How To Prep For AP Exams

How To Prep For AP Exams Over the next two weeks, close to 2 million students will be taking the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Covering subjects ranging from Art History to Macroeconomics to Statistics, AP exams (and their corresponding AP classes) give high school students opportunities to take rigorous classes while earning college credit by successfully passing the exams. Here are some pointers to help you get through the next two weeks of grueling exams: 1. Read over the official Course Description booklets The College Board has course booklets for each of its AP exams. Browsing over the course booklet is a great way to ensure that your AP class teacher or your prep books have not missed any big topics that the college board has designated as part of the AP exam. The booklets also outline rules for each exam, such as the policies for calulator use on the mathematics AP exams (calculators with QWERTY keyboards are not allowed). See the Calculus AB Course Description as an example of the great information that is provided for each AP exam. 2. Get enough sleep and be mentally prepapred AP exams take up half a day, and you have to be able to sit down and focus for 3 to 4 hours. If you're scheduled to take two exams on the same day, such as U.S. History in the morning followed by European History in the afternoon, it is even more important to be well-rested for the full day's worth of testing. Avoid caffeine late at night if you know drinking coffee or tea makes you restless. Wear comfortable clothing for the exams, as you won't be allowed to leave your testing room. It's already a challenge trying to remember all the antiderivatives and limit rules for that Calculus AB exam, so keep all distractions to a minimum. The exams rated the hardest are often U.S. History, Physics, and Spanish, so be very well prepared if you are taking any of those three tests. 3. Bring your supplies The AP exams' multiple choice sections require you to bubble in answers on a scantron, so have plenty of pencils on hand! For the free-response sections, bring pens as well, so your writing can be clear and easy to read. Legibility may not be part of the official grading rubric, but you still want to make it as easy as possible for your graders to read that essay you sweated over. Lastly, bring a watch to wear or to simply put on your desk. You may not be familiar with your testing room's layout (clock? no clock?), and being able to keep track of time will help your pacing through each section. Once a section is finished, you are not allowed to go back, so giving each question a serious attempt is important. More than 90% of the colleges across the nation have some sort of AP policy, granting credit and/or class placement to students who achieve designated scores on AP exams. This could mean fewer classes you have to take in college, resulting in thousands of dollars saved.

8 Items to Bring to Your Dorm Room

8 Items to Bring to Your Dorm Room With all the excitement of moving off to college, it is no surprise that items on your to-do list may get overlooked in the midst of the insanity. There are certain areas, however, where you really do not want this happen, such as buying and packing up specific items for your dorm room. The fact that dorms provide minimal space for students often leads to a lack of over-packing. This is certainly a good practice but at the same time, it is vital that you do not write off the thought that goes into packing completely. You may also want to check out this information on how to adjust to dorm lifeas well. You will be provided with a twin bed, a desk, and a closet/dresser combination of some sort. its the hundreds of extra things you have to think about. Decorative objects, practical objects, forms of entertainment; there is no stopping this train of thought. Save yourself major stress and time by first checking off some key items that you most definitely do not want to forget. Comfortable Form of Seating: Everybody knows to bring a futon and/or large plushy chair, but you should really put some extra time into this particular shopping effort. While you may just want to get the pre-college errands over with and settle for the same Target futon everyone else gets, its important to seriously get a feel for how comfortable this form of seating is. Keep in mind that this will be the only place for you to sit down and relax other than your bed, which may be lofted and inconvenient to get to at a moments notice. Youll be kicking yourself later if the only seating you own is awkward and uncomfortable. For instance, a giant bean bag chair may seem cool at first, but its lack of back support may bother you as time goes on. Avoid future frustration and just think about all aspects of this furniture beforehand. Here is some great tips tip help you fear not the dorm! Headphones: When you are in this kind of close quarters with a roommate, you are bound to need some peace every now and then. The two of you are not always going to be on the same schedule, meaning sometimes when theyll want nothing but to watch TV after a long day, youll have a huge paper due in the morning that youll need to stay up late working on. You wont always have the energy to change locale and head to the library, so a pair of headphones to drown out the noise might be just what you need. Dont always rely on the small, delicate headphones you probably use for your iPod. A larger and more powerful set might be more useful for this purpose. Desk Lamp: Going off of the point that you and your roommate will not always be on the same schedule, one of you might want to go to sleep early while the other is determined to stay up and get some homework done. This is where a small and flexible desk lamp comes in handy. Its easy to forget about since were used to having rooms to ourselves and turning the overhead lights on or off as we please, but this item is likely to be used fairly often in this sort of co-habitation. Multiple Power Strips: You can never have too many of these. First off, youll have no idea how many outlets will be engraved in the dorm walls nor will you be able to control where they are. They arent always placed conveniently amongst your furniture set-up, and there certainly arent always enough especially for both you and your roommate. Power strips will eliminate that annoyance and also give you the freedom to charge items like your computer and phone wherever you like, rather than being confined to one spot. This will also eliminate the need to choose between various electronics at one time. Shower Caddy: This item is more for your dorm life rather than your dorm room, but it is still just as important. Unless you are one of those lucky students who lands a dorm suite that includes a bathroom to share with a few other roommates, you will be forced to make a trip down the hall to the community bathroom every time you intend to take a shower. Having a caddy that is easy to transport and that has no problem holding all of your shower items in an organized fashion is so important. You certainly dont want showering to be a chore by having to reassemble your accessories every time; make the trip down the hall as little of an inconvenience as possible. TV and DVD Player: This shouldnt need much explanation and is most likely near the top of your list anyway but it is worth mentioning. Make sure you coordinate with your roommate about this beforehand so you dont end up with two televisions you dont have room for. Additionally, make sure it is a TV that will fit adequately and that works well. You dont want to be the one student on the dorm floor that can only watch their DVDs on their computer or after begging a neighbor to lend their TV and dorm space for a viewing. Mini Fridge and Microwave: These are additional items that you definitely want to make sure you communicate with your roommate about before move-in day. Although you wont be doing much cooking in your dorm, it is very comforting to have these contraptions around for storing sodas and heating up Easy Mac. You dont want to have to rely on the cafeteria and fast food take-out alone for your calorie intake. Plus, abnormal college schedules mean youll get hungry at the oddest of times, so having snacks on hand is a big reassurance. You may want to also check out this info on the anatomy of a college dorm roomto help you prepare yourself! Extra Shelving/Storage Crates: You never know when youre going to run out of room to store things, so it is the safe thing to do to have these units available. Most of these are easy to fold up and put away if not needed, so dont worry about them unnecessarily taking up space that exact problem is what you are going to avoid by having these items.

SAT Help is a Smart Investment for Students

SAT Help is a Smart Investment for Students SAT Help is a Smart Investment for Students This not an ordinary fall for either you or your child. The SAT looms and you know your child needs all the support they can get to get ready. SAT scores can play a very important role in the college admissions process, but most parents do not know what exactly the SAT entails. What skills does the SAT emphasize? How much geometry and algebra are on the SAT? Does my child need a geometry tutor to be as prepared and confident as possible? Students often describe preparing for the SAT as one of the most stressful and anxious periods of their teen years; they know that this one test can have a big impact on whether or not they can get into the college of their choice. When students try and prepare for a test that they are not familiar with, stress and anxiety can get worse. Why leave them to navigate the minefield of SAT prep when there are professional experts and respected organizations that specialize in helping students with this specific test? Don't leave SAT prep to chance. Don't simply buy your child an SAT prep book and hope that it's enough. Find the professional assistance that is available to you and relieve fears that can damage confidence and scores. When you invest in a professional and reputable tutoring service, you can ensure that your child will get the help they need, both in terms of subject matter and test-taking strategy. This extra assistance will dramatically boost your childs confidence and allay fears heading into test day. Through one-on-one instruction, your child can discover his or her strengths and weaknesses and get the help needed to overcome possible deficiencies. If, for instance, geometry is not your child's strong suit, the tutor can provide constructive and tailored lessons on the subject that will enable your child to learn key concepts and even expand upon them. By the time he or she takes the test, your child should be confident in his or her abilities and ready and able to demonstrate new skills. Beyond understanding and practicing the specific skills demanded during the SAT, the mental edge provided by professional tutoring services cannot be overstated. Study after study reveals that test scores are suppressed by stress and anxiety. Practice with a professional tutor sharpens skills, provides familiarity with the test format, and shows your child how hard work and preparation can influence a more successful outcome.

Does Your Child Have Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Does Your Child Have Oppositional Defiant Disorder Kids with ADHD are often labeled as having behavior challenges, which usually means that their behavior is more difficult for teachers, parents, and peers to cope with than it is for kids without ADHD. In reality, not all kids with ADHD have truly challenging behavior. Some kids with primarily inattentive symptoms of ADHD have very few behavior challenges. Their difficulties only show up when they need to follow through on instructions, stay focused on a task, or organize their materials. Kids with ADHD who have hyperactive or impulsive symptoms do display some challenging behaviors at home or at school. These behaviors are primarily related to acting without thinking or struggling to control their overly active bodies. While frustrating, these behaviors dont often truly cross over into the realm of being oppositional or defiant. When a child with ADHD is regularly oppositional or becomes so defiant that they experience problems in their relationships with family and friends, then AD HD may not be the only culprit. They may also have Oppositional Defiant Disorder (or ODD). In fact, up to 40% of kids with ADHD also meet diagnostic criteria for ODD. What is ODD? ODD is characterized by a persistent angry and irritable mood, behaving in ways that are spiteful or vindictive, and argumentative and defiant behavior that often includes lashing out at others, blaming others for their own mistakes, deliberately annoying other people, and refusing to follow instructions from adults. These symptoms represent a persistent pattern of behavior in kids with ODD and arent something that only show up occasionally when they are tired or have had a bad day. Unlike ADHD, which causes challenges at home and at school, ODD may only be a problem in one of these settings. For example, its not uncommon for kids with ODD to display symptoms at home, but not at school. How is ODD Diagnosed? Like ADHD, ODD can only be diagnosed by a licensed clinical psychologist or medical doctor (usually a psychiatrist or a pediatrician). Making a diagnosis of ODD can be difficult in some cases, because symptoms of depression, anxiety, or trauma can lead to similar oppositional behavior in kids. So its important that the provider evaluate a childs complete history and symptom profile before making a diagnosis. How is ODD Treated? Treatment for ODD is typically focused on behavioral interventions. Medication can be helpful if poor impulse control or other symptoms related to ADHD or a mood disorder are contributing to the oppositional behavior. One of the most effective behavioral interventions for ODD is Parent Child Interaction Therapy (or PCIT). Typically used with kids between the ages of 3-6 years old, PCIT involves therapy sessions that include live coaching which walks parents through the use of effective behavior strategies focused both on child-directed interactions (where the child takes the lead and the parent follows) and parent-directed interactions (where the parent gives instructions and the child follows). Many parents who participate in PCIT find that it truly transforms their relationship with their child. Some practitioners have also adapted PCIT for use with children over the age of 6. In addition to PCIT, behavioral parent training, similar to the behavioral parent trai ning used for ADHD, has been found to help with ODD and can be used with kids of all ages. Collaborative Problem Solving, where kids and parents learn specific strategies that can be applied to solving problems that come up in daily life, can also be effective. What should you do if you suspect that your child may have ODD? If you suspect that your child may have ODD, reach out to your childs pediatrician or therapist as soon as possible and request a referral for a full evaluation. Like many mental health challenges, the sooner you begin treating ODD, the better the long-term prognosis for your child. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Transgender Woman Rejected from Smith Educational Opportunities for Trans Students

Transgender Woman Rejected from Smith Educational Opportunities for Trans Students Mount Holyoke College transgender alum Callum Angus holding up a sign in support of Calliope Wong for Smiths QA photo campaign. Smith College, a private women’s college in Massachusetts, rejected Calliope Wong, a male-to-female transgender applicant, twice due to a government financial aid document registering Wong as male. Though born male, Wong has identified as female for several years.   She applied to Smith College in Northampton on two separate occasions, and both times her materials and application fee were returned to her on the basis that “Smith is a women’s college, which means undergraduate applicants need to be female at the time of admission,” read a copy of the rejection letter Wong included on her blog. Prior to applying to Smith, Wong extensively researched the College’s policy on accepting transgender students. On her blog she claims to have spoken with Smiths Dean of Admissions, Debra Shaver, who allegedly told Wong that as long as all of her pronouns were female, then Wong’s application would be “consistent with what Smith is expecting.” Wong claimed the two discussed all matter of application materials and documents  to ensure Wongs  eligibility,   but “nowhere was there mention of FAFSA,” wrote Wong on her blog. Once her initial application was returned and she was denied consideration for admittance, Wong was shocked and heartbroken. With a reputation as an all-inclusive collegiate institution, Smith’s actions are puzzling to many. Noah Lewis, an attorney at the Transgender Legal Defense Education Fund in New York City has stood behind Wong and criticized Smith’s actions as discriminatory and unfounded. “Transgender students just want the same educational opportunities as other students, and federal law protects them from discrimination in education,” Lewis told Boston Magazine. “The only thing standing in the way of Smith admitting transgender women is Smith’s refusal to do it.   As an institution founded on principles of educational equity, Smith should just do the right thing and educate transgender women like other women.” Smith’s actions have ignited a national debate on the legal restrictions of educational opportunities for transgender students. It is a common misconception that federal law requires women’s colleges to admit only those who are or were once biologically female.  According to an article released in a 2012 issue of the Harvard Journal of Law Gender, a misuse of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is cited as the most common reasoning to account for informal discriminatory admission policies for same sex institutions:  â€œAlthough Title IX allows single-sex colleges to discriminate based on sex, they would be in violation of Title IX if they were to admit a student who was not the sex the particular institution serves. Therefore, if a woman’s college were to admit a student identifying as male (or not identifying as female), [or in Wong’s case legally classified as male,] the institution would jeopardize its federal funding.  Alternatively or additionally, instituti ons argue that if they admit individuals who do not identify as women they will be required to provide equal access accommodations, and their failure to do so would result in a Title IX violation.” As a result, Title IX does not force an institution to not admit transgender individuals, but rather it strives to force the institution to accommodate those individuals once they are enrolled. The legislation is meant to be protective but instead tends to be used as “a shield to criticism.” In short, there is no federal law explicitly requiring women’s colleges to admit individuals who were female at birth. It is merely the interpretation that several women’s colleges have chosen to adopt. Smith QA, a branch of the Smith student run organization, Students for Social Justice and  Institutional  Change contacted Wong regarding the legality of Smiths grounds for rejecting Wong and put her in contact with Jon OBergh,  Special  Assistant  Under  Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, and Cameron Washington, Web Usability Specialist at FAFSA. After extensive discussion between the three, it was made clear to Wong that an individuals sex indicated on their FAFSA is used only for Selective Service; which according to the Military Selective Service Act  requires all males between the ages of 18 and 25  to register with the Selective Service System. The federal government is irrelevant in this conversation, wrote Wong in her blog. All concerns about my hypothetical admission endangering Smiths status as a  historical  womens college  receiving  federal funding? Irrelevant and wrong. The government does not care about my sex marker. On March 26th, Smith QA met with Smith administrators to discuss the treatment of Wongs  application and will continue to focus on creating a place for transgender women at the college. In additional support of Wong, Smith QA created a photo campaign to increase the  visibility of student and alumni support on the inclusion of transgender women at Smith. Callum  Angus, a female-to-male transgender Mount Holyoke alum of the class of 2011, submitted a photo to the  campaign. Angus is an intern at the Transgender Youth Equality Foundation  which advocates for the legal and medical rights of transgender and gender nonconforming kids and teens nationwide.  Through activism,  conference involvement, support groups and school outreach, the TYEF  provides a support network and voice for transgender youth. As a high school student applying to colleges, Ms. Wongs scenario resonates with many of the teens we work with who are looking toward college in the future, wrote Angus in an emailed  st atement.   One of the reasons we do the work we do is to educate society that a girl is a girl if she says shes a girl, regardless of surgeries and paperwork, and the same holds for trans boys. Laurie Fenlason, vice president of Public  Affairs  at Smith, eluded to the college working to create a  broader  policy that is  inclusive to transgender applicants while still faithful to its mission statement as a womens college. Similarly, Mount Holyoke College is following Smiths suite by updating its policies dealing with transgender applicants as to generate an  inclusive  admissions environment. Womens colleges are unique environments where experimentation with gender and sexuality is embraced more enthusiastically than in coeducational institutions, wrote Angus. I wont pretend to know exactly why that is, but if it wasnt for my four years at Mount Holyoke College, it would have taken me much longer to become self-aware as transgender and decide to transition.[...] I think as transgender people gain visibility in the coming years and make headway in winning civil rights, womens colleges have the unique opportunity to become key in one of the leading social justice issues of o ur time. But that wont happen if they follow Smiths lead.

Teaching English to Young Learners in Japan

Teaching English to Young Learners in Japan Ah, Japan. From carving up fresh-fallen powder in Honshu to dining on mind-blowing Nigiri, Sashimi, and Maki (I mean, it’s a sushi lover’s Mecca), Japan is a country rich in incredibly beautiful cultural anomalies and unique opportunities. Perhaps, what’s most exciting to the Teach Away team are the opportunities to teach English abroad in Japan to a most curious audience; the young learners. With a population of 126.9 million living in a geographic footprint 26 times smaller than the Canadian continent, the island of Japan is comprised primarily of native Japanese people. This has kept so much of its beautiful culture intact but has had the drawback of leaving it largely unfamiliar with the English language. Approximately 72% of Japanese people ages 20 to 49 suggest they cannot speak English or cannot speak it proficiently. It is, therefore, a country ripe with opportunity for certified ESL teachers looking to teach English in a spectacular setting where the population has a huge appetite for learning English, especially from a very young age. Learning English in Japan starts (very!) young Due to continued expansion and widespread adoption of English as a “global” language, it has become pretty common for non-English speaking countries to invest in teaching English (yay for Teach Away!) as a language within the core school curriculum. In Japan, foreign residents (i.e. non-Japanese people) make up only approximately 3.8% of the population, with more than half of those being from non-English speaking countries (such as Vietnam and China). So you can imagine that hearing any spoken English can be pretty rare! As a result, ensuring Japanese youth are learning English has become a key area of focus for the country, with children being introduced to ESL as early as nine months of age! These “Young Learners” present a unique and exciting opportunity for certified ESL teachers. The delight of seeing an infant clapping after using the right word would bring joy to the hearts of most people. Now imagine that as a part of your day-to-day job? So awesome! What’s great about teaching young learners in Japan? To start with, younger students learn incredibly fast, making it a really rewarding experience as a teacher to watch their progress. Not to mention, the enthusiasm for English from younger learners can be infectious. And the learning experience is super fun too, with teachers enjoying the crafts, games, and other activities just as much as their students. As well, Japan’s education system is changing in response to the ever-expanding global workplace and the technological advancements that continue to break down physical barriers. This means there are more opportunities than ever for certified English-speaking teachers who are keen to explore this great country while using their skills and talents. Teaching others (particularly little humans!) how to master a new language, especially one as challenging and highly nuanced as English, is an impressive strength. And it is now one that is deeply appreciated in Japan, where the government and education system understand that English plays a larger role in international collaboration. Of course, really excellent communication skills are a must when teaching English and especially to very young children. As a result, native English speaking teachers are in high-demand in Japan. Employing teachers from countries such as the U.S. and Canada gives kids exposure to a new language, but also to new ideas and perspectives. It’s a window into the world beyond the only world they know, at an age where their curiosity is at an all-time high. Teaching English to young learners in Japan is about more than just learning the language. For Japanese parents, it is about exposing their children to a global mindset, something that people all over the world can relate to and appreciate. What you will find as an English teacher to young learners is that most parents of these young learners are enthusiastic, supportive, and appreciative for the chance to engage their youngsters in English. This openness makes for a very active parent participant, supporting deeper learning and engagement in both the school and home spaces. What you need to know about teaching young learners in Japan? There are, of course (as in life!), many options when it comes to teaching young learners in Japan. There are traditional methods and schools, and there are alternatives. For example, there are a number of schools and programs that address young learners as one of many audiences, including teaching programs for adults and kids of all ages. There are also those that are entirely focused on teaching English to young learners and tend to have a more youth-centric focus (read: they’re pretty fun!). Not all programs are made the same One of these youth-focused organizations is Benesse BE studio Inc., which offers exciting English learning programs for children. BE studio currently operates over 1,700 schools across Japan, with over 2,000 teachers focusing on supporting young learners with their English skills. Teach Away had the chance to chat with Alex Barnes, Training and Quality Supervisor at BE studio. The North Carolina native has been teaching and working in Japan for many years, and with BE studio since Spring of 2018. He notes that when it comes to teaching for an organization like BE studio, “Teachers might have a lot of students but schools tend to be small, so a typical work environment is more personal and friendly than many large private conversation schools or public schools. We also have regular workshops to improve teaching skills, and because new and experienced teachers come to share ideas, it’s a very supportive environment.” Programs that focus on young learners also benefit from having more tailored programs and greater parent engagement, which leads to an active and collaborative learning environment. Invested parents create engaged kids! As any parent knows, the difference between how a two-year-old learns and a five-year-old learns is as vast as the geography that separates Canada and Japan. In certain settings and with certain young age groups, it can be challenging to manage expectations of excited parents ready to see their children thriving in a school environment. This is mostly because it can be very hard to show progress at such a young age. For example, a three-year-old flipping through an English book and identifying certain small things can seem irrelevant. However, if provided with enthusiastic praise, these young people can deepen their connections between what they learn verbally and what they see visually. BE studio encourages the use of praise and enthusiasm to ensure their lessons are less about tests and rewards, and more about fun and encouragement. Teachers create a classroom environment where students don’t have to worry about making mistakes and can just be themselves. Every child has a dream, and English can help them achieve that dream. At BE studio, teachers find opportunities to teach children English in a way that relates to their interests and also supports them on their journey toward their dreams. This really helps parents get excited and invested in supporting their kids in a natural way at home as well as at school. And of course, the more you practice, the better you get! It might be the most rewarding thing you ever do Teaching little kids is obviously not without its challenges. However, as Mr. Barnes suggests, “When you see the ‘oh, now I get it’ look on a student’s face, or a parent tells you their child had a conversation with foreign tourists last weekend, or a student is finally able to give an English speech in front of the class by themselves, it makes it all worth it.” Alex Barnes shares a story about his early days teaching with BE studio: “I once taught a boy who started lessons at two years old. At first, he didn’t speak much and only participated in activities when encouraged by his mother. However, we continued to make sure he had lots of English input, focusing on building his listening recognition skills until he became comfortable speaking. One day, he suddenly started singing half of the lyrics to the song we had been practicing the last few weeks. It was a huge relief for his parents, and he soon became the most talkative student in the class.” There is truly no greater service than that of a teacher and the reward of shaping young people’s futures. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. Wondering how to get started? If you think this all sounds incredible and you’re wondering where to sign up, take a minute and give some thought to the following tips and hints to make sure that teaching English to young learners in Japan is, indeed, right up your alley. Tip 1: Ask yourself if teaching little kids is right for you Many students hesitate to speak English, usually due to a fear of making mistakes or having a negative “study” image of English as a school subject. Our friends at BE studio suggest that you offer encouragement to your students and focus on having both an educational and fun approach to your lessons. When asked about the best teachers at his organization, Mr. Barnes said: “Since BE studio is focused on teaching children, especially younger learners, the training and school atmosphere is very fun. Games, songs, and crafts are a big part of lessons, so teachers that enjoy these types of activities and enjoy teaching young children are the kind of people who work here.” He noted that bringing energy and having the ability to turn on a “fun switch” is pretty critical to success. Mr. Barnes also suggested that “while there is always a ‘lesson partner’ in the room for all preschool ages to help, [the teacher] is in charge of the class, so keeping the kids engaged is always necessary. It’s also important to remember that there are different kinds of energy and teaching styles needed for different age groups. Teaching six-year-olds can be drastically different from teaching three-year-olds. It’s a good idea to pay attention to the classroom environment and how it differs with each age group, in order to develop a sense of how to adjust teaching styles to different class levels.” Tip 2: Learn everything there is to know about teaching in Japan There is so much information out there on what you need to know that how prepared you are is entirely up to you. So do your research! First, make sure you have the necessary requirements to teach English in Japan. Next, find a few guides to teaching English in Japan and read them end to end. In fact, some of our very own Teach Away-ers have shared their favorite tips for teaching English in Japan. It’s also a great idea to really read up on Japanese culture and some unique experiences teaching ESL in Japan so that you can minimize culture shock and maximize excitement. Tip 3: Ensure you’re TEFL or TESOL certified There are a few things to know about getting TEFL, TESL, or TESOL certified. Fear not! We have covered most aspects and answered most questions on the Teach Away blog in the past few years. Teach Away also offers two TEFL programs with a couple of pretty notable Universities (oh hey! U of T OISE and I House Berkeley U!). Because we offer these programs, we know a thing or two about TEFL and have shared a bunch of it through our TEFL Certification Guide. Ultimately, how you get certified is entirely up to you, of course. But do make sure you do your homework so you have the right number of hours, certificates, and education before submitting an application to teach abroad to young learners in Japan. Tip 4: Find your dream job! There are so many outlets and agencies offering teaching abroad opportunities, but not as many that include opportunities to teach young learners in Japan. Teach Away’s job board is a great place to start! In particular, BE studio has recently posted an exciting job opportunity. As long as you are well versed in what is required, and have done your homework so you know what to expect, finding your dream job should be easy as making Maki (disclaimer: Making Maki is actually NOT easy. But eating it is delicious!). Tip 5: Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime Japan is a country where adventure abounds. And as anyone who has worked with young people before can tell you, every day is a new adventure and every moment is a new opportunity to learn, grow, and smile. We suggest making a list of the activities you’re most excited to learn more about because there is a lot to do and you’re going to want to pace yourself! From incredible food to wonderful festivals, such as Setsubun, Japan has much to explore and discover. Overall, we cannot imagine a more rewarding experience or a beautiful setting to put your English language skills to use. So the only question we have left is this: what are you waiting for?

Five Signs Your Child Needs a Tutor

Five Signs Your Child Needs a Tutor Between demanding studies, extracurricular activities, and busy family lives, individual attention can help students of all ages and abilities. Perhaps you've found yourself wondering how to give your child a more enjoyable academic experience. These five signs can help you determine whether it's time to HIRE A TUTOR. 1. Low Test Scores Whether you've noticed a slip in your child's grades or simply believe he/she can do better, a tutor can offer valuable partnership in getting your child back on track. The right tutor can offer insights into your child's strengths and identify any areas of weakness. A tutor will proactively work with your child to help him/her master problematic areas. 2. Confidence Issues Low self-esteem can affect your child's report card. Changes in a child's self-esteem are often caused by struggles in school. Unfortunately, this can have a domino effect, leading to anxiety about tests, homework, and attendance. A tutor can immediately identify skill gaps and work with your child to correct them. A wonderful side benefit is a boost in your child's self-esteem that will carry over into all areas of life. 3. Trouble with Time Management Procrastination is normal, but if your child is constantly avoiding assignments, it may indicate that he/she is stuck or cannot handle the workload. A tutor can work with your child to teach positive study habits, learn the material, and instill a sense of self-motivation. 4. Life Changes A new job, the birth of a baby, or a recent move may prevent you from offering your child the same level of help as before. In addition, you may notice that homework load increases as your child advances from grade to grade. If you're unable to fit homework help into your schedule, a tutor can act as an invaluable backup. The largest study ever on parental involvement in children's lives indicated that parents can actually have a negative impact on homework grades. For this reason, consider hiring a trained tutor instead of trying to help with topics you're unfamiliar with. 5. Learning Disability Diagnosis If your child has been diagnosed with a learning disability, you may be trying to understand how it affects him/her academically. Many tutors are trained in teaching children with learning disabilities. They can offer specialised sessions aimed at helping kids establish healthy study habits and learn in the manner that suits them best. One last sign that your child may need a tutor is your own intuition. If you feel like your child may be struggling at school, quick, corrective action is in order. PRIVATE TUTORS not only ensure that kids' needs are being met, but that their academic experience remains positive, too.