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Study Hut Tutoring: Making the team stronger

April 3rd, 2011

My favorite part of tutoring at Study Hut is working with the students. However, my second favorite thing is working with the other tutors. Knowledge and experience is integral to the job, but Rob and Sean only hire people who are friendly, positive, and play well with others. This is good for our students, but it’s also good for us – the same traits that make us good tutors also make us good friends and coworkers.

Once a week we all try to meet after work to play a few hands of poker. It’s a fun time with nice people, and some of these guys are pretty good at it, too. All that work that goes into teaching AP probabilities and statistics apparently lends itself really well to counting odds on the fly.

After awhile, we’re not just playing cards with our coworkers; we’re playing cards with our friends. And that means that we’re going to work with our friends, too. All this adds up to a learning environment that is vibrant, fun, and full of people who know and trust each other. We know implicitly that we can rely on one another to pick up the slack when needed, and together deal with the most challenging problems any school can possibly throw at us.

West LA feelin’ the Hut

March 29th, 2011

This blog goes out to all the Hut peeps and all the potential Hut peeps that live in West LA and surrounding areas. At Study Hut, we’ve been shocked at how many new parents and students have been calling our brand new El Segundo office from towns other than El Segundo. Specifically, Westchester, Playa del Rey, West LA proper, and Hawthorne have been feeling the Hut. The buzz has been awesome on the internet, where many current clients and new clients alike have been clicking on www.studyhut.com to learn more about our services, and to set up tutoring appointments in El Segundo.

Just this morning, we signed up two new students. The first is a young man in the 5th grade from Eucalyptus Elementary in Hawthorne. I spoke to his mother on the phone, and he needed a tutor to help him with math concepts, and also with science tutoring. The second new student needed help with advanced algebra at Westchester High School. The mother really liked that our tutors are young and local, and she liked that many of us have degrees from Loyola Marymount University.

I am officially announcing our first blog promotion. The first parent or student from St. Bernard High School in Playa del Rey to call the El Segundo Study Hut for tutoring (310-648-8526) will get two free hour-long tutoring sessions. We can tutor almost any subject, and we are looking to spread some positive vibes at St. Bernard, since two of our best students ever used to drive all the way to our Manhattan Beach location back in the day. Best of luck to everyone!

You Are Not the Subjects You Study

March 28th, 2011

As a parent, you know that your child is a complex individual, full of surprises. You know their dreams and aspirations, their fears and dislikes, what influences and what motivates them. You know that though they may grow bored at school, frustrated with teachers or affected by their peers, that if someone could find the key to tap into your child’s potential they would shine as brightly as they do in your eyes. It is this uniqueness that we try to cultivate. There are a few special ingredients that make Study Hut such a sweet place to learn and one of them is that we recognize each student’s individuality. Tutors are paired students that allow us to foster genuine connections and have a real positive influence. That’s why we enjoy being tutors. While many of our tutors can teach multiple subjects, Study Hut takes the time to place students according to their personality and ambitions. Seeing our students strive for the same goals we’ve have sought to attain inspires us and we pass this inspiration onto our students.
A real understanding of who your child is also helps us tutor more effectively. Biology becomes a basketball team, physics becomes skate boarding and statistics becomes the probability the Lakers will win the championship (100%, of course!) Students are no longer just another face in a sea of students but part of the Study Hut family. Every child learns differently, and relates differently. Parents know this for their children; tutors should know this for their students. We don’t just teach a child, we teach your child.

Balancing Equations in El Segundo

March 28th, 2011

El Segundo High School students that need chemistry tutoring are in luck. Study Hut tutoring in El Segundo is going to get you going where you want to go. We are experts in every subject, with tutors who’s knowledge is and teaching style is tailored to each of the students who come in for subject help and test prep. Take a look at this breakdown from Andy, our UCLA bio/chem major who dominates science like nobodies business (but ours!):

Sometimes balancing chemical equations is easy….unfortunately it can also be
a nightmare! When all else fails there is one way to balance an equation that will
always work; with ALGEBRA! Who ever said learning math wasn’t useful?

To solve balance chemical equations using algebra start by assigning a variable
to each part of the reaction. For example if we had the unbalanced equation

NaHCO2 + C6H8O7 ——-> CO2 + H2O + Na3C6H5O7

First we assign a value of 1 as the coefficient of the first compound. We then give
letter designations to the other coefficients.

(1)NaHCO2 + (A)C6H8O7 ——-> (B)CO2 + (C)H2O + (D)Na3C6H5O7

Now we can establish relationships between the variables based on the different
atoms.

Sodium: 1=3D
Hydrogen: 1 + 8A = 2C + 5D
Carbon: 1 + 6A= B + 6D
Oxygen: 2 + 7A = 2B + C + 7D

Now we solve these equations starting with Sodium

1=3D ——–> D=1/3

We then plug D=1/3 into the Hydrogen and Oxygen equations and solve for C
and B respectively:

1 + 8A = 2C + 5D ———> C = 4A – 1/3

1 + 6A = B + 6D ———–> B = 6A -1

Finally if we put these into the Oxygen equation we can solve for A:

2 + 7A = 2B + C + 7D ———–> 2 + 7A = 2(6A-1) + (4A-1/3) + 7(1/3)

This give A = 2/9. Now we can go back to Hydrogen and Oxygen and solve for C
and D.

C = 4A – 1/3 —–> 4(2/9) – 1/3 = C
C = 5/9
B = 6A -1 ——–> 6(2/9) -1 = B
B= 3/9

This give us: (1)NaHCO2 + (2/9)C6H8O7 ——-> (3/9)CO2 + (5/9)H2O + (1/3)

Na3C6H5O7

To get whole numbers we multiply by 9 giving us the solution!

(9)NaHCO2 + (2)C6H8O7 ——-> (3)CO2 + (5)H2O + (3)Na3C6H5O7

This method may seem complex, but it is guaranteed to work for any chemical
equation!

A Tutor’s Answer to “Race to Nowhere”

March 28th, 2011

Well-roundedness—it seems like a harmless enough idea on paper, but the drive to become a “well-rounded” student is pushing today’s students to the limit.

Grades alone are no longer enough, so our kids are spreading themselves thin trying to be the combination of athlete, artist, musician and scholar that will catch a college’s attention. This is in addition to coping with being a teenager, which comes with its own slurry of issues.

Films like, “Race to Nowhere”, are bringing to light a problem that many parents and educators have been aware of for a while—our students have too many academic and extra-curricular responsibilities and not enough time for themselves. They spend so much time trying to be what colleges want that many don’t figure out what their own passions are, which leaves them vastly, and ironically, unprepared for college and the real world.

The Study Hut tutors, many not too far from our own high school experiences, understand the pressures that our students deal with inside and outside of the classroom. We know that our work is more than teaching academics and study skills. We take advantage of our positions as role models to help guide healthy emotional and social development, so when our students do decide where they want to go, they are able to get there.

Tailored Tutoring at Study Hut: A tutor’s perspective

March 23rd, 2011

Today was very exciting day at Study Hut Tutoring. My first student, Jordan, came in
with some math homework. He was having a hard time understanding what side of the graph to
shade in on linear equations, so we tried to plug values in for x and y and see where they relate
to line. This made things very clear. Jordan realized he could just shade in the region of the
graph that makes the original equation true. With the key concept making more sense, the rest of
the homework was a breeze. We also talked about cool dissections that we’ve both done in our
various science classes. Jordan talked about how much he hated taking earth science, but really
enjoyed the life science class especially because of the dissections. Jordan heard that students at
PVHS get to dissect a sheep’s brain in their anatomy class, and it sounds like he’s really wants to
go there.
My second student, Matthew, came in with an assignment from his Police Academy
program. He has to format his notes in a precise order, and any mistakes would mean he has to
restart the entire page. Matthew got a 98% on his Geometry test and an 89% on his history test,
but he really wanted to complete his Police Academy assignment before his training on
Saturday. Unfortunately Matt made a spelling mistake, at the very end of his page so he had to
rewrite the entire page. Matt and I also talked about better note taking techniques for English
class. He was given a reading assignment, but there were no highlighted or underlined words. I
told him to make sure he makes marks or notes on the pages he reads, so when it comes time to
study or right a paper he can find his annotations a lot faster.
My third student of the day, Robbie, also came in with math homework. Robbie might
have enjoyed a little too much of the delicious Study Hut candy, because he had a lot of energy
tonight. He would fall a little off task, but he was still able to complete all of his math
homework and most of his spelling. Robbie had to multiply fractions and he had a strong grasp
of the overall idea, but was a little confused when to cross multiply in order to reduce the
fraction. But, after the clarification he breezed through the rest of the math problems and started
his spelling packet. Robbie didn’t understand the point of spelling homework, and that reminded
me of when I used to complain about getting tons of homework. Just a torture device teachers
hand out. He wasn’t able to complete the entire packet during his session, but he has enough
time tonight to finish it at home.
Unfortunately, my fourth student, Montana, couldn’t make it tonight. But, that gave me
enough free time to write about my day, so I guess it was a positive after all.

Study Hut is Scholar Quiz

March 22nd, 2011

Study Hut Tutoring is proud to announce its involvement in this year’s Scholar Quiz at Palos Verdes High School. As many people in the South Bay know, Study Hut has been sponsoring the Scholar Quiz at Mira Costa High School for several years now. And with our involvement level as high as it is with the Palos Verdes High School AVID program, it only makes sense that we are now sponsoring the PV High Scholar Quiz tournament.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Scholar Quiz, it is a fast-paced academic tournament in which students on teams of four are asked to answer questions as quickly as possible. It is a lot like Jeopardy, except students can stop the reader and answer the questions at any time.

Scholar Quiz represents all that is Study Hut. We love trivia, we love studying, and we love when students work hard and receive the recognition they deserve for all of their efforts. One of Study Hut’s founders, SP, made it to the semis at Mira Costa’s 2003 tourney. Today, many of our tutors volunteer as readers, timers, and scorekeepers for the Scholar Quiz at Mira Costa, and the Scholar Quiz at Manhattan Beach Middle School. MBMS’s Scholar Quiz is always fun, because oftentimes parents come to support their kids, and even students who are not signed up for the program still visit various teachers’ classrooms to root for their friends’ teams. Teachers are always excited to host all of the students in their classrooms, and some teachers get really into it, reading questions and facilitating the tournament in their classrooms like professional referees.

We are as excited as ever to be entering the Scholar Quiz season, and for those of you who go to Mira Costa or PV High, we hope you enjoy the t-shirts this yea.

Tutoring: Helping Kids Fulfill Their Potential

March 21st, 2011

Education reform is a hot topic in politics and our communities. With documentaries like Waiting for Superman and powerful people taking a stance in education, people are starting to realize that things need to change. Successful schools have proven that outstanding teachers, extra time spent on education and high expectations for all students are key to academic achievement. At Study Hut, our tutors put these educational goals into action have seen exceptional results in our students.

Why is it so important to have high expectations for students? High expectations show students that we believe that they are capable of achieving their full potential. This turns into motivation for students to prove to us and to themselves that they can do well in school. I often hear fellow tutors saying “you are going to do an awesome job on your test tomorrow!” Students leave knowing their tutors expect them to perform well. When students at Study Hut are as excited to come in and tell us about an A on a test as much as we are, we know we are doing our job.

Excellent tutors at the Hut also add to students’ academic success. Students come to us because they need clarity, review and a fresh approach to teaching. If it takes a funny song to remember Spanish Vocabulary, we’ll make one up and sing it with our students. If history isn’t making sense, we will relate it to something relevant in a student’s life to show them the importance of a historical event. Thinking outside the box and connecting with students is a common method we share with schools in our community. The South Bay School Districts all have a mission to “strive for academic excellence by forming partnerships with the community.” Study Hut enjoys working with schools and students to be part of this partnership in promoting confidence and academic success in our schools.

The new tutor experience

March 15th, 2011

I’ve only been a tutor at Study Hut for two weeks, but I am most impressed with my students who are well-organized. What does a well-organized student do? They fill out their agendas with all their homework and upcoming tests/quizzes. They fully take advantage of their planners. They bring in all their books and homework worksheets to the tutoring session (those that do not have the correct materials, just end up wasting time by having to call someone to bring the book or having the tutor waste time figuring what the student has to do). The well-organized students are able to get more from their tutoring session because they have a plan for what to do before they even show up to study hut. They know what classes they have homework in and are able to assess their weakest subjects so that we can spend the session working on that subject.

One of my most organized students is Tim, a junior, from Mira Costa High. Tim mainly comes for help in Geometry and Chemistry. While he may not know how to do the problems at first glance, after an explanation of the concept behind the problems, he is able to work out similar problems by himself. One of the main reasons why Tim is able to do this is because he writes down all his work on paper. I constantly stress to my students to show all their work because if they get the wrong answer, they can go back and pinpoint exactly where they made a mistake. This enables the student to make a mental note of the mistake they made and not make it again in the future. Tim also comes to each session with an attack plan on what to do during the session and he always knows whether he has an upcoming quiz or test.

In all, to stay ahead of the game that is school, one needs to be organized by making full use of the planner and to show all relevant work when doing homework!

Making Learning Fun!

March 14th, 2011

Today’s students are expected to have a much more comprehensive understanding of their subject matter, especially in mathematics and science.

It’s not enough to know what the components of DNA are anymore. High school Biology students are expected to how the different building blocks fit together and why. For a lot of students, the sheer volume of information flying at them daily is more than overwhelming.

Study Hut helps students navigate these murky waters by providing the kind of thorough and interactive support that allows students to take control of their own learning.

“Give a man fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ll feed him for a lifetime.” ~ Chinese Proverb

More than just providing what students need from day to day, our tutors teach their students both the skills to be self-sufficient and the confidence essential to managing those unavoidable high-stress situations.

We also help them develop study techniques that take advantage of their already sizeable knowledge base and learning strengths.

You like comic books? Let’s connect your vocabulary words to Marvel characters.

You like the ocean? Let’s relate that back to what you’re learning in Chemistry.