Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Are you leading or following change - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Are you leading or following change - Introvert Whisperer Are you leading or following change? It’s funny how myths or urban legend turn into beliefs. These myths cover everything from mysteries to people. Among the stories we tell each, is the story about making Change. As a Leader, it’s important to know and understand how to Manage Change and Transition along with the myths many people believe. More importantly is what the truth is. Myth #1 â€" People are resistant to change.   Absolutely not true. We make changes from the day that we’re born to the day we die. We don’t just change as we age we change our lifestyle, education level, jobs, relationship status, and friends. The list goes on. Certainly, in the workplace change is a way of life and people do have to deal with those demands. Myth #2 â€" If you can make a good logical argument, people will change.   Wrong. If logic worked no one would smoke, do drugs or be in abusive relationships. Unfortunately, the groups that try to curb those behaviors seem to think that works but logic is not what moves people to change anything. Myth #3 â€" If people in a group think a change will work, the change will go well.     There is more to making a change than the democracy of a good idea. Myth #4 â€" There are some things that should never change.   We might like to think that but nothing ever stays the same no matter how hard we try to keep it that way. Myth #5 â€" If people are unhappy or angry about a change, it means it’s a bad change.   No, not true. All people going through change experience an emotional reaction called Transition. Part of that emotional reaction is a mix of emotions ranging from anxiety or anger to excitement. It can be a  confusing way to feel, but it’s very natural. It’s important to help educate and manage transition just like any process or system change. Leading change or being a leader is one of the most rewarding things that you can do. If you’re ready for a promotion or to take you to the next level, you owe it to yourself to check out “Lead Like You Mean It” Leadership Development Program”. Enrollment is limited so act quickly while there are still openings: CLICK HERE NOW TO CHECK OUT THIS EXCITING NEW PROGRAM- Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.  Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Friday, March 6, 2020

What is it Like to Attend The University of Scranton

What is it Like to Attend The University of Scranton The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Michelle is a Philadelphia tutor specializing in Chemistry tutoring, Physics tutoring, Physiology tutoring, and more. She graduated from The University of Scranton with a Bachelors degree in Biology Philosophy in 2014. 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? Michelle: The University of Scranton is located several blocks from downtown Scranton, which contains various restaurants and shops. There is a bus service that stops on campus, and it goes to several stops not within walking distance, but many students prefer to use their own cars to drive places. I did not have my own car on campus during my freshman and sophomore year, and I experienced little to no inconvenience. In regard to safety, I never felt unsafe on campus during any hour of the day or night. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Michelle: Very available. Because class sizes are small (no more than 35), professors generally try to learn your name and usually seek to know more than just that. In my experience, professors at the University of Scranton demonstrate genuine care and concern for their students education as whole persons, which is in line with the Jesuit idea of Cura Personalis, or Care of the whole person. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Michelle: Dorm life freshman year is the basis for many of the friendships that University of Scranton students form. Several of my closest friends are girls I lived with freshman and sophomore year. The community that made these relationships possible is a result of the small dorm room floor sizes (typically about 16 students per floor) and the awesome resident assistants (RAs) who supervise them (I am slightly biased because I was an RA). The food is amazing! There are sushi nights, awesome brunches on the weekends, and wonderful grab and go options, as well. In the past, the admissions department has given out meal vouchers to visitors, so go see for yourself! 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? Michelle: The University of Scranton has an awesome pre-professional (pre-medical, pre-veterinarian, etc.) reputation. The pre-physical therapy track is well represented, and the students in the business school often have great opportunities, as well. Occupational therapy and nursing are also popular and well-supported majors. The University of Scranton also equips all of their students with a solid liberal arts background. I studied biology on the pre-medical track, and I had a second major in philosophy. To support pre-medical students, the University of Scranton has a Health Professions Organization, which provides guidance and support to students for all four years of their undergraduate careers. This organization facilitates student mentoring, brings in professionals from different specialties to meet students, and even hosts an annual retreat at which alumni talk about their experiences with medicine. These alumni tell us every year how special the universitys pre-medical progr am is compared to other schools; students at the University of Scranton help one another succeed! 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? Michelle: As a freshman, there were many opportunities to get involved and meet others. I met many wonderful people during my freshman year through clubs, in my residence hall, on retreats, and in class. Since the University of Scranton is a small school, it is easy to meet people and get to know them. The University of Scranton does not have Greek life. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Michelle: Career Services provides a multitude of helpful resources, such as resume/cover letter writing help, general advising, and mock interviews. Although I love the people who work there, I did not find them as helpful as I would have liked. I applied for internships and graduate school with the help of a faculty mentor. Career Services has an annual (possibly once every semester) Career Fair. Although I was not part of the business school, the business school has an annual expo at which businesses recruit students. There is also an annual fair for long-term post-graduate service agencies, such as Mercy Corps or the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, among many others. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Michelle: Although things do get a bit crowded during finals time, usually there is more than enough study space available. The library houses five floors of study space, including a silent study space on the 5th floor with a beautiful view of the mountains, as well as a 1st floor that is open 24 hours a day (incredibly helpful for those inevitable all-nighters). I also liked to study in various lounges throughout the new science center and in the student center. The residence halls also have study space available to students. 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? Michelle: There are several restaurants and clothing shops, as well as a mall, surrounding campus. I enjoyed walking to a local coffee shop to study or meet with friends periodically. Although students sometimes go out to eat, they generally stay on campus. The programming board at the University of Scranton is great about bringing in tons of entertainment, so there are usually a lot of things going on during weeknights and the weekends. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Michelle: Scranton has about 4,000 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students, making it a relatively small school. While walking anywhere on campus, I always saw familiar faces and people I knew, but I also always saw people I had never met before. As I mentioned, the class sizes were generally small, containing 35 students at most. As a result of the class sizes, professors always knew who I was. The class sizes also made it easier to participate in class and ask questions. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Michelle: I was fortunate to be able to participate in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program (or SJLA), through which I took my general education requirements as well as various philosophy and literature courses. The cool part? I got to take these classes with the same group of incredibly talented and passionate people for all four years. Together, we attended class, studied, wrote papers, procrastinated into the wee hours of the morning, and conquered daunting coursework. It was a wonderful community of people. I cannot wait to see the things that my fellow SJLA-ers will accomplish in the future! Check out Michelles tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Top 5 Tips To Make Statistics Easy For You

Top 5 Tips To Make Statistics Easy For You Statistics is often a tough subject for newbies and it sure does pull down grades! Poor performance in the subject may even lead to anxiety and this would contribute to a bad GPA. With applications in almost every field, this subject needs to be mastered and understood completely. Read on to learn a few top tips that are recommended by experts in the subjects and teachers of statistics such as online statistics tutors to help you learn the subject easier, faster and better. #1: Attend all classes, don’t skip them Attendance to all important lectures would help you understand the topics at ease. Skipping classes would mean you having to put in more effort and when it comes to complex topics, you may find yourself out of depth. This would have adverse effects on your grades and performance in exams. #2: Use a scientific calculator Using the most appropriate calculator such as the TI-83 or TI-89 should prove to be helpful. Learn to use the calculator before classes and always be prepared for classes â€" go through the material in advance so that you can be completely alert in classes. Also, your calculator would be your best source for statistics homework help; using it regularly would give it a strategic advantage. #3:  Learn to read graphs and charts Graphs and charts are an integral part of statistics and learning to read chart patterns and graphs would help you in solving problems. When given a problem, look for all given data and read charts and graphs to understand what it required. Familiarize yourself with graphs such as Gaussian curve, the normal curve and work on associated problems to master this subject. #4: Practise Statistics as much as you can Practise daily, work on extra problem sets to learn quick problem solving; this will surely help you score straight As. When in doubt, take assistance of experts and solve all assignment problems as well. Look up statistics assignment help online or take up live tutoring sessions to deal learn complex statistics topics with personal attention and the latest technological tools to help better learning. #5: Employ memory techniques to retain better It is important to classify your learning style â€" auditory, visual or kinesthetic and choose techniques that will help you learn better. For instance, if you are a kinesthetic learner, you learn by doing things. So, preparing flash cards, index cards and associating them will help you learn better. Similarly, mind maps can help you learn effectively. Summary Statistics can be mastered quite easily with these tips and you would be able to get good grades as well. It is important to keep in mind that your efforts and complete commitment will take you places; however strategic learning such as using mind maps, preparing flash cards, getting help when required from experts, etc. can help you top your class.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Five Tips for Successful MCAT Prep Part 1

Five Tips for Successful MCAT Prep Part 1 MCAT Medical School Admissions The MCAT is a beast of an exam â€" there’s no way around it â€" and for many of you, it will also likely be your first real challenge academically, in terms of necessary preparation, exam intensity and sheer volume of subject matter. It won’t be easy, regardless of your IQ or SAT scores, but with a little bit of assistance and a whole lot of dedication, it is absolutely doable and within your reach. If you’ve made it this far in school, progressing through the pre-med curriculum, you certainly have what it takes to make it into medical school and beyond. The issue now is how do you make the most of your abilities and the time you have to study between now and testing day? There are a host of answers â€" some better than others â€" and separating the wheat from the chaff can sometimes seem daunting. Below we consider the first three of five recommendations, offered with confidence that some or all may prove helpful in your studies and preparation. Check back in a week for the final two recommendations: #1 Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses Very few students are completely well prepared across the board. As human beings, we all have different aptitudes and innate capabilities that make us uniquely suited for various tasks, including studying. Unless you’re one of the lucky few geniuses who effortlessly knows everything expertly and equally well, you should have an idea by now as to which subjects or topics are easier or harder for you to learn and master. Use this knowledge to your advantage when deciding on your division of labor. If biology has always been a snap for you, and chemistry still befuddles you, then slant your time and priorities towards those areas that need it most. For me, physics and verbal were well under control (an odd mix, I know), so I tended to stress the other areas more heavily. To be certain, you cannot get away with completely neglecting any one area or only working on another (unless you fit the envied category above). But since all the questions are worth the same amount, and the test makers probably do their best to evenly distribute from among the major disciplines, why not use probability and the law of averages in your favor? A good balance of knowledge will almost definitely serve you better on this test than will being a standout in one area, at the expense of others. #2 Use Mnemonics The advice is simple: use any device, of any sort, that will aid you in remembering all the information required. It absolutely does not matter what it is that works for you, as long as it works. And the more personalized (and perhaps even humorous) you can make it, the better. A common mnemonic is of course the acronym, where each letter stands for a different word/phrase/concept that must be recalled as part of a group or sequence. But acronyms merely scratch the surface of all the possible ways to wander with these tools. Whether it involves songs, literature, pop culture references, family traditions or any number of other potential wells of connection, use these devices to your advantage whenever and wherever possible. Quite simply, it is the best possible way to efficiently memorize a lot of information that is otherwise unbelievably boring to you. Their effectiveness lies in making connections between this material and things that you might possibly care about enough to remember in your ordinary life. And in general, the funnier and wackier the mnemonic, the more memorable it becomes. #3 Read the Answers First Both during preparation and on the real exam, and particularly with questions based on passages, read the answers before you read the questions. Sounds bizarre, but it works. Doing so will give you an idea of what they’re looking for prior to ever reading the question, and it often allows you to predict the question entirely. This gives you a practical advantage as well as a psychological one. Hopefully, considering the actual question will be a necessary afterthought once you’ve perused the possible responses, but it will certainly give you a head start regardless. But perhaps more importantly, a bit of success with this method begins to offer a distinct edge in terms of confidence. And as we all know, that can carry you quite a distance in the test-taking world. We hope you enjoyed these first three MCAT tips. Stay tuned for our final two tips in the coming weeks. If you're interested in private, 1-1 MCAT tutoring, visit our MCAT tutoring page. Gary Rothbard is a Senior Tutor for MyGuru. Gary got his B.S. in Biopsychology at the University of Michigan followed by his MD at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He no longer practices medicine, and has also obtained an MS in Science Education. He has over twenty years of tutoring experience. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(215486, '6baac2ae-05a3-4610-9d1f-265c8cbd809f', {});

How to Get Teens to Read

How to Get Teens to Read There are lots of reasons teens stop reading as much as they did at a younger age. Nightly reading is often assigned by elementary teachers as homework, and many parents read to their children during those years. This changes in middle school, however, when it is assumed that students are independent readers who need to read to learnand not the other way around. Also, some teens never have grasped reading well, and would much rather do other things. How can you encourage your teen to read during middle and high school (and beyond)? Here are a few tips to help your teen get into (or back into) reading: Choose to read yourself. It can be hard to get teens off their smartphones, where the lure of instant access to games, social media and the internet is ever-present. If youre always scrolling through your phone, however, its going to be hard to convince your teen that he or she should not. Set the phone down, pick up something to read and let your teen see you doing so. Have your teen read to younger siblings. The benefits of reading aloud are well documented, both for the reader and the person listening. If your teen has younger brothers and/or sisters who are learning to read, ask him or her to do the out-loud reading sometimes. Visit the library and the bookstore. Continue to make regular library visits part of your family routine, and have your teen check out events and clubs that the library has going on. Talk about new releases that interest you and books that youve treasured, and reserve them for checkout. Give books as gifts. Try different genres and styles. Any reading is good reading. If your teen doesnt gravitate toward nonfiction, how about fiction? If novels arent capturing his or her interest, suggest comic books or graphic novels. Get the guidance of a librarian or bookstore employee, who are skilled at enticing readers of all ages with good book choices. Pick a family book to read. This works well at any age, but reading a book with your teen could give you something to talk about and bond overand why not make those chats into something fun like a coffee outing, a walk or a hike? Correct any problems. If reading is overly challenging for your teen, chances are, he or she will not choose to do it during any free time. Talk with teachers and get your teen the individualized assistance necessary to help him or her acquire and strengthen those reading building blocks. When reading becomes easier, your other efforts to promote it will be more successful. Dont force it. Be encouraging, but dont panic if your teen isnt a voracious reader. Many teens are busy, focusing on school, extracurricular activities and their social lives. Reading might temporarily take a backseat, but if you show your teen through your actions that reading has so much to offer, he or she might come back around later on. With so many other options competing for their time, many teens dont continue reading on their own. However, reading is integral to learning and will always be important while your teen is a studentplus, it is an activity that can bring your teen happiness for the rest of his or her life. Be persistent and patient with your support, which will make a difference in getting your teen to choose reading as an enjoyable pastime.

italki Reviewed Free Language Exchange Plus a Tutor-Student Marketplace (also are tutors worth it)

italki Reviewed Free Language Exchange Plus a Tutor-Student Marketplace (also are tutors worth it) Andrew Tracey is the author of the Spanish Learning Blog How to Learn Spanish (using free online resources!). He recently wrote a review about italki and we enjoyed it so much that we wanted to share some of the insight that he gained. Reposted with permission. Heres a link to the original article iTalki Reviewed: Free Language Exchange Plus a Tutor-Student Marketplace (also: are tutors worth it?) I’ve talked about (here) how I think language exchanges are probably the single most valuable thing you can do to learn a language because that’s where you’re actually talking to â€" and being corrected by â€" a native speaker, that’s where the rubber meets the road. They’re considered an absolutely integral part of The Telenovela Method of Learning Spanish since I place such emphasis on using the Spanish you’ve just learned and I think the best possible way to do that is by trying to use it to communicate with a native speaker (because you’ll learn immediately whether you’re applying it correctly or not). Also, I know I’ve recommended italki before several times, usually stating that it was what I believed to be the best online language exchange site available (and that’s including even the language exchange sites that cost money, iTalki does not) and I still believe that. I’ve been meaning to write up a review of it for a long time now (couple years actually) but haven’t because I’ve dealing entirely with my book the last two years or so (either writing it or launching it or marketing it or…blah, something), so here it is. Not only am I going to cover the language exchange portion of the site (which is entirely free) but I’m also going to cover the tutor-student marketplace, so to speak, that’s the other part of the site (and where iTalki makes its money, if you were wondering). I’ve been using the language exchange system on iTalki for years now but only just today did I try out one of their tutors for the very first time. The Language Exchange System I should note beforehand that pretty much all language exchanges online now are conducted via Skype â€" if you don’t have it you need to get it. Not only does it allow you to speak to the person in real time like a phone call but, if both users have webcams (which I’ve found that the overwhelming majority of my language partners do, as do I), then you can actually see the person via a live video feed as they’re talking to you, thereby making it, in my opinion, just as good as an in-person meeting since you have all the same benefits: real-time speech as well as being able to see their facial expressions and body language as they’re speaking. italki has a system to help you find language exchange partners that’s essentially a social network combined with a really good search engine, located at italki.com/partners. Accounts with italki are, of course, free, and once you have one set up simply go to the above link (or hover over the “Community” tab on the far right in the top menu then select “Language Partners”) and you’ll be taken to the search page. Now, choose the language that you want your partner to speak (that you’re learning), the language you speak, any particular country you want them to be from (useful if you’re interested in learning a particular dialect), gender if you prefer, and even the specific city you want them to be from if you like (sometimes a large city has its own dialect and accent, e.g. Madrid and Bogotá). Once you find someone you’re interested in talking to you “Follow” them (by clicking the orange “Follow” button in the middle-right of their profile page) and include a brief introductory message letting them know you want to talk to them. Here’s the one I use in both Spanish and English for you (if they’re a native Spanish speaker I recommend sending them the Spanish version since you don’t know how good their English is) that I include in my book along with several more pages of scripts and topics you can use during your language exchange: “Hola [their name], Acabo de darme cuenta de que usted habla español y aprende inglés, y yo aprendo español y mi idioma nativo es el inglés. Así que pensé, si usted quisiera, que podríamos ayudarnos mutuamente por hablar alguna vez. Salud, [your name]” Which translates to: “Hi [Their Name], I just noticed that you speak Spanish and are learning English. I’m learning Spanish and my native language is English. So I thought, if you’d like, that we could help each other out by talking sometime. Cheers, [Your Name]” Now, once they respond you’ll just need to get them added as a contact in Skype and set up a time and date to talk. For you to add each other as contacts so you can talk one of you will need to send a request to the other to be added as a contact and then that person will need to accept it, so you can either send them your Skype username and wait for them to send you the contact addition request or they can send you their Skype username and then you can send them the contact addition request. Tutors The other half of iTalki’s site, the one that costs money to use, is the tutor-student marketplace system they have in place. This is just like the language exchange system except instead of finding just any old native speaker of the language you want to learn and talking with them, you pay for a professional language tutor to teach you the language in whatever way you want (most offer formal lessons and informal conversation sessions where they just talk to you and help correct your speech). Now, they break this down into two different areas: “Professional Lessons” and “Informal Tutoring” â€" I noticed that a lot of the people listed in one are also in the other, so the difference really isn’t so much who (who’s teaching) as how (how they’re teaching). Do you want formal, structured lessons or just some informal tutoring and help with whatever you feel like talking about that day? To find a tutor, just search for whatever language you want to learn, specifying whether you want them to be a native speaker or not (I don’t think this is necessary, especially not for beginning students), what other languages you require them to speak (e.g. English), where you want them to be from (useful if you’re interested in a particular dialect), and any price constraints. Note that you have to pay using their own proprietary currency, iTalki Credits aka “ITC”, which you have to buy. 10 ITC equals $1US, and you have to purchase them in units of 100 ITC at a time with a minimum purchase of 100 ITC ($10US). Then you can go through the results, look at their feedback (how many students they have and how many sessions they’ve done combined with their number-of-stars rating is what I mean), check their schedule and available courses to see if they suit you, then simply schedule a class. It will ask you to provide your Skype ID which, although not absolutely necessary, is something I’d highly recommend you get if you don’t have one already (this is how 98% of these online lessons and language exchanges are conducted: via Skype). My Experience with a Tutor… Was very good. My tutor was Vero and I highly recommend her (very reasonable rates, too!). I just wanted an informal session where we talked about whatever, in Spanish, and she helped me out and corrected me. This is precisely what I got and I thought she did an excellent job. She would tell me what the correct word to describe something was when I was looking for such a word and couldn’t think of it, she corrected my grammar and syntax, and she taught me a couple of interesting cultural bits of information about various Spanish-speaking countries that I didn’t know. She also had a good deal of material prepared ahead of time including a short film in Spanish she wanted me to watch and then recount to her in order to gauge my abilities, which are not as good as they were two years ago because I’ve been spending all this time working on that blasted book and not my Spanish (it’s been probably a year and a half since I’ve even talked to anyone in Spanish and yes, if you don’t use it you lose it). My problem, which I’ve known about for quite a while and this simply confirmed it, is not that I don’t know enough Spanish (words and how to use them, i.e. the correct grammar and syntax) but that I’m just too slow, I can’t understand native speakers speaking quickly even if I know all the Spanish that they’re using and would be able to understand it perfectly if it were written down in front of me and I had time to read it. This is what’s known as a listening comprehension problem and is simply the result of not having spoken or listen ed to much Spanish in a while, that’s all. I’ll be correcting this in the future as I’m able to devote more time to it and returning to writing on this blog, and I’ll be doing it with Vero’s help most likely, and here’s why… Here’s who should use a language tutor: anyone for whom the time saved is worth the money spent. That’s who. It’s simple, it really is, it’s just like any other language-learning product and I’ve said as much before: if you’ve got the money to spend on it and you think the time and effort it will save you is worth the price, then you should buy it and give it a shot. I have always made it very, very clear that you can learn Spanish (and most other fairly common languages) online, for free, and quite effectively in a reasonable amount of time. In fact, there’s never been a better time to do that than now due to the state of technology, especially the internet and what’s available for free on it. However, when you’re doing that â€" learning Spanish on your own using free resources â€" then the use of those resources, the system you put together with them in order to teach yourself Spanish, is entirely of your own design, you’re on your own. If you don’t know how to use all those resources, if you don’t know how to learn a language (you don’t if you’ve nev er done it before), believe me when I tell you that you’re going to have a heck of a time cobbling all these resources (free ones at least) together into a system that’s at least somewhat effective and efficient. Having a proper guide, in the form of either a competent person or a book (ahem) will save you enormous amounts of time and energy (and even money if you’re thinking about buying language-learning products and don’t know where to start in that regard). It might sound strange that I, someone who’s learned a language to a fairly high level of proficiency before, is going to get a tutor in that language! Well, here’s the thing: it’s not that I can’t do it myself, it’s the combination of my time becoming more and more valuable (because it’s becoming more constrained) coupled with the fact that I’ve got a bit more disposable income to work with. So if I let someone else do a good deal of the heavy lifting such as determining topics of conversation, picking material to work on, etc., plus the convenience of scheduling it whenever I want as well as not having to spend half my time helping them with their English, then it really makes it much easier on me and saves me a lot of time, time that’s worth what I paid to save it by hiring the tutor. It’s not that you can’t learn Spanish, or any other language, on your own: it’s that having a competent teacher, who’s learned several languages themselves and taught other people those languages, can save you significant amounts of time and effort, that’s all. It’s up to you to determine if it’s worth it. Cheers, Andrew

7 Things You Need to Stop Doing If You Want to Be a Successful tutor

7 Things You Need to Stop Doing If You Want to Be a Successful tutor Some mistakes are small and insignificant; others can cost us a lot. Simply avoid these common mistakes in order to be a successful tutor. No one is protected from mistakes. Even famous people are not perfect too. But in some professions: engineering, medicine, teaching â€" mistakes cost a lot. TutorZ  has been working with a lot of tutors for many years and weve found and summarized some tips for tutors to be the best! This article is an attempt to help you avoid these common mistakes. Self-doubt Youll never get a second-third-fourth chance to make the first impression. Any tutor must make a positive impression at the moment when he/she comes to a classroom for the first time. Diffidence and fear wont help you to become a good tutor. In addition, you cant go to the other extreme, putting on a mask of an evil teacher, forbidding everything along with threatening your students. Previously mentioned kind of mask will disappear sooner or later, students will see your real character, and this may cause to the  absence of students respect. There are some tips for tutors to feel more comfortable. Before the lesson, do a little exercise, take a deep breath, raise your head and smile at her reflection in the mirror. Remember that you definitely have enough knowledge to teach people and work with your students and the confidence to be yourself even if the situation confuses you. Dont be late, but if you have no choice, be sure to call and notify the student: for the fact of being late you will not be killed, and this call will leave an impression of a polite person. Unsystematic lessons, the absence of concrete requirements Before the lesson, you need to create a set of common rules for everyone, and later complement it with some rules for the individual student.  For example, I highly recommend students to have a notebook on the first lesson: to write down different recommendations for the homework.  The result of studying should not be done by accident, remember, the result of studying is the product of your and your students work. Students also need to be disciplined: they must always know where their notes and books are to prepare for the lesson.  Therefore, if you do not like textbooks, there if a variety of handout materials, you can advise your students to make a special folder for them. Also, you need to be disciplined. Get yourself a day planner or some semblance of the journal: it will be very useful to save all of your materials, record all of the tasks, errors, and achievements of each student. It is important because it is impossible to keep all this information in mind, especially when you have a lot of work, many students. The absence  of a lesson plan It is a mistake to think that a good knowledge of the subject allows you not to prepare for a lesson. Especially if youre still in the very beginning of your tutoring career. You need to plan what to do in the class and how much time it will take to complete each task. But the plan should not be treated formally. It does not matter how simple you theory and tasks seem,  they should be very carefully studied. You need to think of the possible difficulties of students and ways of overcoming them, the possible answers of the pupils on oral and written assignments. In addition, you should be prepared for the situation when the homework wasnt done by the student. So instead of checking it and starting a new topic, you will have to do something else. Thus, the plan should have several options for the development of the lesson. There is one more reason why you should plan the class: it is unacceptable to interrupt a student in the midst of a job just because you yourself have not calculated how much time it will take. A unified approach to different pupils If you are a young teacher, you could not form extensive teaching library yet, and now its important for you not to be afraid to learn new things. There are different students, different problems, and different goals, so you have to use different textbooks. Take some time to do the search of different useful books, textbooks, and materials. Subsequently, in order to facilitate the search for the right material for the particular topic, you can compile a catalog of available resources. Unwillingness to answer questions Active and interested students are a real gift for any teacher, but sometimes it is hard to work with them. Surprises lurk everywhere: for example, if you teach a foreign language and your students are studying the topic Profession, you may ask who his parents are. But what if his answer will be some rare profession like herbalist.  You might not know the right translation for this word. Foreign language teacher may be faced with the problem of the specific interests of the student beyond his linguistic competence and experience, the difficulties in the translation of a term (aircraft parts, dancing moves). In this case, you can inform the student that you cant know everything and push him/her to self-education. Dont be scared of any questions, feel free to say that you dont know something, try to  find the right answer together. The absence of tolerance and patience while working with the slow students The tutor should have great self-control  because shouting at students never works, even if you really-really want it to. Screaming and swearing scare children, block their thinking processes and form their complexes. Even if you have to explain something twenty-five times in twenty-five different ways before the student will understand that, try to do it in a positive and friendly way. You are a great  tutor if you know twenty-five ways to explain your subject, and even Indian yoga would be jealous of your patience! Inadequate complexity or simplicity of material Maybe it is your first student and you are very excited, you may stay in a certain euphoria from getting new professional knowledge or new status and sincerely want to teach the student everything at once. Such generosity may bring harm, not benefits.  If we are talking about elementary school it is obvious that we cant use difficult or boring tasks. The other mistake â€" to avoid any difficulties of terminology, even when the student obviously needs to know them.  Be sure that you know how to work with different groups of students. 7 Things You Need to Stop Doing If You Want to Be a Successful tutor Some mistakes are small and insignificant; others can cost us a lot. Simply avoid these common mistakes in order to be a successful tutor. No one is protected from mistakes. Even famous people are not perfect too. But in some professions: engineering, medicine, teaching â€" mistakes cost a lot. TutorZ  has been working with a lot of tutors for many years and weve found and summarized some tips for tutors to be the best! This article is an attempt to help you avoid these common mistakes. Self-doubt Youll never get a second-third-fourth chance to make the first impression. Any tutor must make a positive impression at the moment when he/she comes to a classroom for the first time. Diffidence and fear wont help you to become a good tutor. In addition, you cant go to the other extreme, putting on a mask of an evil teacher, forbidding everything along with threatening your students. Previously mentioned kind of mask will disappear sooner or later, students will see your real character, and this may cause to the  absence of students respect. There are some tips for tutors to feel more comfortable. Before the lesson, do a little exercise, take a deep breath, raise your head and smile at her reflection in the mirror. Remember that you definitely have enough knowledge to teach people and work with your students and the confidence to be yourself even if the situation confuses you. Dont be late, but if you have no choice, be sure to call and notify the student: for the fact of being late you will not be killed, and this call will leave an impression of a polite person. Unsystematic lessons, the absence of concrete requirements Before the lesson, you need to create a set of common rules for everyone, and later complement it with some rules for the individual student.  For example, I highly recommend students to have a notebook on the first lesson: to write down different recommendations for the homework.  The result of studying should not be done by accident, remember, the result of studying is the product of your and your students work. Students also need to be disciplined: they must always know where their notes and books are to prepare for the lesson.  Therefore, if you do not like textbooks, there if a variety of handout materials, you can advise your students to make a special folder for them. Also, you need to be disciplined. Get yourself a day planner or some semblance of the journal: it will be very useful to save all of your materials, record all of the tasks, errors, and achievements of each student. It is important because it is impossible to keep all this information in mind, especially when you have a lot of work, many students. The absence  of a lesson plan It is a mistake to think that a good knowledge of the subject allows you not to prepare for a lesson. Especially if youre still in the very beginning of your tutoring career. You need to plan what to do in the class and how much time it will take to complete each task. But the plan should not be treated formally. It does not matter how simple you theory and tasks seem,  they should be very carefully studied. You need to think of the possible difficulties of students and ways of overcoming them, the possible answers of the pupils on oral and written assignments. In addition, you should be prepared for the situation when the homework wasnt done by the student. So instead of checking it and starting a new topic, you will have to do something else. Thus, the plan should have several options for the development of the lesson. There is one more reason why you should plan the class: it is unacceptable to interrupt a student in the midst of a job just because you yourself have not calculated how much time it will take. A unified approach to different pupils If you are a young teacher, you could not form extensive teaching library yet, and now its important for you not to be afraid to learn new things. There are different students, different problems, and different goals, so you have to use different textbooks. Take some time to do the search of different useful books, textbooks, and materials. Subsequently, in order to facilitate the search for the right material for the particular topic, you can compile a catalog of available resources. Unwillingness to answer questions Active and interested students are a real gift for any teacher, but sometimes it is hard to work with them. Surprises lurk everywhere: for example, if you teach a foreign language and your students are studying the topic Profession, you may ask who his parents are. But what if his answer will be some rare profession like herbalist.  You might not know the right translation for this word. Foreign language teacher may be faced with the problem of the specific interests of the student beyond his linguistic competence and experience, the difficulties in the translation of a term (aircraft parts, dancing moves). In this case, you can inform the student that you cant know everything and push him/her to self-education. Dont be scared of any questions, feel free to say that you dont know something, try to  find the right answer together. The absence of tolerance and patience while working with the slow students The tutor should have great self-control  because shouting at students never works, even if you really-really want it to. Screaming and swearing scare children, block their thinking processes and form their complexes. Even if you have to explain something twenty-five times in twenty-five different ways before the student will understand that, try to do it in a positive and friendly way. You are a great  tutor if you know twenty-five ways to explain your subject, and even Indian yoga would be jealous of your patience! Inadequate complexity or simplicity of material Maybe it is your first student and you are very excited, you may stay in a certain euphoria from getting new professional knowledge or new status and sincerely want to teach the student everything at once. Such generosity may bring harm, not benefits.  If we are talking about elementary school it is obvious that we cant use difficult or boring tasks. The other mistake â€" to avoid any difficulties of terminology, even when the student obviously needs to know them.  Be sure that you know how to work with different groups of students.

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career via Pixabay Find Your Niche The first thing you should consider before starting a freelance writing career is what your niche is. It will be much easier to find work if you are an expert on a specific topic. Your niche should be something that you are really interested in and enjoy writing about. Once you have decided on your niche, you will be able to find clients that need content related to that topic. Since you will become an expert in this niche, people will be more inclined to pay you for your writing about the topic. Create Writing Samples The first thing a potential client will ask for is a writing sample. Since you are just starting your freelance writing career, you probably don’t have too much to show them. Once you’ve decided on your niche, start writing some sample blog posts and articles. You can publish them using platforms such as Medium or you can create your own blog. If you do not want to publish your samples online, simply save them as files on your computer that you can share with people when asked. Submit Guest Posts A great way to gain some attention and traction online when first starting your freelance writing career is to submit guest posts to blogs that are already established. Not only will this help you gain experience when it comes to writing for an online platform, but it will help you learn how to pitch a blog topic idea successfully. When you write a guest post for a blog, it can also be used as a writing sample. It will also get your name out there and hopefully bring you some business from your post. Educate Yourself The Internet is always changing, so it’s important to keep yourself educated on the latest trends and resources when it comes to building a freelance writing career. There are plenty of free online courses and certifications that you can obtain to help you build your business. Keep in mind that not only should you know how to write a successful blog post, but also run a business. This means how to sell your services and keep track of potential new clients. Having a freelance writing career is more than just writing projects. It involves growing your business, bookkeeping and keeping track of expenses, and building a brand for yourself. Publish on LinkedIn Another great place to show your writing samples and get your work out there is on LinkedIn. You can write articles that will appear in your connections’ timeline and on your profile. Not only is this a great way to create some writing samples, but it could potentially bring you new business. If someone reads your article and enjoys your writing style, they may contact you with a project they would like to work on with you. You never know who is going to read your content on LinkedIn! Learn How to Pitch Clients It can be pretty intimidating starting a freelance writing career. You may not know where to start or how to gain new clients. The best way to find work as a freelance writer is by cold emailing businesses about your services. Take time and research businesses in your niche that could use some help with their blog, social media, or website copy. Then send them an email explaining how your services can help them grow their business and increase their sales. While there will be a lot of rejection and being ignored, it just takes one email to bring your first client through the door. Starting a Freelance Writing Career While a freelance writing career may sound pretty easy, sitting at a computer all day writing blog posts, there is so much more to it than that. It is building a business and a brand that will attract clients. To begin a successful freelance writing career, you should pick a niche that you can write about. Then create writing samples that you can then show potential clients that you pitch to show them just how wonderful a writer you truly are. Lastly, always stay educated and up to date on new practices and business tactics.