Why Take Dance Classes

Why Take Dance Classes Why Learn to Dance? ChaptersTone Your Body by DancingMeet New People by DancingLearn to Dance for a Career in the ArtsLearn about New Cultures through DancingLearn to Dance and Improve Your Well-BeingLearn About the Different Disciplines Related to Dance“Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.” - VoltaireWould you like to take up a sport but you’re not sure which one?Why not get dance tutorials and learn about dance from the comfort of your own home?Thanks to dance being both an art form and a sporting activity, there are a lot of people interested in learning to dance. Everyone, at some point in their lives, has probably done a few impromptu dance moves.Did you know that dance lessons can change our daily habits and how we live our lives?Even absolute beginners can learn to do some new dance steps and start improving their lives. Find out about all the great reasons to get in touch with a dance teacher who teaches the style you want to learn and st art getting dance classes today!nobody likes a dancer who’s just going through the motions.How many couples do you know who met each other on a night out?Finally, some styles of dance (like pole dancing or disco dancing) can be useful for meeting people on a night out at either a nightclub or at dance parties. Your dancing could impress everyone in the club and you won’t feel embarrassed about everyone watching you do it.If you've already met someone, don't forget that you can get wedding dance lessons for your first dance. In addition to pulling out some choreographed dance moves when all eyes are on you (which they will be all day), this is also just a great thing to do with your partner before the big day. SeamDance Teacher 4.96 (24) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JamieDance Teacher 5.00 (6) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ErickaDance Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamuelDance Teacher 5.00 (4) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlavioDance Teacher 5.00 (7) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimDance Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HannaDance Teacher 5.00 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ClareDance Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsLearn to Dance for a Career in the ArtsWhy not make your passion your job?More and more people are getting interested in learning how to dance either for fun or professionally. Whether you want to teach ballroom dance lessons, Latin dancing, or Cuban salsa, dance tutors can earn a living doing what they love.The best private tutors can earn a lot of money. (Source: pixabay.com)While you can teach people how to dance without any qualifications thanks to private dance tutorials, it’s recommended that you go down the professional route by studying at a dance academy or a conservatoire.Here are the qualifications you should be looking at getting:A level 3 qualificationA d egreeA postgraduate degreeA PhDWhile some dancers prefer to focus on technique, others prefer to study the theory of the art form at school. There are some great jobs available in the arts.  Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the different jobs you could do with a degree in the performing arts:Arts researcherChoreographerCostume designerCriticDance lecturer at a conservatoire or university.Dance teacher in a schoolFitness instructorGraphic designerManaging a dance troupePersonal coachTalent scoutYoga or pilates instructorWhen you make your passion your job, you’ll never technically work a single day in your life!Dance lessons don't have to cost the Earth! Click here to read about learning to dance for free.Learn about New Cultures through DancingEvery continent on the planet has its own unique styles of dancing and specialised dancing lessons.Enjoy shared experiences and discover new styles of dance. (Source: pixabay.com)In a lot of countries, dancing is an important part of the cu lture.  In some countries, traditional dance instruction is even part of the national curriculum. When you meet new people in dance schools and dance academies, you should ask them about the different styles of dancing.Of course, you don’t necessarily have to learn a style from your own country.Here are some of the different styles you could look into studying:Argentine tangoBachataBalletBallroom dancingBelly dancingCha chaContemporary dance or modern danceCuban salsa or Puerto Rican salsaDance fitnessFlamencoHip Hop danceJazzLatin danceMerengueOriental danceRagga DancehallRumbaSambaSwing danceTapThe foxtrotWaltzWest coast swingLearning a traditional style of dance could also help you get into foreign schools and academies. For example, if you master an American style of dance like rock ‘n’ roll, the Lindy Hop, or the Twist, it could help you get into a prestigious American dance school like Julliard, for example.Learn to Dance and Improve Your Well-BeingIf you learn to dance, it can make you happier!According to a Polish study in 2014, dancing affects your happiness. After an hour of dancing, beginners felt less stressed, had more energy, and were more creative. A Greek study from 2011 also showed that female breast cancer sufferers felt happier after an hour of dancing.It’s also been proven that those with Parkinson’s disease are less agitated, more relaxed, and less tired after having danced.Dancing is a great way to unwind and awaken your artistic side. Families can get dance classes or attend workshops and improve their well-being together.The psychoanalyst France Schott-Billman had this to say in 2012:“Dancing tango or salsa is more than just having fun. It’s a way of expressing yourself. [...] They gain a new way of communicating with their body.”After their first lesson, a beginner will have a vastly different understanding of themselves. Dance lessons can help you improve your movements, get to know your muscles better, and empty your mind. Unwind after a tough week with a weekly dance class.Additionally, dancing will improve your confidence and as you learn new moves and techniques and add them to your routine, you'll be desperate to get on the dance floor and show off your footwork.Unlike when you learn how to dance at a university or conservatoire, you'll not have to worry about the class schedule with private tutoring and you can enjoy the flexibility of getting dance lessons when and where you want.Learn About the Different Disciplines Related to DanceLike all art forms, dancing has different disciplines and styles.Regardless of your level, you can start learning how to dance with private lessons from an experienced and gifted dancer. Studying at universities or conservatoires is arguably the best way to learn how to dance.Listening to music is great, knowing how to create your own can help you dance better. (Source: pixabay.com)Once you start studying how to dance, you’ll get both technical lessons as wel l as lessons on the theory and history of dancing. These are good for helping you gain a deeper understanding of the art form and the origins of dancing.Here are some of the subjects you could study alongside learning how to dance:AestheticsAnalysing body movementsChoreographyChoreography and musical compositionDidactic methods for dancingHistory of artsMusicPerformance techniquesPhilosophyThe history of dancing and dance cultureIn addition to helping you become a better dancer, mastering other subjects can also help you when studying a dance or performing arts degree. A good knowledge of dance theory could help you become a dance historian or a lecturer in a number of subjects relating to dancing.Why not become an advanced private dance tutor with all this knowledge?Learn more about the cost of dance tuition.

A Guide to Personal Trainer Qualifications

A Guide to Personal Trainer Qualifications What Certificates Qualifications Do I Need to be a Personal Trainer? ChaptersPersonal Trainer Certification UKFirst Aid CertificationPerformance Enhancement for Professional AthletesFitness and Nutrition QualificationsFitness Certification and Wellness Certification ProgramsSpecializationMarketing and Business QualificationsLike many other professions, that of a personal trainer is tainted with many prejudices that it is up to us to deconstruct.Sometimes, the image of a home fitness professional in the collective unconscious is that of a bodybuilder living only through and for sports, a hulking mass of muscles.It’s easy to imagine the ripped male training lonely rich women in the better parts of town.To stereotype even further, imagine the man with everything in his muscles and nothing in his head - a case of resource management, perhaps.Obviously, this is a reduced vision of the personal training business, because of course being in excellent physical condition is not enough to become a personal trainer. Nor would a brainless fitness instructor adv ance far.This profession is regulated in the UK, so if you want clients you need qualifications. These are available from a number of private personal training schools or other fitness organisations.Find out more in this beginner's guide to becoming a personal trainer...First Aid CertificationEspecially if you decide to specialise in, say, senior fitness, you might want to get a CPR certification or take a course in emergency first aid. Even if you don’t specifically get AED certification (or how to work an automated external defibrillator), you should know what to do if your students injure themselves.Though clients are less likely to become injured while doing aerobics than working with a kettlebell, they can still strain muscles or, if they are elderly or otherwise at risk, even go into cardiac arrest. Even if you are careful in ascertaining their state of health before they start their fitness sessions, there can be a pre-existing condition even your client didn’t know about .Wouldn’t you feel better if you were prepared and knew how to deal with sprains and injuries and practise CPR while waiting for the ambulance?Learn how to use your first aid kit and get a CPR qualification in case of client injury (kiwi not included).On that note, don’t forget to get personal trainer insurance in case something happens.Performance Enhancement for Professional AthletesGiving Pilates courses to City executives is not the same as preparing a professional athlete for their next competition. The program design will include not only physical exercises in their chosen sport but additional exercises to improve their flexibility, endurance, speed, strength and confidence to maximize their training sessions and keep them in peak physical condition without risk of injury.A performance enhancement coach is not there to teach them tactics (for group sports) or put together a sequence (for artistic sports such as dressage, gymnastics or ice skating), rather their job is asse ssing the physical part of their performance and finding ways of improving it.The British Association of Sports and Exercise Medicine have a series of courses designed for those training athletes, from basic anatomy to exercise science.You can attend a lecture on Physical Activity in Adolescence to know how far you can push an aspiring swimmer or brush up on fitness nutrition to get a bodybuilder up to weight.Other UK trainer certification schools such as Premier Global also offer classes in continuing education that will teach you exercise programs for various types of athletes, such as the best workouts for biathlon hopefuls, or sports conditioning for sprinters.starting to get fit will often be stiff and insecure. You can help with that by earning a secondary training certificate.Learn sports massage techniques to help others relax and to help with the prevention of muscle soreness.Add yoga poses to your fitness plan to centre your clients at the beginning and relax them at the e nd of a personal training program.Take a personal training course in stretching, an intensive new type of program that really elongates and relaxes your tired muscles.Consider passing a certification in aromatherapy to learn how to use odours to enhance the training experience.Get certified in various stress therapies and stress management courses.Health and fitness: beyond keeping your weight downGetting fit is not always a question of losing weight. It can mean getting your body back into shape after a long illness or trying to manage chronic pain or bone or muscle disorders through exercise. It can mean a lot to people in those situations to find a personal trainer who can adapt to their needs.To this end, you might consider choosing, in addition to your personal training certification, continuing education courses for a degree in exercise physiology or kinesiology, or other certifications in biomechanics. The better you know the human body, the better you can attune your coachin g to your clients to help them set up an exercise program that will help them compensate for their bodies’ defects.To that effect, you might consider a personal trainer course focusing on corrective exercise. By becoming a corrective exercise specialist, you can help people supplement their physiotherapy at home and improve their health.Doctor and personal trainer: both heroes helping a body recover. Consider a corrective exercise qualification or study kinesiology. Photo credit: FredericRivollier on Visualhunt.comA sports medicine degree might be another idea for learning about corrective sports and how to make sure your client consultation is truly adapted to their physiology.Learn what other essential qualities a personal trainer must embody...SpecializationTo make it in the fitness industry, specialising in a certain sport can help you narrow down your target audience and provide fitness programs certain to appeal to someone.So when you are studying for your personal fitness c ertification, consider what sports would appeal to the demographic in your hometown. Or, if you want to offer personal training online, what sports are trending but not yet offered by many trainers nationally.Specialise by demographicDifferent age groups or special populations will need different training techniques. You can take a personal trainer course specialising in:Youth fitnessSenior fitnessExercise and fitness for the mentally handicappedExercise programs for patients suffering from dementiaExercise classes for veteransThe right sports for your clienteleWhile the image of a certified personal trainer is sometimes that of a home Pilates instructor or someone giving instruction in nothing but weight training, you can become a personal fitness instructor for anything but a team sport. Consider becoming a personal fitness trainer qualified for:Cardio workoutsStretchingAquatic sportsResistance trainingCircuit trainingRemember, this isn't a boot camp. A personal trainer is there t o motivate his or her clients in their chosen sport. Photo credit: 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) on Visualhunt.comMarketing and Business QualificationsAnd finally, you might want to gain some expertise in marketing. Enrol in marketing education courses and learn the principle guidelines of how to sell yourself. To find work after your fitness trainer certification, you will need clients. Simply being passionate about what you do is not enough.To successfully run a personal trainer business, you will need to learn marketing strategies to gain new clients. And once you have them, it’s important to know where you should be registering your new business, how much of your salary will go to taxes and how to file your returns and what type of insurance you will need.Find out all about marketing your personal training skills in this complete guide...

What are the High School Math Courses

What are the High School Math Courses As a high school student, you will be expected to take a variety of classes across many subject areas, including math. While this may feel intimidating, these classes are designed to help you excel in math and prepare you for the collegiate level, as well as increase your ability to be successful in related subject areas (like science courses). If youre wondering what high school math classes await you, read on! An overview Most high school students are required to complete three years of math coursework, though four is recommended because certain colleges require it. Other high schools may require completion of math until a certain course is completed. If you know that you dont want to go into a field that requires advanced math and it isnt your best subject, it can be useful to take other classes more related to your field of study after youve completed minimum math coursework. However, if you hope to work in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), high school is a great time to begin exploring more advanced concepts. Algebra 1 Generally, Algebra 1 is the first math class you are required to take as part of your high school career. Youll study real numbers, exploring solving, writing, and graphing linear equations. Youll also learn polynomials as well as quadratic equations and functions. Many students take this class during their freshman year, though math classes are assigned based on the results of a placement test. Because of this, high school math classes can contain students in different grades. Geometry Many students who dont otherwise enjoy math enjoy taking Geometry. In this class, youll likely learn plane and solid geometrythis includes constructions, measurement formulas, and formal proofs. This class is typically taken following Algebra 1 and can also contain students in different grades due to placement tests. Algebra 2 Unsurprisingly, Algebra 2 builds upon the skills and concepts covered in Algebra 1. This includes a deeper look at solving and graphing equations, as well as inequalities and functions. Many Algebra 2 classes include trigonometry, which is not always taught as its own course (but it can besee below). For many students, this is the last required mathematics course in high school. Trigonometry Usually taken during a students junior year (though it may happen earlier or even later), trigonometry is often worked into existing math courses, but some students may end up taking it as its own course. It involves both algebra and geometry and applying those concepts to circular and periodic functions. Pre-Calculus This class is often offered as an elective for students who wish to take more advanced math classes. It examines series and sequences, probability, limits, derivatives, and statistics. Many seniors take this class in preparation for the study of college mathematics. Calculus It is a fairly select group of high school students who make it to Calculus, but they do exist. This may particularly benefit you if you hope to study a math-related field in college. During Calculus, students can expect to continue the material taught in Pre-Calculus, now emphasizing integration and differentiation. Other electives Elective math classes can vary wildly by school, but may include computer math, math applications, and math literacy. These tend to focus on more real-world applications of math and may be taken by those outside the STEM field. AP Classes For students pursuing STEM work or education, AP classes can help differentiate you from the competition. AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC both demonstrate your skills to potential colleges and are offered at many schools. [RELATED: What You Need to Know About the New AP Calculus Exams] You may also be able to take AP Statistics, which some view as slightly less difficult than AP Calculus. It is also widely used and can be useful as you embark on college math work. For STEM students, AP Calculus may be a better choicefor other fields of study, AP Statistics can be more relevant. 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.

How Progressive Professionals Can Promote a Forward-Thinking Workplace - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How Progressive Professionals Can Promote a Forward-Thinking Workplace - Introvert Whisperer How Progressive Professionals Can Promote a Forward-Thinking Workplace You see the bigger picture at work, keep a focus on your organization’s path into the future, and are open to just about any possibility. Along with being an introvert, you are a forward thinker. But what happens when a forward-thinking professional works for a company that doesn’t have the same type of culture? You may get frustrated, exhausted, and even question if getting a new job could solve your workplace problems.     Forward-thinking workplaces have one thing in common: they recognize and even celebrate their employees as a way of showing how they value their staff members. This is usually part of their company culture and can go a long way in keeping staff engaged and happy at work. Many companies have embraced a progressive work environment to flip the script on how staff perceive their job, managers, and coworkers.   If you’re looking for ways to change your company culture, you’ve come to the right place. Here are three strategies you can use to start a positive cultural revolution in your workplace.   Suggest Sustainability Activities like recycling, wildlife protection, and waste reduction are the most common sustainability practices. Creating a sustainable business encompasses these activities but goes a bit further. Sustainability in the workplace requires a broader consciousness about conservation, protection, and environmental stewardship.     Large corporations like Nike and Walmart have embraced sustainability initiatives that improve the environment and save money. Nike tracked the sustainability metrics of their suppliers. This gave them essential data that helped revise their business practices only to choose suppliers that have proven sustainability practices. Wal-Mart looked at metrics like water use, agricultural yields, and gas emissions and found areas for improvement. The changes they implemented reduced foot costs by $3.5 billion.     You’ll probably need to start on a much smaller scale than these examples. The good news for you is that, as an introvert, you’ve probably already observed and worked through a few ways your workplace can go green. If your employer doesn’t participate in simple sustainability practices like recycling, start there. Speak to your manager or human resources to offer ideas of how the company can embrace sustainability practices and save a little money in the process. Here are a few recycling at work ideas you can use to get started:   Recycle cardboard Refurbish old computers Switch to recycled paper Refill or recycle printer cartridges Switch to real mugs in the breakroom Set up recycling stations   Use rechargeable batteries Raise Awareness for Noble Causes Progressive company cultures often focus on social justice issues that are important to the business and their employees. For some companies, this might mean engaging in dialogue about topics both inside and outside of working hours as well as planning events that align with the mission of the issues they support. If you’re trying to begin these conversations, be sure that you know who to speak to and how to strike up the conversation.     Find a cause that aligns with the company culture or events at the workplace. For example, if a coworker was recently diagnosed with cancer, consider creating a team to walk in a local American Cancer Society Event. You might also find local causes such as homelessness or child abuse in your community. If you’re looking for a national organization, consider the Take Back the Night Foundation, which helps to raise awareness about all forms of sexual and domestic violence.     Regardless of the cause you choose, find a few coworkers who share your passion for raising awareness before you approach administration. Create a thoughtful plan that includes possible fundraising activities and a list of who will be in charge of events. Present both positive and negative effects for the company, such as increased morale and potential decreased productivity. Once you get the go-ahead from administration, get creative with ways to embed social awareness in your company culture.   Pitch New Work Schedule Options Many introverts long for the ability to work in the quiet of their own home, at least a few days a week. Some employers have embraced progressive work schedules, which can include anything from a four-day workweek to allowing employees to work from home. Some employers might frown at the notion of not having direct access to staff by just walking past a cubicle. Another concern that the company may have includes unforeseen costs in adopting new technologies to communicate with staff when they’re not on site.     If you and your coworkers are looking for ways to suggest a work change that will be taken seriously, the first step is to just talk about what you want. Bring up ideas like telecommuting, part-time work, or a shorter workweek during a staff meeting to see how everyone reacts.     Make sure you prepare your “elevator pitch,” which is a quick and concise speech about how your proposal can benefit both employees and the company. Bring up benefits such as reducing the risk of burnout at work, increasing staff creativity, and even lowering costs for the company if workspaces could be downsized. Once you’ve opened up the dialogue, give it some time before you bring up the topic again to allow leadership plenty of time and space to think about the idea before making a decision.     You should expect a little resistance from higher-ups at first. Stay positive and use language that shows you’re willing to work through the process with them. You can say statements like, “I can see lots of ways this can benefit the company. “ Make sure to ask questions so that you understand their concerns too. Try starting with “What concerns do you have from a global point of view about these work schedule changes?” Statements and questions like these will help keep the dialogue flowing from all parties involved.   Moving Your Company Culture Forward When you strike up these conversations and initiatives at work, some people may be surprised that you took on such a big problem. However, we know that introverts can be team-building superstars in the workplace and can get everyone working on a shared vision for the future. Use these strategies to get your company moving towards a forward-thinking culture to keep the organization growing and staff happy with their work environment. Image Source: Unsplash By Sam Bowman Sam Bowman  is a freelance writer and introvert who enjoys getting to utilize the internet for the community without actually having to leave his house. In his spare time, he likes running, reading, and combining the two in a run to his local bookstore. Go to top Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!   Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Guest Podcast One Thing In A French Day

Guest Podcast One Thing In A French Day Megan L. You know the best way to learn French is to practice every day, but where should you start? One of our favorite ways to study any language is listening to  podcasts! Not only do you get the benefit of hearing spoken French, podcasts also contain interesting tidbits of vocabulary and culture you might not get in a textbook. And besides that, podcasts are simply  fun. One of our favorite French podcasts is One Thing In A French  Day, a podcast that chronicles one womans life in France and presents quick tidbits of daily life in French. In this guest podcast, Laetitia of One Thing  In A French Day talks about visiting a special Parisian bakery with a diabetic friend. Aujourd’hui, j’ai accompagné une de mes amies dans un endroit où je ne pensais jamais pouvoir aller avec elle : dans une pâtisserie. Mon amie Maryam est diabétique, elle suit une hygiène de vie qui a pour but de lui faire prendre le moins d’insuline possible. Les gâteaux ne sont donc pas au programme. Jeudi 12 novembre 2015 La pâtisserie Eugène Aujourd’hui, j’ai accompagné une de mes amies dans un endroit où je ne pensais jamais pouvoir aller avec elle : dans une pâtisserie. Mon amie Maryam est diabétique, elle suit une hygiène de vie qui a pour but de lui faire prendre le moins  d’insuline possible. Les gâteaux ne sont donc pas au programme. Ce qui est étonnant c’est qu’elle ne subit pas sa maladie, elle la vit, elle l’entraîne avec elle, elle lui fait prendre des chemins inattendus. Par exemple, le sport est devenu très  important, il lui permet de faire mieux contrôler sa glycémie. Et c’est ainsi que par le sport, elle a vécu une belle aventure : le marathon de Paris. Elle s’est entraînée pendant un an et elle l’a couru au printemps dernier. En ce qui concerne les  repas qu’elle se choisit, elle les apprécie avec chaque cellule de son corps, comme elle dit. Lorsque j’ai entendu parler de cette pâtisserie parisienne dont les gâteaux ont été spécialement créés pour les diabétiques, j’ai pensé à elle. A l’origine du projet, il y a un homme diabétique et très gourmand et un pâtissier.     Maryam a été enthousiasmée par l’idée et elle était très curieuse de voir l’effet de ces pâtisseries sur elle. Nous y sommes allées cet après-midi. Après avoir longuement étudié la magnifique vitrine de pâtisseries, Maryam a choisi pour nous  deux gâteaux : un éclair à la vanille de Madagascar et une tartelette choco-café. Nous sommes rentrées chez elle pour notre dégustation.   Nous avons partagé les gâteaux en deux et nous avons commencé par l’éclair à la vanille. La vanille, un arôme qui n’était plus qu’un souvenir pour Maryam. C’était une dégustation pleine d’émotions. Cet éclair m’a beaucoup plu, parce que la  mousse à la vanille était vraiment délicieuse et le sucre, pour une fois, ne s’octroyait pas la première place. La tarte choco-café était également très réussie.   Maryam a contrôlé sa glycémie avant la dégustation, puis après une heure et deux heures. Elle avait grimpé bien sûr, mais rien d’incontrôlable par rapport au plaisir ressenti. Merci, cher Eugène?! REPERES Le site de la pâtisserie Eugène : http://eugene.paris/ PINTEREST : le tableau de One Thing In A French Day http://j.mp/SjSKHR TROIS TOURNURES DE PHRASES UTILES Un endroit â€" J’aime beaucoup cet endroit.       â€" C’est un drôle d’endroit, entre le salon de thé et la librairie.   â€" Que penses-tu de cet endroit??     Etre curieux de quelque chose â€" J’étais curieuse de voir cet endroit par moi-même.       â€" Etienne m’a dit qu’il était curieux de connaître ta réaction.   â€" Je suis curieuse de faire sa connaissance. Il paraît qu’il est très sympathique.   Pour une fois â€" D’habitude j’y vais à pied, mais pour une fois j’ai pris la voiture.   â€" Allez, Papa, dis oui?! Pour une fois s’il te plaît?!       â€" C’est vraiment dommage qu’elle n’ait pas pu venir, pour une fois que nous étions tous réunis.     Nhésitez pas à vous abonner à la NEWSLETTER DU PODCAST Did you learn anything new from this special podcast? Share your thoughts in the comments below and tell us what  French podcast topics youd like to hear next! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

What to Do Once You Receive Your PSAT Scores

What to Do Once You Receive Your PSAT Scores Receiving your PSAT scores can be stressfuland confusing. Its all too easy to transfer how you feel about your results onto your overall academic self-esteema natural but not necessarily helpful connectionand its easy to feel at a loss for what to do next. So what should you do once you receive your PSAT scores? Take these three steps. Once you receive your PSAT scores, assess your strengths and weaknesses If you took the PSAT in October 2018, you will be able to access your scores between December 10 and 12, depending on what state you live in. (Visit The College Board to find out which date corresponds to your state.) Your score report will include results that correspond to math, reading, and writing and language. Youll also receive section scores for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and for Math. Additionally, there are cross-test scores, which pull out selected questions across the previously mentioned subjects of math, reading, and writing and language, and analyze them for your performance in history/social studies, as well as science. Finally, your report will include subscores, or more detailed sections under the umbrellas of: Math Reading Writing and Language. These results will give you more information about what content areas you were strong in, as well as which areas you need more practice inwhether youre planning to retake the PSAT as a junior or in preparation for the ACT or SAT. [RELATED: What is an Average PSAT Score?] Create a study plan for the ACT or SAT once you receive your PSAT scores The next step is to make a study plan for the ACT or SAT, depending on which test you would like to take. In addition to analyzing your subscores/content areas, look at your score report to see how you did on easy, medium, and hard questions. This can help you come up with the best test-taking strategies for yourself. For example, if you frequently missed easy questions, it could be because of careless mistakes. Youll want to spend a bit more time, then, reading carefully so as not to miss easy points. If, on the other hand, you missed a lot of hard questions, use best practices like checking that youre not missing anything at every step, and again, that youve read the question carefully. Not only can online resources be helpful at this juncture, but ACT/SAT test prep books can be great. You may also want to sign up for ACT tutoring or SAT tutoring. Lastly, once youve decided on your SAT or ACT test date, create a plan in terms of how much time you want to spend studying daily, weekly, and monthly leading up to the exam. This will help you stay on track in terms of content areas, as well as taking practice tests (which youll want to do in the weeks leading up to the actual test). Once you receive your PSAT scores, visit your guidance counselor After youve received your scores, visit your academic counselor. They will be able to give you tips and insight into how to move forward. If your PSAT score qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which offers funding for college, and youre not sure what to do next, your guidance counselor can help you. They can also help you look up colleges that may be good matches for you, depending on your scores and your overall academic progress. In addition to a counselor, a teacher or other academic professional may be a great resource for you as you look ahead to the next standardized test and to college. When youve received your scores, you should celebrate regardless of whether youve received the score you wantedyouve taken an important test, youve come through to the other side, and you now have more information about yourself as a test-taker. Now its time to look forward. 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.

Importance of Planning and Preparation in Teaching

Importance of Planning and Preparation in Teaching Do a little research into the best teachers out there and youll discover that they have several things in common: knowledge, charisma and care for students, to name a few. However, if theres one element that makes for effective teaching, it is planning. Here are several reasons that lesson planning is essential: It gets you prepared. Some material you might know like the back of your hand, while other material might be new to you or more complex, and therefore more challenging to deliver successfully. Planning helps you get up to speed so youre not figuring things out while trying to teach students. It boosts your confidence. Confidence in the classroom is largely about having good control. Armed with a plan to impart learning upon your students each day, youll achieve learning objectives more easily and will avoid those dead minutes when youre stalling or thinking on the fly (and your students get restless). It solidifies you as a professional. When you are observed for performance evaluations, youll be graded on your effectiveness in the classroom. Thoughtfully prepared lessons are easy to spot, whereas off-the-cuff teaching can seem disorganized and unimpressive. It makes sure lessons are meaningful. Arguably the most important reason to plan is that it ensures your students time in the classroom is worthwhile. As their teacher, you should tie all activities to specific learning objectives and connect your daily lessons to all long-term units. It is vital that everything flows together so you can help your students achieve grade-level standards. You might be a fun and energetic teacher, but remember that anything you do in the classroom must have a purpose if your goal is to guide your students toward knowledge acquisition. Planning is an essential part of your job and an investment in your success as a teacher. Be sure to take the time to do it. See how Huntington can help your students succeed.

Finding Your Inspiration

Finding Your Inspiration Improving Academic Performance In a previous article The Underestimated Power of Practice, we talked about the power of practice when considering what makes someone an expert in any given subject. We explored the idea that genes aren’t as essential as we tend to believe, that an incredible amount of concentrated practice is a much better determinant of future success. We argued that talent is overrated, and practice is underrated. We talked about a rule that researchers on performance have developed â€" you may need to spend 10,000 hours practicing intensely and deliberately to become a world-class athlete, musician, or mathematician. 10,000 hours. 10,000 hours of ‘deep practice’ seems to be the rule to live by when desiring to become a world-class expert at something. When you begin to really consider that, it’s overwhelming. Now, you of course don’t need to spend 10,000 hours to build certain types of skills for specific events. It either isn’t necessary, or isn’t practical. But, the point is that you need to spend a lot of really intense, focused time practicing and pushing yourself to improve. If you are reading this article as a high school or college student or parent of a student, it’s important to know that we are not recommending you spend 10,000 hours studying for the SATs to achieve a perfect score. But, the idea is: To realize that practice can, to an extent, “make perfect,” so investing more time can typically lead to better results. If the average person is investing 25 hours, double or triple that, and you’ll do far better than average. To use the time that you do have in the most efficient way possible, whether it be 20 hours or 200. If the average person is texting or watching TV while studying, put away the phone and engage fully with the material, pushing yourself to understand every concept. How can someone be passionate enough to push themselves like this? When you imagine an individual willingly spending thousands of hours practicing a subject or a specific talent, you have to realize that he or she was probably inspired in some implicit or explicit way. No one can embark on that kind of task without a driving force behind the desire to practice. We fully realize that it may be incredibly difficult to be motivated, or to motivate your high school or college student, to fully engage in math homework or SAT/ACT practice exams that just aren’t enjoyable. The key to maintaining a sufficient drive in an area that may not necessarily be naturally appealing is to truly believe that making mistakes and learning from those mistakes is a GOOD thing that will lead to impressive performance. The struggle is well worth it. Making mistakes and learning from them is what literally builds new connections in the brain and leads to higher and higher skill levels over time. Once you believe that skills are built this way, it can change your mindset, and that can lead to higher levels of inspiration and motivation naturally. So, we might recommend setting a specific goal that stretches your current abilities quite a bit, and enjoying the path towards meeting that goal. Setting a finish line and enjoying the progress you’ve made are all essen tial parts of being motivated to keep practicing â€" in the right way. However, natural challenges, role models, family expectations, and culture can all help explain why some folks are inspired to practice more and better than most of us. Here are a few examples to illustrate our point that inspiration is essential to putting in the practice that will lead to success. These examples can all be found in some of the extremely interesting, entertaining and informative books about talent that we list on our page devoted to the latest research on academic performance. Statistically, sprinters are third or fourth children in large families. Why is it that the younger children are natural runners? Where did that initial drive come from? Research shows that siblings observe older brothers and sisters walking and running, and that sparks an incredibly strong desire to get up and do it themselves. The urge to follow is so powerful that the motivation to walk sparks the development of foot speed. Professional female golfers didn’t exist in South Korea. Then one woman broke the mold in the early 90’s and won many golf tournaments. Soon after, there were five professional women golfers in South Korea. Then fifteen. These days, there are as many as twenty-five. Something is triggered in our brains when we see someone like us doing something incredible. A spark is ignited. Motivation grows and encourages us to achieve the previously unheard-of accomplishment. Apply these examples to your own life. Find inspiration. Even when the spark does not come naturally, you can find it through researching examples of individuals like you who have succeeded. Know that the key to ‘deep practice’ is being willing and dedicated to the task at hand. Now that you know that progress is possible with practice, run with it. Observe the individuals who receive the highest grades in each of your classes and make it a goal to reach their level of understanding and academic performance. If they can do it, why not you? Realize and believe the power of practice, find the spark. That’s when you achieve the motivation necessary to get that A, the 99th percentile on the SAT/ACT, or acceptance letter to that undergraduate or graduate institution. With strong motivation, the sky’s the limit.