5 Strategies for MCAT Practice Tests

5 Strategies for MCAT Practice Tests Most authorities on MCAT preparation will agree that one of the most important ways to prepare for the exam is through practice exams and practice questions. However, simply practicing without a formal structure or objective will not result in a significant score increase. Below are five key tactics for getting the most out of your practice as you study for the MCAT. 1. Time yourself Though it may be difficult to complete exams or question sets under time constraints when you first begin your MCAT review, it is vitally important to strictly time yourself while you practice. If you dont time yourself, you run the risk of developing time-wasting habits. When it comes time to take the actual exam, these bad habits can prevent you from having enough time to attempt all the questions on test day. Work on your time management from day one and you can expect that it will become easier to finish the test in time as you get further along in your review process. Here is a great resource to help you manage your time during MCAT prep. 2. Use the strategies that work best for you Review books, professors, tutors, and online sources will all present you with a variety of specific test-taking strategies for the different sections of the test. In reality, almost all of the credible strategies are beneficial, but certain strategies work better for certain people.Use practice exams and questions to experiment with different test-taking methods. At the halfway point of your review period, you should be able to identify the strategies that give you the best results. Spend the second half of your prep period practicing and perfecting these particular strategies. 3. Learn from your mistakes This should form the foundation of your thinking toward practice questions and exams. Use them to not only evaluate yourself, but also to learn. When going over your results, carefully read over every question and answer. For questions you answered incorrectly, spend some extra time pinpointing what facts you need to know to ensure that you dont get that question wrong in the future. Keeping a running list of these facts is extremely helpful, and reading over them in the days leading up to the exam is a high-yield review. Here are some great free MCAT practice teststo help you prepare. 4. Learn from your successes Just like you can learn from the questions you answered incorrectly, you should also make it a point to solidify material from the questions you got right. When reviewing the questions you answered correctly, take note of why the other answer choices were incorrect, and make sure you didnt only get the question right because of a lucky guess. If that is the case, treat that question like you got it wrong and write down the facts you need to know to get it correct in the future. 5. Alter your study schedule based on your results One of the greatest benefits of completing practice sets and exams starting day one of your review is that your results will allow you to continuously monitor and improve your study plan. After each week of your prep period, look back on all the practice questions youve completed. Keep track of your scores for each section (Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Verbal Reasoning). If you seem to be struggling with one section more than others, devote more time to studying that particular section the following week. Also, take a look at specific subjects within each section (e.g. organic chemistry, thermodynamics, physiology, etc.). Thoroughly assess your performance and alter your study schedule accordingly. With these five tips in hand, you should easily be able to get the most out of every practice question you complete. Coupled with thorough review of the subject matter, you should be well on your way to an excellent MCAT score.

Embroidering Patterns

Embroidering Patterns Learning to Embroider Patterns ChaptersLearning the Essential StitchesCreating Your Embroidery PatternsFull Patterns or Basic Outlines?Advice for Creating EmbroideryHow Can You Learn to Embroider?“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” - Maya AngelouAre you creative or would you like to be?More and more people are looking for creative hobbies and pastimes.Have you considered embroidery?There’s something for everyone when it comes to embroidery. To get started, here’s what you need to know about embroidering patterns. RaySewing Teacher 5.00 (6) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PrincessSewing Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnaSewing Teacher 5.00 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArianwenSewing Teacher 5.00 (2) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ShaziaSewing Teacher 5.00 (2) £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ZanetaSewing Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GianmariaS ewing Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JacquelineSewing Teacher £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsLearning the Essential StitchesTo start with embroidery, you need to familiarise yourself with the different stitches and embroidery techniques. These embroidery stitches will be used to create your first patterns onto linen or an Aida cloth. So get your needles out and start by learning these stitches. Cross-stitch is great for beginners. (Source: severyanka)The Cross-stitchThe cross-stitch is one of the easiest stitches to do and is often taught to beginners. It’s a good idea to learn how to do this stitch on an Aida cloth; a fabric with a grid of holes ready for you to work on. With your Aida cloth, needle, and thread, you can learn how to do cross-stitch in a matter of minutes.The cross-stitch involves creating a cross with the thread. Start by bringing the needle up and then bringing it down diagonally from the first point. Next, bring it up in one of the adjacent corners and back down diagonally across the original line to make a cross. You’ve just done your first cross-stitch! You can create entire embroideries with just a cross-stitch. There are plenty of patterns for butterflies, windmills, houses, etc. just using cross-stitches.The Stem StitchThe stem stitch is also a very simple stitch that you can learn how to do. You can use it to make fine lines such as the stem of a flower, for example. Start by bringing your needle up and then back down about a centimetre away in the direction you want to go, then bring the needle back up through the first point. You can do this for several stitches, always coming up through the end of the last stitch.With just these two stitches, you can make a lot of embroideries. After you've learnt these hand embroidery stitches, you can move onto the satin stitch, chain stitch, back stitch, French knot, running stitch, blanket stitch, etc.Using Embroidery PatternsBudding embroiderers don’t often know where to begin, what to embroider, or how to embroider it. Fortunately, this is what patterns are for.Patterns are essentially a how-to guide that shows embroiderers what stitches to make and which colours to use to create embroidery. The different stitches are indicated. You can find patterns in embroidery books and embroidery kits. You can also find them online!There are two main types of pattern.Traditionally, pattern s are found printed out. The embroiderer can refer to it and know which stitches they should be making and where they should make them. This is more complicated than having the pattern printed directly onto the fabric.In this case, the embroiderer can just follow the markings on the pattern with the right coloured thread. They won’t need to count stitches as they’re already marked out on the fabric they’re embroidering on.These types of patterns are particularly useful for beginners. However, you won’t be able to let your imagination run wild with them. You’ll need to reproduce the patterns as they appear on the fabric.Think of them as training.Creating Your Embroidery PatternsIn the past, it was uncommon for everyone to have access to patterns. After all, when it comes to creative pursuits, the goal is to be creative and let your imagination do the talking. Patterns are used as instruction manuals for embroidery. (Source: 5xy)Bit by bit, try to make your patterns, even if they are simple. This might be a flower, a house, whatever.  Of course, don’t just dive in and start embroidering directly onto the fabric.It’s a good idea to use a water erasable marker so that you can sketch out what you plan to embroider and remove these markings once you’ve finished embroidering. Sketch out your ideas first. Once you’ve done this, you can start following these lines with cross-stitches, stem stitches, chain stitches, etc.  Once you’re comfortable with this, you can start embroidering your patterns onto clothing or furnishings.There are plenty of places you can get inspiration for your projects. For example, the social network Pinterest is home to many inspiration embroiders who regularly share their creations and their ideas. Similarly, there’s loads of inspiration for knitting, sewing, patchwork, crochet, embroidery and a whole plethor a of textile arts.Made a mistake?Learn about removing embroidery. RaySewing Teacher 5.00 (6) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PrincessSewing Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnaSewing Teacher 5.00 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArianwenSewing Teacher 5.00 (2) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ShaziaSewing Teacher 5.00 (2) £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ZanetaSewing Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GianmariaSewing Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JacquelineSewing Teacher £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsFull Patterns or Basic Outlines?You can create almost anything with embroidery. You can make animals, letters, a face, anything that pops into your head. Of course, the style will differ by embroiderer.You can embroider a face just by using lines. You can also create a face leaving no empty spaces. The entire pattern is embroider ed with cross-stitches or satin stitches, etc.  These patterns are easier to see from a distance but they also require a lot more thread and a lot more time.If you don’t want to spend too much time on your embroidery and are looking for a more delicate result, you may want to work just with lines and using stem stitches, for example.You can also use cross-stitches for the contours but these won’t give very good results for curves and the result will look pixelated.Choose the style that works for you.Finished?Consider framing your embroidery.Advice for Creating EmbroideryBefore you start your first project, we recommend you get everything that you’re going to need. Set aside a space you can work in so that you won’t constantly be getting up and looking for stuff. Make sure your needles, threads, scissors, and everything else you need are within reach. Patterns can range from the very simple to the very complex. (Source: stux)Take particular care when choosing the fabric. You don’t want to use fabric that stretches a lot as it can be really difficult to work on. If you’re starting with cross-stitch, consider getting an Aida cloth or linen.Start small; you don’t want to be overambitious with your first project. The goal of your first project is to learn the basics of embroidery. Of course, don’t choose a tiny project with lots of small fiddly parts.Once you’ve finished your first project, ask for some feedback from somebody in the know. For example, the staff in arts and crafts shops or haberdasheries are often avid embroiderers.Finally, keep in mind that embroidery isn’t just done with thread. You can use ribbon, wool, pearls, etc.  All of these things are great for jazzing up outfits and furnishings.Discover how to embroider eyes.How Can You Learn to Embroider?If you want to get some help with your embroidery, there ar e plenty of resources and people who can help. You can embroider with more than just thread. (Source: tookapic)You can learn how to embroider with YouTube tutorials. There are videos explaining almost every technique and they're great for practising.If you’re not a huge fan of the internet, you can always find guides and books to help you learn. Additionally, you can keep these books within reach while you’re working. An embroidery kit for beginners is also a great idea as they come with everything you need to get started as well as a beginner’s guide to embroidery.Haberdasheries and arts and crafts shops also have workshops for those wanting to learn how to embroider. You can get advice from professionals on your projects and what materials you should use.It's up to you now.You could look for private embroidery tutors on Superprof to guide you through the process and teach you how to do it. If you need help with embroidery designs, needlepoint, Blackwork, or Hardanger, consider getting in touch with one. There are three ma in types of tutorial available and, like with tutors, each comes with its pros and cons.Face-to-face tutorials are great for getting bespoke and tailored tuition as you're the only student in the class. Furthermore, your tutor will be spending a lot of time outside of the sewing classes preparing lessons for you. While these are usually the most costly, they're also the most cost-effective as every minute of a session is spent helping you learn.Online tutorials are similar but your tutor won't be there in the room with you. While these are usually better for academic subjects, if you've got a good webcam, microphone, and internet connection, there's no reason a talented embroider couldn't help you learn remotely. Online private tutors tend to cheaper than face-to-face tutorials.Finally, group tutorials are good for those on a budget as the cost of the tutor's time and experience will be shared amongst all the students in attendance. While you won't get as much one-on-one time with y our tutor, you will pay less per student per hour.

The Essential Art Equipment for Drawing Painting

The Essential Art Equipment for Drawing Painting Pencils, Paint Brushes and Canvas: The Essential Illustrator Tools ChaptersThe Best Graphic Tablets for Illustrators and CartoonistsOnline Interactive White BoardsFor Those Who Prefer the PencilFirst You Sketch, and then You PaintPaint Brushes Need CanvasThe Cost of Framing a Portrait...Art lovers don't stop at visiting museums to enjoy their favourite canvases; they also take brush to hand to impose their imagination onto canvas or sketchpad... or computer.Expressing oneself artistically has many benefits, one of them being a calming effect: drawing and painting can reduce stress.While sketching, the artist detaches from the strain of today's ultra-connected world.Artistic endeavours work the right side of the brain, improve hand-eye coordination, and can even lower blood pressure.To effectively render art, one must observe nature and be able to faithfully reproduce it, without letting your left brain influence artistic vision.Right brain? Left brain?To fully grasp how the brain's hemispheres influence perception and artistic ability, you should ch eck out Betty Edwards' book: Drawing on the Right Side.As fascinating as the topic of the human brain is, our interest lies elsewhere, at least for this article.While art can be made of just about everything, drawing anything, be it the human form or a rose, requires certain implements.From graphic tablets to charcoal and colored pencils, we now discuss the logistics of art creation.Wacom is generally considered the leader in graphic arts Source: Pixabay Credit: NinjaBeavermodels can even connect wirelessly.It is a pressure-sensitive pad that comes equipped with a stylus; and that is where the resemblance to a graphite pencil and drawing paper end.It can be disconcerting, at first, to trace the tip of the stylus along, with nothing appearing under your hand, as it would if you were sketching on paper.Producing art on a graphic tablet calls for an evolution of your hand-eye coordination. Using this equipment, you would see lines and contour appear on a computer screen, unless you inv est in an LCD tablet, which has a display built-in.Also, whereas traditional artists use an eraser â€" a completely separate tool from the pencil, for shading and blending, graphic tablets have a totally different utility for that purpose.And, while a purist might have a pencil case full of implements of different thicknesses and composition for varying the darkness and broadness of pencil strokes, a graphic artist needs only to press harder on the sensitive pad to make a thicker, darker line.Selecting a graphic tablet comes down to your needs: are you taking a Drawing for Beginners class, and your art teacher requires you to furnish a tablet?Are you a professional portrait artist, ready to modernise your studio?Do you just like cartooning, or drawing cool things?If you are ready to make your mark (pun intended) on the graphic arts world, here is what you should look for in a tablet:the size of the tablet (the area available to draw in)the resolution of the tabletthe stylus and pad sensitivitysoftware compatibility (with your computer's operating system)You can find such tablets at a range of prices, depending on the features and resolution you are looking for.Entry-level ones start at around £50; high-grade tablets can run into the hundreds of pounds.In art circles, the Wacom tablet is generally recognised as the leader in the technology of digital drawing.Online Interactive White BoardsIf you are not quite sure of where you artistic aspirations might lead, you may want to hold off on investing in a digital painting device.Interactive white boards online is an alternative to purchasing a graphic tablet.In an IWB, as such applications are known, you have a collaborative visual communication tool that allows you to create art drawing online.You can share your work and invite your friends' or colleagues' input on the art project.IWBs have been taken out of the boardroom, where they were originally used to brainstorm, mind map, and cultivate ideas.Online, they h ave seduced a wider, more diverse audience, including schools, and individuals who are learning how to draw.These web-based white boards, while great to hone your drawing skills, also suit as:element integrators: you can add photos, music, voice and video to your artistic expressionchat  gateways to other artists; great for developing your drawing techniquesexport portals for your sketches: you can upload them into your blog or other social media outletan open document sharing marketplaceNaturally, each IWB has its own properties. Some permit step by step drawing among a group of artists while others forbid collaboration.Most sites allow basic drawing lessons in  figure drawing with only a login; others demand a fee to access their sites' premium features.If you want to try your hand at perspective drawing or three dimensional art online, here are a few sites to try:FlockdrawDeekitAww appPixiClipWorking on these sites, and perhaps benefiting from drawing tutorials by an established illustrator, makes having a go at these easy drawing pages worth your time.The top names in pencil manufacturers also make quality coloured pencils Source: Pixabay Credit: HolihoSeven different brush heads permit painting anything from the finest of lines and expressive faces to realistically texturing clouds. Absolute beginners would be best served by purchasing a full complement of brushes, ones that come in a packaged set, rather than individual implements. At least until they have decided whether they prefer rendering portraits in oil, as opposed to still lifes in acrylic.For artists ready to graduate from coloured pencils to paint, there is a variety of media to choose from Source: Pixabay Credit: BodobePaint Brushes Need CanvasAs long as you have settled on paint as your medium, you should consider what you will paint on.How should you choose your canvas? And how much will it cost?Any artistic endeavour requires investment: of time, of passion, and, of course, of money. Depend ing on the type and size of canvas you select, your cost can vary significantly.Types of canvas include linen, cotton and synthetic cloth. If you are particularly adept at portrait drawing, you may even invest in what is called portrait canvas: fine-woven linen.Synthetic canvas is relatively new on the art scene. In spite of traditionalists mistrusting this untested material, it is a cost-effective solution to more expensive weaves. Regardless of type and quality of your canvas material, size plays a big part in pricing your art canvases. Canvases are sized in two formats: landscape and portrait. Under each header exists assorted dimensions, ranging from just a few inches square to wall-sized tableaux. If you would like to draw a cat playing with yarn, a suitably-sized canvas will cost substantially less than should you want to depict a realistic drawing of a battle.The Cost of Framing a Portrait...or anything else you draw. After all of your investment in drawing materials and art lessons; learning how to use negative space to highlight your subject... guess what? Unless your medium is online drawing, you should invest in a quality frame to display your work.And, why not? Doesn't your particular brand of realism deserve display?It should come as no surprise that, the larger the frame needed, the more expensive it will be.You can trim your cost by selecting a metal frame â€" suitable if your art follows the style of contemporary artists; or a less ornate wooden frame. In either case, you should opt for an intermediary between the frame and your two point perspective: either a marie-louise or a passe partout. These are a type of mounting that subtly  highlight your painting and help protect it.For oils, it places a barrier between frame and canvas; for oil pastels or mixed media, it keeps  your work off your frame's glass cover. You might know that professional framers, artists onto themselves, are notoriously close-mouthed about the price of framing artwork. H owever, most offer free quotes: take them up on that! Request several, and then choose the best price. Now, you have a general idea of what it take to pursue art as a vocation, or just as a pastime.Unless you are unusually gifted in the field, it will most likely be of no use to watch art videos. Why not take online drawing lessons? Or sign up for an art instruction class at your local community centre? With Superprof you can find drawing courses London, art classes in Bristol or Sketching lessons in Glasgow. The world is your oyster!You can learn shading techniques, how to add texture to your portrait painting; everything from crosshatching to caricature. Once you have masted the basics, you can move on to more complex, exacting work: drawing the human form, accurately draw hands, and even toss out a Chibi Totoro! Surely, you don't need anyone to tell you what to draw...

Five Characteristics That Predict College Success

Five Characteristics That Predict College Success Its impossible to guarantee that your high schooler will go off to college, excel in all subjects, graduate summa cum laude and embark upon an incredible career. But wouldnt it be nice to know that your teen is on the right path? There are a number of benchmarks that are correlated with strong student performance, including a high GPA and taking challenging course work in middle and high school. But there are also certain characteristics that are common among students who do well in college and go on to become goal-driven, lifelong learners. Here are five student characteristics that are predictors of college success and tips on how to build these traits in your teen: Resilience Collegeand life in generalcan be stressful at times. Teens must be able to deal with the everyday challenges and issues that arise in a mature, productive way. Take a step back and let your teen fail and experience disappointments, then help him reflect on what he learned from that failure. This will help your teen build mental toughness and grit that will serve him well later on. Perseverance Students must learn that no accomplishment comes without effort and persistence. In fact, theres a good chance that some of the role models in their lives had to work very hard to get where they are. Encourage your teen to set goals big and smallfor college and beyond. Remind her that everything worth doing requires effort and dedication. Decision-making ability College is a brand-new adventure and it requires that teens be independent. The ability to make decisions is essential in college. Talk with your teen about how to come up with multiple possibilities to solve any problem, weigh the pros and cons of each, and decide/act with confidence. Decision-making and problem-solving go hand in hand. Self-management Self-management is vital as teens move into college. No longer will mom or dad be there to micromanage and keep them on track. You can cultivate this skill in your teen by encouraging her to embrace a growth mindset. Teach your teen to believe that she can always learn, improve and grow with effort. Self-advocacy Hopefully, teens learn in high school how to ask for help and speak up when their needs are not being met. Colleges professors expect that their students will do so, so the more you can step back while your teen is in high school and put him in the drivers seat, the better. If your teen doesnt get the grade he wants on a test, for example, its up to him to talk to the teacher about how to close those knowledge gaps and retake the test, if possible. One last tip for teens as they move toward college: establish a support system. College has its ups and downs. Your teen should feel comfortable reaching out to friends, teachers, family members, or a counselor or other mentor when he needs to. And remember: Huntington is here for your teen as well! Call us if your teen needs help getting prepared for college and you want to ensure she has the skills and aptitudes to succeed.

Timeline of Changes to the SAT and ACT

Timeline of Changes to the SAT and ACT Have you ever wondered where the SAT and ACT tests came from? Or how long theyve been used by U.S. colleges and universities to evaluate students for admission? Heres a quick overview of the history of both exams: The SAT 1900 The College Entrance Examination Board (today simply the College Board), a group of 12 colleges and universities, was formed to simplify the application process for students and college admission offices and administer annual exams to be used for college entrance evaluation. 1901 The first College Boards were administered in June at 67 U.S. locations and two European locations. Most test takers were from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and more than one-third came from private schools, more than one-fourth came from public high schools and the remaining 13% were from other institutions. 1923 Carl Brigham published a book called A Study of American Intelligence, which concluded that American education was on the decline. He was hired to create an exam for Princeton University freshmen and Cooper Union, a New York technical College. The College Board subsequently hired Brigham to develop a test that could be used by many schools, which ultimately became the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). 1926 The SAT was administered to high school students for the first time and replaced the College Board exam. 1934 Harvard University began requiring all candidates for admission to take the SAT. 1947 Educational Testing Service, a nonprofit organization, was founded by the College Board, the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to take over testing activities for those organizations exams, including the SAT, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and others. 1994 The SAT went through a major update, altering the verbal section, increasing passage-based reading sections and renaming a section Critical Reading. The Math section was also updated to include free-response questions and allow calculator use. 2005 The College Board revised the SAT to rename the Verbal Reasoning section as the Critical Reading section and add a Writing section. The score scale of the new SAT became 600-2400 (with three sections: Critical Reading, Math and Writing). 2014 The College Board announced plans to overhaul the SAT, the biggest changes since its 2005 update. The test went back to a 1600 scale (200-800 for math, 200-800 for reading), the essay became optional, a no-penalty-for-wrong answers policy was implemented, and the testing of obscure vocabulary words was removed, among other changes. 2016 The newly revised SAT was administered for the first time in March. The ACT 1959 The American College Testing Program was formed to administer the ACT Assessment, which was designed to help students make better decisions about which colleges to attend and which programs to study, and provide information helpful to colleges in the process of admitting students. The exam was administered for the first time in November, with more than 75,000 students taking the exam. 1989 ACT introduced a revised exam, replacing the Social Studies section with a Reading section and renaming the Natural Science section as Science. Updates to the Math and English sections were also made and the overall ACT became longer. 2015 ACT changed its scoring methodology. Students began receiving four new subscores for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), English language arts, career readiness and text complexity. In addition, the optional ACT Writing test changed, giving test-takers three perspectives on a topic and inviting analysis of those three perspectives. 2019 ACT announced that in 2020, students would be able to test online during national ACT test dates, take single section retests, and report their best individual section scores, also known as superscoring. Of course, both the SAT and ACT have gone through many other changes through the years: splitting into different sections, addition/removal of various content, scoring methodology changes and more. If you have a teen preparing to apply to colleges, well help you learn everything you and your teen need to know about the SAT and ACT, including how to prepare effectively. Learn more about the current iterations of the SAT and ACT by contacting Huntington at 1-800 CAN LEARN. History of ACT exam (ACT.org) ACT timeline History of the SAT (PBS.org)

As English grows in size, knowledge becomes more important

As English grows in size, knowledge becomes more important If you've noticed an extraordinary amount of new English words in use over the past few years, you've noticed one of the most striking phenomena to hit the language in recent memory. The English language has doubled in size over the last century, giving it an unprecedented level of growth. That's according to a new survey by Harvard University and Google, who have found that the language is expanding by 8,500 words a year. There are now 1,022,000 words in the English language and it has grown by more than 70 per cent since 1950. With this unprecedented level of growth, it can be hard to keep up. An English tutor can provide the skills needed to communicate with poise and aplomb. Sorting the wheat from the chaff In the previous century, according to researchers, the English language only grew by a tenth. Now, the rapid rate of growth in the English language means that we need to understand new words on an almost daily basis. Importantly, many of these new words are not included in the official dictionaries. Linguists class these as slang or made-up jargon. The challenge for students of the English language, then, is to learn how to separate 'good' new words from 'bad' new words. Sorting the source It may sound obvious, but for many younger students of the English language, this is an important point. The source of the new word you have just learnt can help to identify whether this word is suitable for use in formal and written communication or not. For example, many children may use a word they have heard on TV in an essay at school. If that word is slang, or even rude, then they will be penalised for it. On the other hand, by reading quality journalism and good books, children can be exposed to 'good' new words as they become part of everyday English. The new word challenge The challenge, then, as speakers of an ever-growing language, is to encourage pupils and students to use new words only when they have seen them used in a reliable source and in an appropriate context. If you or your child needs help getting to grips with our changing English language, why not enlist the services of one of specialists? Simply search our database for a tutor near you.

Babysitting Jobs How to Negotiate the Pay You Deserve

Babysitting Jobs How to Negotiate the Pay You Deserve isorepublic.com 1. Set an hourly rate Many babysitters actually set their hourly rates before they offer their services. This is a great way to go, especially if you have an absolute minimum that you’re willing to take. However, you may find that families won’t reach out to you if they can’t afford your prices. So, while this is a good practice to get into if you aren’t interested in negotiation, know that you may lose clientele this way as well. 2. Be professional For those of you that do go the negotiation route, you’ll want to be extremely professional. In other words, you don’t want to be in a situation in which you appear to be acting immature or in which the family is questioning your professionalism. Negotiations don’t have to be this clinical experience, but you shouldn’t be too informal either, or they won’t take you seriously. 3. Don’t let emotion take over Especially for those relying on higher rates, money negotiations can be high-stakes, and therefore draw out some emotional responses. Don’t play into those! You want to be extremely professional and avoid giving sob stories or bringing out the waterworks/getting overly angry. Play it cool, and don’t put too much stake into the outcome to help avoid emotional responses in the heat of the moment. 4. Don’t overprice yourself It’s one thing to negotiate for a salary you deserve, but another entirely to negotiate for one that you don’t. Make sure that the rate you’re seeking is one that’s valid. In other words, don’t provide unrealistic numbers, but rather numbers that match your experience level. If you overprice yourself, you’ll quickly find that no family will be willing to hire you. So, it takes a little bit of balance here we all want more money, but we may not all deserve it. 5. Highlight your experience When you’re negotiating, you should be qualifying your ask with evidence to support it. In other words, if you’re asking for $2/hr more than they’re offering, let them know that you are CPR certified and that you have over five years of experience. You’re a lot more likely to receive the rate you’re asking for if you can provide evidence as to why you deserve the increased salary. If you don’t do this, you’re a lot less likely to get the increase for “no reason.” 6. Know your worth While you definitely don’t want to price yourself out of consideration, you don’t want to underprice yourself, either. If you know that your experience demands a certain amount of money, you shouldn’t be taking anything less. Of course, it’s hard to tell with babysitting what a good benchmark is, but you know what you’ve made in the past and what experience is worth in the industry, so use that to your advantage. 7. Be firm but not rude You don’t want to start losing clientele, but you want to be firm in your salary requests as well. If you have a minimum rate that you can’t take any less than, make it known. If they can’t afford your rate, thank them for their time and apologize that it didn’t work out. You shouldn’t have to take less than you’re worth, and the clients will understand so long as you’re gracious and explain your situation to them in a professional manner. 8. Use prior wages as backup You can always disclose your normal rate if you’re comfortable doing so. If you’re used to making $12/hr, but this family is only offering $8/hr, let them know where your hourly rate has stood in the past to give them a benchmark point to go off of. In utilizing this technique, you may even see them come up a few dollars to try to match your rate if they aren’t able to match it directly. Again, negotiating is not an easy feat. And unfortunately, you likely won’t feel great after your first time around. However, with a little practice and experience under your belt, you’ll be a master negotiator in no time and you’ll never again have to worry about whether or not you’re underpaid!

Teaching equipment that`s now consigned to the history books - Tutor Hunt Blog

Teaching equipment that`s now consigned to the history books Teaching equipment that`s now consigned to the history books Teaching equipment that`s now consigned to the history booksSchoolsTeaching methods have of course altered dramatically over the centuries, but perhaps the last 50 years have marked the most significant changes in the classroom. Here are just a few things that our parents or grandparents might have seen in their schools, that are now just part of history. 1. The blackboard. There was a time when the word `blackboard` was virtually synonymous with `classroom.` These were basically writing surfaces, upon which the teacher could affix text or drawings to help with their lessons. No styluses or even pens were used - instead a piece of calcium carbonate, or `chalk` as it was colloquially known, was scraped over the black surface, which used to be constructed out of slate, but eventually came to be made from a type of black plastic. By the late 1990`s most had been replaced by whiteboards, which could be written on with pens, and more easily cleaned, without making any clouds of dust. 2. The cane The cane has almost become something of a mythical object - a disciplinary weapon, thankfully consigned to the history books. For decades, perhaps even centuries, it was the dread of schoolchildren. If you were caught misbehaving in class, you could expect to be struck across the hands with the fearsome thin wooden stick. Traditionally made from rattan, a tropical climbing plant, these rigid yet flexible objects could deliver quite a sting, especially when the teacher, for extra points perhaps, would aim to keep striking the same spot. By the 1970`s caning had been largely phased out in the UK, though I can recall being disciplined by teachers holding plimsoles as they would cudgels, in my secondary school in the early 1980`s. 3. The slide rule Before schoolchildren had electronic calculators the slide rule was the hottest piece of portable number crunching technology available. Though it may look remarkably simplistic today, the slide rule is an analogue mechanical computer, capable of a formidable range of calculating applications. Though mainly used for multiplication and addition, it could also calculate exponents, roots, and be used for trigonometric computations. 4. The overhead projector These devices were just being introduced when I left school in the mid 1990`s, and I remember being dazzled by this futuristic technology, that could beam out text or an image onto a screen, seemingly bringing a cinema into the classroom. The device was actually very simple, working along the same lines as a 35mm slide projector - light would be passed through a transparent sheet of plastic, then through a mirror and focusing lens, and finally onto a screen positioned a short distance away. The transparent sheet of plastic acted as the slide, and contained whatever information the teacher wanted to project. The advantage of this system over the blackboard was that the teacher could prepare many sheets in advance, and reuse them in future lessons. Once chalk is wiped from a board it is consigned to dust - sheets for an overhead projector however could be used again and again. Overhead projectors are still used in some schools, but they have largely been replaced by portable flatscreen monitors. 5. The school bell The call to registration, the end of recess - these portentous events used to be announced by someone clanging a bell. In my primary school the end of breaks was always marked in this manner, and it was certainly not a sound we would have risked ignoring for a few extra minutes of playtime. Most schools these days have some kind of electric buzzer, which echoes down the corridors with the aid of loudspeakers, letting pupils know when it`s time to change classrooms or begin their breaks. Who can say what the classroom of the future will look like? With children taking so naturally and instinctively to technology it`s certain that electronic learning aids will become ever more ubiquitous in schools. Since learning involves the moulding and shaping of the developing brains of children, perhaps devices will be developed to achieve this in the most efficient way possible, dramatically shortening the time required for a pupil to progress in mathematics, or learn to play a musical instrument. Whatever the future holds, it is the pupils of today that will bring us one step closer to it. 13 months ago0Add a Comment