Your Child Achieves Best When Able To Choose His Learning Style and Learning Environment
By Shari Nielsen | July 9, 2008
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Styles, they are everywhere! We wear our hair in a certain style. We all have a style of clothing that we consider our favorite. We even prefer certain styles of music. We certainly like driving a specific style of car. Where we go to have our hair done, buy clothes, or look at cars is also important to us. Have you ever considered that your child may have a preferred style of learning and preferred learning environment? They actually do.
Children can learn in a variety of ways, but they certainly have a style of learning that they prefer because it makes the most sense to them.
Let’s start with the first day of school. We all can remember those feelings and impressions. Were you the student who loved to take home your new textbooks on the first day of school and wade through them, skimming over the pages with great interest and anticipation? Would you receive the teacher’s information packet and enthusiastically flip through it eager to find out what was to be expected of you that year? Would you do your homework the minute you got home, complete your assignments on time, and strive to receive the award for Student of the Month? Did you learn best by yourself and were you able to not be easily distracted? Or were you the student who just rolled your eyes when the teacher passed out that year’s textbooks on the first day of school. Did the information packet feel like a weight in your backpack, pushing down your hopeful dreams that this year just might be different. Were you not enthused by the books you were expected to read and the assignments to you needed to complete? Did you believe your enthusiasm and motivation for learning were stifled? Did you wished for the opportunity to explore, be creative, and share a little more than you were allowed to?
Each child has different styles that we as parents or tutors need to be aware of.
For example, my oldest child is very social and enjoys learning, mostly through discussion, group projects, and going places. Getting an information packet on the first day of school was alright for her, but she sure skimmed it quick looking for the group activities, like field trips and writing group reports. She was even more excited when she learned that she would be using the computer for many of her projects. In addition, my son seems to learn best when he is not forced to master just one concept at a time. He likes to learn when a variety of concepts are integrated into one theme. He also likes to ask lots of questions. His style of learning requests inquiry, problem solving, and creativity. My son wants to know why and be able to come up with more than one way to solve problems. Getting an information packet for him was more burdensome than motivating. He often would ask the teacher if there were opportunities to be creative with projects as long as the concepts being taught were the main focus. He found inspiration and freedom when doing research. His favorite research tool was the computer, of course. Would you believe he would earn A’s when using the learning style he preferred?
You also need to consider the learning environment that your child will be exposed to. Does he like to learn alone or does he prefer to learn in a classroom with others or just simply work one-on-one with someone? Would using the computer be the ideal tool for him or would it serve as a distraction? Some students love websites such as www.BrainPops.com which help to make learning fun. Other students find working with tutors online, such as www.Tutorfi.com serves as an excellent resource and helps with motivation and with building confidence.
Learning styles and learning environments come in many shapes and sizes. Some children learn best through performing on stage, some through being creative and alone to think, and some like to be given more social interaction both in and out of the classroom. All children have many ways to learn and many learning environments to choose from, but they have a learning style and learning environment that works best for them. Start observing your kids and watch for what they are drawn to. You just might be surprised!
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Topics: study strategies, helpful tips for tutors, motivating children, Effective Study Habits | No Comments »
HARD TIMES AT DOUGLASS HIGH: A NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REPORT CARD
By Scott Palat | June 30, 2008
I watched this HBO documentary about a high school in Baltimore. I was blown away by the reality of this show. The one thing that stood out to me as an educator was when a teacher decided it was time to quit in the middle of the school year.
He explained that he wasn’t getting a spark from any of the students and because of this, he felt as if his efforts were not being rewarded in any way. You could tell by his demeanor that he really wanted to stay, but he couldn’t justify teaching when none of his students cared about learning.
Of course there were many reasons for the student’s lack of interest, but I wanted to write this blog post about the “spark” that we as educators need to truly enjoy our jobs. I totally relate to that teacher, because that spark is sometimes the sole reason why teachers stay with their teaching jobs.
Even though I never went out and had a real teaching job, I student and substitute taught for months. When I hung out in the teachers lounge and observed other classes, I could tell which teachers loved their jobs and which ones didn’t. In my opinion, a lot of their happiness revolved around that spark. If they were successful in teaching students and helping them feel good about themselves, those particular teachers were happy.
Others perhaps gave up on the students and even themselves by not trying new things. Today’s students are different than the group of students from say 10 years ago. The internet has changed everything and now more than ever it’s important for teachers to try new things to motivate their students.
This is why I love online learning. It’s a medium student’s love. More teachers should try this approach during class. The computer room can be used for different and unique types of lessons.
For any teacher struggling to get that spark, this might be the breakthrough you are looking for. Of course you have to get creative, but with all the technology these days, there is no reason you can’t teach a lesson on the computer. See if this new way of teaching helps your students gain interest again. I bet it does!
Popularity: 20% [?]
Topics: computer room learning | No Comments »
how to acquire students for your etutoring business
By Scott Palat | June 30, 2008
There are many online and offline tutor websites who generate parent leads for tutors. Most of these websites generate student leads instead of parent leads. The reason for this is simple. Students are always searching for ways to short cut their homework assignments. Imagine if we had Google growing up.
Students are the ones usually filling out these online request forms. You’ll find this out the hard way if you call a lead and speak with the parent. Most won’t remember requesting information on a tutoring program and this can become somewhat awkward if you are not prepared.
The majority of these lead generating websites offer leads without any training on how to call them or even how to be a good tutor. TutorFi is different because we offer parent leads that are generated specifically for online tutoring and we do not encourage anyone to be dependent on our parent leads. We teach many different ways to build your business locally and around the world.
TutorFi also provides the tools you need to be a successful online tutor. All members receive their own online tutoring classroom with voice and tech support. They also get their own management and scheduling system which enables them to look professional.
TutorFi is your trusted online tutoring community and is the perfect place for anyone wanting to get started with their own online tutoring business. You can learn from company leaders and other tutors who are running their own businesses too. We are all here to help your online tutoring business become a successful.
Popularity: 19% [?]
Topics: finding students | No Comments »
online tutoring companies vs TutorFi
By Scott Palat | June 27, 2008
Online tutoring companies usually hire tutors who are underpaid and are not given a chance to communicate with the parents. Most of these companies offer homework help or curriculum based tutoring. The student rarely gets to work with the same tutor and in some cases 1 tutor might have up to 5 students so it’s not even one-on-one tutoring. In my opinion, this is unfair to the student and the parent.
Many of tutors who work for online tutoring companies are not paid what they are worth. The industry average including tutors from
The big thing these companies lack is “caring”. Most just want to make money, so they pay the tutors a cheap rate and charge as much as possible to the parents. On a rare occasion, the parent will receive a free phone call to talk about their child’s progress. These rare phone calls are made by people who work for the online tutoring companies and not student’s actual tutor. Many online tutoring companies never even call the parents.
After running a few different online tutoring companies myself, I realized the biggest void in the industry was the caring aspect. Even when I hired tutors, it was hard to get them to really care like me and my staff did.
This ended up being the inspiration for TutorFi. We had such a high demand from tutors to work for us, but it was really unfair to everyone. So we decided to take a step back and teach tutors what we know and allow them to earn between $25 - $75 per hour.
So instead of TutorFi offering the actual online tutoring services, we match parents and our TutorFi clients with each other. By generating the parent leads, our members can call the parents who request more information and they can offer a demonstration inside our online classroom. Many of these connections work out perfectly for the parent, tutor and student. This is the goal of TutorFi. We want to create a real win/win situation for everyone.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Topics: the best type of online tutoring | No Comments »
What Makes A Good Teacher Part 1
By Shari Nielsen | May 3, 2008
Below is Part 1 on What Makes a Good Teacher…
Good teachers really want to be good teachers
Good teachers try and try and try again, and let students know that they try. Just as they respect students who really try. Students that see this will respect you.
Good Teachers Take Risks
Good teachers set themselves impossible goals, and then scramble to achieve them.
Good Teachers Never Have Enough Time
Just about all of the good teachers I have known are eternally busy.
Good Teachers have a positive attitude
Wow! This really goes a long way. Students react to positive attitudes.
Good Teachers Think of Teaching as a form of Parenting
The best teachers I know seem to find that their best teaching feels alot like parenting.
This is Part 1 on what makes a good teacher. I hope these tips are helpful. Part 2 to come soon.
Popularity: 38% [?]
Topics: Teacher-Student Dynamics | 1 Comment »
50 Reasons Why I Enjoy Being a Teacher
By Shari Nielsen | April 13, 2008
A career working with students can often be exhausting, overwhelming, and frustrating at times. There are days that I come home from the classroom and I don’t know if I have enough energy or desire to return the following day. There are times when I finish an online tutoring session and am not sure if I want to start the next one. However, for as frustrating as these times may get, there are a million and one other reasons why I love teaching. I just need to keep a list of these reasons available and visible so I can review them during the trying times.
I came across another blogger who had the same idea. He was rather ambitious and recorded 50 reasons why he loves being a teacher. Given more time and a desire to end on a number other than 50, I’m sure he could of added more to his list. Check it out here and feel free to create your own list so you have something to look at when you feel like you want to switch careers.
Popularity: 70% [?]
Topics: Education System, teachers, Tutor burnout | 1 Comment »
Additional Costs of Driving to Tutor
By Shari Nielsen | April 13, 2008
I recently found out that due to increased fuel prices and budget constraints, my daughter’s school will be shutting down at 2:45 every day so all after school events are canceled from now to the end of the year. This means no more Brownies after school, no more book fairs in the evening, no more meetings, etc. It is really hitting everyone hard and canceling a great deal of activities that the kids really look forward to. It won’t be long until other activities such as field trips are also affected.
I was wondering if this was hitting other schools too so I did a quick search online and found many frustrated and irate parents who were in the same boat. I also found a quick blog post by a fellow blogger who was voicing her opinion about this issue here.
The increasing gas prices may also be affecting the tutoring field. It will now cost more to drive to clients’ houses which will cut into profits, causing tutors to either earn less or charge more. This may make online tutoring more appealing for both tutors and clients. Consider the benefits of tutoring from the comfort of your own home as opposed to traveling by car to meet with a client - a much better financial decision!
Popularity: 52% [?]
Topics: cost, Education System, starting an online tutoring business | No Comments »
School Discipline: Effective Strategies for Instilling Successful Classroom Discipline
By Colleen Palat | April 10, 2008
As every teacher knows, effective school discipline is imperative if we are to educate our students and get them ready for the world. Yet sometimes, with all the demands placed on teachers today, a proper discipline plan can sometimes go out the window!
If you’re wanting help your students learn and grow as responsible members of society with a promising future ahead of them, then school discipline needs to be a top priority. We all know that, without discipline, learning cannot take place.
Below are some sugestions on developing a school discipline plan and managing behavior in the classroom. With little planning and follow through, you can have a plan that can create a classroom full of fun, learning, and
1. Have a plan. When considering school discipline, t’s important to start the year off right with an effective discipline plan. Don’t be afraid to have high expectations! Define for yourself what is acceptable behaior and what is not, create consequences for the problematic behavior, and then communicate it clearly with your students. Make your rules clear and concise while not bogging your students down with a ton of rules…it’s hard for anyone to remember 200 rules, so make them age appropriate and clear.
2. Each day, give an overview of what the day will bring and your expectations. Children love structure, so communicating your plans and what you expect can help the day go smoother.
3. Follow through and be consistent! Once you have a plan for appropriate school discipline and have communicated it with your students, it’s important to follow through every time. It’s typical of some students to test the rules, so make sure you’re ready to let them know you’re prepared to follow through. For example, if one of your student’s is talking when they shouldn’t be, remind them of the rule. If they continue, it’s time to implement the consequence.
4. Don’t forget positive reinforcement. Be sure to give positive feedback when your student(s) are behaving appropriately. This works well with some of the more “spirited” pupils since they may be so used to receiving negative reinforcement. By making them feel like they CAN behave appropriately, they may make more of an effort to do so.
5. Try to eliminate disruptions. It’s important to deal with a school discipline problem quickly without causing a great deal of disruption in the classroom. Deal with the problem promptly and move on with your lesson.
6. Deal with the situation privately, if needed. Some confrontations require they be dealt with privately in order to avoid embarrassment the student may feel in front of their peers. If this is the case, pull the student aside and deal with the problem behavior.
7. Each day is a new day! When implementing proper school discipline, it’s vitally important to make the start of each day a fresh start. Doing so will help the student feel they can correct their negative behavior from the day before and start them on the way to behave properly in class every day.
If you started the year off with shaking school discipline, it’s not too late to start! It will probably require a little more work on your part to undue some of the disruptive behavior patterns, but it’s not too late. Follow the tips above, BE CONSISTENT, firm, and fair, and you can turn the year around and have a positive school discipline experience.
Popularity: 63% [?]
Topics: Discipline, motivating children, Teacher-Student Dynamics | 1 Comment »
Blogging Tips
By Shari Nielsen | April 5, 2008
A lot of teachers, homeschoolers, parents and even kids are turning to blogging as a way to express their thoughts on specific topics, engage in meaningful discussions, pick up tips and new ideas from other readers, and simply interact with other people who share the same interests. I recently ran across a post which was filled with ideas and tips to make your blogging experience a rewarding one. Click here for some ideas and ways to make your blog more engaging and attractive to others.
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Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Later Starts for High Schoolers?
By Shari Nielsen | April 5, 2008
Some schools in our area have been tossing around the idea of starting high school a little later than usual since some research shows that the early morning hours are not optimal for learning for most teenagers. There are a variety of reasons why some school districts are choosing to start later, from the basic sleep requirements to the brain chemistry of teenagers, to extracurricular involvement, to transportation issues. Fellow blogger Lyn Newton wrote a post on this topic. Check it out here.
Popularity: 49% [?]
Topics: Child Development, Education System | No Comments »