3 Ways to Effectively Communicate With Your Childs Teacher

3 Ways to Effectively Communicate With Your Child’s Teacher The new school year brings with it many challenges: a new classroom environment, new, often more challenging, subjects, and most importantlya new teacher. When approaching your students new teacher, it is very important to foster a healthy line of communication. Effective ways to communicate with your childs teacher include making the teacher aware that you are interested and invested in your childs education, finding out and utilizing the best ways to contact your students teacher, and giving the teacher information on your student that will help him or her better get to know your child. The start of a new school year is an excellent time to begin effective communication with your students new teacher. Here are three ways to effectively communicate with your childs teacher this school year: Communication strategy #1: Let the teacher know that you are keen to be involved When the school year begins, let your students teacher know that you are invested in your childs education and success this year. Show your interest in a positive and curious waymost teachers will appreciate your genuine involvement. Inquire about how grades are tracked, and how you can best keep on top of your student's schoolwork this year. For example, grades are often tracked online. You can ask how often these are updated, and use this as a way to monitor your childs success. There may also be a class syllabus online where you can stay up-to-date on any upcoming tests or projects. Inquiring early about coursework can streamline the communications process for the rest of the year. Another suggestion is to show appreciation for your childs teacher. He or she does a great deal of work in fostering your students educational future, and recognizing this can go a long way in promoting healthy communication between you and the teacher. [RELATED: How Parents Can Help with Elementary Homework Challenges] Communication strategy #2: Find the best way to contact the teacher, and use this to your advantage Often, the teacher has specific methods for contact with parents. This may be through email, phone calls, or a communications system put in place by the school (such as a mass messaging system). Whatever it may be, inquire with your students teacher to find the best way to contact him or her with any concerns or questions. The teacher will appreciate you taking the initiative to find out what way works best for you to reach out. It also helps you know how to get the most efficient response from your teacher. You may have questions in the evenings or on weekends, and it can be helpful to know how the teacher wishes to be reached during off hours. Emergency concerns do come up with students, and often occur at inopportune times. Therefore, knowing how to reach your teacher when issues like these arise can be key. [RELATED: Elementary School Parent-Teacher Conferences: What to Ask] Communication strategy #3: Provide information that will help the teacher better know your child Communicating information about your student to his or her new teacher can be instrumental to your childs success in the classroom. Discuss any: strengths weaknesses areas where you can see your child benefiting from improvement. Being open with your students teacher about these areas can not only help your child get the most out of his or her education this school year, but can also showcase to the teacher your willingness to be involved in the educational journey and to have an open line of communication. [RELATED: Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences: What to Ask] Its important to remember that if issues begin to arise with your student in class, dont assume the teacher is aware of the problem. Be open with any concerns you might be having regarding any aspect of your student's educational experience. Promoting effective communication with your childs teacher on all fronts can help make this school year a great one. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

3 Secrets to Getting Better at Your Job (While Also Preparing Yourself for the Next Level) - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 3 Secrets to Getting Better at Your Job (While Also Preparing Yourself for the Next Level) - Introvert Whisperer 3 Secrets to Getting Better at Your Job (While Also Preparing Yourself for the Next Level) What the heck are you supposed to do? The job you have now is fine?it pays pretty well, pushes you, and is somewhat enjoyable?but you really want to move up to the next level. Problem is: some of the skills you need to continue honing for your current job won’t necessarily help you get that promotion. And unfortunately, you don’t have enough time to give 100% of your focus to developing skills for both jobs. Is there a way to have the best of both worlds? Luckily, there is:   By being intentional about your professional development schedule.   I learned this the hard way when I found myself in this exact position earlier this year. I wanted to improve my digital marketing skills so I could take on more clients at my agency, but also wanted to dive into the world of data analysis. After nearly 6 months of frustration, I found a formula that allowed me to do both. 3 Secrets to Finding Balance with Your Professional Development 1. Set a strict schedule for learning (either in the morning before work, or late at night). It’s obvious that you need to schedule time for professional development outside of work if you want to reach your goals, but most people miss one really important thing… You have to be strict about what you do during this time. If you don’t know exactly what you’ll be doing and when you’ll be doing it beforehand, you’ll get distracted and overwhelmed. So, it’s important to: Set a strict schedule as far as what you’ll be learning during your professional development time. Example: I’ll spend 30 minutes reading a book on marketing and 30 minutes doing coding exercises. Put your phone away and ignore emails?give 100% of your attention to learning during this time. Build this time into your schedule. Whether you do it every weekday or once a week, put it in your calendar and it will soon become a habit. 2. Focus on developing overlapping skills. Some skills you’ll need for that next-level job will also apply to your current job. Identify and focus on those. Often, these overlapping skills will be broad and include things like: Project management Strategy Business Admin Once you’re confident in these skills, move on to the specific skills you’ll need for the next job. This allows you to approach the expert level with your current job so you can eventually shift the focus of your professional development. 3. Realize that most of your learning will come from experimentation (not reading books or taking courses). A lot of people have a misconception when it comes to learning new skills. They think that in order to acquire new skills, they have to: Go back to school Read books And go to workshops These things are great, but they can only get you so far. The majority of learning and skill development comes from experimentation. “For the things we have to learn before we do them, we learn by doing them.” Aristotle Think about learning how to play a sport, or even how to ride a bike… You can listen to instructions, read books, and even get coaching, but you’ll only get so far before you have to do something. So, how can you apply this to your professional development? I recommend either: Taking on new projects at work that you’re interested in (that require the skill you want to develop). Creating your own project outside of work that allows you to apply the skill you want to learn in a context you love (example: doing a data science project to figure out how to craft the perfect fantasy football team). The process of trial and error is often the best teacher. You Can Have the Best of Both Worlds You don’t have to sacrifice getting better at your current job to prepare yourself for the next step in your career. You can structure your professional development in such a way that allows you to do both at the same time. It’s amazing how much even 30 minutes of learning and experimentation each day can do for your career. Author Bio

4 Classes Most Middle Schoolers Will Take

4 Classes Most Middle Schoolers Will Take During middle school, your child will likely start having more options in their academic schedule. They may get to choose a foreign language, in addition to electives like art, home economics, music, and technology. Their core classes are likely to stay the same, and are usually less flexible than, for example, in high school and college. While there may be some variance depending on the school, there are four classes that your middle schooler can generally expect to takealgebra, language arts, biology, and social studies. It can be beneficial for your student to know what they can expect to learn during their middle school years. Keep reading to learn about the four classes most middle schoolers will take. 1. Algebra Algebra (a branch of mathematics) refers to the use of symbols and is the foundation for many math- and science-based areas of study, including engineering and medicine. In this course, your middle schooler will learn items like the following: Solving for x The FOIL method Your middle schooler may need a graphing calculator, but be sure to check with your childs teacher or school before purchasing one. Note, too, that some middle schools offer pre-algebra in addition to algebra courses. [RELATED: Whats Going On In Your Middle Schoolers Head?] 2. Language arts A middle school language arts course will continue to build on the skills, concepts, and genres your child has already been exposed to in elementary school. Theyll likely learn how to write longer essays, learn how to more deeply analyze a character and sustain a longer argument, and learn how to use resources to support a thesis. Theyll also likely learn how to use citations. Continue to encourage your child to read material they find interesting, like a topic that relates to one of their hobbies or other passions. Graphic novels, podcasts, and audio books at this age are great as well. Reading aloud together is an excellent activity for middle schoolers too. 3. Biology While most elementary schools generally teach science, a lot of middle schools may offer biology as a specific course or have biology as a major unit within a general science class. In a biology unit or course, students will learn more specifically about life and living organismseverything from insects, to plants, to people. Theyll learn about genetics and the human body. Theyll also learn about how living organisms interact with the earth, using and transforming energy. In biology, your middle schooler may also experience their first dissection. [RELATED: 5 Tactics to Encourage Academic Confidence in Your Middle Schooler] 4. Social studies Social studies is a broad term that many people use synonymously with history, but it actually encompasses geography, sociology, civics, anthropology, government, and economics, in addition to history. Expect your child to learn about local, state, national, and international aspects of each of these studies. Social studies assignments are sometimes connected to a community service project or other kind of civic engagement. Discussing the news and current events with your child is a great way to engage with what theyre learning in social studies. [RELATED: How Parents Can Help Students Setand AchieveAcademic Goals] These four courses will help your middle school student practice foundational skills and set them up for success in high school and college. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Free algebra help - Addition and Subtraction

Free algebra help - Addition and Subtraction Addition is a type of arithmetic operation which combines two numbers or terms into a single number or term. Subtraction is just opposite to addition. It is the difference of numbers or terms. The resultant can be either positive or negative. If both the terms are equal then the resultant is zero. If two sides of an equation are equal like a= b, then if we add or subtract the same value on both sides still it will be equal. x = y x + p = y + p x p = y - p 1) Fill in the blank ___- 23 = -17 Answer: 6 2) Add 3x + 5x + 2 and 4x +2x +10 Answer: (3x + 5x + 2) + (4x +2x +10) = (3x + 4x) + (5x+2x) + (2+10) = 7x + 7x +12 3) Simplify (8x + 9x -3) (4x -4x +7) Answer: 8x + 9x -3 - 4x + 4x -7 = (8x - 4x) + (9x +4x) (3 + 7) = 4x + 13x 10 4) Simplify (8x +2x + 1) + (6x - 3x) Answer: 8x + 2x + 1 + 6x - 3x = 8x + 6x + (2x 3x) + 1 = 8x + 6x - x + 1 5) n + 9 = 42, 12 + p = n, Solve for n and p Answer: n + 9 = 42 n = 33 12 + p = 33 P = 21

College Application Resume Tips

College Application Resume Tips If your teen is starting to think about college, its also a good time to work on developing a resume. As Eileen Huntington of the Huntington Learning Center explains, resumes are valuable for many reasons. Teens can use the resume to prepare for college interviews, to share with people writing them letters of recommendation and much more, she says. What should teens include on their resumes? What should be avoided? Huntington offers these tips: Make it brief. Even the most involved, standout high school junior or senior should limit the resume to one front-and-back page. Format well. A resume should be scannable and easy to read. Its important to divide it into sections (separated by headers) and make use of bullets, bolding, and italics where appropriate. Focus on the most important elements. For a high school student, the education section of the resume should be the primary focus, but dont leave out other important content. Heres a possible template: Contact information Name, address, phone number, email address Education section Graduation date, weighted grade point average, and SAT/ACT scores Valuable skills section Software proficiency, foreign languages, etc. Extracurricular activities Any sports, clubs, activities or volunteer work Work experience Any for-pay work experiences, including employer name, job title, responsibilities, and recognition Highlight character traits and work ethic. The purpose of a high school resume is to augment, not repeat, the college application. Thus, teens should highlight their skills, passion, work ethic and leadership skills through the jobs and other activities they list. Highlight accomplishments. Again, it is important for teens to use the resume to showcase their strengths to colleges as well as teachers/mentors writing recommendation letters for them. That means including any achievements, awards or other recognition on the resume (e.g. not just Chess Club, but Chess Club, Four-time district champion, 2016-2019). Show course work not on a high school transcript. That includes any college prep courses, college courses, academic camps or training programs, certifications or similar. Consider a summary section. Some teens might want to include a career summary or a personal summary. This section calls out a teens goals and best traits/assets and can be a great resume addition. Lastly, Huntington shares with parents that the resume helps teens reflect on their high school careers and prepare for the next step in their lives. As teens get closer to college, it is so important that they put their best foot forward and feel confident talking about their strengths and assets, she says. Encourage your teen to invest the time into developing a great resume, as it will help get him or her into professional mode and prepared to show colleges his or her very best. About Huntington Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader.Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com.

Private Essay Writing tutor in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Private Essay Writing tutor in Fort Lauderdale, FL Meet our new Tutor Mrs. Marlene H. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL and specializes in English, essay writing, English language arts, interviewing skills, resume writing, time management. Having the ability to understand and express the English language both orally and in writing, can definitely make a positive impact on communicating effectively. This skill may come easy for some, while it could be a little challenging for others. Every individual will make a decision on the importance of being able to command the English Language based on their priorities. Marlene has a strong command of this interesting and exciting subject. She is willing to share her knowledge and skills with any student or other individual who needs assistance in various aspects of this subject. Marlene has a wealth of experience interacting with persons of various cultures on a day-to-day basis, which will certainly help her in reaching a wide variety of students. One of her goals in tutoring is to help people to be more proficient with the subject so they can grow both personally and professionally. Please feel free to reach out to Marlene and other tutors at TutorZ.  They  will be more than happy to assist you on your journey to achieving your  goal! Private Essay Writing tutor in Fort Lauderdale, FL Meet our new Tutor Mrs. Marlene H. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL and specializes in English, essay writing, English language arts, interviewing skills, resume writing, time management. Having the ability to understand and express the English language both orally and in writing, can definitely make a positive impact on communicating effectively. This skill may come easy for some, while it could be a little challenging for others. Every individual will make a decision on the importance of being able to command the English Language based on their priorities. Marlene has a strong command of this interesting and exciting subject. She is willing to share her knowledge and skills with any student or other individual who needs assistance in various aspects of this subject. Marlene has a wealth of experience interacting with persons of various cultures on a day-to-day basis, which will certainly help her in reaching a wide variety of students. One of her goals in tutoring is to help people to be more proficient with the subject so they can grow both personally and professionally. Please feel free to reach out to Marlene and other tutors at TutorZ.  They  will be more than happy to assist you on your journey to achieving your  goal!

Astronomy Tutors Show The Night Sky

Astronomy Tutors Show The Night Sky When astronomy tutors show constellations on a night sky students usually pay a lot of attention and have a great time. This was precisely the case when three TutorZ employees visited the Astronomical Observatory in Nikolaev on an outing on Thursday, April 23rd. Astronomer and tutor Anton invited Marketing Assistants Lilly and Maya (together with her husband Michael) and TutorZ founder Dirk to the observatory in Nikolaev. It was a private visit so they all received a lot of attention from astronomer Anton, allowing them to ask a lot of astronomical questions. Lilly, for example, had watched the 2014 movie Interstellar with Matthew McConaughey. She asked about black holes, whether worm holes indeed exist and connected with that if time travel could be possible. Dirk, on the other hand, wanted to know about the upcoming close encounters of an asteroid and a comet in the years 2029 and 2036. No worries, both pass by Earth at a safe margin. The Nikolaev observatorys main exhibit is a 6 inch Carl-Zeiss reflecting telescope. It is housed under dome shaped roof on a cylindrical basement. Lilly opened the dome by pressing the button of the motor powered roof. And there it was, the beautiful 2015 spring sky at night. The first picture  shows Dirk looking like a real astronomer when looking through this Carl-Zeiss telescope. The second picture shows astronomer Anton tutoring Lilly and May about  the night sky objects when looking through the Zeiss telescope. During this spring night, tutor Anton observed three prominent astronomical objects with the TutorZ team. First, he zoomed in on Venus because this planet is to set soon after sun down. Venus is the 2nd planet in our solar system and the only planet which exhibits phases. During March, April and May an almost-half crescent can be seen. It came as a surprise to see Venus chipped off half because we are used to see this planet as a full dot. Next, astronomer Anton turned the mighty telescope to our moon. May, Lilly and Dirk were in awe when seeing the craters, valleys and polar regions of our closest celestial neighbor. Almost surreal was the fact that fellow Americans walked on the moon.  As a good tutor should Anton used this moon-moment to pose three  popular astronomy questions to use. Who was the first man to walk on the moon?  Easy, it is Neil Armstrong. Somewhat harder is  to name Neils  space-comrade and 2nd moon walker, Buzz Aldrin. The 2nd questions was considerably harder. How many men in total have walked on the moon? Hmm, Dirk reasoned  as follows:  there was a total of 6 missions to the moon (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17) and two astronauts each time landed on the moon. So two times six is twelfth, which gave  the right answer: 12 Americans have walked on the moon. The 3rd astronomy tutoring questions was yet harder: What  did the Astronauts put on the moon to empower the scientist on the Earth to precisely measure the distance Earth-to-Moon? Answer: a mirror.  The Astronomers on Earth would shine a laser on this mirror and time the until the reflection hits Earth again. It takes light almost 3 seconds to make this round trip resulting in a Earth-Moon distance of  238,900 miles (or 384,400  km). The picture below also taken with Dirks Galaxy 3 cell phone. Stunning, isnt it? The final highlight was Jupiter who is prominent on this 2015 spring sky. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Its four largest moons Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede can be seen with telescopes. Moreover, Jupiter has another astronomical feature is visible on telescopes: its two bands in its atmosphere near Jupiters equatorial region. But because of the simple photographic setup, they do not show up in Samsung Galaxys picture. In the picture below you see the picture of Jupiter and two if its moons, Io and Ganymede. If learning about Venus, our Moon and Jupiter, has inspired you to learn more about astronomy feel free to contact a good Astronomy tutor near your home. He will might be able to let you look through his telescope to gaze at astronomical objects at the night sky. Astronomy Tutors Show The Night Sky When astronomy tutors show constellations on a night sky students usually pay a lot of attention and have a great time. This was precisely the case when three TutorZ employees visited the Astronomical Observatory in Nikolaev on an outing on Thursday, April 23rd. Astronomer and tutor Anton invited Marketing Assistants Lilly and Maya (together with her husband Michael) and TutorZ founder Dirk to the observatory in Nikolaev. It was a private visit so they all received a lot of attention from astronomer Anton, allowing them to ask a lot of astronomical questions. Lilly, for example, had watched the 2014 movie Interstellar with Matthew McConaughey. She asked about black holes, whether worm holes indeed exist and connected with that if time travel could be possible. Dirk, on the other hand, wanted to know about the upcoming close encounters of an asteroid and a comet in the years 2029 and 2036. No worries, both pass by Earth at a safe margin. The Nikolaev observatorys main exhibit is a 6 inch Carl-Zeiss reflecting telescope. It is housed under dome shaped roof on a cylindrical basement. Lilly opened the dome by pressing the button of the motor powered roof. And there it was, the beautiful 2015 spring sky at night. The first picture  shows Dirk looking like a real astronomer when looking through this Carl-Zeiss telescope. The second picture shows astronomer Anton tutoring Lilly and May about  the night sky objects when looking through the Zeiss telescope. During this spring night, tutor Anton observed three prominent astronomical objects with the TutorZ team. First, he zoomed in on Venus because this planet is to set soon after sun down. Venus is the 2nd planet in our solar system and the only planet which exhibits phases. During March, April and May an almost-half crescent can be seen. It came as a surprise to see Venus chipped off half because we are used to see this planet as a full dot. Next, astronomer Anton turned the mighty telescope to our moon. May, Lilly and Dirk were in awe when seeing the craters, valleys and polar regions of our closest celestial neighbor. Almost surreal was the fact that fellow Americans walked on the moon.  As a good tutor should Anton used this moon-moment to pose three  popular astronomy questions to use. Who was the first man to walk on the moon?  Easy, it is Neil Armstrong. Somewhat harder is  to name Neils  space-comrade and 2nd moon walker, Buzz Aldrin. The 2nd questions was considerably harder. How many men in total have walked on the moon? Hmm, Dirk reasoned  as follows:  there was a total of 6 missions to the moon (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17) and two astronauts each time landed on the moon. So two times six is twelfth, which gave  the right answer: 12 Americans have walked on the moon. The 3rd astronomy tutoring questions was yet harder: What  did the Astronauts put on the moon to empower the scientist on the Earth to precisely measure the distance Earth-to-Moon? Answer: a mirror.  The Astronomers on Earth would shine a laser on this mirror and time the until the reflection hits Earth again. It takes light almost 3 seconds to make this round trip resulting in a Earth-Moon distance of  238,900 miles (or 384,400  km). The picture below also taken with Dirks Galaxy 3 cell phone. Stunning, isnt it? The final highlight was Jupiter who is prominent on this 2015 spring sky. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Its four largest moons Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede can be seen with telescopes. Moreover, Jupiter has another astronomical feature is visible on telescopes: its two bands in its atmosphere near Jupiters equatorial region. But because of the simple photographic setup, they do not show up in Samsung Galaxys picture. In the picture below you see the picture of Jupiter and two if its moons, Io and Ganymede. If learning about Venus, our Moon and Jupiter, has inspired you to learn more about astronomy feel free to contact a good Astronomy tutor near your home. He will might be able to let you look through his telescope to gaze at astronomical objects at the night sky.

5 Ways To Make Cooking Food Easier For Students

5 Ways To Make Cooking Food Easier For Students Image via Pixabay If you like to cook dishes that require chopped or diced vegetables (mushroom and tomato egg sandwich, for instance), chop everything on the weekends and put your diced veggies into small containers. This way when you’re running late and find yourself hungry, you won’t have an excuse not to use the ingredients since they’ll already be prepared and ready to throw into an omelet, rice bowl, or sandwich. 2. Obtain many sizes of  Tupperware. You likely already realize that cooking your own meals is cheaper than buying food in cafés and restaurants on campus or downtown. However, you’ll need some way to take your homemade foods with you on the go that doesn’t result in macaroni and cheese exploding all over your laptop or peach juice ruining your notebook for computer science class. College students should have a variety of Tupperware container sizes on hand to make transporting food easy. Large department stores such as Target sell plastic storage containers for just a few dollars, and they come in many sizes and shapes to suit any type of food. Look for the containers that are microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe to avoid a fiasco at home. 3. Research cool inexpensive recipes online. Making eating affordable for college students is a hot topic right now in the way of recipes, and more and more articles are popping up on the internet about making a week’s worth of dinners from $15 worth of ingredients and how to use one food six different ways. It’s become a challenge to balance a tight budget with healthy eating, and if you find yourself struggling to make use of certain ingredients or you’re having trouble knowing what to cook at all, look up a few different articles on easy, inexpensive recipes you can make with a few ingredients. Many of these articles are also written for those with special diet restrictions (vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten free, dairy free, etc.) so no student should have much trouble finding some recipes they can make for a small amount of money. On a related note, look out for “one pot recipes” on the internet. These recipes are great because they are exactly what they sound like: they take only one pot to make. Students shouldn’t have to worry about doing a sink full of dishes every day, so identifying recipes you can cook in just one pot will save you hassle during cleanup. Plus, one pot recipes are often the simplest recipes in general, so any meal made in one pot shouldn’t require too much extensive cooking skills or complexity. 4. Make a meal schedule. Don’t you hate the feeling of finding zucchini molding in the back of your fridge because you forgot you had it? Or did you buy a carton of eggs in the store only to come home and find that you already had 20 eggs? Its so easy to forget what food you have in your fridge when youre at the grocery store and everything looks tasty. The best way to make use of every ingredient you buy? Make a schedule of what meals youll have for breakfast, lunch and dinner each week. Image via Flickr Not only will this help you use all of what you buy, but itll help you plan grocery shopping trips at the best times. Plus, you can look forward to planning tasty meals and knowing when you’ll have your favorite foods during a given week. Write out your meal schedule on a dry erase board or large poster paper and hang it in your kitchen or somewhere you can refer back to it. 5. Buy fresh ingredients rather than frozen food. College students inevitably need their food to be as easy as possible, and for most of us that means buying nearly everything imaginable in frozen form. Its microwaveable, its easy, but its often more expensive because of this convenience. To stretch your money as far as possible, buy your vegetables and fruits fresh or in bulk. If you want, you can buy a lot of produce and freeze some of it for future use, and it’ll be just like buying it straight from the frozen section (but probably with fresher flavor and ripeness). It’s typically true that buying anything fresh is cheaper than its frozen version. With enough planning and intention put into your meal preparation, college students can still eat well and have enough time for everything else in their lives. Good nutrition should never be sacrificed no matter how busy a schedule you have.