December 13th, 2011
The holiday season is upon as at the Hut! The place is spiffed up with holiday decorations, holiday treats, and good cheer to be found everywhere! The kiddos are having to learn to balance finishing schoolwork and the prospect of getting a break from learning! It’s holiday-itis! We tutors are doing everything we can to keep our kids in the ‘school” frame of mind until the holidays. We wouldn’t want all that hard work to leak away in a haze of candy and indulgent feasts!
The Study Hut is head and shoulders above “regular” tutoring places, we match our tutors with students on a one-to-one basis with experts in each field. We partner our efforts with each student’s school website, planner, etc, to provide exactly what each student needs to succeed in school! We welcome students of all levels. We even offer tutoring over the holiday break! This is a phenomenal time for our kiddos to catch up if they’re behind, or even get ahead! The improvement in a student’s work is measureable; we can actually see our students improving from session to session. As a tutor, it is extremely rewarding to see a student’s grades improve, especially if they come to us with little understanding of the material and/or poor grades. I have personally found, as a tutor at the Study Hut, that a student is more willing to open up and be themselves if they feel comfortable around their tutors. This is why students often get the same tutor each time they come in, so that we may build rapport with our kiddos and let them feel comfortable asking for help.
I think it’s fair to say that everyone at the Hut, both learned and learner, are enjoying the spirit of the season! We all look forward to a well-deserved break, and hitting the books again after the New Year!
Tags: grades, hut, schoolwork, student, student's grades, student's work, study Hut, tutor, Tutoring, Tutors, work
Posted in Manhattan Beach |
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December 5th, 2011
Figuring out what you want to do with your whole life is one of the hardest and most thought of decision a person will every make. Yet, normally students and young adults do not begin thinking about their future life goals until they begin college or even later in life. While it is perfectly fine and normal for people to have no idea what they want to do with the rest of their life and struggle with the decision, they must be actively thinking about it and trying new things to figure it out.
Most High Schools today provide an immense selection of different classes both high school and college level courses. Students in high school should have a plan of attack when deciding which courses to take for each year to strategically complete all the requirements for graduation and college acceptance, as well as experiencing new topics and courses that the student is interested in or potentially be interested. For example a student has the choice between taking Marine Biology and AP Psychology next term and we were able to determine easily which course is best for her. Right now she has the idea that she wants to work with autistic or handicapped children, so the obvious choice is the Psychology course, even though the class will probably be harder. Taking these courses early in high school allows for the student to become familiar with the topics they will be learning about in much greater detail and be able to decide if they truly do enjoy the subject or if they need to reevaluate and choose a new subject. The final advantage of this is that by taking the intro level courses in your desired subject of study earlier, allows the student to bypass the intro level courses seen in the first years of college and allow them to move on to more advanced and often times more interesting subjects.
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Posted in AP Tutoring |
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November 21st, 2011
There are many benefits of doing the Avid program at Peninsula High School. On average, Avid can benefit as many as 60 students daily. Students come to Avid with two study questions on the subjects they mainly struggle with. They receive assistance from other Avid students that are familiar with the material or are going through the same material. They are prompted by questions from the tutors that will ultimately help them get to the answer, as well as keep them on track if they stray from the boundaries of the correct answer. If utilized to its highest potential, the Avid program can help students learn valuable study skills that they can carry with them as they go on to college. Many students come to look to their fellow students and tutors as mentors. Also, Avid students that really need help with schoolwork, but cannot afford a private tutor find the program to be of great benefit. The Avid program takes students with great potential but not exactly the right skills and helps them fine tune as well as push their abilities to become better students. As a tutor, I also find benefit of my presence at the Avid program. I believe it to be a rewarding experience not only for the students, but for myself as well. I am able to help students that would not otherwise seek outside help for their studies, and I am able to challenge my abilities by tutoring more than one student at a time.
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Posted in AVID |
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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.
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Posted in AP US History |
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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!
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Posted in writing |
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November 8th, 2011
While the key to doing well on any exam at Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach Middle School, Pacific School or American Martyrs school is to conceptually understand the material backwards and forwards, there are some tips you can employ to give you
an edge and make your time spent studying as efficient and effective as possible.
What kind of learner are you? Everyone is different in the way they learn and
absorb information so its best to identify what kind of learner you are when
deciding on what study strategies to use.
Cramming doesn’t pay! Don’t wait until the night before a test to review all your
materials. Space out your studying up to several days or weeks before your exam
which will keep you from getting overwhelmed and increase the likelihood you will
understand and recall the information you need to.
See, Write, Say! – Experts maintain that your chances of recalling information
increases greatly when you look at a given piece of information, write it out again in
your own words or way, and then say it aloud to yourself.
Summarize information, concepts, and big picture ideas in concise charts, graphs,
or outlines. This will make the information easier to recall and extrapolate upon to
answer critical thinking type questions.
Study actively! It is best to study during daylight hours. Don’t study in your bed to
avoid being tempted to fall asleep. Also ask yourself questions as you go through the
material to keep yourself actively engaged in the material at hand.
Avoid distractions! Find a place away from things you’re easily distracted by. A quiet
room away from the computer, television, and disruptive friends or siblings is an
ideal study location. Sometimes music such as jazz or classical may help keep you
more interested and stimulated if complete silence is unappealing to you.
Take a break! It’s good to periodically take a short break from long periods of
studying. Get up and walk around to get your blood flowing or go and make yourself
a nutritious snack. Your brain may only account for 2% of your overall bodyweight,
but it consumes 20% of your calorie intake. While studying, this figure can increase
to nearly 40%! Snacks rich in nutrients such as nuts or fruits are great to munch on
while studying to keep your brain working at full capacity.
Tags: american martyrs, Manhattan Beach Middle School, mira costa high school, pacific school, Study, tutor, Tutoring, Tutors
Posted in 6-8, 9-12, American Martyrs school, focusing, General Articles, high school, Learning, Manhattan Beach, Mira Costa High School, pacific school, South Bay, study skills, Tutor Tips |
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November 7th, 2011
The first thing that struck me upon entering the Manhattan Beach Study Hut is how comfortable the students feel around their tutors! I instantly understood how valuable it is for students to be able to CONNECT with their tutor. Students are obviously at ease at the Study Hut, many make this place their second home. Being able to be open with their tutor about their struggles in school allows us as tutors to custom-make lesson plans to target problem areas. I was also very happy to see how well the tutors interacted with their kiddos. While maintaining a professional environment, the tutors were able to interact with students and make them laugh and, more importantly, make their lessons FUN!
The second thing that really surprised me about the Study Hut was how busy this place gets in the evenings! When I left on my first day, it was 8:30 in the evening, and there were still energetic students arriving to meet with their tutor, and they were in good moods! I don’t think I would have been in such a great mood to spend my evenings getting ahead, but I was nonetheless happy to see kids happy to learn.
For me, tutoring isn’t just about answering questions, it’s about getting kids to learn from me, and become motivated students. I’m very happy to see students using the Study Hut to stay on top of their learning!
Tags: learn, Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Beach Study Hut, school, students, study Hut, Tutoring, Tutors
Posted in Manhattan Beach |
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November 7th, 2011
Why Tutoring Can Turbocharge Education Outcomes
It seems obvious that having the advantage of personalized tutoring gives a student a distinct advantage. What’s better than one-on-one direction by someone who understands the educational materials and has the ability to effectively transmit that knowledge? But the benefits of tutoring actually go way beyond that. There’s a special magic in collaboration that fuels the speed of learning and the ability to retain information for longer periods of time. It’s no secret. Ever since Professor Sugata Mitra conducted his famous learning experiments in India, we’ve had definitive proof that when you introduce technology and collaboration into the learning process, something magical happens. And the reason tutors are so effective isn’t just because they’re academic superstars who relay good information and study techniques to students. Tutors are the most effective when they act in a collaborative fashion with their students. It’s less about pushing knowledge and more about providing friendly and gentle nudges toward an education outcome and then giving students the tools they need to get there.
New Tools for Tutoring
There’s been a recent trend toward online education options, especially in post-secondary education. Although touted as an alternative to traditional classroom models which offers a lot of flexibility, there’s reason to believe online learning environments actually offer a lot more than that. In a study released by the U.S. Department of Education, online learning actually came out ahead of the traditional classroom model in terms of slightly higher education outcomes. “Students in online conditions performed modestly better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction.” But an interesting finding relevant to tutors is the results about blending an online educational aspect with the human element. A mixture of face-to-face interaction and online learning conditions provided the best outcomes of anything the study could measure. And that means that tutors have a new tool at their disposal.
The Technology Factor
Tutors can already capitalize on their unique ability to work collaboratively with students to achieve better learning outcomes than traditional classroom time alone. But what this study highlights, just like Professor Mitra’s experiments did, is that where technology and collaboration collide, magic happens. This gives tutors another valuable tool to work with to accelerate knowledge acquisition as well as long term knowledge retention. Individual students have different needs and strengths, and good tutors who are flexible can adapt strategies to accommodate that. Teachers who use Moodle in the classroom to reinforce knowledge acquisition from materials initially presented in lectures find that the online element helps cement the information in a way that lectures alone can’t accomplish. Introducing an online component to the tutoring process increases the ability to adapt and fine-tune what works best for each student. Collaboration is a huge part of tutoring success. But when good tutors use collaborative tutoring methods and introduce the technology factor inherent in an online learning environment, students will continue to perform better. And reaching true student potential is what tutoring is all about.
Tags: secondary education, teachers, Tutoring
Posted in 9-12, Comprehension |
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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.
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Posted in Tutors |
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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!
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Posted in study skills |
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