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Algebra and Chemistry tutoring for RUHS

March 27th, 2014

I’ve been tutoring Kelsey from Redondo Union High School (http://www.redondounion.org/) for about three weeks now. After briefly talking about Kelsey’s day, we discuss how she thinks she did on her most recent quizzes or tests, what assignments she needs to work on in that moment in time, and how we can prepare for her upcoming quizzes or tests. Kelsey mainly comes into Study Hut to get tutoring for Chemistry and Algebra 2. My goal is to help Kelsey overcome her struggles in these two subjects by accommodating her with tutorials that will help her retain information efficiently, develop excellent study habits for any of her future assessments, as well as motivate her to be the best student she could be.

The first day I worked with her we completed her review packet for her upcoming Chemistry test. At the time, Kelsey was learning about specific heat capacity and how to find the missing variable, whether it was the amount of heat gained or lost, specific heat, or final or initial temperature. Kelsey came into Study Hut confused about the basics of this particular subtopic in Chemistry, so I went over the fundamentals by breaking down every significant piece of information she had to know.
The second day I worked with Kelsey, we reviewed for the Algebra 2 test she took last week. Kelsey was being tested on her knowledge of conics, including parabolas, hyberbolas, circles, and ellipses. Kelsey was confused about the difference between each of the conics, how to go about finding the different types of points for each type of graph, how to formulate an equation when given specific points on the graph, and lastly, how to graph each type of conic. I went over the details of each graph and provided her with simply strategies on how to memorize the specifics of each graph.

 

Personalized Meetings in the Classroom

March 7th, 2014

Personalized Meetings in the Classroom

 

In the beginning of spring 2014 semester, Laura, Justin, and I had one-on-one advisement sessions with Mr. Mullen’s AVID (http://www.avid.org) class at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School (PVPHS). We split the class up into four groups & had each freshman student bring up their grades, as well as a write-up of their future goals for spring semester. The main objective of these one-on-one meetings was to assess & acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses in each individual’s academic performance, analyze certain areas in which the students needed improvement, discuss their past history of success & setbacks, visualize how they should go about working towards those improvements, and how they could tackle their educational struggles so that they may be able to achieve their end goals.

During these mini break-out sessions, I noticed a pattern with a couple of my Biology students. Nicco, Sarah,Tessa, and Annie, talked about how hard it was to retain all the information their teachers expected them to digest & how they continued to struggle with this particular subject. I informed the students that they should be delegating at least 45 minutes per day to Biology because the subject requires a lot more memorization than most of their other subjects. In addition, I advised them to take advantage of all the resources available to them, whether it’s their textbook, materials given out in class, valid online resources, or even videos from places like www.khanacademy.org.

I felt that these individual conference meetings were very beneficial to the students because each student goes through their own distinctive battle. As an AVID tutor, my goal is not only to teach the appropriate set of skills, but also to ascertain students’ attitudes towards school and their self-perception as learners. Furthermore, by uncovering the root of their concerns about school & listening attentively, I develop relationships with my students based on mutual respect, thereby opening their minds to learning and applying skills.

The Study Hut Foundation

May 9th, 2013

The Study Hut Foundation officially opened last Wednesday and we are super excited about it!

Nestled on a quiet corner in Lomita, directly across the street from the Lomita Public Library, the Study Hut Foundation is perfectly located to conveniently serve the students of Nathaniel Narbonne High School.
Description
The Study Hut Foundation aims to provide the same tutoring and test-prep services, which our students in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Newport Beach, and El Segundo have become accustomed to, free of cost to students who could otherwise not afford them.Afford hard working, motivated students the opportunity to reach their highest academic potential and achieve their goal of attending college.

Improve our community by supporting the good work of committed students.

How Funding Will Be Used:
The goal of the Study Hut Foundation is to support the education of students, in Lomita and neighboring communities, who could not otherwise afford to receive tutoring. As such, the primary function of the funding that the Study Hut Foundation receives will be used to fund scholarships for students who meet Study Hut Foundation qualifications. The scholarships offset the costs of tutoring, including the tutor’s time and the materials used during the session.

Our Redondo Beach Office Manager Justin went to our Study Hut Foundation on Monday May 6th, and he tutored two students, Gabrielle and Joe. Gabrielle used to get all A’s and now she is getting F’s in Chemistry and Geometry. She forgot her Geometry book so they worked on Chemistry.

Justin then worked with Joe. He is getting D’s in both Algebra 2 and Chemistry. Joe has a hard time balancing between sports and classes but is very capable of getting good grades. He just needs someone to sit down with him and help him with his work.

We have a physics teacher from Mira Costa who is volunteering to work there!

We will be holding our Study Hut Parent/Teacher Scholar Quiz on Sunday June 2nd from 4-9pm at the Manhattan Beach Country Club to help raise funds for the Foundation.

Tips to Avenge Your Finals Without Pulling Out Your Hair!

January 26th, 2013

 

 

 

Finals week is coming quick and you might start feeling that uneasy shadow lingering over your shoulders, but luckily there are several tips, tricks, and techniques to make the next few weeks bearable. First of all, you need to make the trade and remember that drowsiness, exhaustion, and brain drain will all pass, but your GPA is forever. Accepting the climb ahead of you will set you on the right path for success. Regardless of the subject matter, people all learn the same which is why you know that cramming doesn’t work, taking long exaggerated breaks, and side tracking yourself is all sure ways to fail your finals. Thus, find an absolutely quite and if necessary (desolate) place to buckle down and really hit the books; this is a great time to turn off your cell phone and get away from your social notifications. Make goals for yourself and set time limits on how long you will study before you take a scheduled break. Don’t feel the urge to work in study groups if you know they will distract you, instead work on as much material as you can and save all your questions for your teacher, tutor, or friends for later. It’s important to build on what you know rather than give yourself test anxiety on what you need to know. Evaluate how your teacher or professor has given previous tests and quizzes and determine a study strategy that will most likely reflect you’re finals, midterm, test, or even future quiz. Then chunk the material into pieces and absolutely take your time learning the material – It takes more than an hour to digest a century of history! Finally, you need to make it interesting. Take pride in what you’re learning and mentally dazzle yourself.