January 27th, 2015
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.
Tags: california common core, elementary enrichment, one-on-one tutoring, South Bay tutoring
Posted in Comprehension, focusing, General, Learning, local tutoring, Self esteem |
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January 26th, 2015
Joey started coming in to Study Hut because he was really struggling in his Spanish 3 class. All semester he had not been getting the grades that he wanted on tests and large assignments. He worked hard in class and did all of his homework, but he still did not seem to really understand the material. As much as he practiced it just did not stick.
Joey worked on Spanish 3 with his tutor Ana. The concepts became easier and he began to fully grasp the material thanks to the practice he was getting outside of the classroom. They worked on pronunciations, how to write using multiple different tenses, and how to make sure his grammar was perfect. Joey was really worried about his final because so much of the semester had not made sense. He put a lot of effort and work into studying and preparing for it. The final was an oral recitation with a lot of difficult future tense and new vocabulary. He and Ana spent a lot of time making sure that he was pronouncing all of his verbs correctly and that all of his irregulars were conjugated the right way. They also paid close attention to making sure that Joey remembered to follow the accents when he was giving the words emphasis.
Joey ended up getting a 95% on his final. He was incredibly proud of himself, and Ana was proud of him, too!
Tags: foreign language, one-on-one tutoring, Spanish
Posted in high school, Self esteem, South Bay, Spanish |
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September 24th, 2014
Study Hut tutors have the opportunity to work with the Academics Via Individual Determination (AVID) program at different high schools. One of these schools is Peninsula High School in Palos Verdes. During her freshman year, a student named Cindy was among one of the students I got to regularly help last school year. Now as a sophomore, Cindy comes in to Study Hut for tutoring and it seems fair to say that she is both enjoying it and benefitting from it. While waiting for her ride after one of her sessions, Cindy decided to hang around. Since I did not have a student at the time, I invited Cindy to sit at my table until her ride came (more like she invited herself to come sit). We chatted about her AVID class, school functions, friends, and life in general. Although the conversation only lasted about five minutes, it was one of those small events that happened to make my day that much better. It was a great feeling knowing that she was comfortable enough to talk to me like a friend and I was able to provide her with advice as a mentor. On behalf of the Study Hut tutors, we strive to provide an environment that balances serious styles and laid-back styles in order to allow students to succeed inside the classroom and beyond. This is just one example of the bonds that the tutors and students experience at Study Hut – I am sure there have been and will be plenty more.
Tags: academics via individual determination, AVID, Avid class, hut, Hut tutor, Hut tutors, mentor, Peninsula High School, school functions, study Hut, succeed, tutor, Tutors
Posted in 9-12, AVID, extracurricular activities, General, high school, local tutoring, Peninsula, Positive Vibes, Redondo Beach, Self esteem, South Bay, Tutors |
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July 9th, 2014
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!
Tags: A, academic, academics, ACT, benefit, benefits, brain, brains, Catalina Island, classroom, confidence, consequence, consequences, daughter, diet, energy, excercise, Founders, GPA, immune system, info@studyhut.com, July, leisure time, managerial staff, opportunity, prep, preparation, requirement, requirements, Rob, SAT, school, school year, Sean, Spearfish, strength, strong team, struggle, Study Hut Tutoring, Summer, summer time, Summer Tutoring, summer tutoring service, Surf, tutor, Tutoring, tutoring service, Tutors, underperforming, weakness, writing enrichment
Posted in General, General Articles, Hut One Domination, Learning, life skills, local tutoring, Self esteem, South Bay, study skills, Success Stories, summer programs, Summer Tutoring, Teaching, Tutor Tips, Tutors, writing |
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April 9th, 2012
Study Hut is the best place to work for so many reasons. I could go on and on forever about my passion for tutoring and how much I love our big fridge, but what I really want to talk about is the murder mystery party we recently threw. We each were assigned a character and I was naturally Baroness. We all got packets telling us who we were, how to act, and who we hated. Naturally, I hated everyone. I had a great time dressing in a mink coat and talking in an accent that was meant to be British but sounded Chinese. We transformed our little study hut into a full on speak easy with dim lights and fancy shmancy drinks. Here at Study Hut, we all love each other very dearly, which in my opinion gets a little old. I was nice to be able to finally express my true feelings which are that I can’t wait to kill Roxanne, I hate Rob’s guts, and that Kady (my daughter) is suuuuper annoying. Despite my efforts to kill Roxanne, I somehow ended up dying from an ice pick…never thought that would be how I would go. Our manager Sam did an amazing job planning the party (as usual), and really brought the group together (to kill each other). It was nice to finally meet some of the people from the Redondo Study Hut. The manager from Hut 2 even ended up playing my husband! His character was professor Nutella, which couldn’t be more suiting for me (Nutella=heaven). Despite myself (The one and only Baroness) wanting to kill every person that I work with, by the end of the night I found myself feeling even closer to my co-workers than I did before. It’s just one more reason why Study Hut is the best place I have ever worked.
Tags: hut 2, redondo Study hut, study Hut, study hut tutor, Study Hut Tutoring, Study Hut tutors
Posted in General Articles, Hut competitions, Redondo Beach, Self esteem, team building, Tutors |
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February 14th, 2012
Valentines Day spirit is in the air at Manhattan Beach Study Hut! We are THE place to be V-day. For one, we have the best manager ever who made us all cookies with our names on them. We also each get a list of V-day topics to talk about with our kids. We ask questions like “who is your celebrity crush?” and “what is your favorite kind of chocolate?” to keep the kids engaged and not as bummed about doing homework on a holiday. The drawer full of candy also adds to the valentines spirit. …although this is year around. For me, everyday at the Study hut is like Valentines Day because I love the people I work with and care deeply about all of the kids I tutor. Also, we have a lot of baked goods here all of the time so it adds to the mood.
Our goal is to turn studying, something that is usually somewhat painful, into something fun and exciting. All of our tutors our able to accomplish this because we all have a passion for learning and for helping others. I think that this is exemplified on a day like today where love and compassion are in the air. All of us tutors try and stay connected and get together outside of work to keep a united spirit. In a couple of weeks we are going to have a girls night, and we just got done with doing a really fun murder mystery party. Having close relationships at work is important because it allows us to work as a team when tutoring. When I’m not sure of a science question, it’s nice to feel comfortable turning to Roxy and asking her help on a question. So while the cookies and candy definitely create a great Valentines mood, it’s the love and compassion that our tutors have that really make Study hut a Valentines Day everyday.
Tags: goals, homework hut, hut. learning hut, Manhattan Beach Study Hut, passion for learning, Study, Study Hut Manhattan Beach, studying
Posted in General, General Articles, high school, Learning, Manhattan Beach, Positive Vibes, Self esteem, South Bay, team building |
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January 18th, 2012
Finals are the most stressful and overwhelming time of each semester. It was hard enough studying for each test the last couple of months, but how are you supposed to study for a test in every class covering everything you have learned! It’s a tall task, but it is manageable with the right tools and preparation. The tutors at the Study Hut are ready to arm you with the weapons necessary to conquer the dreaded week.
Probably the most important key to studying for finals is budgeting time. You have to have realistic expectations for each class and weigh the pros and cons of time spent studying for each class. If I have a C+ in math and need to nail my final to get a B, I’ll put more time into that class than in English which comes easy to me and I have a solid A. Once you decide how important each final is, now you have to make sure you set time aside for each, and work both diligently, and effectively.
A second key to studying for finals is simply knowing WHAT to study. Believe it or not, finals are usually far easier than the individual chapter tests. This is because on the final, the teacher is going to test the big concepts from each section, not the nitty gritty details like those tested in a chapter test. With the help of your Study Hut tutor, you can go through your old tests and assignments and realistically pick and choose what you must dedicate more time to studying.
So remember: Don’t panic, stay organized, take your tutors advice, and study diligently. Good things will come. Best of luck to you all.
Tags: finals, organization, test prep, tutor, Tutoring
Posted in 6-8, 9-12, focusing, General Articles, high school, Learning, life skills, middle school, retention, Self esteem, study skills, Test taking anxiety, Testing |
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September 20th, 2011
Study Hut is the greatest tutoring center in Manhattan Beach because it’s not like school. When I first walked into the Study Hut, I was expecting off-white walls and a silent ambience; I was expecting bored students and tired tutors. These were my past experiences when I tried out various tutor centers back in high school. But when I went through the front door of the Study Hut, all my stereotypes were immediately crushed. There was a cozy feel to the rooms, each with a different theme, from a jungle room, to an India room, to a beach room. There were young fresh tutors who were teaching with passion and patience while keeping students entertained with a friendliness so often absent in tutors.
Students often need a change of pace from school to effectively do their homework and learn the concepts. The Study Hut offers this unique environment, where students can unwind, do their homework, work out the kinks before a test, and of course munch on a few snacks. Most importantly, aside from the fun that both the students and tutors have, there are immediate results with the students. Owners Rob, Sean-Patrick, and all other managerial staff do an amazing job of keeping track of students’ progress and keep open and honest communication with both the student and the parent. This keeps everyone from the tutor, to the student, to the parent accountable and produces results.
So again, why is the Study Hut the greatest tutoring center in Manhattan Beach? Because everyone has fun, everyone learns, and everyone earns better grades.
Most truthfully from a newbie tutor
Tags: accountable tutors, best tutor, best tutoring, best tutors, Manhattan Beach, manhattan beach tutors, mb tutor, mb tutoring, mb tutors, study Hut, tutor, tutor environment, Tutoring, tutoring center, tutoring environment
Posted in General, General Articles, Learning, Manhattan Beach, Positive Vibes, Self esteem, Tutors |
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September 13th, 2011
You may have heard this one before. It involves a ceramics class.
It was a fairly large and popular class at the school, so the teacher had to split it into two sections: Ceramics 101a and Ceramics 101b.
The teacher, a brilliant potter but a capricious and insufferable man, decided that he’d grade each of his sections differently and arbitrarily.
On the first day of class he announced to the students of 101a the following:
“At the end of the semester you will be required to hand in one pot and one pot only. I will judge your skill, artistry, and technical prowess based on what I see in that one pot, and that in turn will decide your grade for the whole semester.”
An hour later, he announced to the students of 101b a very different message:
“At the end of the semester, I will grade your performance based solely on the number of pots you complete throughout the year. I don’t care how well they’re executed, what shape they are, or how quickly you worked on them. All I care about is how many you make. The more you make the higher your grade will be.”
In short, one group was to be evaluated on the quality of their work, and the other on their quantity.
Here’s where things get strange.
At the end of the semester, the students from the Quantity Class produced better pots than the students from the Quality Class. Far better. Truly masterful work. On the other hand, the final projects handed in by the Quality Class resembled the pots that the students from the Quantity Class were making on their first few days.
What is the lesson here? In short, it’s practice makes perfect. The only way to get to success is to first fail. To get good at something you need to do it. A lot.
So for that reason we here at Study Hut in Manhattan Beach don’t just recite information to our students and expect them to absorb it. We test them on it. Ruthlessly. We make them fail repeatedly when they’re with us, in the hopes that when they are in the exam room they will succeed.
Tags: manhattan beach tutor, manhattan beach tutoring, manhattan beach tutors, Study Hut in Manhattan Beach, tutor in mb, tutoring in mb, tutors in mb
Posted in 6-8, 9-12, high school, Learning, life skills, Manhattan Beach, Mira Costa High School, Self esteem, Success Stories, Tutor Tips |
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July 29th, 2011
I remember when I was a Mira Costa high School student, summer just starting, tried to forget about school as much as I could. This behavior is quite common among high school student. This ultimately would result with most of my friends and I spending the last weeks of summer reading non-stop all of our assigned summer reading books. As my family usually chooses to go on our family summer vacation during those weeks, my memory of those vacations is marred with memories of: If Beagle Street Could Talk, The Crucible, An Affair to Remember, One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest, and the other books our teachers said we needed to read.
Looking back I wished I started reading those books earlier in the summer. There was no real need to wait so long. I have heard kids make the excuse that if they start reading early in the summer they won’t remember the details and promptly fail the “rigorous” summer reading tests. While that line of reasoning seems quite logical, it’s also been accounted for by the Mira Costa English teachers. The summer reading tests are very simple short multiple choice exams, asking easy basic plot questions; the point is to just make sure that the taker simply had read the book. Over the first few weeks class time is spent reviewing the summer reading books preparing the students for a more involved analytical essay. So there is no advantage of cramming all the reading in the last weeks of summer. Instead, start those books right now. Read when you can. Find your-self with a spare hour or two at home with no plans? Spend some of that time on your summer reading. By reading a few hours at a time throughout the whole summer you can easily avoid cramming them all at the end. And in my case, I could have enjoyed my summer vacations much more.
Tags: english, mchs, Mira costa english, mira costa high school, mira costa high shool summer reading, mira costa summer reading, reading, sumer, summer reading, summer reading books, summer school
Posted in 9-12, English, Hermosa Beach, high school, life skills, Manhattan Beach, retention, Self esteem, study skills, Summer Tutoring |
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