Monday, March 23, 2020

4 Easy Things You Need to Be Doing to Advance Your Career - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 4 Easy Things You Need to Be Doing to Advance Your Career - Introvert Whisperer 4 Easy Things You Need to Be Doing to Advance Your Career 4 Easy Things You Need to Be Doing to Advance Your Career Are you the kind of person who lets others take the lead in a business meeting? That might be helping your career. Even though youre an Introvert, there are some strategies that will help you get ahead, without making you cringe: Which strategy will make the biggest change in your current career track? Share your thoughts in the comments! Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable.   Get your copy now and start your action plan today: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Upcoming Changes in the SAT

Upcoming Changes in the SAT Note: A more updated account of the SAT changes can be found here. You may have your grievances with the SAT, just as university professors may have theirs. Nearly everyone has a suggestion or two for the College Board when it comes to their infamous test. The College Board evidently listened to someone (perhaps even you), as they have recently announced several major revisions to the SAT that should take effect in 2016. It should be noted that the current SAT format will not change. There will still be Writing, Mathematics, and Critical Reading sections. However, the College Board hopes to make the test content more relevant to the material that students learn in their high school classes and closer to the material that theyll need to understand in order to do well in college. Thus, the College Board also intends to make the test more practical. [RELATED: What is an Average SAT Score?] There are some very specific modifications that could affect your SAT preparation but first, its critical to understand the rationale behind these changes. The SAT is designed to be the great equalizer in college admissions and to accurately predict students success in higher education. However, the College Board President, David Coleman, recently acknowledged that the SAT isnt doing the best it can to achieve these goals. Some experts say that high school grades are still a better predictor of future academic success than SAT scores. The proposed changes to the SAT are intended to bridge this gap and make SAT scores a more accurate measure of how well students will perform at the college level. Critical Reading Perhaps one of the largest problems with the current version of the SAT is the seemingly arbitrary vocabulary words that are used on the test. The College Board has heard this feedback, so students might not have to memorize these arcane terms anymore. According to the proposed changes, these words will be replaced with vocabulary that youd be far more likely to actually use in college and in everyday life. If you plan to take the test in 2016, ensure you locate and understand this new set of vocabulary words. [RELATED: What Does SAT Stand For?] Mathematics The SAT Mathematics changes are not as significant as the Critical Reading modifications. However, the College Board is attempting to recognize and pinpoint the equations and types of thinking that truly matter in college courses. Coleman specifically mentioned that proportional reasoning, linear equations, and linear functions are some of the question types that determine if students can succeed at the college level. Coleman also noted that pupils should be able to do more than just pick the correct answer. He suggested that they should be able to explain their mathematical reasoning as well. This strongly indicates that future SAT tests may have more of these question types and less of the multiple-choice format. Writing In addition to multiple-choice questions devoted to mechanics, the infamous essay is also found in this section. It is the essay that may undergo the largest revision on the new SAT. Right now, its designed to measure how well you can articulate an argument and string together cohesive thoughts but it doesnt take off many points for inaccurate statements staging as facts. So, it essentially allows students to fabricate facts to better support an argument. Coleman is planning to change this and to require students to solely use factual evidence to support arguments in their essays. [RELATED: How is the New SAT Scored?]

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Find a Maths Tutor in Manchester for Maths Revision

Find a Maths Tutor in Manchester for Maths Revision Get Help with Maths Lessons in Manchester with Dedicated Maths Tutors ChaptersKumon MathsLearn Maths with Manchester City CouncilMaths Tutors at SuperprofLearn Maths with Learndirect ManchesterMaths Tuition at The Manchester CollegeLearning Maths at Trafford Collegein2work.comDo you struggle with maths? Do you find it impossible? It's now time to stop worrying and subscribe to maths courses in Edinburgh!If you put the work in and receive the right support, there is no doubt that  you will succeed in maths.  Sitting through your maths lessons without having a clue to what’s going on is rather tiring, we’ve all been there at some point in our lives and it makes us feel low and hopeless. Whether it was during year 6 or your GCSE maths class.  You sit through your lessons worrying, thinking you're going to fail and will be the last in the class and it's no walk in the park.  Whether you’re about to sit your maths GCSE or are an adult looking to learn maths to increase your job opportunities, have a read of this article because you’ll find a maths tutor that is right for you in Manchester!Superprof is by far the best tutoring website for maths tuition. (Source: www.superprof.co.uk)We offer a free UK service that helps maths tutors Cardiff and tutees find each other via a secure and easy-to-use online tuition platform. You can either take maths lessons locally, face to face, or online, around the UK or the world!Superprof has tutors offering tuition in more than 1000 subjects, including maths!  Whether you're a beginner in maths or are more advanced, Superprof is the right place for you as our tutors will tailor their classes to your Maths needs and requirements!Glasgow.

An Introduction to Academic Support

An Introduction to Academic Support What Is After-School Academic Support? ChaptersWhat Is the Academic Support Market in the UK Like?Why Is the Academic Support Market Growing?The Big Names in the Academic Support MarketWhen the National Education System Fails, What Is an Effective Solution?While the private tutorial market is booming, that doesn’t mean that every single actor is enjoying the benefits.  Furthermore, there are a lot of factors to take into account when it comes to academic support for children.The most important things to think of are:How can we deal with an education system that’s failing so many young students?Can every teacher provide quality tuition to large classes year on year?How is the state educating students and helping them make their way into the labour market?We’ve got a lot of questions to answer.In this article, we're going to look at the academic support market in the UK, the reasons behind its growth, the largest companies operating in the market, and how private tutoring can help students who are being failed by the education system in this country. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat Is the Academic Support Market in the UK Like?There are a lot of organisations, groups, and companies in the academic support market.Superprof brings together tutors and students from all over the world. (Source: TheAndrasBarta)Since there’s everything from charitable organisations offering support to e-learning platforms, let’s have a look at what they do.Specialised OrganisationsThese organisations make up a significant part of the market.  There are two ways for tutoring to work: Either the family hires a private tutor directly and acts as their employer or they contact a company that provides them with a tutor and the family acts as a customer.There are tutoring groups, businesses, self-employed tutors, and public education groups offering help to struggling students.  Usually, students will find a tutor through a company.  Most of the time, companies will find tutors for the customer and offer them private tutorials at their home or homework help in a specific place, like a library, for example. Some even offer online tutoring services.  In this case, the family entrusts the company with the administration and finding the right tutors.You should know that there are also charitable organisations offering tutoring  services, too.  These are useful for families with limited budgets who otherwise wouldn’t be able to pay for private tutorials.Finally, you can also find plenty of tutors who are working for themselves.Platforms Connecting Tutors to StudentsThere are platforms that help students find tutors and vice versa. With more and more tutors deciding to work for themselves, these types of platforms have become more important.Sites such as Superprof were created for this very reason.  In just a few clicks, you can find academic support for a multitude of different subjects including:Maths (algebra, calculus, trigonometry, etc.)Foreign languages such as French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, etc.Science including physics, chemistry, biology, etc.EnglishOne on one refresher classesExam or test prepEtc.The goal is to help students to easily find a tutor near them who can help them with a subject they’re struggling with, for example.Undeclared WorkThere are still tutors around who are working cash-in-hand and not declaring their earnings.  It’s hugely important that tutors declare their earnings to HMRC and pay the appropriate taxes and National Insurance contributions.Crime doesn't pay. (Source: Free-Photos)Additionally, if you don’t, there are penalties such as:FinesImprisonmentPaying unpaid taxThere are plenty of benefits to operating as a sole trader. Such as not going to prison...Why Is the Academic Support Market Growing?Education is a quick way to combat unemployment and most parents know this. This is why the academic support market continues to grow.Parents want to help their children get the best possible grades and exam results at every stage of their education. From SATs, GCSEs, A Levels, and their degree.There are two main tendencies when it comes to private tutorials:The demand for academic support grows around the start of a new academic year.There’s also a spike in demand around March.The offering is also changing.  Students in primary school, secondary school, college, sixth form, and university can easily find academic resources for learning.There are plenty of websites helping students get over academic difficulties. This allows them to get over problems in maths or foreign languages from the comfort of their own home. We’re starting to see the dem ocratisation of the market.Previously, families were forced to work with massive home tutoring companies (which often charged a fortune) if they wanted to find a private tutor. Nowadays, you can find private tutors in just a few clicks.Thus, you can find tutors to help with:Catching upUnderstanding why students are failingRefresher classesHomework helpAchieving high gradesAdditionally, you can find them for competitive rates.The Big Names in the Academic Support MarketGeneral Organisations You Should KnowFor the most part, academic support companies offer a huge variety of different courses and levels.There are some really big academic support companies. (Source: Pexels)A lot of students get in touch with these companies and groups to find:Maths tutorials, Spanish tutorials, philosophy tutorials, etc.Academic coachingHelp with applying to universitiesTutorials for study skillsWhether it’s during the summer holidays or during the school term, these types of companies can help stude nts find tutors and take care of the administration.Specific GroupsBig tutoring companies offer a variety of solutions depending on what students need to learn.  There are a few companies that may come to mind and some offer video tutorials and courses for professionals, for example.Certain companies focus on learning languages and organising trips abroad for students. This is a very popular type of tuition.  Other platforms help students studying A Levels.In some cases, students are encouraged to work with different tutors in order to match up their learning style with the right pedagogy. These organisations tend to provide academic guidance for students as well, helping them choose the right university courses to apply to, etc.SuperprofIn addition to the big players who’ve been around forever, there are also plenty of newer groups when it comes to one on one tutoring, academic tutoring, and bespoke instruction.Superprof is the largest community of tutors online (1 million as of 2016).  Tutors can create an account and profile explaining what type of tuition they offer and we help the students find the online tutor or home tutor that meets their needs.When the National Education System Fails, What Is an Effective Solution?There are some worrying statistics when it comes to education and pupils falling behind.Children can learn more effectively with private tutors. (Source: rawpixel)Apparently, one in eight secondary schools in the UK is failing. This means 12.5% of schools aren’t up to scratch!  This is made more alarming when you think that this basically accounts for over 300,000 students in England alone!There are huge inequalities when it comes to education.  A-level pass rates were at their lowest for eight years. Of course, it seems that every year there’s a whole heap of controversy surrounding pass rates. If too many students pass, the exams are too easy, if too many fail, then the students or the schools are to blame.That said, there are studen ts who genuinely struggle at school, especially when there are problems at home such as a divorce or bereavement or when students have special educational needs.These problems are compounded when you have overworked teachers trying to teach larger and larger groups of students.  There are a few ways to address these issues. Similarly, there are definitely teachers in schools going above and beyond to help.However, they can’t do everything and even the best teachers may fall short when the education system fails them.  We can now use digital resources to bring together students and educators.In a few years, all this work will bear fruit.Now you know a bit more about the academic support market and how it can help you achieve academic success. Whether you're looking for an English tutor, chemistry tutor, or even writing tutors, you're bound to be able to find the right person.Are you a tutor or a student looking for an educator?Don’t hesitate to look for academic support classes o r tutorials. There are a lot of benefits.  If you're interested in teaching or becoming a tutor, then you could start looking for tutoring jobs. More and more people are choosing to be tutored privately and the best tutors will have no problem finding students.You can create your profile on Superprof and start offering one on tutorials, tutorials over webcam, or group tutorials. Generally speaking, the latter costs the most per hour (for the student) and the latter costs less per student but can earn the tutor much more.

Global Endowment Management Sponsors HeartThrob - Heart Math Tutoring

Global Endowment Management Sponsors HeartThrob - Heart Math Tutoring Global Endowment Management Sponsors HeartThrob Global Endowment Management Sponsors HeartThrob February 6, 2020 Heart Math Tutoring would like to extend a big thank you to Global Endowment Management (GEM) for being the Presenting Sponsor of HeartThrob 2020! In addition to their financial support, 15 GEM employees also volunteer as Heart Tutors. They work 1:1 with Heart students each week to strengthen their foundational math skills and increase their confidence and enthusiasm. Thank you, GEM, for your partnership! As a fourth-year tutor at Billingsville, Heart continues to be the highlight of my week. It fits easily into my busy schedule, and I love meeting tangible goals with my student. I can’t wait to celebrate and support this wonderful organization at HeartThrob! Alex Morte, GEM Employee and Heart Tutor

SAT Tip of the Week Solve for the Right Variable

SAT Tip of the Week Solve for the Right Variable Welcome to the second installment in AJ Tutorings SAT Tip of the Week series!  This week, well be focusing on a common trick the SAT test-makers like to play in the math  section.To do well on the SAT math section, yes, you must know the content you need to have a good grasp of basic arithmetic, number properties, algebra, and geometry.  But if you spend some time looking at the hardest SAT math questions, youll notice pretty quickly that the content  of the math questions doesnt really get more difficult than that.  Youre not solving matrices or differentiating equations.  Rather, youre working through more complex questions with multiple steps, using higher-order logic, and reading carefully.One trick that pops up on the most difficult SAT math questions has to do with the wording of the question.  Math questions will often set up a relatively simple equation, which you can solve for x without too much trouble.  However, the question might ask you for the value of 3x.  If y ou didnt read the question carefully, you might overlook this detail and choose the wrong answer.Heres a sample problem that illustrates this, taken from the College Boards Official SAT Study Guide:Its easy enough to translate the wording of the question into an equation: 4w=w+4.  Solving for w, you should get w=4/3.  Many students stop there, believing that because they solved the equation and got an answer listed in the answer choices (answer choice C). theyve gotten the problem right.  Of course, the SAT test-makers anticipated that students would solve for w, and built that answer choice into the problem.But not so fast!  Take 5 seconds to re-read what the question is asking you to solve for.  In this case, were looking for the value of 3w.  The value of 3w is 4, which is the correct answer (answer choice E).The takeaway: Before you choose a final answer to an SAT math question, take some time to reread what the question is asking you to find.  Make sure youve solved for the correct variable!

[Update] More Public Video Pledges

[Update] More Public Video Pledges Continuing from our first post of Public Video Pledges, weve received more from dedicated Challengers all over the world who have bravely posted their Public Video Pledge! (Click here for more details) We are very impressed by the massive turnout of Challengers from all around the world.  As we mentioned at the start of the Challenge,  we’ve got hundreds of Challengers learning more than 30+ languages on italki!  However, we did not mention the number of people who are not just learning one language but learning two or even three languages for the Challenge!  If you havent started learning a new language yet, you need to watch these Public Video Pledges as we hope these will serve as some inspiration for you to kickstart your New Years Resolution to learn a new language now! Tom from San Francisco We were blown away with this Public Video Pledge because Tom is not just learning one language or even two langauges  He is one of the few (there actually could be many more) that are learning 3 languages for the Language Challenge!  His Public Video Pledge is a bit longer than others because he speaks in 3 different languages (French, Norwegian, and Chinese) in the video. Please let him know how awesome he is by commenting on his post!  You have to check this out! Kirstin from New Zealand Kirstin is not just any Challenger, shes also a CELTA qualified New Zealand-born Professional English Teacher on italki.  Kirstin is in the category of Challengers who is learning not just one but two languages during the Language Challenge.   Shes learning Spanish and Chinese.  Please leave some words of encouragement on her notebook entry.  Her video is very impressive as she starts off with the languages that she is learning then goes into English, her native language. Ellen from the United Kingdom Halfway across the world, we have Ellen who is also learning multiple languages.  As a Community Tutor on italki, Ellen teaches English and is learning French and Japanese for the Language Challenge.  Cheer her on by commenting on her Notebook Entry! Fermin from Mexico Fermin is learning Chinese for the Language Challenge and is also a Community Tutor who teaches Spanish on italki.  His Chinese speaking skills are actually quite good already as you can see and hear from this video.  Show that you care by commenting on his notebook entry! Jaime from Peru We just received Jaimes Public Video Pledge.  Hes committed to taking 20 lessons learning Japanese to complete the Challenge.  His Japanese is already pretty good but he feels that he has some room to improve.    He even wrote his Notebook entry in Japanese so please show your support by saying some nice things to him to keep him motivated ?? Brad   from  Australia Brad is taking the Challenge for a very important reason to be able to speak to his girlfriends parents and family. Hes learning Spanish. Leave Brad some words of encouragement by commenting on his Notebook entry! Were pulling for you Brad and know you can complete the Challenge! Tak  from Thailand   Our Southeast Asia contingent finally has some representation with a Public Video Pledge.   Tak just joined italki on January 18th 3 days after the Challenge began but is brave enough to tackle the Challenge missing almost an entire week.  Wish him luck on his Notebook entry.  Taks pledge is made in Thai (his native language) and he is learning 3 languages for the Challenge: German, English and Japanese.   Not an easy task!  For those of you who are just learning one, this is very inspirational! Challengers, you have no excuses! If you just started the Language Challenge, you still have time to make a Public Video Pledge. Remember,  we’re giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!      If you really want to complete the challenge, a Public Video Pledge could be the right little motivator to make sure that you complete the Challenge as the world is watching and we all want you to succeed! Did I mention that were giving away 50ITC for one as well? [Update] More Public Video Pledges Continuing from our first post of Public Video Pledges, weve received more from dedicated Challengers all over the world who have bravely posted their Public Video Pledge! (Click here for more details) We are very impressed by the massive turnout of Challengers from all around the world.  As we mentioned at the start of the Challenge,  we’ve got hundreds of Challengers learning more than 30+ languages on italki!  However, we did not mention the number of people who are not just learning one language but learning two or even three languages for the Challenge!  If you havent started learning a new language yet, you need to watch these Public Video Pledges as we hope these will serve as some inspiration for you to kickstart your New Years Resolution to learn a new language now! Tom from San Francisco We were blown away with this Public Video Pledge because Tom is not just learning one language or even two langauges  He is one of the few (there actually could be many more) that are learning 3 languages for the Language Challenge!  His Public Video Pledge is a bit longer than others because he speaks in 3 different languages (French, Norwegian, and Chinese) in the video. Please let him know how awesome he is by commenting on his post!  You have to check this out! Kirstin from New Zealand Kirstin is not just any Challenger, shes also a CELTA qualified New Zealand-born Professional English Teacher on italki.  Kirstin is in the category of Challengers who is learning not just one but two languages during the Language Challenge.   Shes learning Spanish and Chinese.  Please leave some words of encouragement on her notebook entry.  Her video is very impressive as she starts off with the languages that she is learning then goes into English, her native language. Ellen from the United Kingdom Halfway across the world, we have Ellen who is also learning multiple languages.  As a Community Tutor on italki, Ellen teaches English and is learning French and Japanese for the Language Challenge.  Cheer her on by commenting on her Notebook Entry! Fermin from Mexico Fermin is learning Chinese for the Language Challenge and is also a Community Tutor who teaches Spanish on italki.  His Chinese speaking skills are actually quite good already as you can see and hear from this video.  Show that you care by commenting on his notebook entry! Jaime from Peru We just received Jaimes Public Video Pledge.  Hes committed to taking 20 lessons learning Japanese to complete the Challenge.  His Japanese is already pretty good but he feels that he has some room to improve.    He even wrote his Notebook entry in Japanese so please show your support by saying some nice things to him to keep him motivated ?? Brad   from  Australia Brad is taking the Challenge for a very important reason to be able to speak to his girlfriends parents and family. Hes learning Spanish. Leave Brad some words of encouragement by commenting on his Notebook entry! Were pulling for you Brad and know you can complete the Challenge! Tak  from Thailand   Our Southeast Asia contingent finally has some representation with a Public Video Pledge.   Tak just joined italki on January 18th 3 days after the Challenge began but is brave enough to tackle the Challenge missing almost an entire week.  Wish him luck on his Notebook entry.  Taks pledge is made in Thai (his native language) and he is learning 3 languages for the Challenge: German, English and Japanese.   Not an easy task!  For those of you who are just learning one, this is very inspirational! Challengers, you have no excuses! If you just started the Language Challenge, you still have time to make a Public Video Pledge. Remember,  we’re giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!      If you really want to complete the challenge, a Public Video Pledge could be the right little motivator to make sure that you complete the Challenge as the world is watching and we all want you to succeed! Did I mention that were giving away 50ITC for one as well? [Update] More Public Video Pledges Continuing from our  first post of Public Video Pledges, weve received more from dedicated Challengers all over the world who have bravely posted their Public Video Pledge! We want to applaud those all our Challengers who were brave enough to  publicly promising to finish the Challenge, but dont forget that theres still time for you to make your Public Video Pledge and earn 50ITC as a bonus!  (Click here for more details) We also hope that these pledges will serve as some inspiration  for you to learn a new language now! Murillo Costa   from Brazil This is a great Public Pledge from Murillo, who is also one of our Community Tutor. Murillo teaches Portuguese and he is learning French and Russian for the World Cup Language Challenge. He is committing 1 lesson of French and 2 lessons of Russian a week to finish the Challenge. Cheer him on by Notebook post here. Surprisingly, Murillo does not want Brazil to win the World Cup, but he supports Spain! Arthur   from Brazil Arthur is a beginner and he is taking the challenge to improve his Italian skills. He is committing to taking 2 to 3 lessons a week to complete the challenge. Show that you care by commenting on his Notebook entry. Arthur hopes Germany win the World Cup. Tosha   from the United States Tosha is learning Spanish for our World Cup Language Challenge and she is also a Community Tutor who teaches English on italki. Her Spanish speaking skills are actually quite good already as you can see and hear from this video below, but she really wants to take it to the next level since she will be spending some time in Mexico. Tosha is committing 2 to 3 English lessons a week to finish the Challenge. Please show your support by leaving some nice comments on her Notebook entry. Tosha wants Brazil to win the trophy! Jake   from England Jake is taking the World Cup Language Challenge to kickstart his Spanish and to reach fluency in it! He has committed at least 3 lessons a week. Please wish him good luck by commenting on his Notebook entry. Being British, Jake would like England to win the World Cup, but since he feels that the chances of that happening are not too right, he gives a resounding Come on Spain! Kevin   from the United States This is the first italki Language Challenge for Kevin, who has committed to taking 30 lessons learning Spanish over the next two months. His Spanish is already pretty good but he feels that he has some room to improve and bring it to the next level. Leave Kevin some words of encouragement by commenting on his Notebook entry. Kevin wishes USA to win the World Cup! Ashley   from the United States Ashely is another Challenger from the United States, she has been learning Hindi for the last two years and she took the World Cup Language Challenge as an opportunity to improve her listening skills and her grammar. She is committing 3 to 4 lessons a week to complete the Challenge. Give her some support by commenting on her Notebook post here. Shane   from the United States Shane is a college student who likes languages a lot. He has joined the World Cup Language Challenge to improve his German speaking abilities since he will be studying in Germany next year. His goal is to take 4 sections a week to complete the challenge. Shane is also one of our Community Tutor who enjoys helping people to learn English. Dont forget to comment on his Notebook entry here. Joseph G. Oliver   from the United States Joseph hails from the United States but is now living in Japan and he has decided to participate in the italki World Cup Challenge to further his knowledge of the German language. His goal is to reach level C1 by the end of the challenge. He is also a Professional Teachers on italki teaching English. Make sure to send him some words of encouragement in his Notebook entry here. Joseph loves Korea and so he really would like Korea to win the World Cup! Harry   from the United States Harry literally fell in love with Japan when he visited it and thats why he is trying to learn Japanese. His goal is to reach A2 level and to hold a conversation when he will going back to Japan on September. Help cheer Harry on by sending him words of encouragement in his Notebook entry. Harry doesnt mention anything about the World Cup but, since his love for Japan, were assuming hes rooting for Japan! Munique Vieira   from Brazil Munique is taking the World Cup Language Challenge to improve her English skills. She knows that English is a very important language so she is going to put all her efforts to take 2 or 3 lessons a week and complete the Challenge. Check out her notebook entry here and wish her good luck! Joelson   from Brazil It was hard for us to understand what Joelson was trying to say since no one of us can speak Portuguese, but it seems he will learn English during the World Cup Language Challenge. His goal at the end of the Challenge is to be able to publish the same video speaking in English! Were pulling for you Joelson and know you can complete the Challenge! Leave some words of encouragement by commenting on his notebook entry here! When we asked who he wants to win the World Cup, Joelson gives a resounding O Brasil e claro! Khang Nguyen   from Viet Nam Khang represents Viet Nam for our World Cup Language Challenge. He is committing one lesson a day to finish the Challenge in record time. In only one month he will improve his English focusing in particular on his speaking skills. Give him some support by commenting on his notebook post here! Ian   from the United States Ian is taking the Challenge for a very important reason to be able to speak with his family members when he goes to Cebu, which is in the Philippines. Hes learning Cebuano and he is committing 3 lessons a week to complete the Challenge. Lets encourage him by commenting on his notebook entry here! Ian will support the USA team during the World Cup! Jaime   from Perù Jaime is from Perù and he is in the category of the few Challengers who are learning not just onebut two languages during the World Cup Language Challenge. He is learning English and Japanese and he will be taking 3 lessons a week. Please let him know how awesome he is by commenting on his post!  You have to check this out! Shona Cammillare   from Ireland From Ireland we have Shona who is also one of our Professional Teachers on italki teaching English. She is learning Chinese for the World Cup Language Challenge and she is committing 3 to 4 lessons a week. Her Chinese speaking skills are actually quite good already as you can see and hear from this video. Show that you care by commenting on her notebook entry here! Shona is rooting for Japan during this World Cup. Jason   from the United States Our Community Tutor Jason has decided to put himself to the test learning Spanish. His Spanish is already pretty good, but he hopes that the Challenge will take his ability to the next level. Read his notebook entry and please leave some words of encouragement! Cynthia   from the United States Cynthia is learning Korean for the World Cup Language Challenge and shes committed to taking 2 to 3 lessons a week. She specifically wants to improve her speaking skills. Dont forget to send some words of encouragement in her notebook entry . Cynthia would like to see Brazil, Portugal, or Spain  win the World Cup! Pierre Bredel   from Brazil Pierre has signed up for the World Cup Language Challenge to improve his French skills. His dad is from France so he actually speaks French quite fluently already (check out his pledge!), but he really wants to push his ability to the next level. Show him some support by commenting on his notebook entry . Pierre predicts that its Brazil or French winning the World Cup! Amelia   from England Amelia is taking on Korean for the World Cup Language Challenge. Shes actually starting from scratch (actually 1 month in) to improve his French skills. She thought that the Challenge would be a bit too much at this stage in her Korean but after she sent us her Week 1 Update, it sounds like shes doing fine! Show her some support by commenting on her notebook entry . Amelia just sent up this her Week 1 Update. Not bad for a beginner at Korean, right? [Update] More Public Video Pledges Continuing from our  first post of Public Video Pledges, weve received more from dedicated Challengers all over the world who have bravely posted their Public Video Pledge! We want to applaud those all our Challengers who were brave enough to  publicly promising to finish the Challenge, but dont forget that theres still time for you to make your Public Video Pledge and earn 50ITC as a bonus!  (Click here for more details) We also hope that these pledges will serve as some inspiration  for you to learn a new language now! Murillo Costa   from Brazil This is a great Public Pledge from Murillo, who is also one of our Community Tutor. Murillo teaches Portuguese and he is learning French and Russian for the World Cup Language Challenge. He is committing 1 lesson of French and 2 lessons of Russian a week to finish the Challenge. Cheer him on by Notebook post here. Surprisingly, Murillo does not want Brazil to win the World Cup, but he supports Spain! Arthur   from Brazil Arthur is a beginner and he is taking the challenge to improve his Italian skills. He is committing to taking 2 to 3 lessons a week to complete the challenge. Show that you care by commenting on his Notebook entry. Arthur hopes Germany win the World Cup. Tosha   from the United States Tosha is learning Spanish for our World Cup Language Challenge and she is also a Community Tutor who teaches English on italki. Her Spanish speaking skills are actually quite good already as you can see and hear from this video below, but she really wants to take it to the next level since she will be spending some time in Mexico. Tosha is committing 2 to 3 English lessons a week to finish the Challenge. Please show your support by leaving some nice comments on her Notebook entry. Tosha wants Brazil to win the trophy! Jake   from England Jake is taking the World Cup Language Challenge to kickstart his Spanish and to reach fluency in it! He has committed at least 3 lessons a week. Please wish him good luck by commenting on his Notebook entry. Being British, Jake would like England to win the World Cup, but since he feels that the chances of that happening are not too right, he gives a resounding Come on Spain! Kevin   from the United States This is the first italki Language Challenge for Kevin, who has committed to taking 30 lessons learning Spanish over the next two months. His Spanish is already pretty good but he feels that he has some room to improve and bring it to the next level. Leave Kevin some words of encouragement by commenting on his Notebook entry. Kevin wishes USA to win the World Cup! Ashley   from the United States Ashely is another Challenger from the United States, she has been learning Hindi for the last two years and she took the World Cup Language Challenge as an opportunity to improve her listening skills and her grammar. She is committing 3 to 4 lessons a week to complete the Challenge. Give her some support by commenting on her Notebook post here. Shane   from the United States Shane is a college student who likes languages a lot. He has joined the World Cup Language Challenge to improve his German speaking abilities since he will be studying in Germany next year. His goal is to take 4 sections a week to complete the challenge. Shane is also one of our Community Tutor who enjoys helping people to learn English. Dont forget to comment on his Notebook entry here. Joseph G. Oliver   from the United States Joseph hails from the United States but is now living in Japan and he has decided to participate in the italki World Cup Challenge to further his knowledge of the German language. His goal is to reach level C1 by the end of the challenge. He is also a Professional Teachers on italki teaching English. Make sure to send him some words of encouragement in his Notebook entry here. Joseph loves Korea and so he really would like Korea to win the World Cup! Harry   from the United States Harry literally fell in love with Japan when he visited it and thats why he is trying to learn Japanese. His goal is to reach A2 level and to hold a conversation when he will going back to Japan on September. Help cheer Harry on by sending him words of encouragement in his Notebook entry. Harry doesnt mention anything about the World Cup but, since his love for Japan, were assuming hes rooting for Japan! Munique Vieira   from Brazil Munique is taking the World Cup Language Challenge to improve her English skills. She knows that English is a very important language so she is going to put all her efforts to take 2 or 3 lessons a week and complete the Challenge. Check out her notebook entry here and wish her good luck! Joelson   from Brazil It was hard for us to understand what Joelson was trying to say since no one of us can speak Portuguese, but it seems he will learn English during the World Cup Language Challenge. His goal at the end of the Challenge is to be able to publish the same video speaking in English! Were pulling for you Joelson and know you can complete the Challenge! Leave some words of encouragement by commenting on his notebook entry here! When we asked who he wants to win the World Cup, Joelson gives a resounding O Brasil e claro! Khang Nguyen   from Viet Nam Khang represents Viet Nam for our World Cup Language Challenge. He is committing one lesson a day to finish the Challenge in record time. In only one month he will improve his English focusing in particular on his speaking skills. Give him some support by commenting on his notebook post here! Ian   from the United States Ian is taking the Challenge for a very important reason to be able to speak with his family members when he goes to Cebu, which is in the Philippines. Hes learning Cebuano and he is committing 3 lessons a week to complete the Challenge. Lets encourage him by commenting on his notebook entry here! Ian will support the USA team during the World Cup! Jaime   from Perù Jaime is from Perù and he is in the category of the few Challengers who are learning not just onebut two languages during the World Cup Language Challenge. He is learning English and Japanese and he will be taking 3 lessons a week. Please let him know how awesome he is by commenting on his post!  You have to check this out! Shona Cammillare   from Ireland From Ireland we have Shona who is also one of our Professional Teachers on italki teaching English. She is learning Chinese for the World Cup Language Challenge and she is committing 3 to 4 lessons a week. Her Chinese speaking skills are actually quite good already as you can see and hear from this video. Show that you care by commenting on her notebook entry here! Shona is rooting for Japan during this World Cup. Jason   from the United States Our Community Tutor Jason has decided to put himself to the test learning Spanish. His Spanish is already pretty good, but he hopes that the Challenge will take his ability to the next level. Read his notebook entry and please leave some words of encouragement! Cynthia   from the United States Cynthia is learning Korean for the World Cup Language Challenge and shes committed to taking 2 to 3 lessons a week. She specifically wants to improve her speaking skills. Dont forget to send some words of encouragement in her notebook entry . Cynthia would like to see Brazil, Portugal, or Spain  win the World Cup! Pierre Bredel   from Brazil Pierre has signed up for the World Cup Language Challenge to improve his French skills. His dad is from France so he actually speaks French quite fluently already (check out his pledge!), but he really wants to push his ability to the next level. Show him some support by commenting on his notebook entry . Pierre predicts that its Brazil or French winning the World Cup! Amelia   from England Amelia is taking on Korean for the World Cup Language Challenge. Shes actually starting from scratch (actually 1 month in) to improve his French skills. She thought that the Challenge would be a bit too much at this stage in her Korean but after she sent us her Week 1 Update, it sounds like shes doing fine! Show her some support by commenting on her notebook entry . Amelia just sent up this her Week 1 Update. Not bad for a beginner at Korean, right? [Update] More Public Video Pledges Continuing from our first post of Public Video Pledges, weve received more from dedicated Challengers all over the world who have bravely posted their Public Video Pledge! (Click here for more details) We are very impressed by the massive turnout of Challengers from all around the world.  As we mentioned at the start of the Challenge,  we’ve got hundreds of Challengers learning more than 30+ languages on italki!  However, we did not mention the number of people who are not just learning one language but learning two or even three languages for the Challenge!  If you havent started learning a new language yet, you need to watch these Public Video Pledges as we hope these will serve as some inspiration for you to kickstart your New Years Resolution to learn a new language now! Tom from San Francisco We were blown away with this Public Video Pledge because Tom is not just learning one language or even two langauges  He is one of the few (there actually could be many more) that are learning 3 languages for the Language Challenge!  His Public Video Pledge is a bit longer than others because he speaks in 3 different languages (French, Norwegian, and Chinese) in the video. Please let him know how awesome he is by commenting on his post!  You have to check this out! Kirstin from New Zealand Kirstin is not just any Challenger, shes also a CELTA qualified New Zealand-born Professional English Teacher on italki.  Kirstin is in the category of Challengers who is learning not just one but two languages during the Language Challenge.   Shes learning Spanish and Chinese.  Please leave some words of encouragement on her notebook entry.  Her video is very impressive as she starts off with the languages that she is learning then goes into English, her native language. Ellen from the United Kingdom Halfway across the world, we have Ellen who is also learning multiple languages.  As a Community Tutor on italki, Ellen teaches English and is learning French and Japanese for the Language Challenge.  Cheer her on by commenting on her Notebook Entry! Fermin from Mexico Fermin is learning Chinese for the Language Challenge and is also a Community Tutor who teaches Spanish on italki.  His Chinese speaking skills are actually quite good already as you can see and hear from this video.  Show that you care by commenting on his notebook entry! Jaime from Peru We just received Jaimes Public Video Pledge.  Hes committed to taking 20 lessons learning Japanese to complete the Challenge.  His Japanese is already pretty good but he feels that he has some room to improve.    He even wrote his Notebook entry in Japanese so please show your support by saying some nice things to him to keep him motivated ?? Brad   from  Australia Brad is taking the Challenge for a very important reason to be able to speak to his girlfriends parents and family. Hes learning Spanish. Leave Brad some words of encouragement by commenting on his Notebook entry! Were pulling for you Brad and know you can complete the Challenge! Tak  from Thailand   Our Southeast Asia contingent finally has some representation with a Public Video Pledge.   Tak just joined italki on January 18th 3 days after the Challenge began but is brave enough to tackle the Challenge missing almost an entire week.  Wish him luck on his Notebook entry.  Taks pledge is made in Thai (his native language) and he is learning 3 languages for the Challenge: German, English and Japanese.   Not an easy task!  For those of you who are just learning one, this is very inspirational! Challengers, you have no excuses! If you just started the Language Challenge, you still have time to make a Public Video Pledge. Remember,  we’re giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!      If you really want to complete the challenge, a Public Video Pledge could be the right little motivator to make sure that you complete the Challenge as the world is watching and we all want you to succeed! Did I mention that were giving away 50ITC for one as well?

Make After School Learning Social With These 5 Tips

Make After School Learning Social With These 5 Tips 5 Ways to Make After School Learning Social A lot of younger students begin to dislike schoolwork because it takes them away from socializing with their friends. Many students begin to view studying as something they have to do by themselves while sitting at a desk in their study room and wish they could be outside playing with classmates and neighbors. However, afterschool academics can be a fun and social activity as long as there is enough organization to make sure that ample learning takes place. Kids have a ton of structure in the classroom but may still need to work on a healthy balance between education and socialization during afterschool learning. 1.   Form a neighborhood study group One thing parents can do is form a neighborhood study group. Its not necessary for each kid to be working on the same assignment or even be in the same class but just that they have a chance to learn socially. Concepts such as reading comprehension, writing, and mathematics are all universal so kids can work on learning these skills together. They can work with a support specialist or get help from a parent in order to stay organized and progress forward. Even getting kids together to participate in an informal field trip to a local museum or learning center can be a great way to put the social element back into learning. 2.   Participate in community sports activities Community sports activities offer a great opportunity for kids to be social. Physical education is a type of learning and can teach kids discipline, teamwork, and build their self-esteem when done properly. Kids who participate in a more informal type of sports activity have the opportunity to try new things and see what really serves as a good fit. Students can go to their local family gym and participate in classes in a safe and welcoming environment or they can sign up to be on a local soccer team or take swimming lessons. The important thing is that they get to try something new in a supportive and social environment. 3. Utilize child care that supports academics Another great way for kids to be social while learning is to attend childcare or afterschool care that really focuses on academics. Some childcare centers will offer kids academic support and give them the opportunity to work with an educator who can help them get started on their homework or even understand difficult concepts that were brought up in the classroom. Childcare centers will always be social because there are lots of kids of all different ages spending time in this environment. Its important for kids to be able to get along with others of their own age but also to know how to interact with children a few years younger or older. 4.   Learn at an art studio Afterschool art classes are a fantastic way for kids to socialize in a positive educational environment. Most art studios have group projects or offer a situation in which kids are allowed to interact and talk with each other because it doesnt disrupt the activity like it might in the classroom environment. Hands-on activities such as ceramics and painting definitely encourage kids to socialize and experience learning with others. 5.   Participate in small group tutoring When it comes to really difficult and specific academic concepts, its best for students to learn one-on-one with a private tutor. However, when kids just need to work on general concepts or stay organized, they can benefit from small group tutoring. Many tutors will come to the home and work with three to five kids at once, allowing students to improve academically but also enjoy time with friends and learn how to work in a group. Our private tutors are great one-on-one, and will help your student develop both educational and social skills. Call TutorNerds today for more information on our private San Diego academic tutoring. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write