Teaching Career - Chemistry Teacher Texas

Teaching Career - Chemistry Teacher TexasThe Basic Christian Studies and Chemistry Teacher Texas provide the students an opportunity to be involved in a completely hands-on curriculum. Texas is one of the largest teaching and learning states in the nation. There are several basic types of teaching that are offered in Texas classrooms including classroom groups, program management, courses for the K-12 students, arts and recreation, business and finance, electives, etc. These teachers have to follow certain requirements and the requirements for the teachers and professors in each type of program vary from school to school.One of the main requirements for the teachers in the chemistry teacher Texas is the professional development course. This requirement has been a requirement since 2020. This professional development course offers students various techniques to effectively teach chemistry and other science subjects.Teaching other subject such as physics and art, these Texas teachers a lso have to comply with the teaching standards set by the state government. All students in the classroom can participate in the teaching sessions and lectures. The teachers have to give necessary feedback and instruction to their students.The different areas in which the teaching curriculum can be taught are: elementary, middle school, high school, online and various online programs. Students in the Houston and Austin Colleges also have the option of enrolling in the Texas colleges that offer specialization in different subjects.The College of William and Mary in Virginia offers an Associate of Science in Science Education. This degree focuses on teaching techniques and helps the students to earn an associate degree in the STEM fields of science and technology. This degree enables the students to go on to achieve graduate and doctoral degrees in various subjects.The Accelerated High School diploma in Biology Teacher Texas provides a science teacher with an opportunity to teach biol ogy and other related topics. The curriculum covers all subjects except life sciences. This course involves reading books in the field of science and mathematics.The College of Education provides certificate in Science Education in partnership with University of Houston. This certificate is awarded after passing an exam and practical experience.

How to Teach Children Chinese

How to Teach Children Chinese Different Ways to Teach Children Mandarin Chinese ChaptersResources for Teaching Children ChineseWhich Is The Perfect Age for Learning Chinese?The Advantages of Learning Chinese as Soon as Possible“A different language is a different vision of life.” - Federico FelliniChildren need to enjoy learning a new language. It’s unlikely that a child will see the worth in learning Chinese for their future career. That said, an increasing number of teens are opting to do Chinese at GCSE, A Level, and degree.After all, Chinese (and Mandarin, in particular) is the most common language in the world and China happens to have the world's second-largest economy. Additionally, China has a rich culture and a fascinating history.So how can you teach children Chinese outside of school?Which are the best ways to encourage children to take up a foreign language like Chinese?In this article, we’ve got some advice on how to help your child discover Chinese in the UK!Teaching your children Chinese could open a lot of doors for them in the future. (S ource: naidokdin)Learning a foreign language such as Chinese will be a challenge for the future. Learning more about the language and culture of an economic power like China will open a lot of doors for them in the future.

The Best Hindi Podcasts

The Best Hindi Podcasts Learn Hindi With Podcasts ChaptersWhy Use Podcasts To Help You To Learn Hindi?Learn Hindi Online for Free By Using PodcastsHindi Lessons OnlineIf you are wondering whether you can successfully learn a new language relying heavily on podcasts, then the answer is: yes!Language podcasts are one of the first resources you should ideally turn to when starting to learn a language like Hindi, as speaking and listening to Hindi from day one is the best way to begin and continue your journey. Streaming a radio show or video podcast service is equally as good.Fairly modern to us learners, podcasts are episodes or series which you download and listen to.By hearing your new language being spoken by natives using their mother tongue, you will hear from the offset how certain words are pronounced  and will, in turn, correct and develop your own pronunciation.What's more with podcasts, the creators of language learning ones will have their students in mind and will use each release to recap on what was previously learned an d build upon it. So, you can benefit from consecutive Hindi vocabulary lessons and gradually learn new words and phrases spoken by Hindi speakers, the official language of India.Podcasts are great as they allow you to listen and rewind and re-listen to the lessons with just a few clicks of a button. Photo credit: Serge Seva on Visual HuntAny language course without audio elements is not going to get you very far when it comes to becoming fluent.You may become proficient at reading and writing Hindi with a course that consists of documented lessons only, but listening is absolutely key if you want to take that understanding of your new language forward and be able to have conversations with Indians in their country.However, on the flip side, you cannot learn a new language just by listening to it. You need to be challenged with written work, listening exercises, and speaking practice if you want to master the language. GiusyHindi Teacher 5.00 (3) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all o ur tutors AnchalHindi Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NehaHindi Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AkshayaHindi Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SuhaniHindi Teacher 5.00 (4) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MedhaHindi Teacher 5.00 (2) £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PriyankaHindi Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SaurabhHindi Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhy Use Podcasts To Help You To Learn Hindi?Podcasts are an excellent tool for learners of all ages because they enable them to download the media easily onto their mobile phone or device and listen to them wherever is most convenient - at home, during work breaks, on the go, etc... You can download your favourite podcasts via iTunes or your own app store, and most devices including Windows, Android, and Apple have this facility.You can also download some great apps to learn Hindi .As we've mentioned in other blogs, listening to a language being spoken, even if just as background noise, is an excellent way to familiarise yourself with all of the sounds, the grammar and vocabulary, the humour, and more of the country's language, so if you are busy doing other things like housework, cooking dinner, commuting, or walking your dog around the block, then try to use this time effectively by listening to a podcast! It could make all the difference in how quickly you learn!Another bonus of using podcasts is that you don't have to pay or commit to a full-length language course and can also take each episode at your own pace, listening to one on repeat if that works for you. Most language podcasts will teach you basic things like ordering food, asking for the time, asking for directions, etc...When it comes to price, some podcasts may be free, but others might come with a price tag.Just because a podcast costs more, that doesn't necessarily mean it is better and, if on e is free, this doesn't automatically make it a bad choice.You need to find a resource that works well for you, your individual needs and learning methods. That said, don't be afraid to invest in a resource if you think it's right as the chances are it will make you learn much faster. You may like to inquire about whether the provider offers low-cost trials or demos for you to try out first.Save money on podcasts by checking if they offer trials or demos first. Photo credit: Images_of_Money on Visual HuntLearn Hindi Online for Free By Using PodcastsDon't know where to start when looking for a podcast adapted to learning a new language like Hindi? Take a look at some of our top podcasts suggestions below. Some of which you can catch up on right now thanks to a directory of entertaining audio files just waiting to be downloaded!HindiPod101The HindiPod101 course teaches learners of Hindi using a podcast-style format and videos. This type of language-rich content is the best way to lear n more, fast, like Hindi greetings, other Hindi phrases and all about the language and culture of northern India.All lessons are fully downloadable for offline use and include a range of awesome features such as a vocabulary database, inbuilt flashcard app, grammar lessons, lessons on adjectives and pronouns and more. Features include:-Over 880 Audio and Video Lessons -Knowledgeable and Energetic Hosts -Vocabulary Learning Tools and Spaced Repetition Flashcards -Detailed PDF Lesson Notes -Lively Community Forum and Lesson Discussion -Learn on-the-go! -Study anywhere!One of the newer additions to HindiPod101 (as part of a higher tier membership option) is personal help from your own Hindi tutor, who can answer any questions you have about the Hindi language online.With HindiPod101, you'll learn Hindi with fun, interesting and culturally relevant lessons that are easy to listen to and will prepare you for speaking with Hindi speakers in their surroundings.HindiPod101 has four flexible subscription options, ranging from a free version with minimal resources to a Premium+ option which offers a number of amazing advantages and tools.Along with the different levels of service, you can also opt for varying lengths of subscription, from 1 month to 24 months at a time. As you'd expect, a saving can be made if you commit to a longer duration.BBC Hindi PodcastBBC Hindi is part of BBC World Service, said to be the best independent international broadcaster, and which reaches more than 20 million people via digital, TV, radio and social media. It provides multimedia news content to its audience from the different regions of India.Being topical, listening to this podcast is a great way to develop your interpretation skills while also getting to know about the culture of Indian society. However, since it is not a broadcast aimed at language learners, you may find it hard to follow the stories if you are still at a beginner level. Intermediate learners may, just about, be abl e to get by!AIR Hindi BulletinsAIR broadcasts three main bulletins a day in Hindi. At 8 am, you will have the opportunity to listen to Samachar Prabhat, then Dopahar Samachar at 2:30 pm, followed by Samachar Sandhya at the later time of 8:45 pm.In addition to this schedule, hourly bulletins are also broadcast in Hindi on the channel, offering the chance to listen to short news flash pieces on rotation and improve your understanding each time you hear them. You can listen to these news-based podcasts on  Google Play or by downloading them from the Apple Store, where you can check out if a fee applies.Ramayan HindiFor something more lighthearted and way more creative, you may like to listen to some theatrical Hindi.Ramayan is an epic podcast comprising of veteran artists such as Naseeruddin Shah (Raavan), Anupam Kher (Dashrath), Om Puri (Kaal), Ratna Pathak Shah (Manthara) and Jayati Bhatia (Kaikeyi), who join together to provide a theatrical and thought-provoking performance for radi o listeners.With more than 100 episodes currently listed, you can spend time working your way through these energetic pieces of audio at any time.Ramayan Hindi is said to be like a theatre for the mind. Photo on Visual huntFind the best websites to learn Hindi thanks to Superprof's guide.Hindi Lessons OnlineLoecsenAlongside the podcasts that you've probably now got lined up, you can use other online tools to learn Hindi.For example, Loecsen is a great, efficient course adapted for learners of Hindi. The easy resource encourages you to start learning Hindi by memorising words, phrases and practical expressions that you can use in everyday life and that will be particularly useful when travelling in India.Like so many others, it believes that getting used to speaking in Hindi out loud is very good practice for those serious about becoming proficient in the language. Even just repeating your Hindi numbers or the Hindi alphabet counts as work pronunciation when it comes to your linguist ics lessons!Thanks to Superprofm get started with basic Hindi lessons.The essential topics that this course covers, in order of appearance, are:-Conversation -Learning -Colours -Numbers -Time tracking -Taxi -Feelings -Family -Bar -Restaurant -Parting -Transportation -Looking for someone -Hotel -Beach -In case of troubleIf ever you wish to listen to a trailor of a podcast, movie, or even a language course, then you should always consider visiting YouTube and seeing if they have any relevant clips to help you to choose if the feature-length audio or video is right for you.Similarly, you can simply run a search on the Internet using your preferred browser to see if others have rated the resources they have used. This is an excellent way to work out if a paid podcast or other download is good value for money, or if free broadcasts are worth listening to.

Substitution Method Solver

Substitution Method Solver Substitution is one of the algebraic methods used to solve linear equations and other types of equations with more than one variable. In this method, one variable is written in terms of the other variable. This value of the variable is substituted into the other givenequation, thus making it an equation consisting of only a single variable and the equation is then solved for the value of the variable. Since there is substitution involved in the equations, hence it is known as the Substitution method. Example 1:Solve using the substitution method given: x + y = 6 and x y = 2. In Substitution method, either x or y can be chosen to be written in terms of the other. Given x+ y = 6=y= 6- x Now substitute this value of y in the second equation, x y = 2. This gives: x- (6- x) = 2= x- 6 + x = 2= 2x = 6+ 2 This gives: x= 8/2=x = 4. Now y = 6- x == y= 6 4= y = 2. Example 2: Solve using the substitution method given: x + y = 11 and x y = 7. In Substitution method, either x or y can be chosen to be written in terms of the other. Given x+ y = 11= x= 11- y Now substitute this value of x in the second equation, x y = 7. This gives: (11 y) y = 7= 11- y- y = 7= 11- 2y= 7=2y= 11- 7 This gives: y= 4/2= y= 2. Now x= 11 - y== x= 11 2= x= 9.

Tips for Learning to Read Sheet Music for Guitar

Tips for Learning to Read Sheet Music for Guitar Suzy S. Although it is possible to learn to play guitar without reading sheet music, adding this skill to your arsenal will make you a better musician. Not sure where to start with sheet music on your guitar? Follow music teacher Eric J.s advice and youll be sightreading in no time Learning to read music is important. It increases your understanding of your instrument and makes you more valuable as a musician. Reading music for guitar allows you to collaborate with other instrumentalists in ways most guitar players cant. Even if you have tons of chops or know all about music theory: if you want to wear the Good Guitarist badge with pride you will need to be able read music for your instrument. Heres how to get started. Clear your mind Forget everything you know about your guitar. This is especially important if you already know how to play a little bit. Its even more important if you are already an experienced player. Are you a pretty solid guitarist who knows their chords and licks and can solo over rock and roll songs? If you are, excellent! You can potentially have great success as a music reader because you wont have to learn technique along with reading like most beginners. That being said: Assume you know nothing about guitar from this moment on. Get a good method book A good introductory method book is worth its weight in gold and you can get one at your local music store for about ten dollars. You need material that is graded. That just means a good method book will introduce new concepts in a logical manner and repertoire should increase in complexity gradually without too many sudden leaps in difficulty. The Mel Bay Guitar Method is the tried and true course for the aspiring reader. Its been in print for decades and is wonderfully graded. The Hal Leonard Guitar Method series is also wonderful. It doesnt move quite as fast as the Mel Bay books do, though. If you are already skilled at playing and want a more adult book, Modern Method for Guitar by William Leavitt is a great series. Find a good teacher Once you have your method book you are going to need a guitar teacher to help work through it with you. This is extremely important, even in the beginning stages. Entry level material may throw you some mental curve balls if you are completely new to reading music, and you are going to need a mentor to help guide you through them. A good teacher will be able to keep you focused. Reading is hard and it takes quite a bit of brain power and a good teacher will be able to monitor your tone, technique and rhythm while you focus on navigating the music. Dont just read guitar music This is super important. The method books are great, but in the end they are only that: method books. Most of the material you read in your book will be applicable in the real world but is just a small sliver of what out there. Any music written in the treble clef should do the trick. Start hunting for sheet music. A good web resource is the Petrucci Music Library. Call your local music store and ask them if they have any overstock, damaged or otherwise forgotten about sheet music lying around. Anything will do. Check out garage sales and thrift stores. Dont discriminate. Get as much as you can for as many instruments and in as many styles are you can manage. Stack it up by your music stand so it is always within reach when you practice. Always try to read something every single day Remember that stack of sheet music you put next to your music stand? Pull out one page from it every single day and read the whole page start to finish. Dont pick and choose which tune to play. Play the first page in the pile no matter how difficult it looks. Play the whole page one time and put that page in the bottom of the stack. You need to get your eyes and your brain used to looking at as much of this material as possible. Dont stress on making it sound good. Just read the page and move on. Understand what sightreading is Sightreading is the ability to read sheet music at performance level at full tempo without having to hear the material beforehand. Think of it like reading a book out loud in a school classroom. If you were asked to read a paragraph from a book youve never read before Im guessing youd be able to read it fluently and with some natural grace despite never having read that exact paragraph of text before. That is what sight-reading is, except with music. Reading from your big stack of random music every day will help refine your sightreading ability. Never, ever, ever say I read tabs Not to sound flippant, but this is important. Tablature is a handy tool, especially for beginners. Tablature allows us to have fun on our instrument without actually having to read and that is a good thing, in moderation. However, tablature is not Sheet Music. It has limitations in the way it displays melodic content and has no way to display rhythmic content. For these reasons tablature cannot be sight-read. The faster you get away from looking at it the faster you will become a good reader. Hopefully these tips will help you get started reading sheet music on your guitar. Remember to take it slow and to practice consistently. Reading a little bit throughout the week is sometimes better than cramming four hours of practice in the night before your lesson. If you focus and set goals your reading skills will improve and you will be a much more valuable musician as a result. Eric J. teaches  acoustic guitar, bass guitar, blues guitar and country guitar  in Elgin, IL.  He received his Bachelor of Science from Northern Illinois University.    Eric has been educating students for the past twelve years.  Learn more about Eric J. here! View all Takelessons.com Free Sheet Music Resources. 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  Richard Tenspeed Heaven

5 Power User Email Tips to Help You Avoid the Phone - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Power User Email Tips to Help You Avoid the Phone - Introvert Whisperer 5 Power User Email Tips to Help You Avoid the Phone Business phone calls are unpleasant for many people. Some millennials refuse to even check their voicemail and for those who are shy, anxious, or introverted the idea of a business call is reminiscent of a root canal. Email provides a more comfortable platform for introverts, and when used well can help you delay or eliminate unnecessary phone calls. Once you’ve got those basics of email etiquette down, it’s time get your inbox running at maximum efficiency. This will ensure timely replies and eliminate missed notificationsâ€"the biggest reason most coworkers or clients will pick up the phone. These tips will keep your emails clear and efficient so you can avoid lengthy and uncomfortable phone calls. 1) Learn how to snooze emails so you can get back to them later. Many people treat their email inbox as a to-do list, but it’s easy for tasks to fall through the cracks. To avoid a desperate phone call from an email sender, you’ll have to stay on top of these action items. One way to do so is to snooze your email, just like an alarm clock. Luckily, this feature is available on multiple platforms. Boomerang and Google’s Inbox app offer snooze for Gmailâ€"for both your inbox and outbox. Just install the add-on. Streak works with an email to manage sales leads and outreach inquiries, and promotes snooze as a way to a ‘zero inbox’. And don’t forget inbox aggregators like Spark. This multi-email platform allows you to pin emails to the top or snooze with a simple swipe. 2) Red flags, gold stars, and much more. Marking items as important will help you address concerns before anyone has the chance to start dialing their phone. And flagging features available today go further than the gold star you might remember. Gmail offers hidden options to use multi-colored stars, which you can use to denote different priority levels or different accounts. Search your Settings. Go to General, then the section titled Stars. Select “All Stars” to enable more than just a few colors. You’ll get red, orange, yellow, purple, green, and blue. Plus, you’ll get additional arrows, exclamations, checkboxes, and more. If you don’t use Gmail, use flagging features to mark specific emails as a priority in programs like Outlook. You can display flag status by changing your Column view in View Settings. Set flags as reminders for your recipients or yourself based on dates (much like snoozing.) This will allow you to track an email or follow up by a specific date. You can also set flag colors. Create colors through the use of flag categories. MS Office support provides a few simple steps to walk you through this option. 3) Install a grammar checker so you always sound well-spoken. Almost every email program has basic spelling and grammar checks. Make sure these are turned on at all times. In Outlook you’ll find this under ToolsOptionsSpelling. Click the “Always check spelling before sending” box. Spell check should also be automatic for Gmail, but if not click the down arrow in the lower right corner of your message and click Check Spelling. In Yahoo! Mail, go to the formatting toolbar, usually marked by either an ABC button or the word Format. You may need to switch to rich text, but then click the arrow near Spelling to change your settings. The problem is, spelling isn’t the only issue that can derail your writing. If you want to correct effect to affect, or correctly catch “at vs an” you’ll need a heavy-duty grammar checker. Try Grammarly. This app is an add-on that works with many existing programs in-app, and can also be used as a pop-up for programs that don’t support the software. 4) Manage folders and filters to keep everything sorted. If all your communication is happening over email, then sending everything to a single inbox folder can quickly result in overload. Gmail introduced a game-changing feature when they divided the inbox into Primary, Social, and Promotions, but you can take this one step farther. Set up filters and put high-priority items front and center, but leave low-priority emails to be filed at a later date. Create detailed rules within Gmail to filter your messages explicitly. For example, you can set all messages from the VP@acmecompany.com to go straight to your primary inbox. Try setting a secondary filter flagging any messages with a subject line such as: “Buy this” to land in your promotions, no matter who the sender is. If you aren’t using Gmail, don’t despair. Search under Rules in Outlook, Mac Mail, Lotus Notes, and in Options under Yahoo! too. 5) Use delayed send so you can go back in time. Have you ever hit send on an email before you were finished writing? Worse yet, have you sent to the wrong recipient, or included internal notes you didn’t intend? Delayed send is like your personal time machine letting you go back and “unsend” that message. Outlook offers a simple version of this feature. Look under OptionsMore OptionsDelay Delivery. This delay will allow you to send at a specific time, leaving room to go back and make changes if needed. Gmail expands on this idea with Undo Send. Originally part of Google Labs, this became a part of standard Gmail in 2015. Undo Send offers you the ability to “take back” that email quickly after you’ve sent it. Choose from options to wait 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds before your message goes through. You don’t have to hop on the phone to be efficient. Avoid uncomfortable calls by managing your inbox efficiently with flags and filters to ensure timely communication on important issues. Guarantee accuracy with correct spelling and grammar and delay the send of an unprofessional reply. By ensuring your email communication is top notch, you’ll be able to sit back behind that computer and relax, and maybe, even turn that cell ringer off. Bio Angela Nino is a training manager at Versitasâ€"instructor-led, on-site or online business skills classes delivered exclusively to your team or company, including free web-based reporting of student performance and ROI stats delivered to your desktop. Angela also manages the Versitas blog. Go to top NETWORKING Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.  Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Using the Science of Habits to Improve Performance in School Part II

Using the Science of Habits to Improve Performance in School Part II Improving Academic Performance In a previous article on the power of habits, we discussed how habits are a tool our brains use to be more efficient. Instead of consciously analyzing every situation, thinking about various courses of action, and then deciding what to do, we use habits to automatically do this or that to save time. In theory, this allows us to decide to use our brain power to focus on things that really matter and really do require conscious deliberation. This is sometimes a good and sometimes a bad thing. It’s good when the habit is brushing our teeth each morning and night, or looking both ways before we cross the street. It’s bad when we grab a few cookies without even thinking about it when we are bored, or react negatively to constructive feedback. Consider this quote by the philosopher William James â€" “All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits - practical, emotional, and intellectual - systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be.” What should be clear, then, is that habits are powerful. They often end up determining how we behave in a wide variety of areas, and play a large part in our personality and success in school, work, and life. In our last article, we also covered how habits work (i.e., the cue, craving, routine, reward sequence) and how to change them (identify the cue, then change the routine…) and briefly discussed the importance of keystone habits. In this article, we’ll do two things. First, we’ll go into more detail on the importance of keystone habits and second, we’ll discuss how students can harness the power of habits to earn better grades, get higher test scores, and generally perform better in school. The Importance of Keystone Habits “Typically, people who exercise, start eating better and become more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. Exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change.” Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit Keystone habits are habits that seem to have spillover effects. For whatever reason, they seem to be the type of habits that once formed, make it easier to form other positive habits. Duhigg and others hypothesize that a keystone habit, even when it may be a small action or activity, tends to influence how you conceptualize yourself. A keystone habit reflects the type of person you are choosing to be. Perhaps the most common keystone habit I’ve read about seems to be exercising regularly, as referenced in the above quote. So, the idea is that once you start exercising, you are more likely to eat well, because you are becoming the type of person who is healthy. From there, you can envision that it obviously becomes easier to stop smoking or drinking, because those aren’t activities that a healthy person engages in. But it’s probably also a little easier to build a habit around reading more books or meditating, because once you begin to view yourself as physically healthy, introducing habits to improve mental health as well seems complementary. Robert Sun wrote an interesting article for the Huffington Post, suggesting that developing proficiency in math through deliberate, focused practice could be a keystone habit for students that spills over into all other subjects. We’ll return specifically to habits for students later in this article. An important driver behind the importance of keystone habits is the notion that small, incremental change can lead to large change and improvement over time. Again, from the book by Duhigg â€" “Small wins are exactly what they sound like, and are part of how keystone habits create widespread changes. A huge body of research has shown that small wins have enormous power, an influence disproportionate to the accomplishments of the victories themselves.“ So, you might have a long-term goal to lose 100 pounds or improve your grade in a class from a D to an A or come back from a 20 point deficit at halftime to win a basketball game. None of those impressive, “large” victories is possible without a collection of small victories. Building a habit of doing one minute of running in place each morning, boxing out on defense on every play, or completing every single homework assignment are all small steps which will not by themselves accomplish the larger goal, but which are probably necessary steps along the right path. How students can leverage habits to improve academic performance Harnessing the power of habits is a powerful strategy for success in school. Students can think about three different categories of habits that could lead to improved performance: Mental habits that influence how you think about success in school and positively or negatively influence your attitude Habits that influence how you spend time or behave before, during, and after class Habits that influence how you perform when taking tests Mental habits that influence how you think about success in school We write a lot on this blog about the importance of a growth mindset, which says that your intellect is more like a muscle you build with effort, not a trait you inherit at birth. A related concept is that of “grit,” which Angela Duckworth documented and wrote her PhD thesis about after discovering that, for example, self-discipline was a more statistically significant predictor of academic success than IQ. Digest that for a moment. The discipline to do homework, keep trying, and put forth sustained effort (i.e., having grit) in school is more important than raw intellect as measured by IQ. Now, back to mental habits. In my experience, many students, without realizing it, have a habit of adopting a “fixed” mindset about school (i.e., believing that they just don’t have the “talent” for a given subject) to explain a lack of effort or a poor result. Other students have a habit of explaining a lack of understanding or performance on the quality or style of the teacher. You might conceptualize these as common, unproductive mental habits. If you notice yourself thinking this way, consider trying to change your habit to something far more positive. For example, say you encounter a difficult calculus problem in class. The current mental habit might go something like: Cue: you notice you do not understand this problem â€" at all. You feel lost. Craving: you don’t want to feel the guilt or bear the responsibility of realizing that with particularly hard work or extra effort, you could understand it. You are busy with many other subjects and activities. Routine: you tell yourself that the folks that do understand these difficult problems have a natural talent for calculus. They don’t even work as hard as you do, and yet they understand the problem. Reward: you are mentally “off the hook” and relieved of the responsibility of asking a question in class, staying late to get extra help, or considering getting a tutor or other form of supplementary help. A different, changed and far more productive mental habit might go something like: Cue: you notice you do not understand this problem â€" at all. You feel lost. Craving: yes, you don’t want to feel the guilt or bear the responsibility of realizing that with particularly hard work or extra effort, you could understand it. You are busy with many other subjects and activities. HOWEVER you also want to do well in school, as you know grades play a large role in getting into a great college. It would feel great to get an A in the class. Routine: you tell yourself that the folks that do understand these difficult problems have probably put in a fair amount of focused effort. It appears easy now, but that’s because they’ve studied hard outside of class, and if you do the same, you’ll understand this problem and others like it, and will be able to do very well in the class. Reward: you are mentally “off the hook” as it relates to dealing with your lack of understanding. But now, instead of the reward being a lack of responsibility for the current situation, it is that you have a plan. You’ll ask a question now, or follow up after class, to make sure you understand the problem. Summary I hope that you now see that habits, and in particular keystone habits, are incredibly important to understand and, hopefully, harness for good. In our next and final article, we’ll cover two more ways that students can leverage an understanding of habits to improve performance in school: Use habits to influence how you spend time or behave before, during, and after class Use habits that influence how you perform when taking tests

Postcards for Pen Pals - Free Download

Postcards for Pen Pals - Free Download Postcards are great. The colourful picture on the front can surprise, inform, and inspire. The stamp on the back can form part of a collection. There is just enough room to write a few well-chosen sentences. Messages are short and focused. The beginnings and endings are formulaic. Good Pedagogy Indeed, the skills you learn from postcard writing are applicable to other forms of personal correspondence. For example, you always start with dear and end with love, as with a personal email or a letter. (Do people still write letters?) Without a doubt, postcard writing is a great activity for beginner English language learners. Correspondence writing projects with multiple pen pals provide an excellent opportunity for a repeated exchange of meaningful messages with a focus on target structures. In other words, postcard writing for second language learners allows teachers to get students to engage in communicative writing, repeatedly writing meaningful messages on everyday topics that students find motivating. Apart from being a joy to send and receive, a postcard exchange is clearly a pedagogically sound way to practice English. Online or Offline? For online postcard writing, use the Virtual Writing Tutors online pen pal exchange system. It allows teachers to create a virtual postcard exchange project between classes. You can even get students to exchange messages with students taught by another teacher on the other side of the world. But sometimes, offline is better. But postcards cost money. As you know, the ones at gift shops can be expensive. If you cant afford the fancy gift shop versions, you can always make your own. Using MS Word, make a table with four squares. Then, fill the table with photos. Use scissors to trim off the edges and cut up the sheet into four postcards. But designing postcards takes time. Downloading these VWT postcards is a lot faster. They are ready in a jiffy. Enjoy! Download VWT-postcardsDownload Postcards with grammar lessonsPostcards that promote the Virtual Writing TutorPostcards that promote the Virtual Writing TutorPostcards with grammar questionsPostcard backs with a space to write a message, the address, and affix a stamp Download VWT-postcardsDownload A sturdier alternative to plain paper is to buy blank perforated card stock and run them through your colour printer. I have ordered the Avery brand of blank postcards myself. And I can attest to that they were both affordable and well-suited for international exchange writing tasks. They are perforated to separate easily into four cards. Excellent! Online alternative Even faster that printing postcards is to use the pen pal exchange system on the VirtualWritingTutor.com grammar checker website. I created it to automate error correction and target structure detection while students exchanged meaningful messages. As such, online pen pal exchanges seem to me an ideal method of focusing on Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills. In other words, online pen pal writing is great way to incorporate writing tasks in ESL without having to resort to the quasi-academic 5-paragraph persuasive essay every time. (Sometimes, essay writing is absolutely appropriate. When it is, I can suggest a 9-step approach to writing essays that may help with essay writing.) Learn more about the VWTs Pen Pal Exchange If you are not ready to do a pen pal exchange, thats okay. Perhaps you are looking for other ways to boost the effectiveness of your language teaching. If so, check out my 10 mind-blowing research findings to supercharge your teaching. Please follow and like us:

TutorGroup

TutorGroup TutorGroup TutorGroup provides online English tutoring services 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. It was established in 2004 by Dr. Ming Yang and Dr. Eric Yang and has been fast expending to various locations in Shanghai, Taipei, and the Silicon Valley. With English teachers from various professional backgrounds and locations, our students receive a rich, global language learning environment. English learning courses are arranged for students based on their individual language skills and available in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.In 2014, TutorGroup has closed a massive $100 million funding from Asia-based investors including Alibaba, Temasek and Qiming Venture. The company has bigger ambitions for its technology than online language learning. Soon, you may be able to take a wine education class online on TutorGroup taught by an expert in the field.In 2015, TutorGroup CEO Dr. Eric Yang was recognized for transforming traditional education methods, founding an online platform, and co mmitting to the continuous innovation of education technology. Dr. Yang was awarded as one of the most influential EdTech leaders globally. Tutorgroup is a company that sets up a ground-breaking EdTech startup that has set the precedent for the rest of the industry. It has been a driving force in the evolution of education.