Where to Find Painting Classes in Belfast.

Where to Find Painting Classes in Belfast. Learn to Paint in the Capital of Northern Ireland ChaptersWhy Take Painting Classes?And for Beginners?Join a Painting Class at Crescent Arts BelfastFind a Private Painting Tutor at SuperprofLike all of the UK’s capital cities, Belfast is crammed with opportunities for learning art. Whether it’s printmaking, ceramics, digital photography, or sculptural work you are after, you’ll find the perfect option for you. And this, of course, includes painting â€" from the still life to the expressive, watercolors to oil paint, portraiture or abstraction. You’ll find it in Belfast.And that, as you know, is because Belfast is a bustling and busy city with a packed festival calendar â€" from the Belfast International Arts Festival to the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and the Belfast Children’s Festivals. These â€" and particular the first â€" bring art students, professional artists, and young artists from all over the world. There is literature, dance, theatre, and comedy too â€" and all the different mediums that you can imagine.But , with some of the best art education institutions in the country â€" from the prestigious Belfast School of Art to the community centre, Crescent Arts â€" there are opportunities for art classes for all. And that’s if you are looking for a general art education or if you want to join a little group of painters, if you want to learn about art history or practice your gouache or watercolour, learn to draw and paint together or develop your representational skills on the human figure.Whatever it is you want to do, you can do it in Belfast!Finding painting classes in Cardiff and painting workshops in Edinburgh!Take painting courses in Belfast! FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StefaniaPainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhy Take Painting Classes?If you are on this page, you probably already have a passion for the arts. Maybe you have your own art studio already, you like to work with acrylic paint, with light and shadow â€" or with whatever â€" already, and you are happy with your skill and with your creative process.But do you sometimes feel as though you are just doing the same things? That you aren’t developing as much as you would like, or that you keep returning to the same palette, subjects, or styles?This, in a nutshell, speaks to the benefit of taking an art class or a series of art workshops. Because you know the benefits of painting already: the outlet for your expressive potential, the joy of filling can vases with your thoughts and feelings, the opportunity to let it all go and give yourself to your artworks, the still lifes, the sketchbook.But what you don’t know perhaps is the benefit of getting out of your comfort zone, of being pushed into new artistic territories, the pleasure of having an art teacher to give critiques and suggest improvements to your work. Their role is a valuable one for artists who have been painting on their own their whole life â€" because when you are alone, you don’t necessarily know your full potential!So, sign up to an art school or individual art lessons, participate in a class on color theory or watercolor techniques and expand what you know about painting!Find painting classes across the UK and painting classes in London!Let that be your work up there!And for Beginners?But classes in the visual arts â€" or art classes in general â€" are not just for those who already know how to paint. There are adult classes â€" and those for teens and kids †" for which no experience is necessary.These classes for those of a lower skill level will be the most fun you’ve had for ages. You won’t just be learning the technical stuff â€" from how to mix paints to the theory of underpainting, from the range of art materials to the obvious technique of actually how to paint â€" but you’ll also be surrounded by people similarly curious and enthusiastic as you.So, whatever level you’re at, you’ll find that art classes â€" and painting classes specifically â€" may well be the best thing you’ve ever done. So, if you’re curious about joining an art center in Belfast, you’re in the right place. Because we’ve put together what we hope to be a helpful little list of some of the best places to learn painting in Belfast.We hope you find it helpful!Join a Painting Class at Crescent Arts BelfastThe Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast is the well-known arts center on the north end of the city’s Queen’s Quarter. Offering all sorts of art programs to all skill levels, Crescent Arts hosts classes in everything from digital art and digital media to watercolor classes, studio courses, seascape work, and the use of acrylics.It’s a beautiful little place, with plenty of art studios and different opportunities for teen art and kids art. They are open Monday-Friday, and at the weekend â€" and have all sorts of different events. The summer, in particular, is a great time to go â€" as they have weekly summer camps in all sorts of different artistic disciplines.Check it out if you are in that part of town.Learn to Paint with Julie DouglasA little to the east of Belfast is the home and studio of Julie Douglas, a local artist and renowned painting teacher. She hosts painting lessons there, and caters to an international crowd.She has, apparently, been all over the world giving talks and workshops with artists both budding and professional â€" and she is generally seen to be something of an expert in her field.Julie runs weeklo ng workshops for all levels, in which you can develop a personally chosen skill or subject area â€" in teeny-tiny and therefore intensive groups. If you can’t take the time off to take advantage of these wonderful things, then you can organise weekly classes with Julie. These take place at the major locations in Belfast city centre â€" from the MAC to the Ulster Museum.Find painting classes in Leeds and painting lessons in Birmingham.Take Summer Art Classes at Lawrence Street WorkshopsDown near Queen’s University, there is a nice studio art collective that runs adult art courses throughout the summer. These guys â€" the Lawrence Street Workshops, as they call themselves â€" teach essentially whatever they have to hand: pizza making, sculpture, guitar maintenance, and something to do with bikes. They also do a funfair.They are an incredibly fun lot, and their classes are a real experience. You will also learn an awful lot about painting!Get practicing your painting!Find a Private Painting Tutor at SuperprofWhilst a group art workshop can be a wonderful thing â€" fun, mutually supportive, and stretching and challenging in the best way, they also have a few downsides. If you are looking to develop your particular technique â€" your observational work, say, or your use of pastels â€" you may find that you don’t get the personal support and guidance that you would like.That’s totally understandable â€" and community art centres are not exactly supposed to provide bespoke tuition to individuals anyway.So, if you want to develop your personal arts skills, why not look into some private painting and art instruction? Whilst you might think these are a little indulgent, you shouldn’t â€" because the returns on your investment from individual sessions with a painting teacher will be much higher than that from community arts classes.Superprof is a great place to find such individual painting tuition. In Belfast, we host five painting tutors, charging an average of £18 an hour â€" tutors who are local artists themselves and offer classes either in their studio or in your front room.Whichever way you choose, you can be sure that your painting tutor will be friendly, knowledgeable, and reliable!Study for a Degree in Painting at the Belfast School of Art.Providing some of the best arts education in the UK, the Belfast School of Art makes up part of Ulster University. They offer degrees in art and design and graphic design, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts.This latter course is your best option for an art program if you are looking to study painting at degree level. It places the art student in a practice-focused environment, in which their creativity is supplemented by additional modules in art history and theories of artmaking and aesthetics. It’s a challenging and prestigious course that sets you up for professional work in the art world, with real skills in visual art.You’ll be taking part in your own art exhibition and be given plen ty of opportunity to impress all the right people in the art industry.Do it if you are serious about your work!Find painting courses in Manchester and painting classes in Glasgow!

Painting Classes London

Painting Classes London Everything to Know About Painting in London ChaptersChoosing a Painting ClassPainting Techniques for Different MediumsPainting Materials and Art SuppliesWhere to Find Art Classes in LondonFirst, you must know what painting classes near me are out there. This can sound strange: all art is just art, right? Well, as with all things, the answer is a bit more complex. Art can generally be divided into three major categories: literature, performing arts, and visual arts.What we will focus on is painting, which is classified under the visual arts category. If you want to learn more about the different kinds of visual art you can get involved in, you can also check out sculpture, printmaking, architecture, film or mixed media.Learn to paint in the capital of England!AcrylicStarting with acrylic painting techniques, you’ll find are analogous to the ones you will find in other mediums. The first, called dry brush, is exactly as it sounds: applying paint onto your dry brush and painting onto dry canvas.Washing, in contrast, involves th inning out the acrylic with water. The level of water you use will obviously depend on what kind of color and texture you’re looking for. It is interesting to note, however, that applying enough water to acrylic will give you a watercolor effect (only it will dry much faster).Stippling is a method that involves nothing more than stabbing your canvas with your brush. This technique was employed by famous artists like Georges Seurat, and can give way to incredible detailing.Oil PaintScumbling is the oil paint version of dry brush. It simply means you apply some oil paint onto the canvas as it is, which tends to give paintings a hazy or unfocused atmosphere.Alla prima is the wet on wet technique of oil painting. This means that you will have to apply the paint on the first layer without letting it dry. This tends to give the painting more texture.WatercolorFlat wash is what you typically think of as a general technique of water coloring. It means that you will dip your brush into wat er and then paint before applying it to your canvas. This goes along with the wet on dry technique, as you will create a flat wash on canvas, wait for it to dry, then apply another flat wash.Wet on wet, however, is a technique that means wetting a segment of the paper first and then applying a flat wash onto it. This creates more of a dreamy effect that typifies watercolor paintings.Whether your painting a portrait, still life or simply sketching out your preliminary ideas, every canvas normally should undergoes some sort of underpainting. This technique is when a layer of non-white paint is applied to canvases as a layer that will both deepen shading and add texture to your works. Note that this normally isn’t a technique applied to watercolor.Find painting courses near me here.Painting Materials and Art SuppliesWhile creativity is at the heart of artistic creation, you will need to buy some basic materials and supplies in order to get started. Whether you take part in workshops or are part of a painting course at a university, it is important that you investigate what kind of materials will be available for you to borrow.For example, many professors tend to have an extra palette or brushes that they won’t mind letting students use if they’re strapped for cash. On the other hand, workshops are likely to supply the materials that will be used during the session.If you are taking part in a beginners course, you will most likely need to get some basic colors of acrylic paint. Luckily, either your instructor or the people at the art supply store will be able to give you some recommendations on what colors will be necessary for beginners.Find painting classes in Manchester.Requirements for class don't have to be stressful or expensiveWhile paint for watercolor painting is extremely important, the paper which you will be painting on is equally as important. Because watercolor is normally done on paper and not canvas, the type of watercolor painting your will be doing will effect the thickness of the paper you will need. A rule of thumb is to purchase several paper of a range of thickness to be able to experiment with.Oil painting courses will require a bit more of an investment. If you’re a beginner, only buy a couple of the basic colors as oil paint can get expensive. If you’re a more advanced painter, consider getting an easel.Where to Find Art Classes in LondonSearching for painting classes in London has its advantages. From workshops, adult classes, kids art courses, to finding an open studio - finding the type of art instruction you're looking for is just a click away.Many art classes in London, like London Art Classes, focus on everything from drawing classes to painting. If you're looking for institutions that offer evening courses, the Art Academy of London offers both classes in studio art and for refining drawing skills. Finding tutors from these organizations, or from the many Superprof tutors available to you online, wil l enable you to develop your artwork at your own pace.Another great option for people living in the city is not necessarily to enroll in an art school, but to take advantage of the art workshops that pop up around the city, all year long. Websites like Obby and Eventbrite can help you find an upcoming painting event close to where you live.If you're simply looking for places to develop your own self-practice, consider renting a part of or a whole art studio in the city. Many artists, in fact, choose to share a space with other artists as a way of both expanding their supplies and having a space to store all of their materials.Other than that, practicing in the parks of London can be a great opportunity to practice plein air painting. The only downside being, of course, the weather!No matter where in the UK you live, you can find a painting tutor with Superprof.

4 Tips to Prevent Summer Slide

4 Tips to Prevent Summer Slide Summer slide is the tendency over the summer months for students to lose information and important gains made during the school year. Taking a break from the workload and routine of the academic year is crucial, but so is implementing a bit of structurewithin the overall relaxationto keep your child fresh, alert, and ready for the fall. Tips to prevent summer slide include reading activities, engaging field trips, and interactive games. Keep reading to learn about four strategies for preventing summer slide: Tip #1 to prevent summer slide: read Reading is a very beneficial way to prevent summer slide. It exercises many of your childs faculties, including comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. Provide regular access to books by choosing a weekly or biweekly time to visit the public library or a local bookstore. The summer months provide plenty of time to plan a variety of engaging activities around reading. These activities can include introducing higher-level books to your student or finding a unique way to track your childs summer reading progress. Public libraries also often have great summer reading programs that can increase motivation and engagement, so be sure to research offerings. [RELATED: 6 Activities to Keep Students Learning This Summer] Tip #2 to prevent summer slide: journey out on field trips Fields trips are a fun opportunity for your child to simultaneously maintain learned knowledge and continue learning over the summer months. These trips can include visiting museums, the zoo, or a local educational center. Childrens museums are especially interactive, and science and field museums often have tactile and engaging activities for children. Dont be afraid to take your child to an art museum as well; many art museums offer child-friendly tours and activities. Additionally, you and your child can: Go to the park and explore the surrounding environment. Take a hike at a local nature reserve. Visit your local honey farm or community garden. Throughout this, urge your child to explore, both in the actual space and intellectually, encouraging them to ask questions and engage in the activities. [RELATED: 6 Summer Learning Programs for Students of All Ages] Tip #3 to prevent summer slide: play games Games provide a great opportunity to increase mental speed and agility. Youll want to both limit and take advantage of screen time; theres a wealth of apps and online games that will challenge your child intellectually, but too much screen time can have a negative impact. Point your child to board games as well. Strategy games and word games like Scrabble or Bananagrams can provide many benefits. An online search will yield an abundance of new games that are age- and grade-level appropriate for your child. If your child is interested, encourage them to create a board game of their own, complete with rules, the board, and the pieces. Tip #4 to prevent summer slide: cook and garden Involving your child in everyday activities can be a great way to keep their minds active and engaged. Cooking and baking are fun and interactive activities that help children engage with math and science. For example, going to the grocery store to prepare for these activities can help your child maintain everyday math skills while school is out for the summer. Additionally, whether it be at your own home or at a local garden plot, you can start a garden with your child. This can teach similar skills to baking and cooking, and can allow students to grasp the concept of garden-to-table recipes. [RELATED: How to Find Educational Summer Camps] Many of these activities can be incorporated around summer camps and travel. Beyond these tips, correspond with your childs teacher if possible. Often, theyll have tips, book recommendations, and know of opportunities that are geared specifically to your childs abilities and interests. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Qualifications for Teaching Russian in Schools

Qualifications for Teaching Russian in Schools How to Get the Necessary Qualifications to Teach Russian ChaptersThe PGCE and Teacher Training ProgrammesApplying for Teacher Training ProgrammesFinding Teacher Training ProgrammesResearching Programmes“Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” - Winston ChurchillWhile Russian has never been the most popular language to learn in the UK, it’s started gaining popularity in recent years.  A lot of this can be explained by Russia’s importance on an international level. Russia has a lot to offer. Russia is drawing in students with its literature, history, art, and sciences, not to mention its history, both ancient and modern.So how can you teach Russian in schools?We're going to assume that you've already completed an undergraduate degree, such as a bachelor's degree in Russian, and are looking at universities to study a postgraduate qualification in order to make you eligible to teach in UK schools. You won't necessarily need to be a native speaker to teach Russian as a foreign language.In this article, we're going to look through how you can find a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and other teacher training programmes and apply to them. Since this is a postgraduate qualification, it's the equivalent to a masters degree. LavaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LarisaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors InaRussian Teacher 4.88 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IrynaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvgeniaRussian Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnastassiaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NikolaRussian Teacher 5.00 (4) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MargaritaRussian Teacher 5.00 (3) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe PGCE and Teacher Training ProgrammesTo teach in a secondary school in the UK, you’ll need to have a PGCE or do a teacher training programme. As you saw, you won't be studying your subject but rather focusing on the vocational aspects of the teaching discipline and the aspects of teaching as a profession.Applying to a PGCE isn't the simplest process in the world. (Source: Free-Photos)Upon completion of your PGCE, you'll be able to teach in British schools both in the UK and abroad.  So here's how you can apply to the PGCE and other teacher training programmes.UCASThe University and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) offers a number of ways for aspiring teachers to get on courses.There are over a dozen ways to get into teaching.The PGCE is one of the most common ways to do this.The right route depends on your background and your aspirations.Let’s have a look at the steps you need to take.Check out  Russian lessons London.Applying for Teacher Training ProgrammesApply 1The first stage of applying to a teacher training programme through UCAS is called “Apply 1”. During this stage, you can apply to three different places. Here’s some a dvice:Think carefully about where you choose as there’s a lot of competition for places.You don’t have to use your three choices, but you do have to make your choices at the same time. You can’t make one choice then add more choices later.You can use your three choices as you see fit. Your choices can include different ages, subjects, routes.If you change your mind, you have seven days to change your choices and you can only make this change once.InterviewsBefore you’re given a place on a PGCE, you have to do an interview. Don’t forget that when it comes to interviews:Not every application will be given an interview.Applicants are chosen using academic and non-academic criteria.Once you're on the PGCE, the real work begins. (Source: kaboompics)It’s a good idea to ensure you’re completely free the day of your interview.Responding to OffersIf you receive any offers, you’ll have 10 days to respond to them. Think carefully when choosing.Apply 2If you aren’t offered a p lace during “Apply 1”, you have another opportunity in “Apply 2”.  Rather than making three choices, you can only make one choice at a time. However, there is no limit to how many choices you can make, as long as you only make one at a time.Apply 2 only happens if your choices aren’t successful, you withdrew from your current choice, or you declined offers.  Again, you can apply to any route you like. At this point, you may want to go back to your applications and strengthen them with additional documents and an updated personal statement.  Keep in mind that a decision can take up to 40 working days.Finding Teacher Training ProgrammesApplying to teacher training programmes is all well and good, but how do you find them?There are a few ways to do this.The PGCE is about learning to teach, not the subject you teach. (Source: Pexels)It depends on where you live in the UK:The department of education has a teacher training service to help you find programmes in England.If you’ re in Wales or Scotland, you can use UCAS’ search tool.The application process in Northern Ireland is a little different.  It’s important that you consider the opportunities you find carefully.Check other  Russian language course.Researching ProgrammesThe programme you choose can significantly affect your future as a teacher so it isn’t a decision you should take lightly. This is why you should take the time to do your research.There are different teacher training routes you’ll need to consider.  Similarly, there are different entry requirements. The quickest way to get rejected is to apply to a programme whose requirements you don’t meet! For those in England, you’ll also need to look at the professional skills tests.Think carefully about which country in the UK you want to teach in and decide which age group and subject you would like to teach. In the case of Russian, you’ll probably need another language to go with it.Finding the Right ProgrammeOnce you’ve found t he ideal programme, make sure you check that there are still spaces available on it. It would be terrible to apply to a programme that’s already been filled. All it takes is a quick phone call or an email to find out. Don’t waste one of your choices applying to a programme you have no chance of getting on.The application process is far too complicated to explain in just a single article. However, there are plenty of great resources on the UCAS website explaining how to fill in your teacher training application.  Fortunately, you don’t have to complete your application in a single sitting. You can save it and go back to it.Making a DecisionAs we said earlier, you have ten working days to reply to offers. Fortunately, this is ten working days from when you’ve received the decisions from all your choices.Your PGCE will include a lot of studying. (Source: StartupStockPhotos)The training providers have 40 working days to respond to you with an offer or a rejection. However, these working days don’t include the days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day as UCAS is closed.  Of course, you can get responses before the end of this 40-day period.There are a number of responses you can get from the training providers.Unconditional Offer: This means that you’ve met all the academic requirements. However, there may still be non-academic requirements that you have to meet.Conditional Offer: This means that there are further conditions to meet. They’ll tell you what these conditions are.Withdraw: This happens if you don’t attend an interview or don’t reply to the training provider. Additionally, this can happen is the programme fills up.Unsuccessful: This means you haven’t been accepted. Not considered: programme full: This one is pretty self-explanatory.Now you should get to finding training programmes and preparing to do a lot of work! Additionally, you'll also need to consider scholarships, bursaries, and funding for higher education. You can find plenty of information about tuition fees for higher education from the universities themselves and from alumni of the courses.Each academic institution is different although all UK universities can be applied to through UCAS. Whether you specialise in mathematics, humanities, or science, you can expect a lot of coursework. The PGCE is one of the most difficult postgraduate courses but it's arguably the only way for you to become a teacher in a British secondary school.You can also opt to get a diploma or study abroad as an international student. For example, if you want to teach the national curriculum of another country, the PGCE isn't a requirement.Whether you're interested in teaching Russian, psychology, physics, computing, or the English language, there are plenty of options for students thinking about continuing on their path to becoming a teacher.Once you've graduated and been awarded your certificate, you'll be ready to start teaching in schools!  Of course, you don't neces sarily need to be an accredited teacher to teach those in further education as a private tutor. Students can be taught at their own home and you can do this either part time or full time.If you're interested in teaching private Russian tutorials, you can make your profile on Superprof. You can offer face-to-face tutorials and online tutorials to students wanting to learn Russian or improve their language skills. Consider offering the first hour of tuition for free in order to encourage potential students to get in touch!

Biology Course

Biology Course Biology is the study of all about living organisms in general and life in particular. The various goals and objectives of biology are 1. To understand ourselves better: Biology helps us to understand ourselves better.it impacts us various knowledge 2. To produce more food: The knowledge of biology has helped us to form new varieties of high yield plants, by adopting new techniques of hybridization and selective breeding etc. Similarly, the improved varieties of cattle and poultry are raised through the techniques of artificial insemination and selective breeding. 3.To maintain health standard : Biology helps us to control various diseases which are caused due to germs or lack of some essential nutrients or due to malfunctioning of certain organs in the body. Biology makes man to keep himself healthy by adopting certain precautions or by the use of various medicines 4. Conservation of natural resources: The knowledge of biology makes us aware about the impending dangers of deforestation, industrialization, killing of wild life and contamination of air and water with industrial wastes and sewage. The conservation of natural resources is very necessary to leave them for future generation. 5. To solve problems of public health: Biology warns us about the environmental hazards caused by insanitation, disposal of town refuse and infected drinking water in cities and town and enables us to learn our responsibilities to society in matters of public health and community. 6. Introducing biological occupations: Many career opportunities are associated for the students of biology to earn a living. These include medicine, forestry, druggist, entomologist, nursing and laboratory technician etc.

2019 NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference Unpacking Mathematical Fluency - Heart Math Tutoring

2019 NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference Unpacking Mathematical Fluency - Heart Math Tutoring 2019 NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference: Unpacking Mathematical Fluency 2019 NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference: Unpacking Mathematical Fluency December 20, 2019 Last month, I had the opportunity to join Heart Program Director, Cydney Kramer and Program Manager, Emily Aleski, in attending the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference (NCCTM) in Greensboro, NC. We joined hundreds of other math teachers, facilitators, and researchers from across the state to explore this year’s topic of Mathematical Mindsets for All. We were inspired by and thankful for the opportunity to connect with other math educators, all grounded in a commitment to equitable math instruction for all students. As a Heart Tutoring team, we had many of our current practices validated, and we also learned even more ways to provide equitable support for our students and families! We’ve summarized some of our findings below. What is Mathematical Fluency? Mathematical fluency is typically defined as the ability to solve math problems accurately and efficiently. Unfortunately, this definition often translates to a disproportionate emphasis on speed. Many of us have encountered this imbalance in our own math experiences. (If you’ve ever felt anxious about a timed multiplication tables quiz, then you probably know what I mean!) The challenge with math fluency is that we too often interpret efficiency to mean speed, resulting in students memorizing facts without foundational understanding. In order to become efficient problem solvers, students first need the opportunity to build authentic understanding of number concepts so that they can then use that knowledge in a way that makes sense to them. Learn more about defining (and redefining) mathematical fluency here. Firing and Wiring Our Brains Once students have grounded their thinking in understanding, then they can begin building efficiency and speed through meaningful repetition. Keynote speaker, Valerie Faulkner, calls this “firing and wiring our brains.” She argues that, when done strategically and consistently, practicing speed does not have to be inherently stressful for students. To keep stress levels low and strategic learning at the forefront, Faulker recommends regularly linking speedwork to the conceptual work needed for students to gain understanding. She also notes the importance of valuing student effort over correct answers, setting the purpose for speed-based practice, and providing opportunities for students to review and celebrate their individual progress. These strategies can shift fluency practice away from tasks that are anxiety-inducing and instead transform them into meaningful moments that are confidence-boosting! The Power of Precise Feedback As our students work hard to strengthen all these mathematical skills, a huge part of our role as tutors is to provide encouragement and feedback. The more precise our feedback, the more impactful. Precise feedback sounds like taking that extra minute to offer students specific language that celebrates the work they are doing and the way they are doing it. For example, rather than saying “Great job,” we might say, “I see how you organized the cubes into trains of ten to help you solve! Great thinking!” We might even ask an additional question like, “I see that you organized the cubes into trains of ten. Can you explain to me how you used those trains to solve the problem?” Precise feedback acknowledges student thinking and gives them the opportunity to reflect on that thinking themselves. To learn more, check out this six-minute video, which shows elementary students learning how specific feedback enhances outcomes.

How Your Teen Can Make Senior Year Great

How Your Teen Can Make Senior Year Great For most parents, the arrival of a teens senior year of high school comes with a lot of both excitement and trepidation. After working toward a future that seemed far off, the time has finally come for your teen to graduate high school and head to college and into the real world. After all of your teens hard work leading up to this point, its important for them to finish strong. Here are several tips to help your teen make senior year great: Dont slack off. Understandably, many teens lose motivation toward the end of high school. Help yours avoid this by reminding them to stick to a routine and study schedule, continue to think about and refine future goals, and keep in mind that college admissions officers do review final high school transcripts. They will not hesitate to revoke admission if a students grades drop significantly. Focus on the future without losing sight of today. Your teen might be over high school and ready to move on to the next exciting stage in their life, but theres still a lot of work to be done. Its more than just keeping up in school and maintaining the GPA, too. Senior year has a lot of social opportunities and milestones to celebrate. Your teen needs to keep studying, doing homework, and devoting time to college tasks. Create a college task calendar. Theres a lot to keep track of senior year, for both you and your teen. Print out Huntingtons senior year college application calendar, which will help your teen stay on top of all college-related deadlines from fall until graduation. Maintain good relationships with teachers. Teachers can serve as mentors, write recommendation letters, and offer a wide range of guidance and advice for students as they navigate the end of high school and prepare for college. Make sure your teen is getting the most out of those relationships by participating in class, visiting teachers outside of class, and putting in the work. Commit to time management. By now, your teen should have a good handle on what it takes to succeed in school. They must stick to the time management and organizational system that has served them well in high school. This will become even more critical in college. Lastly, your teen should remember that there are many resources available during senior year. Teachers, guidance counselors, and school staff know that senior year is busy, stressful, and important. They have ushered many students through this time and are more than willing to help your teen stay on the path to success. Encourage your teen to reach out to them and you when needed.

5 Parenting Resolutions for the New Year - Aloha Mind Math - ALOHA Mind Math

5 Parenting Resolutions for the New Year So it’s that time of the year again, when a whole year has rushed past in the blink of an eye. The children are a year older, and we parents need to come up with a whole new set of resolutions to be able to keep up with them. Joking aside, parents today need to keep ourselves updated with our kids needs, and to figure out how to do our best for our kids: Be more patient: Easier said than done, but most parents would name this virtue as their first need for parenting. Unless we are patient and able to look at a situation calmly, the simplest issue might feel tough to handle. There are many interesting books for parents to read on this subject, one of my favorites being “How to talk so your kids will listen…” Spend more time: This does not mean just being in the same space as your kids, but actually interacting and spending time with them. I am as guilty as any other parent of succumbing to the need of sitting with a laptop most of the time, even when the kids are around. It really helps to designate a “no gadget” time at home, which is applicable for the kids as well as you. Make it fun: This could be seen as an aftereffect of being patient too, but I think it’s very important that we take time to make things fun for ourselves and our kids. It is the small memories that are going to stay in their minds, and let’s work on making as many of these beautiful moments as we can. Mutual respect: The best way for kids to learn to respect those around them, is by receiving that respect themselves when at home. Yes, there will be times when you have to talk strictly to them, but treat them like individuals and they will definitely appreciate it. Give yourself a break: There are two ways of looking at this one, the first being that you should not beat yourself up over the small mistakes and upsets that happen to all of us. The other aspect being that as parents, we need some clear space and “me” time once in a while too. I am sure there are many more we can come up with as parents, but these are some of the top ones on my mind. If you’re looking for ways to creatively engage your child at times you might be busy, do check out our Math and English classes at Aloha.http://www.aloha-usa.com