Writing Tutoring Focus on Students Actual Needs

Writing Tutoring Focus on Students' Actual NeedsWriting tutoring focuses on students' actual needs rather than on their talent. A writing tutor will do what is necessary to help students understand what they are supposed to be writing, and how they can improve on their style. Students should learn how to make the most of their writing skills, instead of a teacher teaching students how to write. This helps create a learning environment that is both flexible and supportive, allowing for personal growth without damaging the structure of the curriculum.It's important for students to have plenty of things to work with when studying, but it's also important to develop individualized learning strategies for every student. The teaching staff should not focus on promoting one style over another, but instead offer a variety of styles. Different students need different techniques, so it is important to offer a range of learning strategies, rather than a single style.Students want to see results when writing, so the teaching staff should reward their students who consistently produce excellent work. Instead of expecting students to write all the time, a writing tutor should provide rewards, like career guidance or extra help from a college advisor, if they show the ability to write effectively. In addition, a professional will be able to offer support services, which will benefit both the student and the school as a whole.Writing tutoring focuses on the needs of individual students, so that each student has the chance to become a competent writer. Individualization does not mean that students must write about anything and everything, but rather that they have specific goals to strive for and must be aware of these goals. For example, a student who want to graduate, but does not want to compromise their education may choose to study abroad in order to do so. In this case, writing tutoring would involve working with the student in order to reach their goals, and then followi ng up with the school after graduation in order to ensure that the student graduates from the school.Writing tutoring should offer the student the chance to practice their skills before moving on to writing for real, with the potential of improving the writing habits that are used at the university. To do this, a writing tutor should explain to the student how they can build on the skills they learned from the classroom experience. This could be through simply reading a good book, or by setting out to complete some research.Teaching staffs should be able to take on more formal responsibilities, such as teaching writing courses and writing as part of the curriculum. Teachers will need to find alternative ways to support the teaching staff, and to ensure that the different students in the course are given the tools to do well. Writing tutoring is an important part of college education and should be looked at as a normal part of the course, rather than something that students should be ashamed of.Students can greatly benefit from learning how to write, and many have the capacity to become excellent writers. Whether students are looking to leave their high school diploma in order to study in college, or they're looking to earn the same credential at a smaller university, they should be able to find the right support to help them get where they want to go. Writing tutoring focuses on the needs of students, rather than one individual style of writing, and focuses on taking individual strengths and weaknesses into account.

The Rookies Map for Learning a New Language How to Start in 5 Steps

The Rookies Map for Learning a New Language How to Start in 5 Steps The Rookies Map for Learning a New Language: How to Start in 5 Steps A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.Weve all heard that one, right?But lets be honest.As far as advice goes, that saying is about as useful as, to borrow an expression from Dodgeball, a poopy-flavored lollipop.Think about it. If youre stranded in a foreign wilderness with no idea about  how to get where you want to go, youll have an extraordinarily difficult time getting there.But if youve got a map and compass, as well as some decent navigating skills, youre likely to be on your way faster than Donald Trumps hair blowing off in a strong wind.In the same way, when youre starting a new language, it helps to have a road map to both guide you along and guarantee that youre still headed in the right direction.And just like physical maps, a map for language learning should be based on what other people have seen. There are a number of polyglots and dedicated language learners  out there who have become the cartographers of the linguistic frontier.Lets take this collect ive language learning experience, along with some scientific know-how, and set out on the path to learning a new language in double time.Heres not just one, but five steps to get you started in a clear direction on your language learning journey. The Rookies Map for Learning a New Language: How to Start in 5 Steps1. Become your own coach: Develop goals and strategiesA lot of the time, when we start something new, we make vague statements like I want to be able to speak well as quickly as possible or Im going to study X language as much as I possibly can.This can be a problem because when we create such vague goals it can be very difficult to achieve any sort of meaningful result. Thats why orienting your language learning odyssey should start with the use of two techniques:  SMART goals and metacognitive strategies.SMART in this case is an acronym which you can see spelled out here. The short and skinny of it is that you need to make  really, really concrete goals that can actuall y be achieved.Instead of I want to be able to read childrens books, say I will study vocabulary every day for an hour and basic grammar every other day for an hour with the goal of being able to read X book in three months time.If you write out something like the second one for yourself it will be blindingly obvious for you whether youre succeeding or failing with your goals.Setting goals like this is an essential skill for anyone studying by themselves, as well as anyone who wishes to maximize their study time.If a fancy business world acronym doesnt impress you then maybe  the evidence of the effectiveness of metacognition  will.  Ive talked about metacognitive strategies before, but to summarize very quickly, metacognition for language learning involves three steps:First, you plan. Ask yourself what your specific goals are and what strategies youre going to use to achieve them.Second, start learning and keep track of how well you do every day. Are you having problems that need ne w solutions? Write that down. Are you consistently succeeding or failing in a certain area? Keep track of that, too.And the third and final step, after a few weeks to a month, maybe, is to evaluate yourself. Were you able to achieve your goals? If not, why? What strategies did and didnt work? Then the whole process repeats again.These two techniques naturally fit together quite well and theyre both indispensable for making sure youre cooking with gas every time you sit down to study.2. Hit the booksBut what should I do about the meat of language learning? you say. Should I pick up a textbook and get a teacher, or should I just book a flight to a country that speaks the language?While immersion is great at any level, and is certainly the ultimate goal to strive for, most of us arent free to move from country to country as we please and must make decisions about when the best time would be for us to go to that oh-so-wonderful country weve been daydreaming about for countless hours.Wit h that in mind, the truth of the matter is that full immersion is far more helpful when youre an intermediate to advanced speaker.This is because we develop by hearing a little bit of something we dont understand within a lot of other stuff that we do understand. You still do this in English. For instance, if youre reading a newspaper or textbook and you come across an unknown word, the first thing you try to do is infer its meaning from context.Luckily, FluentU lets you start learning this way sooner with guided video immersion.  FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons for all levels.But whats it like when you go to a country where you dont understand a word? Well, you may as well be trying to understand the language of radio static because youll be bombarded with so many unknowns that picking up on anything just from hearing or seeing something will be quite a struggl e.Consequently, its not such a bad idea to go for the old textbook, classroom or online course option to start with.3. Meet face-to-faceTaking an in-person class as soon as possible can be especially useful. People are social animals, and nothing motivates a social animal quite like peer pressure. If youre learning a new language, peer pressure can really be a useful tool.Once having joined, youll feel a pleasant pull to continue on with your language learning to see your peersâ€"assuming you make friendsâ€"and also a bit of a rougher push to keep you going when the going is tough, such as at one of those times when youre exhausted or even feeling slightly under the weather.Someone studying at home with just a textbook might easily throw their hands up and relax for a day in a situation like the one above. But thats a much more difficult prospect when you know people are expecting you to be somewhere and youll have to explain any excuse to their face.Even beyond the advantage of pee r pressure, theres also the fact that meeting face-to-face facilitates language learning specifically to no end. Thats because one of the best ways to learn is to role play everyday situations.In  meeting up with a class, or even just a teacher, a round of role play with a set of props can easily be  arranged  and got going in no time at all.4. Become immersedAssuming youve had some self-practice and classroom experience, the next step is language immersion. But whats so special about language immersion, anyway? Why is it so talked about?The reason is simple. People placed in immersive environments are likely to learn faster than students taught in the traditional manner and achieve a more native-like understanding of the language. What more could you possibly ask for?The question then becomes not why you should try to become immersed, but how.The obvious choice is to move to the country of your language by any means necessary. But be careful. There are plenty of expats who have liv ed in a foreign country for decades, never to pick up the language.The real key is interaction with the local populace.  One option that I have seen work wonders for my students of English is to join a company where your target language is spoken. If you need your new language to survive, to handle basic everyday tasks, youll progress faster than you ever thought possible.If, however, for some reason going abroad is simply not in the cards for you, there are a couple of different ways to get your immersion fix right in your home country.Perhaps the best option, though also the most expensive, would be to attend one of Middleburys esteemed summer language programs where you take a pledge to speak only in your target language for three months.A less intensive option would be to create something close to immersion yourself via in-person or Skype language pals, local language exchanges with partners or groups and replacing all your usual activities with the equivalent in your target lan guage.For instance, if you like to read, dont buy or borrow any books in your native language(s). If your only option is to read in your target language, youll be much more likely to do so. And in fact, if you take this option to its logical extreme, youll be learning everything new in your target language.Are you a chemist? Read scientific journals in your target language.Are you deeply inspired by history? Read history books in your target language.Its been shown that learning about something outside the language itself, that is to say, not just reading about grammar all the time but studying something youre interested in, can be one of the most effective ways to learn a language.5. Enjoy yourselfLanguages can be quite the untamed beast. Even the easiest of languages for English speakers can take 600 hours to conquer according to the Foreign Service Institute, and perhaps much more than that if you want to do something with it professionally. This is not something you can do day i n, day out without getting some pleasure out of the whole ordeal.Thankfully, language is as human a thing as it gets and is naturally tied to bountiful rewards. Language is the thing that connects us to other people and social rewards are extremely powerful.Just think about how often you check Facebook. Why are social networking sites so popular? Because any information connected to other people is inherently seductive. So from the get-go, make sure that you use your language skills for what they were made for. Socializing.Sometimes, when your schedule is crazy, youll be tempted to jettison the fun things that made you attracted to the language in the first place in order to get some regular practice in. Maybe youll skip your favorite foreign TV show because you cant understand it without subtitles yet, or youll forget to keep up with the newest news on your favorite foreign band.But make time for the things that got you started. Theyre what motivate you and push you through when la nguage learning just seems like a brutal punishment.In reality, its all about balance.The steps are all here, laid out for you.But only by starting out on the journey yourself will you gain that intuitive control, a sense of masterful dexterity like that of a professional athlete.You have your map.Now you just need to take those first steps.

?? Growth Mindset - Its about asking the right Questions

?? Growth Mindset - Its about asking the right Questions Growth Mindset - Its about asking the right Questions Intuitively, Growth Mindset sits well with those who teach or tutor. The belief that ability can be improved with effort and learning is q core belief for those who work with young people. The science seems to back this belief up. Numerous peer reviewed researchpapers have found evidence that those with a growth mindset reap many benefits. These include, but are not limited to, coping better with transitions, persisting longer at a task, enjoying their work more, seeking out better feedback. Some evidence suggests that this translates into better grades.Having a growth mindset, however, is not a silver bullet or a quick fix. A whole host of other factors clearly play a part in a child’s success (i.e. socio-economic background, opportunity, access to quality teaching and ability to delay gratification). Genes also play a role. In David Epstein’s excellent book, the Sports Gene, he highlights many instances of how genes/talent/nature (call it what you will) impact on performance. I f in doubt, consider this: The fastest time a woman has ever run the 100m is 10.49 seconds (with many actually questioning the legitimacy of this time). This time is not quick enough to be in the top 3000 times ever run. Genes clearly play a role.That is not to say that developing a growth mindset doesn’t matter. It does. It is just good to set realistic expectations. So if you do want to help a child develop their mindset, where do you start? We now know more than ever about the science of developing a growth mindset. We recommend that you begin a discussion with children using these four key questions, which can act as a springboard for a more detailed conversation. This will begin to develop an understanding of the concept of mindset, and how they can improve theirs:How hard are you willing to work today for tomorrow success?Research suggests that spending just a few minutes with students exploring how doing well at this topic will help them achieve their future goals creates a sense of purpose. This sense of purpose results in students paying more attention and putting more effort in. Combine this with teaching them that their ability can be improve can be a powerful combination.What can you learn from successful people?Psychologists have found that comparing yourself with others can have a negative impact on your confidence, motivation, self-management and academic performance. Learning from others (instead of feeling threatened by their success) is a good way to develop your mindset.Do you spend more time arguing or actioning feedback?Seeking out, valuing and actioning feedback is one of the healthiest behaviours students can adopt in order to improve their learning. Those who see feedback as a personal attack and a threat to their identity. This can quickly lead to a fixed mindset.You had a setback. What would you do differently next time?This is one of our favourite questions to ask. It stops students from dwelling on the past and helps them focus on the now and on the future. This gives them a sense of control over the situation.This sort of question is often referred to by psychologists as ‘metacognition’. In laymans terms, this means being aware and in control of your own thought process. This sort of thinking skills are on the most effective strategies to help students improve their and performance and resilience.Other questions that also tick this box include ‘what do I need to do first?’ and ‘who can I ask for advice?’. You can read more about these sort of questions in our post, ‘9 Questions to Improve Metacognition’.These tips won't help a child develop a growth mindset over night. As with all things in psychology (and when working with children and teenagers) it is much more messy, nuanced and slower than that. But these conversations are definitely a good starting point to help them along the way. Bradley BuschBradley Busch is a lead trainer for InnerDrive, a mental skills training company that helps people develop a growth mindset.

The Best Way to Learn a Language 7 Smart Hacks to Soar to Fluency

The Best Way to Learn a Language 7 Smart Hacks to Soar to Fluency The Best Way to Learn a Language: 7 Smart Hacks to Soar  to Fluency Whats faster than a cheetah?Give up?The peregrine falcon.This bird can  reach speeds over 200 miles per hour.  Wowzer!This happens when the falcon is diving to catch its prey.And its  able to get to those speeds thanks to its  stiff feathers, pointed wings, large keel (a special bone) and incredible circulatory and respiratory systems.We can take a lesson from this bird in order to reach our language learning goals at incredible speeds as well.If you want to learn faster, youll have to design a system as efficient as the peregrine falcons body.How you create this  system will depend on  you and your language learning goals, so  the  best way to learn a language will look a bit different for everyoneâ€"just as the cheetah and peregrine falcon have different features that allow them to  travel so fast.Once you have this strategy in place, every minute spent learning will be valuable. Youll discard the tools that dont suit you, increase your efficiency and be left with a method that get s you fast results.Theres nothing like seeing how much progress youre making!  So are you ready to discover the best way for you  to learn a language?Here are seven  smart hacks thatll help you reach record speeds on your way  to fluency. The Best Way to Learn a Language: 7 Smart Hacks to Soar  to Fluency1. Decide What Your Goals AreTo learn a language the best way, youll first need to identify your personal language learning goals. Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help you pinpoint your aims:Why are you studying your target language?  Consider your motivations for wanting to learn  your target language. It may be for a new job, to travel, to understand your favorite K-pop songs or  even to impress  a foreign fella! Knowing your reasons for learning a language will help you  narrow your focus.Which language skills do you need most?  With your goals in mind, make a list of what youll need  to do in your target language. For example, if youll be attending a conferen ce, choose listening as a priority. If you have to network, make speaking your top skill. If youre learning a language  to read or research original texts, youll obviously want to prioritize reading.Is there an exam looming? If there is, thats great because it gives you a concrete goal to work towards. In fact, even if you dont need a test score for any reason, it might be a good idea to sign up for one several months or half a year from now, just to give you a solid goal and motivation. Whether  youre taking  the DALF in French or the  IELTS for English, there is no shortage of practice test materials.How much time do  you have?  Finally, consider your timeline for reaching your goals, as well as how much daily and weekly time youll be able to dedicate to your learning mission. Use this information to make your goals specific. For example: My goal is to be able to order food at restaurants, ask for directions and make small talk when I travel to France five months from now. Ill spe nd 15 minutes a day, Monday through Saturday, learning French. Write  down this commitment  in whatever system  you preferâ€"whether thats a planner or a calendar app.If you have your specific goals and timeline in front of you, youll be one step closer to locating  the best way for you to learn your target language.2. Select the Best Methods and MaterialsChoosing a method and materials which suit you, the most important person in all this, is an important step in designing your falcon-fast system. The first factor  to consider is your learning style.Discover your learning styleCan you understand and remember words better through listening, or do your prefer a visual style? If its the latter, youll thrive on flashcards, lists and other visual content.  If youre a kinesthetic learner, you learn by doing, acting things out and talking.Four main learning styles are visual (seeing), auditory (listening), tactile (touching) and kinesthetic (moving/doing). There are no rigid boundaries he re, as most learners avail of a mix of styles with one predominatingâ€"and some choose from an expanded list of  seven main learning styles.If you have no idea where you might stand, heres a quick online quiz  to help you find  out your learning style.Select  materials and methods  that fit your  learning styleOnce you know your learning style, you can then match it up to the best materials and methods. Here are some ideas to get you started with three big learning styles:Visual: Read newspapers and books  |  watch  movies  |  use  flashcardsAuditory:  Listen to  music, radio and  audiobooks  |  watch  television  |  meet with a  conversation partnerKinesthetic: Take notes | draw diagrams |  play games  |  use interactive software  |  role playDefinitely  mix up materials so that you face a challenge now and again; you shouldnt stay solely in your strongest learning style. One incredibly effective method  thats suitable for most learners is using videos, and you can learn this way w ith FluentU.FluentU is an online immersion platform that takes  real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.  You can browse videos  by difficulty (beginner to native), topic (arts and entertainment, health and lifestyle, etc.) and  format (video blog, news,  shows, etc.).FluentU is  much more than  just watching videosâ€"its about learning and actively practicing the language you hear in videos. Use the interactive subtitles, multimedia flashcards, downloadable transcripts and vocabulary lists to learn your target language  better than ever!Find a teacherIf you need a bit more direction or prefer to supplement your self-study with an experienced teacher, look for a private tutor or course. italki  is a fantastic place to find language teachers  for online lessons, whereas  your local university job board or even Craigslist might be a better place to start looking for an in-person tutor. For  sit-in courses, availability varies greatly depending on your location and target language, so use Google to see whats available near you. For more flexibility, you might prefer  one of these online language courses.3. Go for Vocabulary Instead of GrammarTo make the most progress in the least amount of  time, don’t worry too much about mastering difficult grammatical concepts. Instead, focus on  acquiring vocabularyâ€"the heart of a language.Learn common vocabMake sure youre aiming for the most commonly used words that fit in with your immediate goals.  Again, a quick Google search here can get you vocab lists of the most common words in your target language.This  will be the foundation for any meaningful interaction, the foundation for all language acquisition as Dr. Stephen Krashen points out here:Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target languageâ€"natural communicationâ€"in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the mes sages they are conveying and understanding.In other words, grammar isnt so importantâ€"getting your message across is.But  you will need grammar, of course! There are shades of meaning that can only be expressed through grammatical knowledge.  For example, making use of tenses to say when you did something. Thats pretty important when youre telling a story!Learn like children doKids are great at acquiring words for objects, and they can do it without any grammatical knowledge whatsoever! Reading is a fabulous way of acquiring new vocabulary, and if you can guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context, youre on a winning streak.4. Immerse Yourself in the LanguageIt doesnt matter whether or not you live in the country where your target language is spoken, there are lots of ways you can surround yourself in it. It really is just a matter of getting as much exposure as you can.  Here are some ideas:Listen to podcasts. Get your listening device  loaded up. If youre more advance d and want native podcasts, change your location in iTunes and browse local podcasts from your country of choice.Watch videos. Head back to FluentU  or over to YouTube and watch clips in your target language. Experiment with subtitles and see how it goes. As you become more adventurous, you can try to understand videos without them.Read widely. I always tell my students that there should be no books on their bedside table which are in their native language. Find something youd likely read in your native language, and which suits  your level. Dont forget about the wide variety of reading materials available: magazines, blogs, childrens books, romance novels, tabloids, graded readers, manuals, short stories, biographies, etc.Talk to native speakers.  This tip is going to catapult you towards fluency, no matter how many mistakes youre making  (there will be lots!) or how nervous you might feel. The sooner you start, the sooner youll become comfortable talking with natives.  The Mixerr  is a great resource where you can find a language partner and start talking to them via Skype.Write emails, stories and letters. Once youve switched your daily writing (to-do lists, shopping lists, calendar) into your target language, take it a step further. You can find international penpals or email language partners here, and native speakers will correct your writing here.Make  recipes. Cooking is a great passion, and is a marvelous way to discover the gastronomic culture. Search for recipes in your target language and try them out. In the comfort of your home, host  your very own cooking show  in your target language!5. Enjoy Yourself and ExperimentYoull definitely reach your goals faster if you enjoy the time spent learning your target language. So lighten up, let loose, play around and have fun!  Here are some things you can do: Watch cartoons.  Do a Google search for  â€œwatch cartoons in [your target language].” As always, youll want cartoons  that are fit for your level and your learning objectives.Do quizzes and competitions. The European Day of Languages site  has some great ideas for this.Play computer games. Get your competitive edge going by playing some computer games in your target language. If youre just starting out, play an online game in English for language learners,  like Free Riceâ€"which currently has German, French, Spanish, Italian and Latin in their foreign language category.Read kids books. Stock up with childrens  books in the language of your choice. See what your local library has available, or buy  kids stories for your Kindle or e-reader on Amazon.  Relive fond childhood memories, and discover new favorites!Watch TED talks. These short instructive videos are really entertaining and inspirational, plus they come with subtitles and interactive transcripts. TED has over 100 languages availableâ€"just use the language pull-down to search by language.6. Measure Your Progress and Increase Your MotivationThe peregrine falcon gets t o eat dinner when it succeeds. Talk about instant feedback!  Youll also want a way to measure your progress, so you can evaluate  whether or not its in line with your expectations and tweak your system accordingly. Being able to view the progress youve made can also do wonders for your  motivation.Here are some practical ways you can do this:Chains. Language learning is the result of good habits, rather than being very talented and having an ear for languages. Chains is a great site/app to help you keep track of your new language learning habits and goals. Dont break the chain!Test yourself. There are lots of ways you could  test yourself, and this is a great way to measure progress. If youre aiming for vocab, for example, use FluentU to track  how many words you have learned. If you want to improve your reading speed,  time yourself and see how long it takes you to read one page of a novel. Repeat the same test weekly, biweekly or monthly and write down  your results in the same pl ace.Track your conversations on Skype. Look at how many conversations youve had with your language exchange partner and add up the total time. Do a weekly check to see if its  increasing, and set a goal for next month.Check  off specific things you can do.  The Common European Framework established by the Council of Europe is full of can do statements which are the basis for measuring progress in languages. You can follow these or make your own list. Theres nothing more satisfying than being able to cross off things on your can do list. For example, youll be able to order a simple meal, ask for directions, introduce a speaker or write a report.Pace yourself. You do not want to risk burnout by doing mega sessions. Aim for short and intensive learning bouts for actively practicing the language.Keep positive. Having a positive mindset is crucial. Whenever you need a lift, read a blog post from Marc and Angel or these tips on Life Hack  to stay optimistic and hopeful.Persistence pays of f. Yes, there will be difficulties, frustration and setbacks, but never quit. Small, repeated, consistent efforts will get you farther than you ever imagined.  7. Reach out and Gain ConfidenceThe key here is to continually step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Choose growth over comfort, and youll see your  confidence grow along with your language abilities. Here are some ideas:Pick up the telephone.  Call a museum or major company in Madrid, Beijing or Tokyo, for example. Ask for basic or more detailed information, and then check if you have understood correctly by looking at their site online.Talk to tourists.  If you live in a large city, you have a golden opportunity. Go out of your way to help tourists with directions and guiding whenever possible (in your target language).Set yourself new challenges. No sitting back on your laurels,  think up new challenges to test yourself. For example, if youre just starting out, you might challenge yourself to have a 15-min ute conversation with a native speaker two or three months from now. If youre more advanced, challenge yourself to  give a speech in your target language (set it up and schedule it). For the best results, keep your challenges  realistic and attainable, and then announce your challenge to others for added incentive to follow through.Dont aim for perfection. Get used to making mistakes, and dont view people correcting you as a criticism. Its a learning opportunity!Follow these seven smart hacks and youll  create the most efficient language learning system for you. Spread your wings and soar! And One More ThingWeve already mentioned FluentU a few times, but theres a lot more to see, so we thought wed offer you a more detailed look.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, including movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions th at let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive Transcripts You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.

Be Proactive and Reactive Colleges Need to Actually Enforce Their Housing Policies

Be Proactive and Reactive Colleges Need to Actually Enforce Their Housing Policies https://flic.kr/p/gGyojR On average, college students pay an increasing rate of $9,804 every year to live in dormitories in addition to their tuition costs. One way that universities try to help students become more familiar with their campuses is to assign them a Resident Advisor (RA). Usually every floor in a dormitory has an assigned RA to handle roommate disputes, inform students of fun events happening in their building, and to ensure that they have at least one person they can call in an event of confusion or immediate danger. There is also a Hall Director appointed to every dormitory to handle serious situations and maintain peace and order in their building. With such an extensive amount of authorities on campus, there is no justifiable reason why 81% of reported campus rapes happen in university-owned dormitories. All universities have some form of housing policies for their residents to abide by that include regulation of guests. Usually students have family and friends sleep in their dorms at some point time during the academic year to catch up on life or for a good old-fashioned sleepover with friends. But it seems that despite university guest policies, Hall Directors and Resident Advisors are not implementing them. Due to limited single rooms or by choice, many students spend their first year of college with one or more roommates. Some roommates become close friends, others don’t. Every person has a different level of comfort around people in their personal space (including their roommate’s guests). A common residential policy is that to have overnight guests, all roommates must give their consent in all aspects or there can be no guests at all. But as a college student myself, I have seen how young adults have their own agenda and sometimes ditch the rules when they see fit, despite making others uncomfortable. More often than not, RAs and Hall Directors do not check these residents and other students are left feeling uncomfortable. I can’t help but believe that this loose policy enforcement plays a part in the abundant amounts of rapes, reported and unreported, on college campuses. It is not enough to promote rules with posters. You have to enforce them with actions by keeping better track of who is coming in and out of dormitories and following university laws. Hall Directors and Resident Advisors can’t stop every sexual assault. But I do believe they can be doing much more. I don’t believe students need to be treated as children, but when people are being assaulted so frequently on common ground, the community needs to sacrifice some freedoms for the greater good. From the frequent unprosecuted rapists, it is pretty obvious that many University Administrators do not take rape cases as seriously as they should. Patting rapists on the back with a consequence is not enough to create a safe space. It is time that colleges are proactive and reactive. Writing policies that are intended to prevent campus rape means nothing when your staff does nothing to enforce them. It’s time that College Administrators, Hall Directors, and Resident Advisors do the work that they are paid to do so that their students can pursue an education in a safe environment, as they rightfully deserve. If you have dealt with sexual assault, on or off of a college campus, and are seeking help, please click here.

Become a Chemistry Tutor

Become a Chemistry TutorIf you have a love for science and education, you might be interested in becoming a chemistry tutor. Many people are fascinated by the science of chemistry and that is why they love to teach others about the fascinating field of chemistry. Chemistry is the study of elements and their properties. It covers many subjects like biology, physics, and the structure of matter.The school library has a variety of books that are available for elementary school students to enjoy while learning. In addition, parents can also find a book or two for their kids at the public library. Today, books are used in a wide variety of ways by children as they learn important lessons about mathematics, chemistry, and even astronomy.If you want to get yourself into a career as a chemistry tutor, you must first know that chemistry is much more than a subject taught in elementary school. There are numerous job opportunities for someone who wants to be a chemistry teacher, to be a chemist ry laboratory manager, or to be a chemistry instructor. A person who has a love for teaching may want to choose a teaching career or something different. This is because there are many different disciplines that make up a good chemistry teacher.Teachers may work in public schools or private institutions. In many cases, the principal or vice principal is also responsible for hiring teachers in the area. A teacher that works in the public school system usually starts out as a science teacher that will spend a large part of his or her career being assigned to teach chemistry to elementary school students. A chemistry teacher's job involves reading chemistry textbooks and developing chemistry research projects in order to show the students how the elements work.Another type of chemistry teacher is a chemistry laboratory manager. He or she must supervise students and supervise the activities that occur in a laboratory setting. A lab manager usually works with a team of chemistry technici ans, if a laboratory manager is hired to replace a lab technician.After becoming a chemistry teacher, a person can choose to work in a university or an institute, a branch of the local government, or in a private chemistry teacher. A person may also pursue a certificate in teaching chemistry. A certified chemistry teacher might be hired to work in a public or private institution as a chemistry teacher assistant.In order to learn how to become a chemistry tutor, you must first be an interested in chemistry. Then, you must first know what it means to teach chemistry. Then, you must know how to set up a classroom environment that would allow students to interact with you. Once you have accomplished these, you can then consider getting a job as a chemistry tutor.

Free Typing Tutor Downloads - How To Get One?

Free Typing Tutor Downloads - How To Get One?If you are learning to type, then you will need to obtain a free typing tutor download. A typing tutor is not an essential software application for any professional computer programmer. Yet they are essential to typing beginners because they will teach you how to type correctly and improve your typing speed. If you are able to learn to type effectively, you will increase your income potential significantly.Typing is an art form. You will be amazed at how many mistakes you make when you try to type incorrectly. These mistakes will not only make your life miserable, but it will also hurt your chances of getting your first job. After you know how to type, you will want to find a typing tutor so that you can master the art of typing quickly and efficiently. These tutors are often available free, but there are some factors that should be considered before you give away your hard earned money to a free typing tutor download.First of all, conside r the typing ability of the tutor you are considering. Are they a professional computer programmer? If they are not, they will not be very good at typing. Even if you find a typing tutor who is willing to teach you the basics, the cost of their tuition will probably put them out of your reach financially. Another consideration is whether or not the tutors are available for an initial consultation. In the long run, you should think about having a typing tutor who you can see every day.When you find a typing tutor, ask them about their teaching methods. Do they give lessons in the way they like them, or do they spend time showing you how to type. For example, some tutors will train you on the particular keyboard you are using. Others will let you practice on their computer while they keep you practicing at their computer.Whether or not they teach you how to type, you will need to understand how to type properly. This means that the best way to begin is by first learning how to type co rrectly. This means that if you decide that you want to get a typing tutor download, you will have to pay attention to their instructions. If you follow their instructions, you will be on your way to becoming a better typist.Typing speed is an important consideration as well. You will be amazed at how fast you are able to get through your emails, but you will probably never receive the job offers you want. The reason for this is that your typing speed will not be as fast as you wish it to be. However, there are tutors that will show you how to improve your typing speed as well as teach you to use your hands properly.Typing is not easy. If you find a typing tutor, they will have some level of skill in this field. It will take some effort, but if you find the right one, you will become a much better typist in no time.

A Day in the Life at Saint Louis University

A Day in the Life at Saint Louis University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Patrice is a St. Louis tutor specializing in Chemistry tutoring, Biology tutoring, ACT prep tutoring, and more. She is a 2012 graduate of Saint Louis University with a degree in Biochemistry. Check out her review of her alma mater: VT:Describe the campus setting and transportation options. How urban or safe is the campus? Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Patrice: Saint Louis University (SLU) is a medium-sized campus in an urban area. Its a very beautiful campus. When it is warm out, there are tons of people hanging out in the quad, relaxing. Often there are events going on outside through campus. Because it is in an urban area, there are safety concerns and incidents do happen. However, many incidents can be prevented by being safe and smart. Examples are calling an escort to walk or drive you from one part of campus to another when it is dark outside and traveling in groups at night. A bike or car is not necessary but they are helpful. Most people can walk from one end of campus to another within 10-15 minutes. There is a shuttle that takes people from the main campus to the medical campus. Also, the campus does provide transportation services over the weekend to shuttle people to the mall, grocery store, Wal-Mart, and Target. Public transportation stops for the bus and train are also near campus. VT:How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Patrice: All of my professors and TAs had regularly scheduled office hours. If their hours did not fit within my schedule and I needed to meet with them, it was easy to set up an appointment. All of my professors were open to meeting with students and were usually prompt when responding to emails. I never had any issues meeting with academic advisers. However, I did only meet with them when necessary. They do get busy during certain parts of the semester and it may be difficult to meet with them then, but my advisers were great with squeezing me in. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Patrice: The living arrangements vary on campus. There are traditional freshman dorms which consist of two people to a room with community bathrooms. There was also another option for freshmen which consisted of 3-4 people to a room with a private bathroom in each room. The upperclassmen housing ranged from typical dorm rooms, suites (where two rooms are connected by a bathroom), and on-campus apartments. There are a variety of dining options. There are cafeterias in the freshman dorms, the student center, library, and other buildings and dorms. I did enjoy the variety of dining options as an upperclassman. However, I felt that the options in the smaller freshman dorms werent always vegetarian friendly. The chefs and managers do often ask for feedback and there is also a vegetarian-only restaurant on campus. The weekend options on campus are very limited. It was very easy to socialize and make friends. I lived on a floor where many of the students had the same majors and were often in the same classes. Additionally, during the first week of freshman year, there are a ton of activities on campus and by the RAs to help everyone get to know each other. I also met many people who received the same scholarship as I did because of the requirements that often brought us together. During the beginning of the year, there is a large Activities Fair in the quad. There, clubs and organizations set up booths so people can learn about the different organizations on campus and get involved. Clubs are a great way to make new friends. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Patrice: In my opinion, many students studied Health Care or Business. A lot of students at SLU are pre-med, Nursing, Physical Therapy, or Business. I was a Biochemistry major enrolled as pre-med. With so many students enrolled as pre-med, there is an office dedicated to helping those students. There are advisors who are helpful and some resources there as well. However, most pre-med students have to be proactive and become familiar with the advisors there. I chose Biochemistry because I fell in love with chemistry in high school and I thought it would be a good back-up plan if I chose not to go into medicine. The Chemistry department is a fairly small department, which makes it easy to get to know the professors and peers. There are also ample opportunities to do research within the department or become a TA or grading assistant for the large Chemistry lectures. The head of the department also sends out job opportunities and internships opportunities from local companies that recrui t Chemistry students. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Patrice: I found that it was pretty easy to make friends and overall, people on campus are very friendly. I did not choose to get involved in Greek life but there were a number of sororities and fraternities on campus and I would often see them fundraising on campus, volunteering, and going to Greek events. One does not have to become a member of Greek life to make friends but it is a good opportunity to make friends and build strong bonds with other members. VT: How helpful is the Career Center and other student support services? Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Patrice: The Career Center is helpful. They offer help with interviewing and resume writing. This is a very good resource for students applying to graduate or professional schools and for people who are looking to intern or begin their careers. They also have a website so you can find jobs on campus. When you sign up for the website, one of the representatives will look at your resume and approve it or offer help to strengthen it before you begin applying to jobs. Additionally, there are a number of career fairs and graduate school fairs that allow companies to recruit on campus. VT: How are the various study areas such as libraries, student union, and dorm lounges?Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Patrice: There are a number of study spaces available. The library is spacious and has been recently renovated. I have often found rooms to study in in the student center, study rooms in dorms, and other classroom buildings. While there is ample space to study, it becomes very difficult to find space during finals and mid-terms. The library is open 24 hours and the student center has extended hours during mid-terms and finals. During those times, my friends and I have relied on each other to find a quiet space for us to study. It was very helpful to have others secure a place to study. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between? To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Patrice: Because it is in a city, there are a number of things to do that are fun. Making friends and going out with them to explore the city is a memorable part of my undergraduate years. The Delmar Loop is a great place for people to hang out, eat, and visit local shops. There are a number of attractions like the Gateway Arch, City Museum, the Zoo, and Art Museums all of which are very affordable. I attended a number of concerts. Our campus has an arena where touring artists perform and sometimes there are discounted or even free tickets for students. The Fox Theater is also within walking distance of the campus. The theater houses a number of musicals and performing artists as well. There are a number of neighborhoods, such as Soulard and Lacledes Landing, where students go for nightlife. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Patrice: SLU is a medium sized school. I was pleased overall with the class sizes. I had a few larger lecture classes such as General Biology and History. However, with History, there are smaller courses offered. With the larger lecture, 2 lectures in a week were in the large lecture hall and the third lecture day in the week happened in a smaller class with a TA. Because I was a Biochemistry major, my Chemistry classes were about 30-40 people versus 200-300 in the normal Chemistry lectures. I also felt labs were appropriately sized so that the TA could effectively assist everyone. Classes such as Math, Theology, Philosophy, and English usually ranged from 20-50 people. My Foreign Language classes, Piano, Dance, and jewelry-making class had no more than 12 people. With those classes, a lot of one-on-one is needed with the teachers and because they were so small, it was very easy to talk to the professors. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most.Patrice:One of the classes that I took really stands out in my memory - Jewelry-making and Metalsmithing. I learned a lot and the class allowed me to be very expressive and work on problem solving in a hands-on manner. I was able to create things I never knew I could. It was a great experience and it inspires me to be creative. Check out Patrices tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Why Plastic Surgery Wont Do Much to Advance Your Career - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Why Plastic Surgery Wont Do Much to Advance Your Career - Introvert Whisperer Why Plastic Surgery Wont Do Much to Advance Your Career I was recently contacted by a big news outlet to comment on the  topic of plastic surgery for career success. I realized in the process of doing speaking with them  that I really needed to write on this topic as well, so you could benefit by it, in case you missed the recording. First, it’s important that you know that I think plastic surgery is a great option for people who want to correct or improve upon what they currently have. I have no moral or ethical issues with it. I also think that if a person should decide to do so, they need to pursue plastic surgery for purely personal reasons. However, plastic surgery done for any other reason than your own internal desire is a bad idea. Surgery of any sort is serious business. Simply doing the surgery has its own share of risks, not to mention the outcome. To pursue something that can be so life-altering as plastic surgery solely to give your career or job search an advantage is even riskier. There are never assurances that an improvement in your appearance will do anything to advance your career or get a great job offer. The Truth About Our Appearances Anyone who  believes plastic surgery will give their career a much-needed boost doesn’t understand the dynamics of working for someone. Unless your career is in entertainment or fashion, your appearance is way down the list of things that will give you a competitive advantage. You may argue that there are studies that show that beautiful people get ahead or get doors opened for them when others are left in the dust. Yes, attractive people get picked first, get asked to the prom first and may even have an advantage in interviews but that’s where it stops. All you have to do is to look at our political leaders or captains of industry to get the full story. Most of these people have very average appearances, and a few could stop a clock. One or two are attractive and that’s it. So, what happened to all of those “hot” people on the way to the top? Performance. You might be able to get a door opened when youre beautiful, but once you have entered, it all comes down to how well you perform. (Like this thought? Tweet it!)  Those who are used to trading solely on their appearance rudely find out that if they can’t get the job done, they will be  shown the door again on their way out. Whats an Average Person to Do? That means that for the rest of humanity, the playing field gets leveled very quickly when it comes to careers. We can compete with the beautiful people. The great thing is that for the average-looking person, we’ve always known we had to perform well because we didn’t have our looks to help us along the way. If youre contemplating plastic surgery because youve packed a few years under your belt, guess what? You won’t be able to hide your age that long to employers. Even if you cut off your years of experience in your resume, sooner or later your age will show because of things like the age of your kids or stories of past experience you tell. If you aren’t in the “mature worker” category but think plastic surgery will give your job search or career some help, what planet are you living on? You aren’t going to change that much. You might look like a fresher version of you, but that fresher version is still going to interact with people the same and have the same skill sets, unless you plan to do a major overhaul from the inside out. (And by the way, if you are going to change your behavior game, change it first and see how it goes. You might be shocked to find its  the best thing you could do for your career.) Put simply, you’re focusing on the wrong things to achieve success in your job search and career if you think the answer is plastic surgery. Would  you ever contemplate plastic surgery? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments! Image:  Flickr Go to top Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.  I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.  In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression. Get your copy now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer