Is an Online Tutor Literacy Program Worth It?

Is an Online Tutor Literacy Program Worth It?Most school districts have online tutoring literacy programs for students who are learning to read and write. Online learning can really be a valuable tool, but there are also some pitfalls that you need to be aware of if you want to learn a new skill or learn a new subject effectively.When you look at an online program, it is almost always more expensive than traditional classroom learning. A one-on-one tutor, as opposed to a group of students with one teacher, is required by the law. If the student has a learning disability, that child may not be able to get by in a group setting with a group of other students who may not be able to understand him or her. The child may also not be able to communicate his or her needs, if he or she has a disability.For all of these reasons, when you are looking for a way to enhance your English or another new skill, it can be very helpful to use a tutor literacy program. There are some things that you nee d to consider when you go online to look for these tutors. First, you want to make sure that the tutor is certified and licensed. Secondly, you want to make sure that the tutor is accredited by a reputable agency.The agency that is accredited will require that the tutor is certified and licensed to teach the subject at the university or college where the tutor is enrolled. In many cases, the best way to find a tutor that is certified and licensed is to find the student's college or university.You will find that the better the university or college, the more readily they will be able to search the agency and certify the tutor to teach the student's college. One other thing to watch for when searching for a tutor is that you should try to find a tutor that has received accreditation from the American Council on Education or another similar agency.Once you find a tutor literacy program online that is accredited, you can then proceed to search for the tutor in a variety of ways. You can visit the college's website and inquire about the instructor, or you can contact the university's office of the Registrar's Office.Sometimes, the institution will have a letter from the Accrediting Commission of Teacher Education or the National Council on Teacher Quality. If the institution does not have an accreditation from these agencies, it is worth asking them about it, because if they do not have accreditation, the student will not receive the assistance that the tutor literacy program offers.Overall, if you are trying to improve your English, or other language skills, it is important to use an online tutoring program as well as other methods of online learning. It can be a valuable tool, but you also need to be aware of some pitfalls so that you are not taking advantage of a resource that you cannot really rely on. Always find out whether the tutor has a certificate, if the student has a learning disability, and if the student is covered by a private insurance policy.

Get Back Into the Swing of Things After Spring Break

Get Back Into the Swing of Things After Spring Break Five ways to get back into the swing of things after spring break Students are returning to school after spring break and are probably feeling refreshed and renewed from having a week off but it isnt necessarily easy to get back into the swing of things and focus on classroom activities. Depending on how old the student is there are lots of different things they can do to restart a healthy study routine and find a balance for the rest of the school year. Younger kids might need to adjust to small amounts of structure while older students can benefit from focusing on work-life balance. Either way, its important for all students to be able to focus on whats important and do well in school through the end of June struggling to get back into the swing of things after spring break? Our Orange County tutors are here to help! 1.   Maintain a low-stress attitude As students come back to spring break, it can be easy to fall into their old stressful routine which can make it harder to have a work-life balance for the rest of the school year. Its important for students, especially those in high school and college, to maintain a low-stress attitude as they face the spring testing season. College prep students will face advanced placement and college entrance exams while college students will need to focus on a series of finals and term papers. Maintaining a positive mental balance can help students do well in school but also keep life calm and peaceful . 2. Focus on balance Its also important for students to keep a balance when it comes to finishing their schoolwork. Many high school students, especially seniors, will begin to develop senioritis around this time of year. Although its always important to have enough downtime and manage stress, its also important to remain focused on academic assignments. Students can work with a tutor, in person or online, to help them stay organized or refine study skills when necessary. Additionally, students who work in a study group tend to stay motivated because they get to socialize and complete assignments at the same time (READ: 7 Tips For Studying While Traveling). 3.   Improve study skills At this point in the year, some students need to improve already existing study skills so they can be more efficient and focus on the spring testing season. Students can work on how long it takes them to complete assignments, focus in on important elements of their textbook, work on skimming and speed reading, as well as important review. The more refined a student’s study skills are, the more likely they are to be successful and earn good grades. 4. Utilize technology Students are always encouraged to use technology, but Ed Tech can be especially useful when students come back from spring break. Students can use organizational tools online, download apps, or work with their favorite tutor in a digital environment. There is so much technology available these days, but students need to focus on what will work best for them and their study schedule, so they dont become overwhelmed with all of the choices available to them. 5.   Pick good role models Its also essential at this point in the year for students to pick positive role models. Some of their friends will be focusing on college applications or final exams while others will be tempted to skip class or forgo important assignments. When students surround themselves with others who want to be successful and have a great work ethic, they are more likely to be successful themselves. This is especially true when it comes to working in a social environment. Thus students should consider this when they choose who will be in their study group. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write

Passport to Teach Day 1 Getting started with Teach Away

Passport to Teach Day 1 Getting started with Teach Away With Monday under our belts, the first day of Teach Away’s career development week for teachers is underway. Passport to Teach kicked off today with a rundown of the basics: creating a Teach Away account, completing your profile, finding your dream job, and applying. If you missed it, I’ve got you covered with a quick recap. Here are four key takeaways from our Takeoff: How to Get Started  webinar:Teach Away’s services are free for teachers, but in order to successfully land an interview and capture that dream job teachers need to complete a few application steps.The steps that must be complete before you can be considered for an interview:Create an accountDouble check to make sure your profile is 100% completeApply for jobs!?Teach Away recruits educators of all levels of experience. We have positions all over the world for:ESL TeachersCertified TeachersUniversity and college professorsPrincipals and vice principalsLibrariansSchool counsellorsCurriculum specialists?And more!  T ips from our recruitersComplete your profileOnly apply for jobs that you’re qualified for and interested inBe flexible ?Have realistic expectations â€" do your research!  If you’re craving more info on how to get started with Teach Away, we’ll be sending around the recorded webinar from today’s presentation at the end of the week. All you need to do is sign up for Passport to Teach to get the inside scoop and free content from today and the rest of the week.Tomorrow, we’re talking resumes. Join us to learn how you can improve your resume and make it stand out to recruiters and hiring managers around the globe.

5 online resources for Law tutors

5 online resources for Law tutors These days, Law is a popular subject at GCSE and A-level - good news for all those budding barristers and lawyers out there. Here is our pick of the best online resources for mini legal eagles and their home tutors. Barristers aren't all out to get you! In fact, this one, Nik Nicol, has posted up a handy guide to the English legal system for tutors and students on his website - for free! http://www.niknicol.co.uk/page3.html Help With Law Exams does what it says on the tin: gives you the ins and outs of what to expect at GCSE Law and A-Level Law. A very useful website for Law tutors and students alike. http://www.helpwithlawexams.co.uk/ Learn Law provides online revision resources for students of the subject. You do have to pay but for those determined to pass A-level or University Law with flying colours, it could be money well spent. http://www.learn-law.co.uk/ Sixth Form Law is another no-nonsense site with useful explanations of the legal system along with links to relevant blogs. http://sixthformlaw.info/ Edexcel is one of the leading qualification providers in the UK. Here is their guide to A-level Law, along with some past papers. Practise makes perfect! http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce-leg/law/Pages/default.aspx Have you stumbled across any resources that could prove helpful to Law students or their tutors?

Chemistry Unit 5 - Mole Worksheet Answers

Chemistry Unit 5 - Mole Worksheet AnswersAnswering the questions that come up when reading Chemistry Unit 5 is a fun and exciting experience. Learning the answers to these types of questions can be done by filling out a Mole Worksheet. In this article I will share with you the Mole Worksheet and how to answer these types of questions.When I used this type of question for my Chemistry Units, I was a little apprehensive. As a great chemistry teacher, I had been taught that getting this right is important to success. To me, learning how to solve problems like this one presented a new challenge. What did I need to do?The first thing that I found was that to get a good understanding of what I was doing, I needed to go over it again. This proved to be a good idea. Learning how to answer questions about basic chemistry or unit tests was always important to me and so was learning how to solve problems like this one.When I took this question for my unit test, I noticed that this is not one of those tests that it is important to remember all the answers to. The trick in the middle of the test where this question is concerned is to try to figure out what exactly I am supposed to do. That is why I went over this question again.Getting a good start on a question like this is easy. All you need to do is write down the answer first. This will allow you to understand the question easier and also get a feel for which line of thought is the right one to use.I started by writing down, 'How many atoms does the mole hold?' and then followed it up with 'What is the weight of the mole?' I got to thinking and realized that I have three different ways to go here.I could go with a single answer that is worded the same as the question but without the 'how' answer. Then I could go with a 'weight' answer that gives a single number that is the same as the answer given. Finally, I could do one more answer that is worded differently from the question but which still gives the same answer. Thi s is the method that I used here.

What You Need To Know About Smart Kids Tutoring

What You Need To Know About Smart Kids TutoringIf you are considering for online tutoring, you may have considered Smart Kida tutoring. The problem is that Smart Kida's reputation has grown beyond what it is and even people who used to be their clients are now jumping ship and choosing other tutoring companies for their online education needs. However, when you have come to this conclusion, you are probably concerned about how to find the right tutoring company that will suit your individual needs.The most important factor to consider when searching for a tutor, is to consider whether Smart Kida is indeed the best company. If the tutors in their system are not the best that you can find, or if the tutors cannot help you with the problems that you need, then you should definitely do some research into other tutoring companies. However, if you find tutors that meet your expectations, then you can call it quits and make an informed decision.One of the ways of finding the best tutors onl ine is to compare the tutors from different tutoring services providers that you have been introduced to. This method is a bit of a gamble, because there may be some tutors that may charge a premium price for the same service, while others may not be as expensive. In addition, you have to make sure that you find the tutors that can do what you want them to do. For example, if you want to learn to play guitar and you need a guitar tutor, you will have to choose wisely between some tutors that charge a fee per lesson, others that charge per hour or by the hour.When you compare these tutors and look for reviews on them, you can get a better idea about how much value they offer, and therefore whether they are actually quality tutors, which is what you really want when you are looking for quality tutoring services. These reviews are very important for your comparison, so that you can identify the tutors that provide the best quality services that you require.Another final option is to as k for advice from your friends and family members. If you feel that the tutors you are recommending are not qualified to handle your education needs, you may want to consider giving up on them altogether. This is what you want to avoid, so you have to try to talk to someone in your circle that has been through a similar situation. Whether they will advise you to give up on your choices, or help you in your search is up to you, but it is always a good idea to talk to others that you trust and rely on for advice.Online tutoring services can give you access to the tutors who can offer the same service that they did in the traditional classroom setting. Although the tutors may have more resources at their disposal when they are online, the most important thing is that they can provide you with the same education as they could in the classroom. Even though you are learning from the comfort of your own home, the quality of the learning experience will always be at par with what you would get from a regular classroom-based education program.Smart Kida tutoring offers tutoring services to students at all grade levels. You can find them online and determine whether they can help you or not, and then you can decide if you will avail of their services or not.

Video Lessons How to play Acoustic Guitar like John Mayer

Video Lessons How to play Acoustic Guitar like John Mayer Megan L. Learn how to play acoustic guitar like John Mayer in these video lessons from guitar teacher  Jonathan B. John Mayer has been called one of the new “Guitar Gods.” Claiming Stevie Ray Vaughn as one of his biggest childhood heroes, the blues and jazz influence on his pop style has given him more than just a niche in the radio market. Its also made him able to influence millions of guitarists with his playing style and techniques. He continues to release a steady stream of new music and fans continue to take interest in his songwriting as well as his guitar techniques. John Mayer is equally well known for his electric and acoustic guitar styles; in this article we will focus more on the acoustic. There are several tricky picking hand techniques he uses which throw many would-be cover artists off the trail. A few of his most popular songs in guitar circles are Stop This Train, Who Says, Neon, The Heart of Life, Clarity, and Your Body is a Wonderland. Although these songs have a few notable techniques in them, were going to focus on just one in this article. The Pluck and Chuck/Pick and Flick Technique Notorious for confusing guitarists for the last several decades, this technique involves a basic reversal of hand mechanics. You must learn to flick the pointer or middle finger and slap with the thumb at the same time. The thumb does not play a note; it simply pushes the string into the fretboard and plants itself there. This creates a percussive effect that imitates the snare drum backbeat. Mayers sound is heavily influenced by music with a strong groove, so this technique lets you integrate softer fingerpicking with soulful rhythmic styles without any hitches. This video has a detailed introduction to chuck/flick techniques, with the most detailed explanations starting at 4:33. When you start to get the basic stroke to sound good, progress to the following exercises. They are very simple but they contain the most essential set of motions needed for pluck and chuck songs. When you feel you need a variation or you want to explore a bit, try improvising with these patterns over some chords or making up a solo using the thumb to create a rhythmic drone and playing melodies with the finger plucks and chucks. Chucks are a tricky technique that take some time to adjust to. Its usually wise to start learning a song that doesnt require too many flicks on top of the thumb slaps. Clarity is a perfect example of this, and the main riff to the song is an excellent starting point as you tune your hand position to accommodate the new role of the thumb in your playing. How to Play  Clarity by John Mayer The trickiest basic technique to learn is the single chuck. John Mayers guitar style uses a lot of individually picked notes that coincide with thumb slaps, so this technique is very important. Aside from basic issues of hand position and accuracy, you have to also learn to mix different fingers into patterns of both plucking and chucking. Mayer  has a strong tendency to do all the flicking with just his index finger, although there are at least a few of his patterns that probably also need to be flicked with the middle finger since the string crossings would be very awkward otherwise. A good pattern to start with is the opening riff to “Stop This Train. How to Play Stop This Train by John Mayer As you start to get this down, its good to reach for something a little more adventurous. The opening riff to “The Heart of Life” requires you to pick out a specific melody, which requires you to cross a lot of strings and you chuck out individual notes. Heres the tab for that passage. How to Play The Heart of Life by John Mayer Mastering this song is an excellent way to develop pluck and chuck technique. Once youve completed this song, youre likely to find that you can improvise melodies over various bass notes, provided that youve already learned a little about improvisation. One of the best ways to capitalize on your newfound skill is to try to write or improvise on your own changes in the style of “The Heart of Life” and “Stop This Train.” The first time most guitarists attempt a John Mayer acoustic song they stumble on this technique. Most western string players learn to pluck or pick strings, where Chinese Pipa and Indian Sitar players prefer to chuck or flick the strings. Its a fundamentally different stroke than what most guitarists are used to, so learning it often makes players feel like a complete beginner. Never fear, your guitar teacher will be happy to help you, and more and more guitarists are tackling this technique as time goes by, and the number of songs that use it has increased dramatically in recent years. Post Author:  Jonathan B. Jonathan B. is a guitar instructor, Temple University Music Theory graduate, and YouTube creator living in State College, PA. Learn more about Jonathan  here! Photo by  Do512 Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

A Guide for Future Spanish Teachers

A Guide for Future Spanish Teachers How to become a Spanish teacher in the USA ChaptersTeaching Spanish - what qualifications do you need to become a teacher?What’s the best major in college to become a Spanish teacher?Can you become a Spanish teacher without passing a teacher certification test?How can you become a Spanish teacher without a degree?The importance of immersion study before teaching SpanishWhat are the best online resources to teach Spanish from home?What personality characteristics are a must have for a Spanish teacher?What’s your dream career? Have you ever considered teaching? What about teaching Spanish?Are you passionate about the works of Cervantès and Spanish latino culture?Perhaps you’re a college student, or someone looking for a whole new career.Learn about all the ways to become a Spanish teacher!From traditional teacher training to other options like becoming a private Spanish teacher, this is a career that offers plenty of opportunities!So how should you achieve your objective of teaching students Spanish? CalumDrama School E ntrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.0 0 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsTeaching Spanish - what qualifications do you need to become a teacher?Teacher training requirements vary by state and school, but generally, in order to become a professional teacher, you’ll need to complete your Master's degree and pass a teacher certification exam. Often you can begin to find work right after college as long as you can show you’re on your way to completing a Masters and finishing the various exams, and if you’re teaching at a private school, some will waive the extra qualifications altogether.Generally after high school, future foreign language teachers would follow the path below:Major in the language: at college, you probably major in Spanish, and might even spend a semester or year abroad in Spain to become really fluent. The goal is to completely master the language, and also learn more about hispanic history and culture.Masters in Education: If you don’t do some kind of teacher training in college, then you’ll probably need to study teaching as a separate degree as a Masters. States also increasingly require a Masters degree to teach, whether or not you’ve already studied education. This will typically include substantial time in the classroom, and preparation for professional certification exams.One thing is for sure, getting a degree (or degrees) is not enough to become a Spanish teacher. Whatever you study, you will also need to take a teacher certification exam. Some states use the National Teachers Examination, with the foreign language education component, while other states, like Massachusetts, have their own unique exams (MTEL).Keep in mind that teache r certification tests might not be mutually recognized across states, so it’s important to consider carefully where you want to teach Spanish in the future before you decide which exam to prepare for.Becoming a teacher is hard work, and preparing for the exams and degrees (not to mention becoming fluent in Spanish!) will take hard work and discipline.If you want to become a Spanish teacher and share your passion for Cervantès, declare a Spanish major with an education minor right away!What’s the best major in college to become a Spanish teacher?You’re planning to sign up for a Masters in Education program as soon as you graduate college. But first, you need to decide what your major should be!What undergraduate degree is the best way to solidify your future as a Spanish teacher?Essentially, you’ve got two things to learn about - Spanish and teaching. However, these aren’t really the same topic, and courses are generally run by entirely different departments.Essentially:A Spanish major: will emphasize Spanish language mastery, including the fine points of grammar, before moving on to Hispanic history, literature, and culture courses, often taught entirely in Spanish. Study abroad will probably be encouraged, and you may have the chance to immerse yourself in Spanish language and culture in Madrid or Peru.A major in education - will focus on teaching methods - classroom control, child development, designing lesson plans, etc - and is set to help you pass teacher certification exams without first completing a Masters in Education.Really, before you can teach anything, you need to have mastered your subject, so focussing on Spanish first is probably the best idea. Some colleges will also allow you to double major or take a minor in education, and begin to get some experience in the classroom. If you can’t do both though, best to focus on Spanish in undergrad!Can you become a Spanish teacher without passing a teacher certification test?What should you do if you’ve gotten a Masters in Education but can’t quite manage to pass your state’s teacher certification tests?Try not to stress too much, your teaching career isn’t over before it’s even started.Are you set on becoming a Spanish teacher without passing your teacher certification? There are a few options available.Rules will differ depending on state and school district, but schools will often waive some of the qualification requirements for priority areas if you promise to work towards them at a later date (for instance, hiring graduates with Bachelors degrees on the understanding they’ll complete a Masters in the next 5 years.)You also have the option of becoming a substitute teacher. Most school districts require only a few semesters of undergrad to qualify, and it’s a good way to get some more classroom experience and earn a bit of money at the same time!Finally, another option is to go private. Private schools are not constrained by the same qualification prer equisites to hiring that public schools have, and so counter-intuitively can often hire ‘subject experts’ (college graduates with a major in the subject they’re due to teach) without any further qualifications.No matter which route you go, it’s a good idea to keep working towards your teacher qualification while you get some more teaching experience. In the long run, it will only give you more employment options, and create better opportunities for you as a Spanish teacher.Work one on one with your students to help them master the Castillian language even faster! CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Jenni ferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow can you become a Spanish teacher without a degree?Maybe you meant to pursue a teaching degree and then life got in the way, or maybe you never went to college. But if you’re bilingual in Spanish and want to teach, there are still options available for you.There are multiple ways to teach Spanish without a degree:become a private tutorteach Spanish at a private learning centerCreate your own teaching companyPrivate tutoring is essentially unregulated, and there’s absolutely no legal or institutional requirement to be able to offer your services. Of course, having expertise in your subject and being a good teacher will help you keep your tutoring clients. But there are no degree or certification requirements to become a private Spanish teacher.Is Spanish your mother tongue? Are you bilingual in Spanish? Maybe you’re a college student and want to earn a bit of extra spending money?There’s nothing to stop you from becoming a private Spanish tutor. Of course, you’ll need to consider your strengths, and think about what you might be able to offer potential students:conversational Spanish and Spanish language practiceafter school help with Spanish homeworkSpanish for the workplaceintroduction to Spanish for adultsAnd of course if you’re multilingual, you can also consider offering the same for German, French, English as a Second Language (ESL), Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Russian, Arabic…The importance of immersion study before teaching SpanishSo while there are several possibilities if you want to become a Spanish teacher, there’s one thing that is absolutely essential - being bilingual.In order to succeed with your teaching ambitions, even if you already speak Spanish to a high level, the best thing you can do is spend some time in a Spanish-speaking country.Travel to become really bilingual in Spanish. Have you considered a trip to Bolivia?Whether you take a few weeks off for an intensive course or you decide to spend a semester studying abroad in Spain, it is important to make the most of these experiences in order to:Enrich your vocabulary and learn to speak Spanish more fluidly.Learn more about the daily life and culture of your new countryMeet native speakers, develop relationships with them, learn about their likes and ideasStep out of your comfort zone and test your language skills in real life.One of the advantages of Spanish is that the language is spoken in so many countries - Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina, Cuba, Bolivia, Chili, Dominican Republic…You won’t lack for choice when you try to decide where to study abroad!Thanks to your experience studying abroad, you’ll also have a chance to become truly bilingual, which will be a real advantage on your resume. And of course, it will be much easier to teach Spanish after studying abroad!What are the best online resources to teach Spanish from home?Before you become a private Spanish teacher, it’s important to understand the pedagogic dimensions to your new job. Speaking perfect S panish isn’t enough to help a student at risk of failing Spanish class.You’ll need to do a bit of work to prepare for each lesson. You’ll quickly learn that it is essential to adjust each lesson to the student’s:agelevel of Spanish (beginner, intermediate, advanced)objectives (pronunciation, grammar, speaking, vocabulary…)the type of Spanish classes offered (Spanish for business, after school help, introduction to Spanish, intermediate Spanish, intensive immersion…)In order to help you with your lesson plans and become a top notch Spanish language tutor, there are a number of online resources to take advantage of:MOOCs - these massive open online courses are a great opportunity to learn for free and at a distance, whether you’re looking to improve your teaching skills or Spanish knowledge.Online Spanish - Specialist internet sites are often a great source of example lesson plans, exercises, activities, and educational games.Cell phone apps can offer extra help to your students and give them an opportunity to practice between lessons.Videos - YouTube is full of videos that can be useful for teaching Spanish.Look for some  jobs in education.As you’re first getting started it will take a bit of time to find and take advantage of the best resources, but once you’ve found what works for you, these online sites can be a great time saver!When you’re learning from a Superprof, learning a language becomes a joy!What personality characteristics are a must have for a Spanish teacher?In order to be a good teacher, you also need to work on your skills at passing on your own knowledge and helping your students learn their new language.There are some things that can be learned (student psychology, teaching methods, pedagogy) but others that will help you become a more skilled and popular teacher.Be passionate about your subject to inspire your students.Be patient, listen, and be empatheticKnow how to adapt lessons to the learner and make learning more per sonal.Know how to motivate your students.And finally, the most important thing to teach Spanish - use your creativity to take your students on a journey with you!You need to not only have completely mastered the Spanish language (and achieved fluency in Spanish grammar, verbs, vocabulary, conjugations, tenses, phonetics), but also hispanic culture and history.share your knowledgeexplore authorspaintersfilm directorscultural traditions…Everything that makes Spanish culture and Spanish speaking countries so great!If you use all that, your students will begin to look at their Spanish classes in a whole new way!

Singing Basics Do I Need to Take Voice Lessons to Improve

Singing Basics Do I Need to Take Voice Lessons to Improve Suzy S. Singing is a hobby that people of all ages and ability levels can enjoy. And if you really want to improve, working one-on-one with a qualified teacher can take you the next level even faster than teaching yourself how to sing. Whats the difference? What can a teacher give you that you cant learn yourself? Here are seven important skills that you will gain when taking voice lessons: Establishing Good Habits From the Start Everyone knows the saying practice makes perfect, but its not exactly true. While its inevitable that youre going to make mistakes from time to time, the way you practice is how you will continue to perform. Perfection does not just require practice it requires perfect practice. By taking private voice lessons as a beginner, you will learn the proper vocal techniques from day one, rather than potentially learning bad (or even dangerous) singing habits that can take months or years of hard work to break. These habits include correct posture and effective breathing, which can make a huge difference to your tone. Learning How to Warm Up Just like an athlete needs time to warm up before exercising, your voice needs to warm up before you start singing. Warm-up exercises are one of the first singing basics that you will learn during your lessons. These simple patterns are performed slowly and methodically before singing, and should be performed comfortably in the middle of your range. As your vocal cords warm up, you can slowly work your range higher and lower. Your voice teacher will teach you several different warm-up exercises as part of your singing basics foundation. Developing Your Ear Unlike an instrument where you can press a key or a certain combination of keys to create a specific note, your voice has a much wider range of flexibility. Your voice can hit notes, as well as the half, quarter, and smaller fractional steps between them. While this flexibility can be skillfully harnessed for accents or stylistic choices, it can be quite challenging for the beginning singer to hit each note precisely. To help with this, the first singing basics step you must master is training your ear. You need to learn how to hear the difference between hitting the note perfectly and when you are sharp (above the pitch) or flat (below the pitch). Until you can recognize these subtle differences for yourself, you will not be able to perfectly replicate a tune.  Your private teacher will guide you through listening and vocal exercises until you can notice the difference. One of the most common exercises to work on ear training is to listen to a tone played by an instrument or sung by your teacher and repeating it. Exposure to a Wider Variety of Music Different genres of music require different techniques and skills. Think about the contrast between the power behind Whitney Houstons iconic I Will Always Love You with the sultry sensuality displayed in a fabulous jazz piece youd hear at your local coffee shop, for example. Consider the big personalities and stylistic quirks in big Broadway hits in contrast to the round, harmonious sound of a classical choral ensemble. These different and distinct sounds make music the beautiful art form that it is. And unfortunately, there are many singers with gorgeous voices who severely limit their options by only perfecting one genre.  In your private lessons, your teacher will work with you to determine which styles interest you the most and best fit your voice. Many factors will come into play here, including the tone of your voice and your vocal range. You will learn which sounds and techniques to use to portray different genres. Learning How to Read Music While many singers go their whole life without ever knowing how to read a note of music, learning how to read music is a valuable singing basics skill. Most choirs and choral groups require at least a basic understanding of music notation, especially note count values (so you know how long to hold each note for) and intervals (the distance between two notes). Learning how to read music is very much like learning how to speak a foreign language. While you may be able to learn some of the basics on your own, you will gain a much deeper understanding by working with a native speaker your teacher, that is! Once you have learned how to read music, you can begin to practice sight reading exercises, which many singing auditions require. You will be handed a sheet of music and given a starting pitch. After just a few minutes of practice, the starting pitch is played once again and you will sing the notes as written to the best of your ability. Although it is a challenging exercise that requires a lot of skill, it gets much easier with practice! Learning How to Sing in Harmony While a solo a cappella voice can make beautiful music on its own, there is something magical about the music created when multiple voices sing in harmony with each other. Harmony is when different notes that are complementary to one another are sung or played at the same time. Most people are so used to listening to the melody, or the main tune of a song, that they find it quite challenging to sing the harmony line. While some singers seem to be born with an ear for harmony, most singers must work to develop this skill. Not only can a private vocal teacher show you how to sing harmony, youll have a built-in duet partner to sing with! Avoiding Injury Although people have made music since the beginning of time, it is possible to injure yourself when singing. One of the singing basics that your teacher will show you is how to take preventative measures to avoid injuring or permanently damaging your vocal cords. Staying well-hydrated and not straining your voice, for example, are very important to help you avoid nodules, polyps, and cysts on your vocal cords. These conditions can make it difficult or painful to sing and may change the sound of your voice. In severe cases, surgery may be required. No matter how old you are, its never too late to learn singing basics and start enjoying the art of singing. The more you practice, the more skilled you will become. Good luck! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher  Photo  by Chris Tse