STUDYING FOR AP AND IB TESTS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
AP and IB testing season is coming up, and we’re so proud of all of our students who will be taking their tests after putting in a long year of hard work in their AP/IB classes! We know that studying for comprehensive exams like these can be stressful, especially if you plan on taking multiple tests. We would like to encourage you to take a careful look at your study plan and put in the time to prepare. For many students, the rewards can be significant.
As you are likely aware, AP/IB classes and test scores can increase the competitiveness of your college applications and prepare you for college level courses. But they can also mean waiving required courses once getting into college, fulfill college credits, and thus save you real time and money. For example, in 2015, a full IB diploma was worth up to 45 credits at Western Washington University (that is a full year of school). Therefore, preparation for these exams can often pay off considerably.
As with any standardized test, much of the work toward earning a satisfying score is to familiarize yourself with the test — its structure, the task, the timing, etc. — and to practice answering the questions in a test-like environment. These tests are designed to be tricky, so be sure to cover both the content, format, and strategies when studying. Try to study at least one exercise or a little bit each day. Start with the units that gave you the most trouble in class. Many individuals find that the AP/IB class is harder than the test (which is the idea!), and this way you start off hard and the process slowly gets easier.
In terms of resources, The College Board has a huge number of prior AP tests in all subjects, and they are great for practicing! Khan Academy also has some great practice material. The more you can practice answering the difficult material in a timed setting, the less stressed you will feel when you take the real test. Other than that, it mostly just comes down to practice, practice, practice.
With all that said, we know how much pressure can be placed on tests like this and want to caution students against biting off more than they can chew. You don’t want to take on anything that will cause you undue anxiety or stress. Remember, you can fail an AP or IB test, face little to no consequences, and be better off for trying! Our test prep tutors of course work on making sure students feel comfortable with the content of the test, but they also work with them on test taking and stress reduction strategies. Doing well on a test is about more than just knowing the material, being comfortable with the format and confident in your own abilities is also incredibly important. Our tutors prioritize working on all of these things during sessions to make sure the student is as prepared as possible to sit down in the testing environment and do their best. Regardless of the end test result, we think with a solid study plan and some regular practice, you will gain from the experience of trying.
If you are interested in one-on-one test prep tutoring support, please contact us.
(Looking for more help? Check out our articles on studying and finals.)
SUMMERTIME DISCOUNT FOR FAMILIES!
We know that summer can be a scheduling challenge between wanting down time for your family, students and self! As parents, you also know the school year comes back sooner than expected and that staying on top of skills matters. Summer learning can fill in knowledge gaps and build confidence so that students are prepared to re-start school in earnest. Classroom learning is supported by having our amazing tutors continuing to work with your student on practice and gaining skills over break. Whatever your learner's needs are, our family summer sessions just make sense.
This July, August and September we will offer each family 10% off their total monthly bill (not including College Application Workshops) if 5-9 sessions are completed in a month, or 15% off if 10 or more sessions are completed by your family each month. We hope this will make your vacation planning, school year readiness and budget feel good about what comes next. Let us know if you have any questions!
SUMMER ENRICHMENT 2023
Liddane tutors stand out for engaging and empowering learners - a great fit for a summer of ramping back up for school. Whether you’re preparing for a hard math class or looking for a safe summer camp, private tutoring offers flexible and, yes, even fun summer enrichment activities that are still full of high-quality learning.
[button url="http://www.liddanetutoring.com/events#signup"]Register for summer classes here
[/button]Looking for live support? Contact us for a complimentary consultation.School didn’t exactly go as planned this year. Maybe COVID-era online classes were confusing, complicated, or vague, and the year ended up much harder than you thought. On the other hand, maybe a class was suspiciously easy, and you’re wondering if your student is ready for a return to regular school with full homework, hard deadlines, and no more pass/fails. Either way, summer 2021 is an opportunity to reset and get back on track towards lifelong learning through enrichment opportunities.
Summer learning can fill in knowledge gaps and build confidence so that students are prepared to re-start school in earnest. However, it can also bring up a number of questions. How to stay flexible while the public health restrictions are still in flux? What to study and how much? How to balance getting outside, seeing friends, taking vacations, and a much-needed overall break with the looming worries of catch-up?
Families are understandably looking into a wide variety of options for summer activities that are also meaningful learning opportunities. On top of the usual challenges of finding direction, structure, and flexibility, there’s still uncertainty about business re-openings and safety measures for group gatherings. If you’re weighing Liddane Tutoring vs. online classes, summer camps, or large tutoring companies, here are some factors to consider in whether we’re the right fit.
FIND A TRUSTED ADVISOR
Most families who choose Liddane Tutoring cite the emphasis on a strong personal relationship as the most important reason for their choice. If students have a hard time engaging in class or are looking to re-engage with their love of learning, Liddane tutors stand out for empowering students and often become trusted advisors, mentors, and coaches over time. This consistency and in-depth personal attention continue to be of benefit when working online.
WHAT TO STUDY, AND HOW MUCH?
Another factor to weigh is the personalized instruction that a student may need. A teacher may be able to help with identifying gaps in a student’s skill set and providing suggestions for summer studying. If a student is a strong independent learner, they may be able to take a self-assessment through a Khan Academy course. But even advanced learners may be frustrated if they’re spinning their wheels. For others, feeling stuck may be so frequent that they’re tempted to give up. If a student has been missing problems or assignments, it can take some investigation to identify the specific reason, and thus find the right solution. Tutors frequently work with students in math, for example, to identify whether they need to work on reading comprehension for word problems, spotting what formula applies to the situation, or the understanding of an algebra concept itself. It might also be a matter of taking effective notes or setting up efficient homework sessions to absorb the material.
Assessing the student’s needs and guiding them through a step-by-step plan helps keep summer study realistic and manageable. Getting support from an education expert can help strike a balance between a parent’s fears of “nothing at all” and a student’s fears of “every waking hour” for study on the summer calendar. With direction, families are better able to plan appropriately for next steps.
STRUCTURE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN GETTING IT DONE
Once you’ve determined that some summer learning is a good idea, it’s important to set up structure to make sure it materializes! Often, a plan that we hope to do “sometime” turns into “never” if it isn’t given a time, a date, and a place. After a year of remote school, it’s even more clear that personal attention can make the difference between students showing up or checking out - physically and mentally.
If it sounds like a battle to negotiate the who, what, when, where, and how of accountability, independent study or large remote classes may also be a challenge. A tutor can step in to help.
FLEXIBILITY IS KEY
If you’re thinking of signing up for classes but holding out until you know if that long-awaited vacation will happen, engaging a private tutor may offer both the structure and the flexibility you need. Cancellations for private sessions may be made up to 48 hours in advance, and rescheduling may be done with your tutor directly once you are paired. Our tutors are not tied to rigid curricula and can tailor lessons to adjust to personal strengths and needs. Flexibility involves many pieces, from rescheduling to time slots, but can also include the ability to meet online to avoid transportation hassles. By connecting with a local tutor in the Seattle area, the option for face-to-face sessions may be available once COVID restrictions are lifted, as well.
Flexible, short term classes can be especially appealing if you’re wondering about summer camps for fun enrichment opportunities but you’re unsure about making a long commitment to a rigid schedule. Our tutors offer fun classes in their favorite topics - like chess, music theory, philosophy, journalism, Dungeons & Dragons, movie reviews, horror stories, and more - all summer long. Many of these fun classes allow drop-ins or private sessions to accommodate changes in summer schedules.
[button url="http://www.liddanetutoring.com/events#signup"]Sign up here[/button]Whether it’s studying for a hard math class or summer enrichment, contact us today to find the right tutor for you.
WHAT DOES SUMMER TUTORING LOOK LIKE?
Many people think that tutoring is defined as help with homework, but that’s not true. So, what are the possibilities of working with a tutor in the summer?
While we appreciate the playful lightness that summer should bring, working with a tutor in the summer can also be a very positive experience. For those who enjoy reading or writing, a tutor can explore genres, encourage creativity, and answer questions that often take a backseat during the hectic pace of the school year. Tutors can teach students how to take notes, to annotate text, and practice the art of thesis statement writing. They can provide feedback on writing that is specifically directed toward students’ needs. With a tutor, students may read short stories and explore the nuances of good writing. They might set reading goals and discuss book topics, run book groups, or work on adding sensory detail to storylines. The possibilities are many and co-creating with students helps with buy-in and engagement.
The beauty of summer tutoring is that sessions can be completely individualized. Times and dates are much more flexible than they are for organized classes or book groups. Vacation weeks can be accommodated, and students can double up during less busy weeks.
The other advantage of summer tutoring is that it gives students a chance to review or preview content and realize their potential. Especially in the wake of online learning and all that the Covid pandemic has meant for schools, many students have a weak understanding of some part of the curriculum. Issues seem especially prevalent in the area of math. Were you first learning about fractions when school switched to online? Did you learn algebra while distracted by the upheaval and you’re now realizing that your knowledge is shaky? Re-taking an entire third grade math or algebra course isn’t likely necessary. After all, you do understand the basics. But if you were able to review numerators and denominators and x+y=z with a tutor, you could skip over the pieces you absorbed the first time around and fully focus on the parts that you missed. A tutor can encourage you to change mixed numbers into fractions and figure out the slope on a graph as many times as it takes to master it. No shame, no stupid questions, no pressure. It’s summer, so there is time. Tutors work to build confidence so that students return to school feeling empowered and ready for the next steps.
Summer is a time for intellectual exploration and tutoring can be used like a personalized “camp.” Setting up a schedule that fits, tutors can help students learn about percentages and ratios or how to explore topics that they find interesting. Would you like to research a topic like cars, artists, beekeepers, or World War II? Summer allows the freedom to learn for the sake of learning rather than for the sake of school, and tutors can empower students along the way.If you are interested in learning more about what summer tutoring could mean for your student, please reach out! We'd love to hear from you.
GAIN CONFIDENCE IN ENGLISH THIS SUMMER
Liddane’s ESL Coordinator, Alex, used to live and teach English in Paris. The school where she worked wanted her to always use English, her social interactions were largely limited to the American expat community, and so she struggled to gain the fluency in French that would have allowed her to pursue the activities and opportunities she desired. “There were all these things I wanted to get involved with,” she says, “but I wasn’t confident enough in my speaking abilities. I was even nervous to order at my local bakery, because I was worried I’d say the wrong thing or come off as rude.”
Now, with 20 years of experience teaching ESL, Alex helps English learners of all backgrounds reach their language goals. Seattle is home to many communities of non-native English speakers, who are often here as working professionals or family members of working professionals. In Alex’s experience, these individuals often have some English proficiency, but they may not have the confidence, for example, to ask questions to their child’s pediatrician, speak to administrators at a child’s school, or join a new club. Similarly, many single professionals only date and socialize within their own language communities if they feel they can’t express themselves in English. LTLS helps to empower anyone who isn’t as active as they’d like to be because English proficiency holds them back.
Liddane’s ESL approach is 100% tailored to individual needs and desires. If spoken fluency is someone’s main goal, our tutors will design a lesson plan around oral and aural skills, with less emphasis on written grammar and punctuation. Tutors will often start by getting to know a client’s interests and strengths, and then branch out from there. For example, if someone is on a recreational sports team or is interested in attending more sporting events, that can serve as an entry point for a whole range of conversation skills. Then, as tutors get to know their clients, they will target specific areas for improvement, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, or modifying tone.
It’s difficult to express yourself if you’re not confident in the language. Our goal is to empower English learners to advocate for themselves and their families, and to engage as fully as possible with all the opportunities and communities English communities have to offer. For more information or to schedule a session with one of our tutors, please contact us at info@liddanetutoring.com.
Test Prep: Our Approach
TEST PREP | OUR APPROACH
Our approach to test prep is unique. We believe students should strive for their personal, best score or a score range that aligns with their prospective schools. To make these goals feasible, our tutors help students build foundational skills where needed, hone strategies best suited to their individual needs, and instill the confidence needed to combat test anxiety. We emphasize study skills, time management, and organizational strategies in addition to providing content review, tips and tricks, and stress reduction tools to prepare students for test day.
Test prep can be all-consuming, but it is only one component of an application. We recognize that time is finite, and life-balance is important. Our tiered approach helps families efficiently manage and allocate time to test prep. This program serves students seeking a longer course of study as well as those requesting last-minute support.
TEST PREP | WHY WE’RE DIFFERENT
Our test prep program is comprehensive and available to students of all ages. We tutor elementary and middle school students taking the ISEE and the SSAT as well as high school students preparing for the PSAT, SAT, and ACT. While elementary and middle school students may work with one of our tutors who can target all subjects, high school students benefit from working with subject-specific tutors to improve their math/science and humanities scores independently. We also offer executive coaching and select content tutoring for advanced tests and certifications; contact us for availability.
Not only do our tutors bring a variety of expertise to test prep, they are well-versed in learning differences and testing accommodations. Whether a student has academic accommodations, calls themself a “bad test-taker,” or is considered an accelerated learner, our tutors curate standardized test preparation to every individual.
In conjunction with our test prep program, Liddane Tutoring is a hub of college application information for students and their families and offers a host of resources, including college counseling, essay workshops, mock tests, and informational sessions. We contextualize standardized tests within the applications process and are available to answer related questions with nuanced advice. The impact high school test prep has on college paths and life goals is significant. We’re here for students and their families to ease the process and offer guidance along the way.
TEST PREP | OUR GOALS
Our utmost goal is to elevate students to perform their best and to encourage them to apply to schools where they will thrive. Standardized tests tend to invite comparisons and test anxiety, so we purposely steer away from classes in an effort to reduce additional social pressures from the preparation process. Our one-on-one tutoring supports students by meeting them where they are in their educational journey to determine personalized target scores. We also set out to familiarize our students with the test structure to reduce stress.
TEST PREP | FOR ALL LEARNERS
Our advice is honest and our advocacy for students with accommodations is unflinching. Accommodations, such as extended time, are an involved process but may result in meaningful difference in individual success. We’re here to clarify the process and ensure that students are successful in doing their personal best with a test suited to their learning profile.
TEST PREP | LEARN MORE
To inquire about test prep tutoring or for further test prep questions, please contact us and check out our full test prep program.
TEST ANXIETY: STRESS REDUCTION TIPS
Test Anxiety
Test anxiety is real, and although it can be present at any test, it is particularly prevalent during high stakes testing, such as final exams and standardized tests. Estimates vary, but according to the American Test Anxieties Association, about 20% of students appear to have truly “high” or “severe” anxiety while another 16% of students might be considered to have “moderately high” test anxiety.
At Liddane, our mission is to help students individualize their skills to best fit their learning needs. For students with test anxiety, we encourage you to try our suggestions below, discover what works for you, or use these as a launching point to try your own ideas! We hope these help you feel more successful and confident in approaching upcoming tests. As always, we offer one-on-one tutoring for even more individualized attention to these skills.
Here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind:
Before the test:
Test day mantra
Mantras can raise awareness around negative self-talk, discourage comparison, and help calm nerves. We often hear, “I’m not a good test taker,” and this may thwart your efforts further. We recommend focusing on what you take pride in. Examples include,
“I know this material.”
“I’m prepared for this test.”
“I will give this my personal best effort.”
Visualization
Using positive visualization and affirmation promote preparedness prior to a test. Here’s what it could look like:
Imagine yourself in the setting (a classroom, for instance). What does it feel like to get comfortable with what is uncomfortable about the test? Can you pinpoint what nerves you have, specific to this test? What preventative work can you do ahead of time?
Anticipate what’s difficult in the moment and ask yourself how you will address it.
Recall a past success.
Think of the success you’ve had in preparation and in practice tests. What worked and what didn’t? Why do you think you experienced success in those moments?
DURING THE TEST:
Timing
Brain dump! Before you dive in, jot down all relevant information you can think of, especially information you feel apprehensive of remembering well. This may include formulas, history dates, all facts that come to mind, step-by-step processes, or acronyms.
Look ahead and preview the test. Note the length of each section, noting how many questions are in each section and how long you expect it to take.
Start where you’ll be most successful. You don’t have to start with number one.
Budget your time. Factor in 5 minutes for brain dump, familiarizing yourself, and deciding where to start.
Keep the focus on your work.
Ignore everyone else as best you can.
It’s okay to take the whole time. The time it takes to complete the test is individual.
Ignore past questions that you’ve struggled with and be present with the question you are currently tackling.
If you don’t know something,
Set it aside and come back to it.
Be aware of the negative self-talk and problem-solve instead.
Write down everything you DO know about the question and everything you’re looking for. Exhume all the information you have to give you new ideas to move forward with the question.
Don’t over analyze how the test was written.
Avoid looking for patterns in multiple choice answers. Just because B hasn’t come up in a while doesn’t mean that the next answer is B.
Focus on your senses when you are in the test and feeling stressed.
Lean back in your chair and take a few deep belly breaths with your hands on your stomach. Taking a deep breath (and spending a few extra seconds away from the test) can have high reward and result in clearer thinking and efficiency.
AFTER THE TEST:
Reward yourself!
Find an exciting way to treat yourself, either with a favorite relaxation activity or something fun.
Notice how you feel after the test. If you feel residual nerves, ask yourself what you need to wind down from the test.
Avoid rehashing the test to yourself and others.
Congratulate yourself on getting through the test!
LONG-TERM PLANING AND TIME MANAGEMENT
This week, we’re diving into advice on key executive skills: long-term planning and time management. (For a quick summary of tips, skip to the bullet points at the end).
Get geared up
If you were going on a hike, the first thing you’d do would be... get excited about it! Whether you're going somewhere you love or a place you’ve never been before, you can look forward to the adventure, the view from the top, or the satisfaction of crossing it off your wish list. Next, you might think about what you need, the obstacles you might encounter, and the directions to get there. You might pack a raincoat, sturdy shoes, and a lunch. You’d probably check the weather, look at a map, and bring a camera to share the view.
Starting a long-term project isn’t that different. The best place to begin isn’t in the tedious details, but rather with a big-picture view: what’s exciting or interesting about the subject? Can you get behind really doing it well as a team member or leader? Imagine explaining the project as you’re interviewing for your dream job. What would you want to say about how you handled it, starting from where you are right now? Is there something you can look forward to when you get it done? Reminding yourself of your "why" is part of the trick of keeping going when the going gets tough.
Next, you might guess what you need, predict how long it may take, and get ahead of possible obstacles. Abstract projects and far-away deadlines can be hard to pin down; the idea is to practice, practice, practice. Read the requirements right away--as soon as you get the assignment. Whenever you receive an assignment, consider it your homework that night to at least read the directions. Use any planning tools that may be provided, or create your own from examples you’ve seen in the past, like planning worksheets. Break down the project into small, manageable steps. Consider seeking advice from someone who’s done this kind of thing before, like a parent, teacher, or tutor. Create a check-in where you can look at your long-term plans, get another perspective, and make adjustments.
Hands-on practice
An important skill to work on is visualizing time. Consider drawing out the project calendar or making blocks of time out of sticky notes or notecards. Use a clock or timer for working time. If you’re unsure how long a task might take, make a guess, write it down, and then time the task to hone your time-estimating skill. You can even see how much you accomplish in 15 minutes and get a rough idea of your pace. If you’re worried it might take forever, start with the smallest possible step. Can you work for just five minutes? What about completing one problem or one sentence?
Is the deadline so far off that work always gets put off until later? Try imagining the deadline is two weeks away, or one week away, or tomorrow. Picture yourself there, looking at the calendar, and realizing that’s all the time you have left! What do you want to have already done? Imagine your future-self saying, “I’m really glad I already did…” or “I’m glad I gave myself an extra day for….” This will help you come up with some items in your plan, including extra time for things like your computer crashing, getting an email back with feedback, etc. You can work backwards to build out small steps. Back in the present, ask yourself, “What can I do today to make progress?” Give yourself an assigned working time for your long-term projects, like a study group or a reminder just like a class, so time doesn’t just slip by. Saying to yourself, “I’m going to work at 3:30 on Wednesday,” or better yet, writing it down and telling someone your plan will make it much more likely to happen than, “I’ll do it later.”
If possible, learn the ropes of planning and time management on something fun, like cooking, hiking, party planning, or travel. Tap into extra reserves of motivation by adding hobbies, social events, and personal projects to the same calendar you use for assigned work and appointments. It’s okay to make the tools of planning more fun: pick a planner you like, use colored pens, or pick out a to-do list app, and tinker with how you like to lay things out. In the end, it’s more important to practice being more in charge of the hike than it is to pick a particular brand of shoes. This process of imagining, visualizing, practicing, and thinking about the future is a lot like rehearsal for our brains; the more you take on or work with a guide, the more you exercise the mental muscles of long-term thinking. The ultimate goal is to work towards planning anything that you want to do.
Here’s the quick version of practical tips for long-term planning and time management:
Review project requirements right away. Make it must-do homework the day you get a new assignment to read the directions.
Look over any available planning tools, create your own, or get help learning how to break down a large project into smaller steps. Doing this with someone else is good practice for doing it on your own.
Get an “accountabilibuddy.” Do you have a friend in class or know someone else who just needs to do homework, too? Make an appointment. It’s easier to get things done with someone else, and they’re probably in the same boat!
If the deadline is far off and you’re worried about putting it off, picture yourself close to the deadline saying, “I’m really glad I already did….” Work backwards.
Ask yourself, “What can I do today to make progress?”
If the next step seems daunting, try doing the smallest possible step first. Can you complete one problem? Make three bullet points? Write one sentence? Even a small step can get the ball rolling.
Visualize time. Use a wall calendar or planner for the long-term and a clock or kitchen timer for short tasks. Draw out the day, the week, or two weeks in blocks of time.
Practice time estimates. This is tricky to get right, so get curious about how good you are at estimating and experiment. Guess, write it down, and time a task.
Pick a concrete time. If you plan to work at 3:30 on Wednesday--and better yet, write it down or tell someone your plan--that’s more likely to happen than “sometime later.”
Finally, if you’re looking for help identifying strategies that work for you or if you’d like expert coaching on time management, contact us about flexible options.
PREPARING FOR FINAL EXAMS
“Make sure you study!” that is something that students hear right before final exams. What adults often don’t recognize is that, for some students, these words are empty. They may be brushed off with, “Yeah, I’ve got it,” or they may evoke a feeling of uncontrollable stress.
What does it mean to study for a test? Some students might think that simply looking at a list of vocabulary words or a study guide provided by their teacher is good enough. Classroom content and homework all made sense, so what else could there be?
STUDY SKILLS ARE SKILLS
Active study skills are not always explicitly taught. Instead, they are often implied in the way required assignments lead students through the steps of note-taking, graphic organizing, etc. Studying effectively means taking on more and more of these steps independently as students progress through school. For those who struggle academically, this implied practice might have been missed, and students can feel lost.
Some students, for example, may have spent so much energy trying to sit still and stay focused in class that the practical benefits of annotating text, distilling information down, or repeatedly working through complex math problems may not be obvious. They might not make the connection between specific study skills and how they feel on a test because distraction or anxiety makes it difficult to reflect.
Those labeled as “gifted” may have been able to skip specific study strategies up until the point that the curriculum became too challenging. These students now feel stuck and can be unsure about asking for help. All math through algebra II came relatively easily to them, but now that they are in precalculus, they aren’t sure how to thoroughly learn the challenging material placed before them. Where does one find practice problems? How does a person work through equations when the process isn’t clear? Is simply finishing the homework enough?
HOW A TUTOR MIGHT HELP WITH PREPARING FOR FINAL EXAMS
Working with a tutor is a great resource for having someone explain confusing content. In addition, tutors can make suggestions for and model study skills to help a student figure out what works for them, what doesn’t work, and how to make a study plan that fits their needs.Here are a few things that a tutor might do with a student:
Plot out a study calendar
Help students prioritize extracurriculars and other obligations prior to tests
Help with writing emails to set up meetings with teachers
Help students formulate questions for teachers
Organize notes
Make flash cards/study cards
Identify sections of textbooks for review
Review and explain the content
Find online resources for reinforcing information
Provide extra practice problems
Quiz students on content
Some students can use a tough experience to improve on their own, perhaps with the help of online videos (such as Crash Course Study Skills), but if figuring this out independently feels overwhelming, your student is not alone. Improving study habits can be like taking an independent study course. Unlike a study skills class or online videos, one-on-one tutors can work with an individual student’s roadblocks, help with problem-solving, and celebrate small successes. Tutors can adjust and respond when a student is feeling overwhelmed and one-size-fits-all solutions are not working.
Study skills are skills, and young people deserve specific, practical guidance when learning any new skill. For more, learn about our executive functioning skills support or schedule a free consultation to discuss how our tutors can help your student, before, during, or after finals.
OVERCOMING MOTIVATION CHALLENGS AND BEATING PROCRASTINATION
Keeping up motivation for schoolwork can be a challenge in the best of times. When a student is struggling in school or facing hardships, sparking inspiration and curiosity can be more difficult - and more important - than ever.
Although anyone can feel unmotivated, young people are often still learning the habits, thought processes, and go-to sources of support that will assist them in overcoming motivation challenges and beating procrastination on their own. Here are several tips from teachers and tutors to help students grow as self-motivated, independent learners.
Start with the basics
If there were a free and safe “magic pill” that boosted alertness, mood, and motivation, but took eight hours to work, would you be interested? This magic pill is sleep, and most of us know the benefits, in theory. Sleep, good nutrition, and regular physical activity recharge the chemical processes that boost emotional regulation, focus, and positive moods. To give ourselves the best chance of feeling motivated, it’s a good idea to start with the basics.
Still, as the tradition of breaking New Year’s resolutions shows, many people struggle with putting knowledge into action. “Knowledge is not half the battle,” says Dr. Laurie Santos, psychology professor at Yale, in her popular class, The Science of Well-Being. Dr. Santos describes our mistaken beliefs about what will make us feel better --- say, for example, staying up all night to cram instead of getting eight hours of quality rest --- as “cognitive illusions.” Similar to optical illusions that fool the eye even after we’re shown the trick, cognitive illusions “feel” right to our brains. It takes deliberate practice to counteract these old mental muscle memories.
The good news is there are many ways to start rewiring our brains for new habits. These include practices like goal setting paired with practical planning; actively reflecting on our efforts through discussions or journaling; and taking small steps that build successes over time.
Adults might coach students through strategies to find the combination that works best; model self-care; emphasize healthy priorities; and share relatable struggles. Insisting on regular, planned breaks also helps with recharging willpower and setting proper priorities. Any conversations about grades should include the importance of health and well-being first.
Procrastination isn’t about “laziness”
When procrastination seems to be the problem, a good starting point is to take a problem-solving attitude. Let’s face it: sometimes things don’t go the way we planned, something gets in the way, or there are things we could do better. Feelings of guilt and self-blame can compound the problem. A growth mindset can help students bounce back faster from mistakes. Focusing on treating setbacks as obstacles and troubleshooting through them puts behaviors in perspective and makes them more manageable.
It’s not just about willing oneself to do better, however. The root of chronic procrastination has more to do with emotional regulation than productivity tips, suggest the experts in, "Why You Procrastinate (It Has Nothing to Do With Self-Control).” Students can learn healthy ways to handle negative emotions that may surround a task. Since our brains are wired to do anything to immediately stop stress, avoidance can become a default strategy for dealing with anxiety. Adults may, therefore, coach students through breaking the cycle. Encouraging students to take one small step at a time and notice the good feeling of getting something done, will gradually rewire short-term rewards from avoidance to experiences of success. It can also help to seek some enjoyable part of the task at hand. If you’ve ever had a teacher or a tutor who makes class more fun, you know how important this is in shaping lifelong motivation for learning.
Then again, whether a subject is a favorite or not, if the task is large, vague, or it’s unclear where to start, motivation can plummet! This is especially common for large projects and long-term study plans but can also arise if a new topic is confusing, a teacher’s style doesn’t mesh with the student’s, assignments are in a new format (such as group work or online learning), or a student is hesitant to ask for clarification or accommodations. Adults can support students by providing clarity on the directions and criteria; breaking down a task into manageable steps; providing a starting point; and guiding through templates or preparing scripts for self-advocacy.
Create an upward spiral
Prompting motivation can feel like a daunting task, but remember that each small step makes it easier to take the next step, and the next. Self-care, healthy coping strategies, small successes, and other positive experiences build on one another --- an intuitive idea supported by multiple psychology studies. To get started, you don’t have to do everything. Do one small thing. Make it so small, it would be silly not to do it, like taking three deep breaths or thinking of one good thing that’s happened lately. When it comes to homework, it might be beneficial to simply open the assignment; read for one minute; complete just one problem; or write the first thing that pops into your head for one minute.
Knowing this, adults can coach students toward small wins that build momentum. Dedicate time to talking about what went right rather than just what went wrong. Help students identify and leverage their strengths. And don’t forget snacks, stretching, outside time, energetic music, doodling, and other brain breaks offer positive steps to get back on track.
Connect with the bigger picture
One of the most important lessons students can learn is how to connect today’s schoolwork with their own long-term goals. Dr. Peggy Dawson and Dr. Richard Guare of the Smart But Scattered Kids series provide practical steps based on this philosophy in their resources and books. These have become the gold standard for executive skills coaching. Encourage students to dream, and follow up with opportunities to make meaningful choices, shape plans, and tackle challenges. As students pursue their favorite interests, they develop strategies that help see them through less favored tasks --- and vice versa. Adults play a role in making those connections and applications clear until students can make them on their own.
Sometimes, students don’t feel motivated by grades, so simple incentive systems might bridge the gap. What can help get through today? This week? The end of this semester? Incentive systems are rarely perfect on the first try, advises Dr. Dawson in Homework: Problems and Solutions. Students should be as involved as possible in figuring out what motivates them and take an active role in goal-setting and achievement.
Find support
Motivation and procrastination are big topics, and while this general advice offers a place to start, what works for one person or situation may not work for another. It also might be difficult for a parent or guardian to assist as much as they’d like. An executive skills coach can provide personalized guidance on motivation for learning and accountability in overcoming procrastination. Teachers or counselors who have a strong relationship with a student may be able to fill this role, too. A trusted adult outside of the home is well-situated for helping students develop more independent motivation.
Of course, if motivation problems are seriously affecting health or relationships, be sure to seek the advice of a doctor or professional therapist.For more about executive skills coaching or to be paired with a tutor, contact us for a consultation.
ELEMENTARY TUTORING: BUILDING FOUNDATIONS, REACHING NEW HEIGHS
Do young children in first or second grade need a tutor? How do you tell if an elementary student is struggling? What if your third grader is a voracious reader, or a math wiz, but gets bored in class? When does it make sense to tutor—during the school year, or when school is out? Parents of very young children often ask us these questions, and the answers aren’t always obvious.
We’ve talked previously about how to decide when to hire a tutor, but with elementary students there are unique factors to consider, and unique ways that we can help. At LTLS, what tutors offer goes beyond expertise in math, English, and homework help: they reinforce lifelong skills, such as patience, self-advocacy, and goal-setting. For many uniquely individual young people, personalized tutoring can be an amazing opportunity.
WHEN SHOULD I HIRE AN ElEMENTARY TUTOR?
Teachers and child development experts consistently suggest that young children continue reading, writing, or practicing math outside of school hours and while on break. In busy families, making time for this—or battling an unenthusiastic eight-year-old—can make parents cringe. While they may do their best to read nightly bedtime stories, or listen to audiobooks in the car, things like adding and subtracting, or crafting paragraphs, can drop to the wayside. Often, parents explore options for educational camps, but the dates may not align with other plans or commitments. Similar to bootcamps, a tutor can help provide lively, learning-based enrichment.
TUTORINH IS FLEXIBLE
For younger students, tutoring can focus on the specific needs of each child and family. Children may attend once or multiple times a week, can increase visits during school breaks, and can take time off when out-of-town guests or family vacations make scheduling hard.
Whether it is best to start tutoring right away or wait to see how a student does on their own will depend on the individual student. Elementary age students can gain valuable experience from tackling manageable challenges. They may, however, still need an appropriate amount of support from adults, which is different for every child. A tutor can work with a family to provide consistent, professional support, one-on-one lessons, and coaching to develop the skills needed for lifelong learning. If a student’s needs change, tutoring sessions at LTLS are not bound to a yearly schedule and can start mid-year or pause and resume at a later date.
TAILORED TO YOUNG STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC NEEDS AND CURIOSITIES
Topics covered can be specifically tailored to individual students. For example, a student who struggles with reading might go back over phonics and letter sounds. Children can review without feeling embarrassed in front of their peers. On the other hand, a child who excels in math and doesn’t feel challenged in school might feed their curiosity through exploring math with a tutor. Some students spend time with tutors researching topics of interest and writing about it in a variety of formats. Tutors can encourage independent reading and help complete assignments or goals.
Finally, specific student skills which will aid in future academic success can be addressed through tutoring. Young children can learn to begin taking notes; they can summarize readings; or they can practice writing math problems neatly. Since the focus of LTLS is to build trust with our students, students are encouraged to ask questions in a way that is free from judgement and fosters intellectual exploration.
FEATURED TUTOR: ALYSSA
Meet Alyssa! Alyssa is one of our awesome content tutors who works with students of all ages. In addition to working as a tutor, Alyssa is also currently studying to become a psychologist. She is pictured here with her dog Beans.
How did you get into teaching/tutoring?
My background is in psychology, and I love learning about some of the reasons why we think, feel, and behave the way we do. During my sophomore year of college I started volunteering at a preschool, implementing an early intervention reading program. I witnessed the power that one-on-one teaching and adapting to different learning styles have to improve student outcomes. Since then I’ve been pursuing opportunities that allow me to share my love of learning with others. I’m currently studying to be a psychologist. In the future, I hope to provide evaluations that assess for students’ strengths and advocate for helpful accommodations.
What is your favorite thing about working at LTLS?
I’m relatively new to LTLS, but so far I’ve had an amazing experience! I love getting to know my students and incorporating their interests into our sessions. Everyone at LTLS has been so supportive and I’m thrilled to be a part of this team!
What have you learned through your work in education that you feel is most important to share?
We all have a different learning journey. No two brains operate exactly the same, so finding the strategies that help you to learn best can be challenging. My goal as a tutor is to encourage students to utilize their unique strengths and come up with creative solutions to facilitate the learning process. Helping students gain confidence in their abilities can make all the difference in their future success.
What’s something we don’t know about you?
I love hockey! Growing up, I was a huge New York Islanders fan and always loved going to games with my family and friends. I even played roller hockey for a couple years when I was younger. Now that I live in Seattle, I’m excited to have a new local team to cheer on. Go Kraken!
To read more about Alyssa, check out her bio on our "Our Staff" page.
STUDY SKILLS CRASH COURSE
As the first weeks of the school year give way to the first tests (and report cards), students interested in improving their study skills can find many tips and tools online. However, not all study tips are created equally; stressed-out students looking for how to speed-read or cram for a test can run into trouble. Here are several trusted resources for improving study skills recommended and utilized by our learning experts. Brush up on key skills, or chart an independent study course to improve your habits!
6 Habits of Highly Successful Students
"6 Habits of Highly Successful Students" delivers science-based, practical strategies for highly effective studying. Sometimes, we take it for granted that these techniques are absorbed alongside the nuts and bolts of each subject, but they’re not always obvious. Students of all levels can miss out on study skills: high-achievers may glide by until they hit a hard class and then find themselves missing the solid habits they need to succeed, while students who struggle in the first place may feel overwhelmed with the how-to-learn portion of class on top of everything else.
The Learning Scientists are dedicated to working on those foundational skills for all students. Their focus is strongly evidence-based and hands-on, with guides for helping parents as well as students. The overview video gives an excellent index of key skills, while the blog, downloadable materials, and more fill out lessons for many different audiences.
Crash Course: Study Skills
“Crash Course: Study Skills” provides an easy-to-follow series of explainers and useful tips on topics like memory, note-taking, and focus, produced with the humor and lively pace that makes Crash Course so popular in the classroom. These videos introduce techniques that may already be familiar to students through animations and entertaining stories, making them a solid primer for shoring up the basics without being boring. But the videos also go over the science of why each strategy works in an accessible way, making a case for sticking with it now, into college, and beyond. (shout out to Crash Course: Psychology for those learners who want to dig even deeper.)
SMART BUT SCATTERED KIDS
“Smart But Scattered Kids” by Drs. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare is an influential series of books, presentations, and workshops on executive skills coaching. We would be remiss if we didn’t include them. Homework planner templates, coaching tips for parents, and timely tips on stress management and the effects of crisis on skills in the time of COVID-19 are available for free, while the books targeted at different age groups are highly recommended for further reading.
For students not sure where to start or unsure about dedicating time to study skills on their own, our tutors and executive skills coaches can help with personalized guidance to boost confidence and understanding. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact us.
TUTOR MENTOR PROGRAM
Part of what makes Liddane Tutoring & Learning Services stand out as a tutoring service is our Tutor Mentor program. Even before tutors begin working with students, they are paired with a peer mentor. Mentors are tutors with extensive tutoring experience as well as comprehensive knowledge of LTLS’s mission, protocols, and values. At minimum, all tutors meet monthly with their Tutor Mentors one-on-one to discuss student progress, solicit advice for lesson plans or pedagogical approaches, or to brainstorm methods to help students build executive functioning skills. In addition to the monthly meetings, tutors frequently reach out to their mentors to share accomplishments or to get another pair of eyes on an academic challenge a student might be facing.
One crucial component of the Tutor Mentor program is the concern level system. During monthly meetings, mentors work with tutors to label every student with a low, moderate, or high concern level. Reasons for a moderate or high label include social/emotional challenges, academic struggles, or specific communication needs. When tutors and their mentors label a student as a moderate or high concern, Andrea Liddane is automatically notified by email, and the student is monitored more closely. Students often share things with tutors about their academic or social lives that they may not share with parents or teachers. The Tutor Mentor program and the concern level system ensure that a tutor is never solely responsible for helping students through challenges and that elevated concerns are proactively noted and addressed when necessary.
Tutors have frequently expressed how much they value this peer mentor program. One tutor recently had a student who struggled in AP US History. The student did all the reading and homework questions, but when it came to weekly quizzes, she struggled with recalling and articulating the necessary information. The tutor reached out to her Tutor Mentor, and the two brainstormed a studying system that combined both a cumulative list of course concepts in a Google Doc, as well as physical flashcards. The tutor then worked with the student to create a schedule for adding to and reviewing the list and flashcards throughout the semester. The dual system of information, as well as a schedule for frequent content review, helped boost the student’s test scores significantly. This is one small illustration of the ways in which tutors collaborate with Tutor Mentors to help students succeed.
In contrast to many tutoring organizations, which train new tutors and then pair them with students with little opportunity for peer feedback or oversight, LTLS has intentionally designed a robust behind-the-scenes support system. Although this system is largely invisible to students and parents, it’s a crucial part of the service we provide when your child signs up for tutoring. Student progress is never the responsibility of one person alone. We believe that collaboration and peer support are crucial to our mission of engaging and empowering all types of learners.
WHO ARE YOU? COLLEGES WANT TO KNOW.
A student’s college application checklist contains all of the obvious pieces: grades, scores, activities, coursework. However, the overall picture, including essays, personal statements, and supplemental questions, can be challenging to pin down. Who is the student? What are their strengths and interests? What will they bring to the campus community? How will they contribute to the culture and mission of the school?
Representing these more subtle aspects of a person — along with meeting the many, many college deadlines and checking all of the boxes — makes the college application process challenging for strong students as well as those who struggle with executive functioning skills or a less than “perfect” story to tell. Showing the true nature of oneself in a way that is compelling can be an incredible hurdle for many. Families or friends may offer to help, but being impartial and evaluating what comes through the entire picture can prove to be a daunting task.
College Essays are a Different Beast
LTLS college application tutors have been trained to draw out the best elements that represent the student. Many people know how to write a good essay, but the expectations for college applications are unique. Having a qualified outside person step back and look at the entire application helps focus the writing and elevate the application toward a multi-dimensional view of the student. A trained eye can direct students toward distinctive topics and divert them from those that are overused. In an effort to tell a more complete story, college application tutors coach students to use their precious word count carefully and effectively.
Tackling the To-Do List
And, finally, because the various deadlines for schools, scholarships, testing, and honors programs are spread across many months, tracking each piece is hard for many students, especially those with executive functioning challenges. Our philosophy is that students benefit most from managing these deadlines to the best of their ability. However, having an outside person assist with tracking during a time when school responsibilities additionally increase can provide a sense of assurance for students and their parents.
What we offer:
FEATURED TUTOR: JULIA
Julia in Costa Rica with Tilly the Two-Toed Sloth
We sat down with Julia, one of our amazing math and science tutors, for an interview to learn more about her experiences tutoring, working with LTLS, and raising a baby sloth.
How did you get into teaching/tutoring?
I actually started in college, through work study. I was a receptionist and did various other jobs, but one of the things I very quickly figured out I could do was tutor other people. Sometimes I would tutor them while being a receptionist and get paid twice! I’ve also always kind of done a little bit of teaching. I’ve done a lot of craft teaching, like sewing and embroidery. When I moved to Seattle in 1996 my brother was a middle school math teacher and he suggested I be a tutor, so I promoted myself independently — basically the same way Andrea started — and I did that for almost 10 years. Eventually I discovered LTLS through some teachers at UPrep. I really felt like the people at Liddane and I shared a philosophy of tutoring. Tutors are the people who are not your parents, your teachers, or your coaches; they’re nobody who has any authority over you, but they’re totally in your corner. It’s super important to me to start out my relationship treating the students as though they are already adults: a relationship of equals and mutual respect. The students are as much the drivers of this as I am. My job is not to impose a structure on them, it's to help them find a structure that works for them.
What’s your favorite thing about working at Liddane Tutoring?
How do I pick just one? It’s so easy to just say all the people, but the truth is that it’s all the people. There is not any one person at Liddane that I don’t like. And Andrea is a phenomenal boss. Because of her, she’s built this amazing team. She’s really brilliant at managing the business and keeping all the moving parts clear. LTLS is serving the kids, the parents, the tutors, and the schools. All those entities have different needs, and Andrea is really good at actively serving all those different communities. The reason she’s done that so well is because this is a calling for her, it’s not just a job. It’s important to her that all the people are taken care of in order to serve the students. Her fundamental priority is to serve the kids, but she knows all those other pieces need to be treated just as well to do that effectively.
What have you learned through your work in education that you feel is most important to share?
Tests are not tigers. Our brains were designed to keep us safe from things that could kill us. As a consequence, in the modern day our brains respond to stress that we’re under as if the thing that we’re scared of could kill us. That’s how we evolved: the brain is trying to keep us safe. It's really important to be able to say to the brain, “I’ve got this. It's just a test, it's not a tiger — just sit down in the backseat and take a nap,” because if you’re in that stress space the only three options you have are fight, flight, and freeze. None of those options are learn. You can’t learn when you’re in a stressed out or scared space. You have to be in a place of calm, relaxed, joyful curiosity in order to learn. Liddane does a phenomenal job of making a place for students to feel relaxed and safe so they can learn.
What’s something we don’t know about you?
I raised a two-toed sloth. I grew up and lived in Costa Rica, and this was during that time. Her name was Tilly, and she loved hibiscus flowers, so on my way to work I would stop by this house that had a huge hibiscus bush, and I would pick a bunch of hibiscus flowers and I would feed them to her all day. She’d hold them from the base and eat them like an ice cream cone.
When I had her I was working at a gift shop, and baby sloths hang off of their mothers all the time. So I had her with me in a little sling while I was at work and she would hang off of me. And at home she would sleep in the bed with me. I had her with me for most of two years. Sloths do everything slowly, so it took her a long time to grow up and go back to the wild, but she did eventually leave me for good for a home in the trees.
ONE TUTORING SESSION PEr WEEK, OR MORE?
I am often asked this question, and while every student is different, I do have general feedback which may assist you with this decision. Few students “enjoy” adding tutoring time, so if yours is not begging for more, consider it to be normal. I’ve generally seen that it is harder to begin the year with one session per week and bump it to two or more, yet most students will happily go from two to one. In addition, remember to consider scheduling. Once the school year is underway, you may likely have to wait for an additional tutoring time to open.
WHAT TO DO OR CONSIDER?
Gather feedback from the school. Are grades generally improving over time? What are teachers saying in their comments? Ask teachers/staff about their thoughts on this matter.
How much time are you (parents) putting toward homework completion? Would one day of relief (vs. two or more) be sufficient?
What are the goals for tutoring? Consider what brought your student to require a tutor in the first place. Has your student demonstrated sufficient growth in accomplishing these skills?
If your student is moving from elementary school to middle school or from middle to high school, remember that the workload and requirements will definitely increase.
Imagine November: the honeymoon of a new year is over, it’s getting dark and rainy, and the demands of teachers are in full swing. Is your student in a good place to “take it on”?
ONeE DAY PER WEEK:
Generally, enough as a supplement to school content. For example:
Your student is getting B’s or higher but would like to improve specific skills in writing or reading.
Your student is fine in managing her/his homework, but a weekly check-in for big projects or tests seems beneficial.
The skills needed are less critical. Therefore, a slower pace is acceptable.
Good for basic check-in regarding organization of homework.
Appropriate for supplementing the education of higher-functioning students.
If tutoring is needed, one day is better than none!
Significant progress will be slower.
TWO OR MORE DAYS:
Highly recommended for struggling students.
Good for students with consistently low grades and/or negative teacher comments.
Recommended for families of struggling students where parents cannot or will not spend time monitoring homework.
Appropriate for students with significant difficulties tracking assignments and/or dealing with persistent procrastination.
Necessary for students who have deficits in reading comprehension and/or writing skills which require immediate and consistent attention.
FEATURED TUTOR: CELEENA
We sat down with Celeena, who is one of our amazing math and science tutors! Celeena is teaching a range of MentorMeet classes this summer, from Majoring in Psychology, to Fat Studies (an exploration of sizeism), to Macrame.
How did you get into teaching/tutoring?
I guess it was a serendipitous event. I wanted to go to grad school and do research, so I was at a coffee shop just applying to research positions. Through a friend of a friend, I met Nicolette (the Chicago Branch Director) at that same coffee shop, and we really hit it off. I thought to myself, “Why would I apply for research jobs when I could do something I know I like, which is working with people?” That’s how I got into tutoring. I have a passion for education, and I think that just makes tutoring really fun.
What is your favorite thing to work on with students?
I love helping students hate word problems less. I am very passionate about this because I personally love word problems. I would do them all day every day if I could, but most people I meet hate them, so I have taken it upon myself to help others hate them less. I do this by first explaining that a lot of it is psychological, and the way the questions are phrased is designed to stump you. The way to solve them is by taking them apart, because then they become a lot more manageable and less challenging. This is also a good life lesson for students: problems that seem huge and confusing are often a lot more manageable when you are able to break them down into parts and tackle them bit by bit.
What have you learned through your work in education that you feel is most important to share?
I think it's so important to instill a passion for information at a very young age. It doesn’t even have to be knowledge, just that love for continued learning. The students who I see struggling the hardest are the ones who don’t have that passion: the ones who are just forced to be there, and don't have an interest in being there. I can't force someone to have that passion, but when it’s there it makes learning so much easier and more enjoyable. I think it is harder to instill that passion as people get older. I always try to encourage students to find their passion and run with it.
What’s something we don’t know about you?
Maybe only Andrea and Monica know this about me, because I talked about this in my interview when I first got the job: I really enjoy taking care of plants. I’m starting to expand my collection lately. I used to be more focused on outdoor plants, but now I’ve gotten really into indoor plants. I don’t have a favorite plant, but I really like anything that's a string of something: String of Hearts, String of Pearls, etc. I want to have all of them, and I don’t have any!
"SENIORITIS" NOT JUST FOR SENIORS - FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR STRONG
“Senioritis” is a term that we throw around casually. Anyone may struggle with productivity once we get a taste of warmer weather, but, for students at all levels, the last stretch of the school year can be a critical time for support.
CHECKED OUT
Students often struggle in the spring, because they are simply checked out. The sun and warmer days call their names, and daydreaming means that they don’t absorb class instruction as well. This means that they may miss critical moments of classroom instruction. Tutors can review content and answer questions that may have been missed during classes.
INCREASED DEMANDS
In the academic world, spring is a time for culminating projects, big exams, and the pressure to raise grades. At the same time, extracurricular activities demand playoff games, performances, and end-of-the-year parties. Therefore, the need for thorough organization comes at a time when many students want nothing more than to lie in the sun and watch the cloud formations.
HOW CAN TUTORING HELP?
Tracking assignments intentionally, getting organized, and methodically planning the last few weeks or months of school can help students feel more empowered. The next step is to set goals. Large projects can be broken into steps and help anticipating exams is useful to most people. Having an outside person support these steps will fortify motivation and enable students to keep their focus.
HARD PART FIRST
Tutors often ask students, “What’s the homework that you’re dreading the most? Let’s start with that!” When students are stuck or feeling the procrastination bug, it’s typically because something feels overwhelming. A tutor can help push past those blocks and encourage next steps by tackling some of the hard part.
PLANNING FREE TIME
Encouraging students to actually plan their free time is also part of the executive functioning aspect of tutoring. Many students “steal” their time with friends and believe that they should always be doing school work when the stakes are high. Modeling how to plan for socializing, screentime, and sleep are critical pieces that can be incorporated into tutoring sessions.
FEATURED TUTOR: NICOLE
We sat down with Nicole, one of our amazing tutors, as well as our Test Prep Trainer, to talk about some of her experiences tutoring at LTLS, as well as what she likes to do in her spare time!
How did you get into teaching/tutoring?
I started my tutoring journey when I was very young, helping my peers in class. The earliest instance I can remember is a time in kindergarten where I was helping a boy to understand colors. I don’t remember any specifics, but I distinctly remember sitting with him when no one else did to help him with that. My mom was a teacher, and I went to school in her district, so if students were struggling, coworkers of my mom would ask me to help, and I began working with students younger than me. I knew I wanted to do something in education, but realized I didn’t want to be a teacher, so I focused on tutoring. I really like working one-on-one with students, and helping people find learning fun.
What’s a favorite story you have from working at LTLS?
One of my favorite things that has happened was with one of my students in the middle of the first quarter of this school year. He’s a 7th grader, and he managed to bring all of his grades up to A’s, but he didn’t know that yet. He was sharing his screen so we could look at his grades, and when he noticed they were all A’s, he was so excited! He said, out loud, “I feel so proud of myself right now!” It makes me feel great when people can say things like that at a young age, because that kind of positive self talk is really important. I always hope it carries through to older years.
What have you learned through your work in education that you feel is most important to share?
I think we all know (or at least we are all told) that people have different learning speeds and different learning styles, and this really gets highlighted when you get to work with people one-on-one. It’s great to get to experiment with different styles as you are trying to find the one that works for your student. It’s really rewarding to find the puzzle piece that helps things click for another person. The fact that everyone has different learning needs is something that gets repeated a lot, and can sometimes just come off as a talking point, but it's not just a talking point. Everyone has a right to learn, and to learn in a way that's not just inside the confines of what has always been done.
What’s something we don’t know about you?
I really like mining! Not in a cave with a mining cart, but the term is sort of a blanket one referring to finding minerals. My dad is really into geology, and he has some mining claims in California, and when I still lived there I would go out with him a lot. One of those claims is a really good place to find beryls - a gem that comes in all different shades, with famous ones like emerald and aquamarine - and really pretty minerals. I not only collect minerals I find with him, but also others that I find or buy. I’m just really interested in geology and I especially enjoy finding things myself. There’s something really rewarding about using crowbars to move boulders, or digging intentionally and carefully to find really small minerals.