fbpx
 
 

Learning and Loving History

November 15th, 2011

Personally I have always loved learning about history, since I started watching TV one of the first channels I used to check was The History Channel(before shows like Pawn Stars and Ice Road Truckers), and I was always happy to go into any one of my history courses all through my scholastic career. But for many students History is thought of as the extremely dry and dull subject about dead guys and wars. With students dreading having to go to class and spend countless hours reading through a text book as dry as sand. Then when the student sets forth to go about reading for the class, they try and get through it as fast as possible with the minimum understanding and learning to pass the quiz or test. However, there is a much better way to go about studying and learning all the historical knowledge a student could need for all of their classes.

First, I can’t leave out the tried and true method of going through the reading and either highlighting the book, taking notes on the material read or making flash cards for the important events and information. But often times this just leads to more boredom and less understanding. One key is for that the student needs to actively engage with the material and find something that he or she can find interesting or entertaining from the material. I know that not every student will be able to find something interesting in every section, but by in large a lot of really interesting things went on in the past, we do study human beings in history and most of the time humans are capable of some pretty amazing and awesome things. For example, when Andrew Jackson was elected President he threw the largest and craziest Party the white house has ever seen, to set the course for his presidency. Yet, most textbooks either don’t even mention this fact or gloss over it as an important detail.

This is why students if they want to really become actively engaged with history and have a chance of enjoying the subject need to do some looking on their own for interesting tidbits. By finding just one interesting fact about a certain time period most students would look to learn more and more about the subject. And a great way to go about this is to watch documentaries and the old shows they used to show on History Channel as most students would prefer to watch and listen to their information than to read it all in huge dry textbook with minimal pictures. There are multiple free website online to find documentaries and historical programming, its all about the students putting forth the effort on their own or with the the help of a tutor to find something that interests them, because without interest there cannot be true learning and understanding.

Essay Writing 1-2-3

November 9th, 2011

As we all know, part of being a student is being able to compose your thoughts into persuasive essays. Writing can be tricky for many students, but following a few simple guidelines can help you achieve a good grade and a solid argument.
As a general rule of thumb, the first step to writing should always be brainstorming. Generally, we are taught that brainstorming should be done on paper during quiet study hours. This writer disagrees: brainstorming is best done as a team effort! Find someone who will listen to you rant tirelessly about your writing topic. You may encounter some opposition here, but eventually you are bound to find someone who is as fired up about animal cruelty or child labor as you are (or need to seem to be for your essay!). Try to get enthusiastic about your writing assignment: passion always makes for a more persuasive argument.
Step two has a bit of grey area: some teachers will tell you that an outline is a must, but for some writers, a free-flowing first draft can be just the ticket to kick-start your writing. For outline writers, consider this paragraph steps two and three. If you prefer beginning with an outline, try to be as skeletal as possible about it. If it should happen that you are the type of student who likes to dive right in, go for it! Whatever pops into your head should end up on the paper.
The next two steps are versions of the same concept: editing. Read over your writing or hand it over to a friend for evaluation. Edit, cut, delete, and reword. Refine your ideas, first into a second rough draft, and then into a final draft. By the time your essay reaches your final draft, it should be clear, concise, and persuasive. Your writing should convince your teacher to petition for an extra month of summer vacation or that Harry Potter really is the greatest book ever written. Who knows, you may just end up with enough time to go to Mexico this September!

Sports Coaches and Tutors

November 2nd, 2011

In the majority of sports, there are multiple coaches for each different position on the field coaching a different discipline or tactic of the game. Like in football, first there is the head coach, then the offensive and defensive coordinators running the offensive and defense, next there are coaches for each different position: quarterback coach, linebackers coach, running backs coach, etc. On top of that most athletes, especially the elite athletes have additional coaching outside of their team structure to improve their skills and become as good as possible in their discipline. However, in school and academic pursuits the students are left to learn with only one teacher for each subject who has 30+ students each class and normally teaches at least 4 classes a day. That leaves one teacher to 120+ students for each subject to enrich the minds and make our students elite academically.

Now why is it that sports teams have multiple different coaches/teachers making themselves available to a much smaller ratio of student athletes while teachers are left to educate huge numbers of students. With so much competition there is between students to get into the colleges of their choices and to get the good grades and all the scholarship money handled out, students both in the lower and higher ends or scale can benefit from the structured learning and help that comes from a tutor. A tutor can serve as a knowledge coach in some senses. Tutors can act in improving the students study habits and helping them push past that barrier and improve their grades or get into the college or their dreams the same way a strength and conditioning coach can help an athlete lift that final weight or hit that home run to win the championship game. It has be postulated that it takes 10000 hours to become an expert in anything and athletes take as much extra help as they can to become that expert, but there needs to be a more focus put into students building towards those 10000 hours in scholastic pursuits and I can guarantee that a one on one tutoring session with a Study Hut tutor counts as at least 2 of those hours.

Study Habits for a Successful High School and College Career

October 24th, 2011

The transition from high school to college can be an exciting time. College means more freedom: from your family, to choose your area of study, and in your extracurricular activities. However, with freedom comes responsibility that many students are unprepared for. Being on your own means that there is no one there to make sure you’ve done your homework and remind you to study for your upcoming chemistry exam. Thus, it is crucial during your first year of college that you develop a study system that will keep you on track and get you through what could turn out to be the best four years of your life.
Different study systems work for different students—there is no universal “best” way to study. Some people study best in groups, others prefer to work alone. Figure out what works for you. If you know that being in groups can be too distracting for you, avoid them. Remember: if you don’t get your studying done, you’ll end up missing the really fun social opportunities. Likewise, if you get too tempted to quit on your homework for a Law & Order marathon when you’re by yourself in your dorm, get out there and find people who are in the same boat. Ask your lab partner if he wants to get together for a study session in the library after class. Check with your roommate: maybe she’s a chemistry wiz and she’s in the mood to brush up on thermodynamics.
Once you’ve figured out your best method of study, stick with it. Set up regular study group meetings or set aside a designated homework time for yourself that you never deviate from. In no time, you’ll be in the habit of studying effectively and acing your classes!

Tutoring For Peninsula AVID

October 23rd, 2011

Ask yourself if you would drive to an unknown location without the comfort of your personal GPS giving you turn-by-turn directions in a sultry voice? Now imagine making that wrong turn -you’re late for the premier of the new Bill Nye -The Science Guy movie. Unless you’re feeling a bit adventurous and spontaneous like a negative delta G thermodynamics reaction, you wouldn’t risk getting lost. That is where, we, the tutors step into the scene to help guide students to success.

This past September, we began tutoring students enrolled in the AVID Program at Peninsula High School. In these short few weeks, we have seen tremendous growth in these students. Every lesson starts with an enthusiastic cry from a student eager to announce his level 3 question that he or she is extremely proud to present. They may not always have the answer to eachother’s questions, but they work hard, cooperate and dissect the problem until the answer is discovered. Above all, the students recognize that the tutors’ duty is to facilitate the discussion rather than regurgitate information and thus, they take it upon themselves to be proactive and independent learners.

Succeeding in school, and in life, takes more than just book smarts. Organization, time management and prioritization are few of the plethora of study skills we practice and preach at AVID. We all know how easy life can be if someone is there to hold our hand and walk us through life – prevent us from making silly mistakes while encouraging and nurturing our curiosity. The tutors at AVID and the Hut are here for that very reason; to serve as your personal GPS. So save yourself from unnecessary stress and worry and stop by Study Hut for a personalized guide to your school and life thereafter.

Helping AVID Tutorials

October 11th, 2011

Tutoring AVID at high schools in Palos Verdes is such a fulfilling job. I work with students who are eager to learn and enjoy working together to solve problems. We break into small groups and focus on specific topics that the AVID students are having trouble with. During the tutorials in AVID classes I encourage students to help each other work through problems and they often find that they are not the only one struggling with that topic. Each tutor works with one group and provokes discussion about the problem. Step by step we work through each question on a white board, leaving no question unanswered.
I believe that students can excel through collaboration with their classmates in a way that they can’t in a conventional school environment with 30 kids learning from one teacher. From my experience as a student, I have found that the best way to truly understand a concept is when you can thoroughly explain it to others. Students find pride and confidence in helping their classmates understand tough topics in school and that is why AVID programs and tutorials play such a key role in preparing students for higher education.
Most schools in the area have a really good AVID program, including Redondo Union, Palos Verdes, Peninsula, South Torrance, West Torrance, San Pedro, and Mira Costa. A few middle schools (such as PVIS and MBMS) also have programs that help students adjust to the rigors of school at the next level. No matter the school, students must apply, interview, and be accepted in order to take the class, ensuring that all of the kids are committed to their academic success. Having an environment full of dedicated students that you see every day goes a long way to improving the general attitude of all high school students.

Importance and Rigors of Advanced Placement Courses

October 4th, 2011

With each new year there are more and more high school students applying to the colleges of their dreams hoping that they can look good enough to at least one of their choice schools admission board to be allowed to attend that college. High school students already have a tough enough time going through their regular course work, playing sports, participating in clubs, workings jobs, having a social life and just being a teenager. However now often times even all of this is not enough for the student to be admitted to the college of their dreams, the students now must take college level, Advanced Placement (AP) courses to have a shot at competing with the other students across the country and the world. These AP courses can range from Calculus, Chemistry, US History, English, Spanish and many, many more and have much larger and more difficult work load that many high school students have never encountered before. And after completing all the course work for the school the student must pass a final AP test to prove that they learned enough in the class, this puts an immense weight on the students as they know that all their hard work throughout the year could be for not if they are unable to pass the final test.

Yet, for all these challenges that AP courses present to the students, in the day we live in they are extremely important if not essential for students to enter the college of their dreams. Last year the incoming freshman at UCLA had taken an average of 7 Advanced Placement or Honors courses between their 10th and 12th grade years. These AP courses have added benefits apart from helping students get into colleges, as they prepare students for what a college level course may be like, challenge the more advanced students and help them from becoming bored with course works and if students are able to pass the AP they are sometimes able to forgo some college courses and save time and money at University. AP courses while more rigorous and challenging for students pay immense benefits that cannot be overlooked. AP classes may not be for every student but if a student feels able to keep up with the course work and pass the final test with or without extra help, the classes are completely worth it in the present and definitely in the future.

Building Blocks of Math

September 26th, 2011

A mind starts learning from the moment a child is born. This is why future skills and important knowledge should be passed on to a young mind as early as possible. Math is one of the most important subjects for growing minds to learn and master to do well in future schooling and in all of life. Math is seen all around us every day from the classroom, to the boardroom and on the bus home. But without the proper building blocks and starting points of a student’s mathematical journey one can become lost in an immense sea of numbers, letters and shapes without a life raft. This is why it is important to begin planting the seed of mathematics early in a child’s life, even if it is as basic as learning adding and subtracting or the nines multiplication trick from an early age will give these children the leg up that is necessary to do well in school and advance in all aspects of life.

Once these basic building blocks of mathematics are learned and mastered the student is able to move onto the more complicated concepts and ideas. Starting with basic algebra and geometry all the way to the most advanced calculus and theoretical physics the basic skills of adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying are used in every aspect of the work. If these building skills are mastered then the world is the student’s oyster and they can grow to learn any aspect of math possible, with the appropriate hard work and dedication. However, it is never to late to learn these basic building blocks because if you were to start with some of the most advanced calculus and not know how to add and subtract all would be lost.

Learning Spanish is Critical

September 22nd, 2011

Currently in the U.S. 35.5 million people’s first language in the home is Spanish, and the number is increasing daily. This is why it’s very important to know the language these days. What better place to start learning than in high school? In high school we are forced to learn a language, which of course comes with benefit to us, if we pick the one that will be used most often. What is the probability of speaking Japanese or French on a daily basis in the U.S., if your family is not from either of these places? Probably slim to none. The chances for using Spanish on a daily basis are more probable, as more people are bringing it out of the house and speaking it in the workplace. Also, the more enmeshed our cultures become with Hispanic culture, the greater the need for our increased knowledge and awareness of the Spanish language.

As teachers and tutors, we have a responsibility to the youth of America to instill a language, and the positive points of knowing Spanish as a second language. Whether it’s from the basic greetings of “hola, me llamo . . .” (Hello, my name is…), to the complex of being able to say what you did last night, any little bit may prove to be useful. Here at Study Hut we strive to enforce the learning of a new language in terms and ways that are easier to understand. We employ the use of flash cards, and some of us even go as far as to role-play and use different voices. We like to make it fun, because that’s what learning a new language should be! Adios!

Low-Down on College Applications

September 15th, 2011

With thousands of applicants per year, colleges have their pick of prospective students, and students have their work cut out for them during college application season. Colleges understand that many applicants shine outside of their grade point average and test scores, and the college essay can be the crown jewel of a student’s application. It gives applicants the opportunity to show a side of themselves that is not immediately apparent from their resume and transcript.
The college essay is a daunting task, especially if it is a personal essay. Not only do students have to utilize formal language and creative writing skills, but they must also be able to articulate a mature level of self-awareness. Many colleges will challenge applicants to explain and reflect on their strengths and weaknesses through personal anecdotes, and this can be uncomfortable or unfamiliar for teens.
I have a lot of students who get stuck because they feel like they don’t have anything unique to say or enough life experience. It is important to remember that the colleges are reading these essays to determine if students possess qualities that will make them successful college students, like leadership, organization, motivation and passion. Colleges care less about what cards you have been dealt and more about what you have chosen to do with those cards and how that reflects on you as a person. The Study Hut tutors hail from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences and can help you bring that extra flavor to your student’s college essays.