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Ode to My Manhattan Beach English Tutor

March 29th, 2016

We have been there. You know your student is bright, and you know they’re trying their best, but that just doesn’t translate when you or their teachers read their work. You can tell they have the right idea, but that idea is hidden behind incorrect spelling, poor grammar, and sentence structure that even you know is wrong. Whether they need help outlining an essay, drafting a presentation or just editing their final project paper, a Manhattan Beach English tutor at Study Hut is here for them.

A Study Hut English tutor is itching to help out your student. Having been through countless writing blocks of college-level research papers, essays, and even dreaded poetic prose projects ourselves, we understand what your child is going through. The process is sometimes overwhelming. Sometimes you think, “Well, I’m good at math, so I’m just not going to get English.” Not true. They don’t have to win the Pulitzer Prize to be considered a good writer! Each Manhattan Beach English Tutor at Study Hut believes every student can get to a point in their writing skills where they feel comfortable with any English work they produce.

Manhattan Beach English Tutor

In the classroom, memorization is king. Writing itself is a very singular process, and when they are assigned a take-home essay suddenly they are on their own to apply what they learned in school. Having a one-on-one English tutor will make writing assignments less daunting. They now have someone to bounce their ideas off of, and share their drafts with no judgment. We want to help build a solid foundation of writing skills for your student to be able to write well in any situation.

We will sit down with your student and do a quick diagnostic of what they need. Once we know where the problem is, we go to work! A session in action looks like two peers discussing ideas, rephrasing, questioning to get to a deeper analysis—it’s honestly quite fun.

Thankfully, we have English tutors at every Study Hut office.

Contact your local Study Hut today!

Manhattan Beach History Tutor

March 17th, 2016

So many people struggle with history in school! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had students come in struggling in their history class and in search of help. As a Manhattan Beach history tutor, I hate hearing this from new students and do everything I can to make the class more enjoyable. I do my absolute best to bring a level of excitement to the subject that they clearly are not getting from their teacher.

Many people see history as nothing but a bunch of meaningless facts that only vaguely relate to one another. As a Manhattan Beach history tutor, it is my job to string all of these “meaningless facts” together into a cohesive story that the student can become engaged in. I find that even if the student does not end up loving history as much as I do, they generally find the class much easier and are able to do well in the class. All of this begins to happen when the students begin to realize that all of those little facts that they found so frustrating before beginning tutoring simply make sense once integrated into an engaging story. Sometimes getting to this point is more difficult, but from my experience just about everyone can do very well in history as long as the information is presented in an engaging manner.

 

Manhattan Beach History Tutor

Over the past two years that I have been working as a Manhattan Beach history tutor I have helped countless students overcome the seemingly insurmountable task of receiving an A in their history class or achieve a 5 on their AP exam. Seeing my students succeed in their history classes is a wonderful feeling but the best is when I can inspire some appreciation of the truly delightful subject that is history.

Redondo Beach AP Biology Tutor

March 15th, 2016

AP Biology, like many AP classes, contains a LARGE load of material. Each test is composed of what could be considered a midterm or final in another class. Here are some memory tricks for one section from a Redondo Beach AP Biology Tutor.

Memory Tricks for Transcription and Translation

Transcription and Translation are the two steps to the central dogma in Biology. They are the two parts of the process that codes genes into proteins-turning the blueprint into the 3D building, if you will.

Redondo Beach AP Biology Tutor

Memory Trick #1:

Transcription means to take what is spoken and turn it into a written account. It is taking something of the same language and changing its form. Similarly, in biology, transcription is the process of changing the form of the thing, while keeping it the same language. What I mean by that is that DNA and RNA are both built from nucleotides (nucleotides=the language) though they are in different forms (DNA=double stranded helix, RNA=single strand).

Transcription

Translation means to change the language. Similarly in biology, translation is taking something from one language (nucleotides) to another (amino acids) in turning RNA to a protein.

Translation

Memory Trick #2:

After transcription, the mRNA goes through a few steps before it leaves the nucleus to find a ribosome and be translated. One of the steps is ‘splicing’ where parts of the mRNA are removed, and only the important section is left. Here’s the trick: EXons are the important part of the mRNA…they are the part that EXits the nucleus. the INtrons are the part that are removed…they are the part that stay IN the nucleus.

Memory Trick #3:

For more great tricks like this, come to Study Hut in Redondo Beach and work with an esteemed AP Biology tutor! Many of our tutors had not only taken biology, but have taken advanced biology classes in college and can provide support and explanations for concepts in AP Bio that have been skimmed over/raced through!

Pen Scholar Quiz 2016

March 13th, 2016

Here we go, Pen Scholar Quiz 2016!

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School is once again gearing up for its annual Scholar Quiz tournament. Just like last year, there is a fun twist: faculty and students are both allowed to compete! There are 21 teams of students and faculty who will compete to take home the title of Pen Scholar Quiz 2016 Champions. Last year’s winners were a team of seniors called the “Anti-Smelly Trees,” who will not be present to defend their titles.

Pen Scholar Quiz 2016

Last Year’s Champs

The Premise

The Pen Scholar Quiz 2016 has teams of four students or faculty members compete in Jeopardy-style rounds of questions called Lightning Rounds, Toss Up Questions, and Bonus Rounds that contain questions on a wide variety of topics. The game consists of two teams of four students or faculty each, a Reader, a Judge, and a Scorer.

How does it work?

Participants can expect questions ranging from academic subjects, like Geometry and Algebra or Chemistry to pop culture and famous quotations. When a question is posed, the first team to raise a placard is given the opportunity to answer. If they answer incorrectly, the opposing team is given an opportunity to answer the same question. A Toss Up question, which can be answered by either team, can lead to a Bonus Round if answered correctly. In Bonus Rounds, the team that answered the Toss Up question correctly is given the chance to answer four questions regarding one topic, each worth five points for a potential of twenty extra points. Teammates are allowed to work together to present their answer. During Lightning Rounds, the teams are given ten questions in quick succession, with each team being allowed to answer only once. If a question is answered incorrectly, points are deducted.

When is it?

On Monday, March 14th, the faculty teams will compete to determine which faculty team will advance to the finals. From Thursday, March 17th until Wednesday March 23rd, student teams will compete to advance to the finals. The exciting final round will be held on Friday, March 25th, pitting the winning student against the winning faculty team to determine who will be the Scholar Quiz Champions of 2016. The victorious team will be presented with a grand prize of $840!

Pen Scholar Quiz 2016

If you are looking to lend a hand, email justin@studyhut.com. He can help set you up with the right people to get involved.

Best of luck to all participating teams: may the odds be ever in your favor.

A Study Hut Writing Session

March 10th, 2016

Study Hut can provide more than subject tutoring. In a Study Hut writing session, our expert, college educated tutors can boost a student’s writing skills. Writing is an essential skill that must be comprehended in order to have success in a higher level of learning.  It is also an important tool that helps an individual express themselves with text.  Like all skills, writing, must be practiced in order for one to be great at it.

 

During a Study Hut writing session, that very idea of practice is stressed. Often, the appointment will start with exercises dealing with strengthening vocabulary because building a strong vocabulary is necessary to be a good writer. This might include reading something new, finding synonyms/antonyms for given words, writing definitions, or filling in the blank with the appropriate word provided particular clues. These exercises are important because a diverse vocabulary illustrates an individual who is well versed and can express themselves clearly.

 

Next, the tutor may show the student examples of graded essays. Together, they will analyze the essay, critiquing the essay as a teacher would, so the student learns to be an active editor.  This also shows the student what good, bad, and mediocre essays look like so they can get an idea of what to utilize and what habits to avoid.     

 

This could be followed by a writing practice. The student is asked to respond to a prompt provided by the tutor. This activity can range from focusing on writing a proper thesis statement, to organizing a paper from intro/body/conclusion, depending on the time allowed with a certain student and their needs.  

 

Overrall, in a Study Hut writing session there is an unwavering focus on technique and organization that will enhance the student’s ability to respond to prompts that will help them in all facets of writing.

A Study Hut Writing Session

An Hour in the Life of a Manhattan Beach Spanish Tutor

March 8th, 2016

First Steps

During the first session it is important to establish the areas in which the student needs help the most as well as to reassure them that Spanish is not impossible and is something that can be attained through practice. In this first session, it’s important to discern the student’s learning style and objectives. It is equally as important to express our enthusiasm for Spanish. Each Manhattan Beach Spanish Tutor has not only excelled in the subject, but has found an appreciation for the language that we hope to communicate to our students.

Specific Targets

The next step is to ask questions about the curriculum, what they are learning at the moment, and which concepts they struggle with the most if they indeed have problems. Your Manhattan Beach Spanish Tutor is not here to teach the student what we think is important. While we can mix this into the lessons, the key is to help the student excel in their class. So teaching in line with their current teacher’s lessons, but approaching it in a new way, is essential. If they tell me specific lessons in grammar that they do not understand I will go over the lesson and explain it in my own way, in simpler terms, so that the student can understand.

Benefit of the One-on-One Model

I then will give them several examples relating to what we are discussing so that they can fully understand how a certain verbs are conjugated, how certain tenses work, and whatever rules in grammar they have trouble coming to terms with. If they continue struggle grasping the lesson, I will continue to go over the given tense or whatever concept we are looking at until they fully understand it. Then I will give them sample questions relating to the lesson for them to conjugate or answer appropriately. Your Manhattan Beach Spanish Tutor will stay on the concept until he or she is confident that the student fully understands it. With our attention solely focused on the one student, we can ensure that their needs are met.

Beyond the Hour

Afterward, I’ll give the student online resources so that they can review the lesson at home as well as test what they learned through quizzes my resources provide them. These resources contain explanations and examples so that they can continue their lessons daily so that when they see me again, they will have a better understanding and can move on to more complex ideas. Manhattan Beach Spanish Tutors are here to make sure that our students are better prepared to tackle new material. We provide skills and tools to make our students stronger, more independent students.

 

We are here to help! Call 310-546-2408 or email us at Kristen@studyhut.com to meet one of our excellent Manhattan Beach Spanish tutors!

PV Scholar Quiz 2016

March 6th, 2016

Are you ready with all your random Jeopardy knowledge and facts? You’d better be ready; PV Scholar Quiz 2016: Scholars Awaken is coming to Palos Verdes High School in just one short week! To spice up this year’s tournament, students and faculty are both allowed to create teams to compete to be named the PV Scholar Quiz Champions of 2016. With 69 teams initially signed up for the Quiz, 68 have advanced to the final March Madness tournament. This year, Team Sorry will be seeking revenge for their loss to last year’s winners who graduated. Students Duncan Reid, Brian Kaufman, Matt Donahue, and Austin Rule make up the formidable Team Sorry.

How does it work?

You’ve seen the TV quiz show Jeopardy, right? Contestants answer questions in different categories, have a certain amount of time to give their answer, and win points for each correct answer? That’s the one! In the Scholar Quiz, teams of four faculty or students answer questions in three different formats: Lightning Rounds, Toss Up Questions, and Bonus Rounds. Any question asked can be on any number of different topics, no matter the format. In a single match, there are two teams of four students or faculty each, a Reader, a Judge, and a Scorer.

Contestants can expect to see both academic questions, like English or United States History, and more fun or random categories, such as famous quotations or music. Each team is given a placard to raise in order to pose an answer to a question. The first team to raise their placard has the first opportunity to answer the question. The rival team is given an opportunity to answer the same question if the first team fails to answer the question correctly. Either team can answer a Toss Up question, which will lead to a Bonus Round for the team who answers it correctly first. During the Bonus Round, this team is given an opportunity to answer four questions on one central topic, each worth five points for a bonus of up to twenty points for that team. In a Lightning Round, ten questions are given rapid fire to both teams. Each team is only allowed to answer once, but are penalized for questions answered incorrectly. Unlike Jeopardy, where individuals compete with only their own knowledge to support them, teammates are allowed to work together in the Scholar Quiz.

When is it?

PV Scholar Quiz 2016 will take place from March 7th to March 14th. Student teams will compete amongst themselves as will the faculty teams to determine the top teams in those categories. The highly anticipated final round will be held on March 14th to determine the real winners of the Scholar Quiz: students or faculty. But wait…there’s more! The winners will take home a minimum $1000 cash scholarship! Good luck to all contestants and teams – may the F = ma be with you.

PV Scholar Quiz 2016

Applied Concepts: Common Core in Real Life

March 3rd, 2016

It is post- finals here in Newport Beach and you know what that means: time for a fresh start! New chapters, new lessons, and a ton of new material in our various courses. As we dive in here at Study Hut Newport Beach, our students start to wonder WHY all of this information is relevant. “After the test I’m not going to need to remember this,” they say. “Where will I find Common Core in real life?”

Common Core in Real Life

Well, the past couple weeks of tutoring sessions have been all about relating our school concepts to those of daily life. Applying concepts like Common Core Math, Chemistry, Biology– you name it!–can be tough. Our tutoring sessions relate these subjects to a better understanding of the world around us.

In Chemistry, Newport students have been working on papers and powerpoints exposing each of the Elements of the Periodic Table. Students found that Hydrogen contributes to plant fertilizers in gardens, while Nitrogen plays a part in cleaning supplies.

In Common Core Math, high school students are struggling with graphing piece- wise equations, but find it helpful to conceptualize these sporadic values with examples such as, test grades, or job wages. Common Core in real life is not only present, but extremely relevant.

In Biology, students are not simply memorizing cell terminology on notecards, but more importantly they are putting vocabulary into their own words. For example DNA is “the instruction manual of the human body.”

All in all, we have been working hard the past few weeks to make sense of the material their teachers are throwing at us. Not only does it help on quizzes and tests for students to understand these topics in their own manner, but it also reminds them that what they are learning now will help them down the road.

SAT 2 Prep: how to prepare

March 2nd, 2016

Once a student has figured out the appropriate test dates, the next key step is the actual test prep process for SAT 2 prep.

The first bit of advice is to sign-up to take free diagnostic exams in all the subjects that the student plans on taking.

Afterwards, the parents and student will want to set up a free 30-minute consultation to analyze the score report in detail and receive any further recommendations.  The student’s diagnostic score with their college ambitions will be the two most influential factors in determining how much time will need to go into the prep.

DSC_0157

Typically, a student will want to begin the 1-on-1 tutoring process around two months before the actual real test date.  This crucial aspect in the test prep process confirms the student is continually hitting their benchmarks.

To ensure the student is tracking properly, it is important for parents to get feedback every two weeks of prep and after each diagnostic exam.  If a student is not hitting their benchmarks then it is essential to schedule another free 30-minute consultation with the parent, student, and manager in order for everyone to get back on track.

The last step in preparing for the SAT II Subject Exams is every student should register for two consecutive official exam dates, such as May and then also June.

Most students will see a natural score increase on their second try.

By planning on taking two exams (back-to-back) it allows the student the opportunity to work on his or her weaknesses in the month in-between the exams dates.

Every student should prepare to take two test dates for the Subject Exams.

To monitor if a student is retaining the material from the 1-on-1 lessons it is highly recommended that he or she takes at least one diagnostic exam per month during their training.