How to Evaluate a Tutor and Decide Whether to Hire Them

How to Evaluate a Tutor and Decide Whether to Hire ThemIn the event that you're reading this, it's likely that you've chosen to seek a tutor to help you improve your grades in a course. However, you might find that it's hard to assess the quality of the tutor you have chosen.After all, you should be confident in your choice of tutors; ideally, you will want to select someone with a good reputation. However, this won't always happen. It's important that you make sure that you're able to get a fair assessment of the tutor you've chosen.First, you need to take a look at the teacher's qualifications. As a matter of fact, you should also see if there are any referrals from previous students who say they would recommend them. If so, that could be a good indicator of how well the tutor has done in the past. It's also a good idea to find out what their teaching experience is like.Second, look to see if there are any testimonials from current employers. Perhaps a former employer has got a lon g-term recommendation for the tutor you're looking at? Or perhaps your friend has had a tutor of that sort for their child?Third, make sure that you write a detailed initial review of the tutor. You don't want to have a background in other subjects; it's usually best to focus on the areas you need help with most. This way, you can write the tutor as one who will assist you in areas that will be of assistance to you, and not as someone who will provide extra assistance for other areas. Make sure you write your review using details about your strengths, weaknesses, and how you'll benefit from the tutor's services.Fourth, be sure to think about the main things that you are looking for in a tutor. For example, you might find that you're looking for the best teacher for language classes or those for which you have a particular interest, such as music or drama.By doing this, you can be sure that you'll be able to quickly find the tutor that will meet your needs. Finally, choose the tutor you are most confident that you can meet his or her expectations - and that you'll have the best experience from your tutor.

DNA Diagram Online Biology Tutors Tutorpace

DNA Diagram Online Biology Tutors Tutorpace DNA is the basic hereditary material of organisms .It is seen in the cytoplasm as nucleoid and plasmids in prokaryotes and located inside the nucleus in eukaryotes. DNA is the hereditary material through which characters are transferred from one generation to the next generation. It acts as the blue prints for the cell. The sudden change happening to the DNA is called mutation which results in alterations in the behavior of the cell. Watson, Crick and Wilkins described the molecular arrangement of DNA .They were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962 for the discovery. The proposed double helix model of DNA resembles a spiral ladder. It is made up of two polynucleotide chains paired by their nitrogen-containing bases. Two strands of alternating phosphate groups and deoxyribose sugars form the rail of the ladder. Paired bases, held together by hydrogen bonds, form the steps of the ladder. The nitrogenous bases are of two types-Purines and pyramidines.The two purines are Adenine and Guanine and the two pyrimidine are Cytosine and Thymine. One purine always pairs with one pyrimidine. Adenine always pairs with thymine and vice versa, and cytosine always pairs with guanine. The adenine and thymine pairs by two hydrogen bonds, cytosine and guanine pairs by means of three hydrogen bonds. The sugar and phosphate units in the DNA helix therefore build up the phosphate backbone of DNA. It is in a specific way the twisted molecules are arranged, one strand is arranged in the 5 to 3 direction while the complementary strand is arranged in the 3 to 5 direction. The two strands are antiparallel to one another.

Improved Performance through Better To-Do Lists

Improved Performance through Better To-Do Lists Improving Academic Performance In this article I want to discuss two key elements of achieving improved academic performance (or performance at work or in any given area of your personal life, for that matter), and how a simple but powerful system for managing your to-do list can address each element: Ensuring you never forget about an assignment, and always have enough time to plan and prepare in advance Completing any given assignment with a confident, calm, low stress demeanor The first point above is pretty simple. If you show up to math class and have forgotten to complete your homework or prepare for a quiz, your grade is going to suffer. If your boss asks you to do something at work and you forget all about it until 12 hours before it’s due, the work you complete will be of a much lower quality than it could have been had you prepared and planned in advance. I’ll spare the reader more examples, because it’s probably a relatively obvious point. The path to addressing the first point above usually flows through the tried and true method of keeping a calendar and using a to-do list. By writing down all the things you need to do, it’s much less likely you’ll forget any given item, and most of us get a very good feeling from crossing things off of a to-do list. I read a book a few years ago which changed how I think about to-do lists called “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” by David Allen. Mr. Allen doesn’t bash to-do lists, they are an important part of his system for becoming more productive. The MyGuru To-Do list matrix, which I’ll discuss in a few paragraphs, borrows much from Mr. Allen’s thinking about how to create your own personal system for keeping track of all the things you need to do to succeed at school, at work, and at home. However, what I found most interesting about the “GTD System” as it’s often called, has to do with point 2) above; getting things done with a confident, calm, low stress demeanor. Allen describes how, and I find this intuitively very true, when you keep too much information in your head, you get overloaded. You’re never quite sure if you’re forgetting about something, and you’re constantly reprioritizing. At any given point in time when you might be able to relax, or you should be focused on your spouse, or your coach, or your teacher, your mind can easily wander towards the long list of items which you need to accomplish. This can be surprisingly stressful, and lead to low quality work, studying, and even strained relationships. By having some system, even if it’s really simple, for writing everything down and prioritizing, you allow your mind to relax, and stop trying to use its power remember facts and simple things you have to do. Instead, brain power can be focused on solving complex problems and thinking critically and creatively on any given thing. MyGuru’s To-Do List Matrix By clicking here, you can download our free “To-Do List Matrix” productivity tool. It’s an extremely simple Microsoft Word-based tool that can help anyone organize all of their tasks at work or school, medium and long term goals and projects, and basic “to-do” list items. In the above video, I describe how to use the matrix, but it’s pretty simple. The steps include: Categorizing your life into separate areas, each with their own list of activities you need to accomplish. For students, their classes, sports teams, clubs, etc. make good categories Keeping separate columns for the things you need to do today, this week, or this month… ..and then crossing out items, or moving them left and right, as you prioritize or deprioritize Keeping a separate area for longer term goals and projects you’d like to accomplish, but which you aren’t currently working on One huge benefit of the matrix is that you can step back and get a holistic view of everything you have to do for the next month or so, starting with today. You’d be surprised at the reduction in stress you’ll feel when you are confident that you have everything covered. It will go a long way towards ensuring you do your best on any given item, whether that’s preparing for a test or performing in a big game. About the Author Mark Skoskiewicz is MyGuru's founder. After graduating from Nortwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in 2009, he has pursued informal and formal education to understand how to improve academic performance through better academic planning and study habits. He recently completed,with Distinction, theUniversity of California at San Diegocourse LearningHow to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help you Master Tough Subjects

Financial Lessons for College Bound Students - Private Tutoring

Financial Lessons for College Bound Students BobbiM Apr 24, 2013 Today we welcome John Gower, who is knowledgable about all things finance (i.e., How to Pay for College). In this article, hell share with you some tips on how to manage your money before you enter college and especially while youre in college. As high school seniors prepare to head to college, the prospect of independence is near. However, that independence might not be as hands-off as they (or you) would like. Managing your child’s expenses while they are living at home is quite different from doing so while they are in a dorm room halfway across the country. Before the big move-in day, consider these tips for steering your soon-to-be college freshman towards a life of financial independence and success. 1. The basics: Staying in the green If you have not done so already, help your student open a basic checking account. Many banks offer accounts targeted to students with no minimum balance or maintenance fee. The account you open does not necessarily have to be at the same bank you yourself frequent. A better gauge of which bank to pick may be the proximity to the campus your child has chosen to attend. Finding an account with the lowest fees and having easy access to an ATM for cash withdrawals ought to be the driving concerns, as most else can be managed online. Tuition and housing costs aside, there are still a number of expenses that necessitate the use of a checking account. The occasional weekend trip, basic personal expenses, or a work-study job on campus are a few of many activities that will force your student to start some sort of budget management habits. Teaching your child how to manage his or her checking account without incurring overdraft fees is a great stepping-stone for the future. 2. Money management: No excel worksheet needed The average student loan debt for a graduate in 2012 was around $27,000. Whether or not your child’s education costs will be covered by loans, grants, scholarships, college savings, or a combination of the above, keeping your student aware and involved in the payment schedule is a place to start responsible financial habits. This does not entail leaving your student out in the cold to deal with complex financial aid issues, but instead giving them some additional responsibility. This can be as simple as making tuition payments themselves (on time) or being in charge of paying for housing each month. If that seems like too much to handle from the get-go, consider instead making out a small home utility bill such as cable or internet in your student’s name to get the same benefit of building responsible and timely payment habits. 3. Plastic: Put away those scissors for now Due to new regulations passed in 2009, banks are now prohibited from passing out free water bottles, t-shirts, and other goodies on campus as recruiting efforts to get students to sign up for credit cards. So while you don’t have to worry as much about your student coming home on their first Thanksgiving back with a pocket full of plastic, there is still good reason for concern. Start building good credit habits early, as when your child reaches the age of 21 they can apply for credit cards without a co-signer. There are a number of benefits to helping your student build credit. A high credit score will help them once they are out in the real world signing apartment leases, getting credit history checked by employers, and applying for car loans. Credit cards of course have their pitfalls. They have the potential to be widely misused if not grounded in the fact that plastic is indeed spending real money that must be repaid in full. In order to fully understand this, your student should know what the terms minimum payments, annual fees, and APRs mean at the very least. If you have allowed your high school graduate to piggyback on your existing credit card, remember to keep a close eye on the account, as anything they do has the potential to hurt your credit history. The tips above are a great starting point for beginning a conversation between you and your college-bound senior. Start small, and most importantly communicate and be available to guide your child as they navigate tricky financial waters in college. John Gower is a writer for  NerdWallet, a personal finance website dedicated to helping consumers find the best free checking account, high interest savings account, rewards credit card and more.

4 Ways to Become a Language Learning Genius by Taking Notes

4 Ways to Become a Language Learning Genius by Taking Notes 4 Ways to Become a Language Learning Genius by Taking Notes Think taking notes is boring?Well, if youre learning a language, taking notes not only can be interesting and exciting, but it may be essential!Believe it or not, taking handwritten notes on a subject youre learning isnt just for people from the horse-and-buggy age.If you feel like notes are boring, its probably because the way youre naturally inclined to take notes is different from the way youve been taught to take notes.Youve likely just never figured out what works for you.Once you learn why taking notes for language learning is helpful, youll wonder why you didnt start doing it sooner!In this post, were going to look at how you can create your own fun and useful language learning notes, notes that truly enhance your studies and help you learn. Why Take Language Learning Notes?A great reason to take physical language learning notes in a notebook or elsewhere by hand is that it’ll help with your long-term memory. Taking language notes that make sense to you will help you to re tain more of what youre learning. Some studies have suggested that handwritten notes can be more effective for learning than notes typed on a computer. For those of you who still prefer to use a computer to take language notes, like me, you can always buy a digital pen and take notes on a dedicated graphic drawing tablet for similar benefits.Another reason to take language notes is that youll have fewer distractions. Taking notes in an offline digital or paper notebook will not only help you to focus on what youre learning, but itll prevent distractions from things like text messages, emails, online advertisements, etc.Feeling a sense of accomplishment is another great reason to take language notes. As you can see that each page is being filled with your language notes, this will help to keep you motivated to continue taking more notes and keep learning.Now that you know why you want to keep a language learning notebook, lets look at how you can take great language notes.4 Ways to B ecome a Language Learning Genius by Taking Notes1. Learn Your Language Learning Style and Apply It to Your Note-takingLearning your language learning style is one of the best ways for you to become a language learning genius by taking notes. Do you remember those kids in high school who always got As on their tests in Spanish class, and told you they never took notes or studied?Well, first of all, they were lying, and secondly, the way they took and reviewed notes probably didnt feel like note-taking and studying to them because they did it in a way that felt natural. When you figure out your language learning style, youll also be able to excel at learning a new language the way they do.Play around with the different styles below and see what works for you!Auditory LearnersThe most effective way for auditory learners to take language notes and retain information is by listening.Text-to-speech is a great way for auditory learners to take notes aside from the methods mentioned above, because you can listen to the notes youre taking as youre taking them. Another great thing about text-to-speech is that it can be used on nearly all types of computers (desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphones, etc). Because of that, text-to-speech can be used almost anywhere to help you take great language notes.Another way auditory learners can take better notes is by recording lectures, teachings or conversations that have to do with the language theyre learning. Nowadays, youre able to record just about anything with your smartphone. You can then play these recordings back later, and theyll help you to take better notes in your notebook.To give yourself more audio material for your notes, you could also try having group discussions with fellow learners in and/or about the language youre learning. This is a great method of learning and note-taking for people who are sociable.Visual LearnersVisual learners take the best language notes while  watching movies, looking at photos, diagram s, etc. For example, watching a movie may not seem like a productive way to take language notes, but people who learn languages through visualization will be able to remember new foreign words easier by seeing them acted out visually.People with this type of language learning style may benefit from keeping a physical or a digital folder full of pictures, diagrams, graphs and movies to go along with their notes and make sense of them. You can also, of course, arrange your notes into your own diagrams, graphs and other visual aids.If youre a visual learner, you would also benefit from using visual aids to learning, not just note taking. For instance, youd probably learn well with FluentU, which  makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them.Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:Fluent U really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes store  or  Google Play store.Hands-on LearnersPeople who are hands-on learners, like me, like to get their hands dirty when learning a new language. The best way for hands-on learners to take notes when learning a new language is by actually doing something, often physical, that connects their memory to a new foreign word.Actually writing down your notes on paper (or, again, on an offline computer with a digital pen) is the best way for hands-on learners to take language notes.  Besides writing things down on paper, hands-on learners can also take language notes by using hand gestures. For example, if you want to learn to say good job in a foreign language, you could write that phrase down in a notebook with one hand and use your other hand to give yourself a thumbs-up.If youre a student in school taking a foreign language test, you can use your hands-on learning style to your advantage. If you discreetly use your hands to go over your hand-gesture not es while youre taking your test, people may think youre crazy, but youll prove them wrong when you ace your language test every time!2. Establish the Main Idea Every Time You Take NotesLearning your language learning style is only the first step when it comes to taking great language notes. Once you figure that out, the next thing you need to focus on is what the main idea of your notes is.Limit Yourself to One Main Idea at a TimeKnowing the main idea is important because you dont want just a bunch of random notes that dont make any sense. For example, if during one note-taking session, you want to learn a particular grammar point, then stay focused on only taking notes on that grammar point. Be careful to not get distracted with trying to learn too much all at once.Create a Structure in Your Notes to Accommodate Different TopicsAs you progress in your language note-taking skills, youll eventually want to organize your main thoughts into different sections of your language notebook. As an example, you could have different sections for taking notes on greeting words, the alphabet, basic vocabulary and grammar.Dont Always Go SoloLearning a new language doesnt always have to be a lone-ranger type of thing. Teaming up with a friend at a coffee shop to take notes together can be a great way to stay focused. It can also be really fun to bounce different notes off of each other to make sure the main idea stays the main idea.3. Take Language Notes on Themed Word ListsOne of the best ways to take notes on vocabulary is by organizing your notes around themed word lists. Here are a few different approaches you can take.Learn SynonymsOne great way to use themed word lists to your advantage is by using a dictionary and thesaurus to help you take language notes on synonyms. This option is great for more advanced learners, because learning synonyms with your themed word notes will help to broaden your vocabulary in the language you’re learning.Visual Thesaurus uses a mind- map format (see below) to introduce you to synonyms, related words and different shades of meaning. Currently, the Spanish, German, Italian, French and Dutch language versions of Visual Thesaurus are in beta. As well explore more in the next section, you can actually use thesaurus and dictionary resources in your native language to explore learning possibilities for your target language.When you learn synonyms by taking great language notes, you’ll no longer be stumbling over your words because you can’t think of anything else to say. Now there’s something to celebrate!Learn Uncommon WordsThe best way to learn uncommon words in a foreign language by using a dictionary is by first visiting a website that specializes in unusual words, like phrontistery.info,  to find an uncommon word and its definition. You can do this in English or your native language, but once you find that uncommon word, you can look up the foreign definition of it with an online multilingual dictionary, lik e hamariweb.com. Once you  learn the foreign definition of that word, which may include more than one related uncommon word and other related words you dont know yet, you can take notes about it in your notebook.This might sound overwhelming, but its a great way to expand your vocabulary beyond the simplest everyday usage. After all, you dont want to be talking to intellectuals in a foreign language and be stumped because you don’t understand many of the words theyre using.Even if you have no desire to talk to intellectuals in a foreign language, you can practice the uncommon foreign words youve learned with your native speaker friends and use  repetition  in your notes to reinforce what youve learned. Theres a reason teachers discipline children by having them write, I will not talk in class 100 times.By writing related words in your language notebook over and over again, even words that are uncommon for most foreigners will start to become common for you.Learn Word Pronunciation sBy using a themed word list with an audio dictionary app, youll not only learn the pronunciation of a foreign word, but youll also be able to take notes in your notebook about the pronunciation.In order for you to remember the pronunciation of a particular letter, you might write down notes like, sounds like a diesel truck, or reminds me of… Whatever the best way is for you to remember the pronunciation of the word is what you should focus on.4. Go Unconventional with Your Note-taking: Use Mind MapsUse Colors and Images in Your Mind Maps for Better RetentionFor those of you who dont know, mind maps are maps that organize lots of words around a central subject. Mind maps use colors and images that will help you to learn a new language quickly. These colors and images that mind maps use create a way for you to visualize your physical notes without needing to bring a notebook everywhere. When you can visualize the physical notes you took in your notebook at home, you can go over you r language notes from memory anywhere, anytime.Most notes are just words written down with more words to explain what the words mean, but not with mind maps. When you take notes using a mind map, you use your creativity with colors and images that will help you to learn the different types of words associated with each word branch.For example, one branch will have the word ball written in a foreign language. Then, each branch attached to the word ball will have words, pictures and colors associated with that word like basketball (orange), soccer (black and white), baseball (white), football (brown), tennis (green), etc.Make Easy Adjustments with a Digital Mind MapIf you like to make frequent changes or add things to your mind map on a regular basis, the best option is to use a digital mind map. A digital mind map will allow you to take digital language notes on a computer, and this will make it easy for you to add or change things as you progress in your language learning.There are many ways to take good language notes, but if you put these four methods into practice, your inner Einstein will come out for all your foreign friends to see.Whether youre an intellectual, a creative person or just a dedicated language learner, taking good notes will help you become the language learning genius youve always wanted to be.

How important are the Key Stage 2 SATs results

How important are the Key Stage 2 SATs results With the KS2 SATs results being released to schools later this week, we thought there was no better time to look at how important they are to your child's future. What do SATs assess? SATs assess how well students have understood what they've learnt in three subjects: mathematics, reading, and spelling, grammar and punctuation. It's only the second year of the new, harder SATs so 2017 results will only be comparable with last year. Not all schools offer SATs. Independent schools can choose whether to offer them, but they usually still do an equivalent at the end of primary/prep school to assess students ability. Do the results really matter? SATs are important to the future education of your child. Many secondary schools use the results to gauge student ability in order to organise them into sets for subjects and even to predict how they will perform right through to A levels. Poor results at SATs can lead to students being incorrectly streamed through school not allowing their true potential to shine through. One would hope that secondary schools are good at identifying children in the wrong sets, but unfortunately this isn't always the case, especially where there are big class sizes. The accuracy of the OLD SATs in predicting future student grades was disputed, however the new tests are designed to be far better at measuring performance. Consequently you and your child will have a clear picture of their strengths and areas of weakness that can be improved. If you feel your child could benefit from private tuition, do feel free to register HERE. The SATs results are also used to analyse how well a primary school is performing. Understandably teachers are under pressure to get their students working to the best of their ability. They might even be denied a pay rise if results are poor, although there are changes afoot to address this. Some would argue that SATs are more important to the school than the child and that there are less stressful ways to measure competence in the classroom than formal exams at this age. Help, my child's results aren't great! Firstly, reassure them that it's not the end of the world. They may be young, but will still have felt pressure to perform well and compare themselves to peers. In fact, some schools are boycotting SATs as they fear they are too stressful for pupils. There's always plenty of time to improve knowledge in weak subject areas, especially with the whole of the summer holiday ahead. As long as your child put in their best effort there's nothing more you could have asked for. At the end of the day, we put such importance on exam results, but they can only ever provide a snapshot of ability!

The Roots of Education are Bitter but the Fruit is Sweet

The Roots of Education are Bitter but the Fruit is Sweet The roots of education are bitter but the fruit is sweet. ~Aristotle (384-322 BC) Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist. His writings cover many subjects including physics, biology, zoology, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music. Aristotle, at the request of Philip of Macedon, tutored Alexander the Great starting from 343  BC.  Aristotle is considered the first genuine scientist in history. And every scientist is in his debt.