel fulfilled is the key to a happy and healthy life, so be sure to keep this checklist of potential careers for extroverts handy as you work towards figuring it all out!

Kivu International School

Kivu International School Kivu International School Set to open in September 2017, Kivu International School is a bilingual, co-educational, non-denominational school located in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Serving the local population of Goma, Kivu International School offers both a dual IB and national curriculum.Situated on scenic Lake Kivu, one of Africas Great Lakes, Kivu International School overlooks a vast expanse of green-terraced hills, palm-fringed beaches and mountains. The innovative school offers state-of-the-art facilities (the first of its kind in the DRC) and an international curriculum rivaling that of top schools worldwide. Each classroom is wifi enabled, equipped with computers and tablets and runs on solar and electric energy.Kivu International School was co-founded and funded by Bismack Biyombo, Orlando Magic NBA player and Right to Play global athlete ambassador. It marks the first of three new international schools being built over the coming years that aim to address the various economic and sociocult ural barriers to education currently facing children in the DRC.To deliver on its goal of providing a world-class education for students, Kivu International School is currently seeking a number of qualified, experienced and enthusiastic teachers, across a variety of subjects, for a unique opportunity to help make a real difference in the lives of children in the DRC.At Teach Away, our core mission is to create a world where every student experiences the power of a great teacher and realizes their full potential because of it. As a result, we are excited to be working with Kivu International School to recruit, on a pro bono basis, qualified teachers that can help support this inspiring new education initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Kivu International School - Mission and ValuesA place for learning and discovery, Kivu international School is shaped by its core values:Foster personal developmentOffer a space for education and learningPromote environmental awarenessEmbrace technologyThrough exemplary teaching and learning that meets worldwide standards in international and multilingual education, Kivu International School commits itself to preparing each and every student to develop the intellectual, creative, cultural, social, emotional and physical competencies needed for future success and leadership.Kivu International School encourages students to become engaged and responsible citizens. By equipping each student with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to their countrys development, Kivu International School aims to help build a peaceful future and improve conditions for both local and global communities.Finally, Kivu International School will ensure students are provided with a quality education that facilitates entry into higher education institutions at home in the DRC as well as top universities overseas. View our Brochure

4 Things College Prep Students Should do This Fall

4 Things College Prep Students Should do This Fall Tips From an Irvine College Prep Tutor: 4 Things College Prep Students Should do Before Thanksgiving Break College prep students have adjusted back to classroom activities and are well on their way to completing important tasks that will help them successfully apply to college. Its good for students to have a list of things to complete each month, so they stay on track and dont miss any important deadlines. Although Thanksgiving break seems worlds away, its not that far and students who have goals to meet by that point in the year should start thinking about it now. Whether students are focused on prepping for college entrance exams or studying for AP classes, nows the time to be prepared our private Irvine college prep tutors are here to get you into college. 1. AP courses Students in 10th through 12th grade are probably taking advanced placement courses to help them apply to college and receive college credit before they even start their first day on campus. AP courses are tons of work and take up a lot of a student’s time, so its important that they feel comfortable they are on track to get a 3 or higher on their test the following May. If students aren’t doing as well as they could in any given AP course, theyre encouraged to join a study group or start working with a one-on-one tutor so they can study more efficiently and go over difficult concepts. 2. College entrance exams By Thanksgiving, many students will have already taken their SAT or ACT and may even have their overall scores. Students should compare their scores with the average accepted student at several universities they plan to apply to next fall to see if they qualify. Students who would like to gain a few extra points can arrange to retake their entrance exam in the spring and start working with an expert SAT or ACT tutor to work on any weak areas. Many students gain 100 or more points just by learning how to beat each section of the exam (READ: 8 Reasons Applicants Fail to Get Into the College of their Choice). 3. Organization Maintaining excellent organization is an essential key to success when it comes to the college prep years. Many students let their organization fall by the wayside during the first few weeks of school because their mind is still on summer break. However, if students are falling off track by Thanksgiving, they should take this as an opportunity to get back on top of things and take care of any details that need attention. This may include signing up for the SAT, improving grades in AP courses, arranging volunteer hours, scheduling a campus visit, or choosing a list of colleges to apply to. 4. Selecting colleges and universities Sophomore and junior year are excellent times to schedule campus visits and start thinking about the best options for applications. By the end of sophomore year, students will have an idea of what their GPA will be when it comes time to apply, and theyll have an idea of some subjects that might interest them as potential career fields but they probably wont know exactly what it is they want to major in or specific elements of colleges that will benefit them in the long run. The best way to get an idea of the best colleges is to visit the campus in person and meet some current students. Most colleges provide opportunities for students to take official tours or simply walk around the campus at their leisure. College visits are an essential part of the application process, and Thanksgiving break is a great time to start thinking about scheduling these tours and finding a good time to visit and do further research. Our Irvine college prep tutoring has a 97% success rate. Call us today to learn more. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

UTD Teaching Professors Offer Numerous Courses

UTD Teaching Professors Offer Numerous CoursesThe Economics Department offers a wide range of programs and online teaching opportunities for those with a true love for the subject. Whether you have experience in the field or are just trying to get better, this course is a good place to start.UT Dallas offers a number of tutoring opportunities that can be a good way to get hands-on experience for those who would like to pursue a PhD. UTD has many online departments such as The School of Business, The College of Management, The School of Nursing, The School of Pharmacy, and The College of Science & Engineering. All of these departments offer excellent education and experience in the field.In addition to all of the above, the Economics Department has other excellent options for students who would like to earn their master's degree in the field. There are many universities in the United States offering masters degrees in economics, but UTD has one of the most distinguished department s. It offers classes on general economic theory, micro and macroeconomics, financial economics, public finance, and production economics.Students who would like to obtain a master's degree in economics can choose from a number of different master's degree programs offered by UTD. These include economics, management, and international economics, as well as Ph.D. The Master of Science in Economics is an important step toward getting a PhD in economics.Students should consider UTD as a destination university if they wish to obtain a doctorate in economics. They will find a large number of PhD program options available. Students may choose from graduate programs in business, finance, and management. Those students interested in medical school should consider studying at UTD as well.Many students pursuing a PhD in economics will often attend graduate school in another city. This is where they will find that their interests are met in UTD. Many students choose to go to graduate school in either Chicago or New York. Regardless of where they choose to go, they will find that the economics department offers unique learning experiences that help them to obtain a master's degree.Students considering earning a PhD at UTD will find that it is a wonderful option for those who want to combine their teaching responsibilities with the research process. They will learn more about what is going on in the field while studying economics. Economics is a very dynamic field and knowing the latest research findings in economics will be of great value to anyone seeking a career in the field.