I love my job at Study Hut Tutoring… and this Portuguese Water Dog!
Being a Manhattan Beach tutor at Study Hut Tutoring has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of working in education because of my own educational experience, which I believe was excellent, and made me want to be able to give as many Manhattan Beach students as possible the help that they need to have an equally excellent educational experience. Each time a student comes and sits with their favorite Manhattan Beach tutor, me, I am reminded of the joy I get when I foster that eureka moment in my student. It is so satisfying to see the light-bulb go on as a result of my instruction!
One of my favorite topics as a Manhattan Beach tutor at Study Hut Tutoring is lower level math because I feel that many students often get pushed away from math early on because they see very few practical applications for what they are learning. In order to combat this I do my best to explain to my students from Manhattan Beach Middle School (MBMS) and the other Manhattan Beach schools how what they are learning now will eventually be applied to their future studies. I believe that I am a unique pre-algebra and algebra 1 tutor because I have been exposed to higher level math (such as multivariable calculus and linear algebra) so I am able to explain what by Manhattan Beach students are studying in a great deal of depth and give them an idea of how what they are learning now will be applied later.
In addition to tutoring math, I also love to tutor history. I absolutely love history and love being able to see students become engaged in what they are learning. As a Manhattan Beach tutor, specifically for history, I do my best to place as much emphasis as possible on the story rather than the tedious task of memorizing dates and facts. The stories really are compelling. Once students connect to the emotion of where we are, memorizing is so much easier. I find that those come much easier when intertwined into an engaging story. Being able to spark an interest in a Mira Costa or MBMS student in history for the first time is absolutely amazing.
For many students, Study Hut is not just their tutoring center, it’s almost like another home, especially Study Hut Seniors. They have come here for many years, and formed special bonds with their tutors. Their tutors have seen them through their most difficult tests and most impressive triumphs.
One special pair is Laura and her student Kelly. Kelly looks up to Laura like a big sister, and has spent the majority of her high school career as Laura’s student. Together the duo have tackled monstrous English essays for Kelly’s challenging AP Literature classes. Some nights Kelly would come in for hours and Laura would stay late just to make sure that every last line was absolutely perfect.
When it was time to work on test prep, Kelly didn’t want to work with anyone but Laura. This gave her an extra advantage because Laura was already familiar with Kelly’s learning style, so she was able to tailor their sessions so that Kelly could get the most out of them. Laura also knew how to present difficult content and the techniques for mastering the ACT in a way that was easy for Kelly to digest and practice. Working together, they were able to raise Kelly’s score.
Kelly also trusted Laura to help her on her final leg of college apps. From college application essays to the grueling senior capstone project, they have worked on everything together. They are both going to be so heartbroken when Kelly’s days at Study Hut come to an end. However, both of them are incredibly excited for Kelly’s promising future in the highly competitive USC Thornton School of Music.
Jacob comes in once a week for enrichment tutoring with his tutor Charlsey. Jacob picks up on most of the material he learns in class right away, but has trouble with second-guessing himself while doing his homework. He also gets very nervous while taking his tests. His test anxiety negatively impacts his scores on tests.
At Study Hut, he works on reviewing math concepts. Together, Charlsey and Jacob work on his homework. Charlsey makes sure that Jacob is doing the problems correctly. The reassurance that he knows what he is doing boosts Jacob’s confidence. Charlsey also sends him home with extra practice work to do between their sessions and his tests so that he does not forget any of the material they went over.
Together they also go over Jacob’s biology classwork. Sometimes his teacher does not clearly explain confusing topics, such as the difference between meiosis and mitosis. They practice drawing and labeling diagrams of different cell structures and complex processes like DNA replication and cellular respiration. Drawing out the diagrams rather than looking at them helps students remember content more vividly, due to their muscle memory working along with their regular memory. Writing out the processes in their own words also helps students understand confusing and complex processes better.
His weekly sessions at Study Hut have helped ease Jacob’s anxiety. He is no longer stressed when he goes into tests because he has practiced the problems so many times. He got a 4 out of 4 on his last common core standards test!
Richard and his student Jarred worked on studying for Jarred’s Psychology final exam together. Jarred is a very good student, but Psychology has a lot of complex terms that sound very similar. Some terms have definitions that are almost the same, but small nuances that can make the difference between a right and wrong answer on the essay portion of the test.
Richard wanted to help Jarred make sense of all the vocabulary and see how they were all related to one another. They went through each word and pieced together how it connected with some of the other vocabulary. Exercises like this made it easier for Jarred to remember each word and what it specifically meant. Richard would see if Jarred knew a word, asked him to explain it, and then use it in an example. Using the vocabulary words and concepts in examples reinforces the meanings and connections for students, and gives them a more comprehensive working definition of them word. For example, Jarred had to know that serotonin and dopamine could be affected by conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and depression. A lot of students have trouble differentiating between serotonin and dopamine because they have similar functions. Explaining how each one was affected by different conditions to Richard really helped Jarred distinguish between the two.
Jarred was a little worried about his final. However, after studying with Richard he felt confident and more prepared for his test. He was now armed with relative examples and real connections between the vocab to ace his final and destroy all the essay questions.
A lot of younger students may not need as much regular help with homework and assignments as high school students, but enrichment can be just as important. Enrichment helps students solidify the concepts that they learned in class. It also helps them get ahead of their classmates so they are more prepared for the next step.
Tutors will always go over any of the current homework the student has by going through problems that they have not solved with them and checking the student’s work on problems they have already finished. Reviewing the material makes sure that the student has a full grasp on the concepts that they are expected to know in class. Next, they try more difficult problems that take their concepts to the next level. Doing more challenging practice problems boosts student’s confidence and makes the problems they have been doing in class seem like a piece of cake.
Many students also work ahead with their tutors. This is especially helpful for student’s whose learning styles do not mesh with the teaching style of their teacher at school. They will go through the lesson and do example problems as well as a few practice problems. Learning the content before the material is presented in class gives students the confidence they need to participate in class discussions without being afraid of getting a wrong answer. It also makes sure that the student has someone one-on-one guiding them to make sure that they completely understand the key concepts they need to succeed.
For some students, their fall semester finals do not happen until after they return from winter break. This is frustrating because a lot of information can be lost over the two weeks that school is not in session. If you are a student at one of these high schools, here are some ways you can make sure that you do not forget any material over the break.
Make sure you at least glance over material you have learned every day. Do a few review problems for math and go through your vocabulary flashcards for foreign languages or English. This does not have to take very long and is very effective at keeping the material fresh in your head.
If you have homework assigned over the break, do not save it until right before you go back to school. Either try and get it done in the beginning, or before you even go on break, or work on a little bit every day. If you do not look at it at all until the Sunday before school starts again, the concepts will likely be fuzzy and you will be really stressed trying to finish it up the night before.
Create a study plan if you know which classes will have the more difficult finals. This way you can start your studying, and know exactly what to do. It will make it easier to do your studying when you have a clear end goal in sight, and starting your studying early will make those A’s even easier to reach!
Winter break is also a great time to go over any concepts you never really got the grasp of but skimmed over because the class kept moving. Review them with a tutor who can help teach you and make the connection that you are missing. This way you will fully understand before you get to your final!
A person’s ability to learn something depends on a wide variety of factors ranging from the content being taught to the teacher. But one thing that makes a huge impact is someone’s personal learning style. Many students get frustrated because a teacher seems to be unable to teach them, and the material is just not getting through. A common mistake that a lot of teachers make is that their lesson plans and their style of teaching only cater to one learning style. So while students who click with that style excel in the class, the majority of the students are left confused and stranded at the back of the pack.
At Study Hut, we customize each one-on-one tutoring session to fit each individual student’s needs. For visual learners, there are plenty of whiteboards and flashcards through out the Hut. Tutors can diagram content for the student, and give them instructions while writing out each step. If your student does better with teachers who write on the board or give detailed powerpoint presentations, your student is probably a visual learner. For aural learners, tutors make sure they clearly talk the student through each step and area they are confused about. If teachers who spend most of the class lecturing or doing verbal exercises with the class are your student’s favorites, your student is probably an aural learner. Going through and writing down notes and exercises with pen and paper instead of digitally will help students who are kinetic learners. No matter what your student’s needs are, we have a tutor for that at Study Hut!
Study Hut may specialize in helping students conquer their most difficult classes and acing all their tests, but it’s just as rewarding every time they get an awesome grade. We tailor each session to our individual students and the different needs they have, whether it’s a big math test tomorrow or a last minute essay they forgot to do for English.
One of our students, Abrianna had been struggling in a few of her classes. She started coming in to Study Hut twice a week and working with our tutor, Brittany. They started with the basics, like making sure that all of her homework was done every night, but moved on to more complex things like study skills. Brittany taught Abrianna how to study more effectively and different tricks to help her remember the information better. All of their hard work paid off! Abrianna got an A on her most recent science test, which raised her grade in that class up to a B. She is working hard to improve all of her other grades as well.
Another Study Hut regular, Olivia, completed her lead capstone project at Palos Verdes High School this week! She was one of only twenty students picked out of two hundred chosen to present their projects. She researched and analyzed how the film Blackfish has affected the treatment of whales. Olivia worked diligently on her project for weeks, and came in regularly to Study Hut to double check for any errors she had made with her English tutor, Laura. Olivia came out on top of her class!
It’s no question that education is a two way street. Teachers, parents and tutors are united in their efforts to bestow kernels of wisdom on the younger generation. Likewise, students soak up information like a sponge. But when one is out of sync with the other, it’s a situation where full learning can be lost in the wind. However, being a tutor of many years now, I can honestly say there are a few key qualities I’ve seen in students that make the flow of learning right as rain. Not to let educators off the hook (two way street, right?), but students can certainly learn from the following ideas on how to be a student tutors will love.
ORGANIZATION
It seems like a cliche, but Office Depot and The Container Store are the keys to 50% of learning. As human beings, we naturally codify, order and pattern information into compartments in our brain for easy retrieval. That’s why highlighters and binders and all the other trinkets sold at these stores will help students learn and retain information. Tutors love it when their students show up organized and ready to learn and review. When students are organized, they’ve done half the work!
PARTICIPATION
As mentioned above, learning is a two way street, which means interaction, asking questions and providing feedback are key to a good study session. Studies show that repeating ideas out loud will help students understand and retain new information better than simply listening. That’s why questions are great! Activities such as games and exercises will also maintain participation.
GOOD ATTITUDE
Who doesn’t want to be in good company? This goes for both the teacher and student. A good attitude can go a long way in building trust, keeping focus, and developing a strong report. Furthermore, having a good attitude might even surprise the most unsuspecting student because a positive mood opens our minds to learning something new. What tutor doesn’t love for their student to learn something new?
Imagine if each year you allowed three consecutive months to pass without ever considering diet or exercise; the result would be low energy, an underperforming immune system, and many other undesirable consequences. Just like any other part of the human body, the brain requires regular attention and maintenance to perform to its potential. Students often struggle to get back into the swing of academics after a long summer break, as their brains have been stagnant for weeks on end. Here at Study Hut Tutoring, we make sure to keep our students sharp through the summer time, allowing an easier entrance into the new school year and helping them to start strong and maintain that impressive GPA throughout the course of the academic year.
Summer tutoring offers many benefits to students. For some, summer tutoring serves as a valuable time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the previous school year, and to clear up and solidify conceptual understanding that they will need to progress to more advanced courses. For others, summer tutoring serves as an opportunity to learn new material before being exposed to it in the classroom, giving them more confidence and an easier route to an “A”. And still for others, we help with writing enrichment, summer reading requirements, and preparation for the Fall SAT and ACT.
Of course, we at Study Hut Tutoring also appreciate the value of leisure time. Our founders, Rob and Sean, along with our tutors have been making the most of this summer by spending plenty of time on and in the ocean, be it to surf, spearfish, or boat across the channel to Catalina Island. We will be seeing off our managerial staff on an annual leadership trip at the end of July, and look forward to building an even stronger team to help our students through the remainder of the summer and next school year.
If you would like more information regarding our summer tutoring services, or you would like to sign up your son or daughter for summer help to prepare for the upcoming school year, please feel welcome to contact us at info@studyhut.com. Enjoy your summer!
