It is PSAT time again. If you haven't already heard from your school's guidance counselor, you should soon because students will register for and take the PSAT at their high school.
For many high school juniors the PSAT is a practice SAT, an opportunity to take an official test under timed conditions. But for top test takers the PSAT can mean big money in National Merit Scholarship recognition.
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One aspect of the college application is the Teacher Letters of Recommendation. Make a good impression on your teachers. They not only grade your work but will one day provide you with recommendations for college and/or work. Don't be shortsighted. Work on establishing good relationships with teachers early. Psychologists say that impressions are formed within the first minute of meeting a person. Even if you're not 100% certain that you want to apply to college/graduate school, it's in your best interest to ensure that your teacher sees you in a positive light. Why? Jobs often require references. Faculty are good sources of references. Also, your grade will be influenced by your teacher's perception of you. Like it or not, perceptions matter.
When Are Impressions Formed? Impressions are formed very quickly when meeting someone. We do this on an unconscious level. We're usually not aware of it. As a student in a class of 20, 40 or more, your teacher likely won't form an impression of you that quickly as he or she may not even notice every student during the first class of the semester. Teachers' impressions of students are formed in the first couple of weeks of the semester. Specifically, teachers form expectations about what kind of student you are -- whether you are studious or a slacker. And they form impressions about what they can expect from you work wise -- will you submit stellar work, adequate work, of sub par work? Why Do Impressions Matter? Impressions can help or hurt you - regardless of whether you are a high school or undergraduate student. If a professor forms an initial impression that you are studious and responsible, that positive view will likely color his or her evaluation of your work. That's not to say that you can hand in shoddy work without facing negative consequences, but that the teacher is likely to appraise your work with the expectation that it will be solid. And a positive expectation can lead to a positive evaluation. Likewise, if a teacher has formed the impression that you are a lazy student, that negative impression can cloud his or her view. Perfectly adequate work may be colored by this negative impression and be evaluated more negatively than is merited. How do you form a good impression? It's simple.
10 Questions to Ask a New Tutor
Hiring a new tutor for your child can be complicated and challenging. It's important to find a qualified tutor who is a good fit in terms of teaching style and personal connection. There are so many issues to consider that it can be easy to overlook important questions. Here are ten questions you should ask before you hire a new tutor. #1 What Certifications or Degrees Do You Have? It's good to know what type of training a new tutor has. In some cases, you may want a tutor with an undergraduate or graduate degree in education. In other cases, you may look for someone who studied in the field in which your child is struggling. #2 Do You Have Any References? Don't be shy about asking for and contacting references. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the person you may hire to work with your child. While a tutor who is just starting out may not have references, experienced tutors should have satisfied clients with whom you can speak. #3 How Would You Describe Your Teaching Style? It's helpful to know what type of educator this new tutor is, such as a strict disciplinarian or a believer in the Socratic method. Ask if the tutor will work with your child in a short lesson that you observe. Is the tutor lecturing and, if so, how competent does he or she seem? Ideally, the tutor encourages your child and allows him or her to learn through exploration and asking questions. #4 What Tutoring Plan Would You Recommend For My Child? A tutoring plan is a way of mapping out the goals and methods for the sessions. How the tutor formulates a plan will help you understand how well the tutor understands your child's needs. This is also a good opportunity to get on the same page with the tutor about what you'd like to accomplish with the tutoring. This is especially important with older students, when their goals might not align completely with their parents' goals. #5 Why Are You Interested in Tutoring? This question will help you understand the tutor's motivations for working as a tutor. You can learn why he or she is passionate about education. Note that tutors pursue this work for a wide range of reasons. Some are financially stable and have careers outside of education, yet they find satisfaction and meaning in helping children become better students. #6 What Do Enjoy Outside of Tutoring? You'll also want to learn about the tutor as a person outside of education. This is a question that rarely has a 'wrong answer.' Instead, you may find out something completely unexpected about the tutor. It's also a great chance to discover if the tutor has similar interests as your child, which may help foster a stronger connection. #7 What Ages and Subjects Have You Worked With Before? It's ideal to have a tutor who is experienced working with children of a similar age as your child. Likewise, you may find that the most successful tutors have extensive experience with the subject area in which your child needs help. A lack of completely similar experience shouldn't always be a deal breaker, though. You may find a tutor who has highly diverse experience and this may be a good sign of adaptability and broad expertise. #8 Do You Have Experience Working With Students With Learning Differences? If your child has any type of learning difference, from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to autism, you'll want a tutor who possesses relevant experience or training. Many tutors have informal experience that may also be valuable. #9 Can You Tell Me About a Success Story With a Previous Student? Give the tutor an opportunity to brag about a successful student. This is a chance to learn about how impactful this tutor has been with other students. It's also a chance to determine how the tutor defines success. A related question that is often informative involves asking about a student with whom the tutor struggled. This question provides insight into the tutor's growth and development as an educator. #10 Practical Questions You won't want to miss several basic questions that will help you understand the logistics of how the tutor works, or establish ground rules if you intend to hire the tutor. For example, you'll want to cover how lessons are scheduled, how long they'll be, where they'll take place and what occurs if someone needs to cancel. You should also discuss how payment will work before tutoring begins so everyone is in agreement. Has homework become a daily battle at home?
Here are tips for getting back on track... —Have a well-lit, organized desk for doing homework. —Try to stick to a set routine.
—Try to create a quiet environment with few or no distractions: no television, no little brothers or sisters coming and going, no music, etc.
—Prepare all needed material for the specific subject in advance. —If possible, try to do the same type of task as your child: Write when they write; read while they read. —If your child needs help, give guidance, not answers! Always be willing to help - but wait for your child to request it.
--Your homework is to always be aware of your child's assignments and due dates. —Tackle the tough tasks first. If they're put off, they'll only get psychologically harder to do as your child gets more tired. —Having trouble concentrating? Take a break! It's healthy and refreshing for the brain. While breaking, go for a walk or eat a light snack.
Last, but not least: Give your child a little pat on the back from time to time. Take him or her to the park, play ball or go to the movies, once the homework is completed. She or he will appreciate the reward, and understand that hard work pays off. Strategies to Become a Better Students Sometimes, it’s not enough just to work harder to improve your grades. Instead, you have to learn how to work smarter—that is, to find ways to work in a more organized and efficient manner that helps you remember what you learned.
Here are five tips to becoming a better junior high or high school student in the fall: Tip #1: Read actively. Read with a pencil, pen, or highlighter in hand, and underline the key points of what you are reading. Skim the passage before reading to get the main idea and the overall context for the passage. As you read, underline the main details, and then summarize what you’ve read. If you write down your summary, it will help you recall your reading without re-reading the entire passage. As you read, look up any unfamiliar vocabulary words. Building your vocabulary will also help you with admissions tests, such as ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, COOP, PSAT, SAT, ACT, and other admissions tests for college. Keep a list of new vocabulary words and review them for 10 minutes each day. Tip #2: Study word roots. You can easily and quickly build your vocabulary by studying common Latin and Greek word roots and prefixes. You can expand your vocabulary by recognizing common roots. Studying Latin also helps you learn new roots and improve your vocabulary. Tip #3: Get organized. If you don’t have a way to organize and keep track of nightly and long-term assignments, find one now—before school starts. You can use a traditional planner or any other device that keeps you on track. Practice putting your assignments into your planner and checking it regularly. For long-term assignments such as research papers, you should break down the work so that you put each mini-task in your planner. For example, write down the days you plan to go to the library to do research, the days you will work on your outline and rough draft, and the days you will complete your final draft. Leave time for revision and rewriting. Find out more ways to get organized from Steph. Tip #4: Learn how to take notes. You may want to organize your notebook by writing the major ideas in each lecture on the left-hand side of your page and writing the details related to the main idea on the right-hand side. Each lecture tends to have a major theme or themes, and these are the types of ideas that teachers like to ask about on tests. You should identify the main idea of each lecture to prepare for tests. Review your notes after taking them and think about how you can organize the material more efficiently. Tip #5: Learn about your teachers. Before the year starts, speak to older or other students who’ve had your teacher or teachers, and ask them how the teacher works. What does the teacher want, and what is he or she looking for in assignments? The better you understand your teachers, the better prepared you will be for tests and other assignments. Carefully read the information your teacher gives you on the first day of class, as it usually spells out the expectations the teacher has and how you will be graded. If you have any questions, ask them before the school year starts so you will understand exactly what you need to do to have a successful year. October
Follow these tips to help your child secure an on-campus college admissions interview. With college application deadlines less than six months away, your child has likely begun the college search process and has started visiting potential schools. If you and your child are planning college visits this fall, call ahead and try to schedule an on-campus interview. Completing an interview now, before applications are submitted, is a great way to give a school advance notice of your child’s interest, and get his or her name on their radar.
Depending upon the school and your child’s interests, there are several members of a college’s staff or faculty with whom your child may wish to secure an interview: Admissions Officers – The opportunity to speak directly with an admissions officer is a great way for your child to make his or her interest in a school known. Some schools do not offer admissions interviews, while other schools will offer interviews, but only as part of the application process. Students should call well in advance of a planned campus visit if you are trying to schedule this type of interview. Coaches & Advisors – If your child will be participating in a club or playing on a sports team, try to schedule time to speak with the club’s advisor or team’s coach during your campus visit. Extra-curricular commitments may require a significant portion of your child’s time on campus; interviewing with a team coach or club advisor is a great way to help your child determine whether he or she is a good “fit” for that school’s program. Faculty – If your child knows that he or she will be declaring a particular major or field of study, meeting with a member of that department’s faculty is another way to help your child evaluate his or her “fit” for a particular school or program. Generally, these interviews are conducted by a department head and are available only by request. If your child is planning to interview with a department head, make sure he or she enters the interview prepared—your child should be familiar with the department and its requirements, information. This is generally available on the department’s website. Fine Arts Faculty – If your child is planning to major in one of the fine arts, an art, music, or dance performance may be required as part of admissions process. Student's need to contact the school’s department for more information on scheduling these types of interviews. Alumni – Alumni interviews are usually held off campus and are generally available as part of the admissions process for schools that require an interview. If a student is unable to travel to the school’s campus for an interview with an admissions officer, alumni interviews are an opportunity for a school to evaluate a student remotely. Students – Student interviews are generally less formal than an interview with an admissions officer or alumni, and do not usually factor into admissions decisions. Student interviews are a great way for your child to gain additional, first-hand information about the student experience at a particular school. Do research ahead of time. Do NOT ask questions whose answers can be easily found on the school's website or college catalog. Do bring a copy of your resume, a copy of your transcripts, and a pen and pad of paper for note-taking. Never show up unprepared.
As you and your child make campus visit plans, keep in mind that it’s not always easy to secure an interview in the summer and fall. Many colleges only conduct interviews as part of the admissions decision process, and will therefore only grant interviews in the winter and spring to students who have already submitted an application. Other colleges will not conduct one-on-one interviews, period. Be sure to visit each school’s website, call ahead, and explore your options. Remember, it never hurts to ask! |
Stephenie Lee
Stephenie, having been a tutor/instructor/mentor since 1996, discovered her passion and founded Lee Academia Educational Consulting, LLC. after she left the dental and medical field. She loves teaching/mentoring and counseling her students. Her passion lies in educating others and helping them pursue their educational path. Today, certified in College Counseling and with more than 10 years of experience, Stephenie and her team continues to blog about current updated educational news and events. Archives
April 2016
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