Does Online Tutoring Experience Count?

Does Online Tutoring Experience Count?When a tutor takes you to class does that count towards your grade point average? In addition to any other credits your tutor may take, does it matter if the tutoring session is done via Skype or e-mail?As an online tutor I've seen my pupils get quite worked up about this question. Some think that one day of online tutoring should count for as much as one hour in class and others have done research and found that online tutoring doesn't really count for much. Other pupils feel that the online session counts because it was done through Skype, although that might not be true.Personally, I think online tutoring is fine but as an online tutor I do feel that any time spent taking in a lesson should count for more than the time spent sitting at home in front of the computer screen. It would be foolish to believe that the online session was pointless because of that alone, however, if the lessons were especially challenging, that should count for more t han just the half an hour spent sitting in front of the computer. The fact that you are getting up and moving around when taking your lesson is even more important.If it's hard for your pupil to go to the library or find a place to watch a lesson online then that might be a problem. Perhaps he or she was working a lot and the online session was just too much to fit into their schedule, even if they went on a trip that should have been easy.If you can offer your pupil extra attention after the online tutoring session then that's good as well. How will your pupil remember the ideas that you taught him or her if you didn't give them your full attention?On the other hand, if you're a tutor who does both kinds of teaching then does that make your online tutoran 'experienced' tutor or do you need to declare yourself a new teacher? There's certainly plenty of room for improvement and I am sure that there are many aspects of your teaching skills that you may be wanting to improve but this a rticle isn't meant to raise your teaching skills to a new level and make yourself seem better than your colleagues, but rather so that you can be more clear about the reasoning behind your decision to teach.At the end of the day does online tutoring experience count or do you have to declare yourself a new teacher? I hope this article has given you some helpful information about the value of each type of online learning, and that you now know that you have the freedom to select the type of teaching you wish to pursue.

The Advantages of Drumming

The Advantages of Drumming The Benefits of Playing the Drums ChaptersTeach Children Coordination by Playing the DrumsExpressing Your Emotions with the DrumsLearning the Drums to Become CalmerLearning the Drums at a Young Age to Improve ConcentrationDevelop Their Creativity by Playing DrumsImproving a Child’s Reactions with the DrumsImprove Your Relations with the DrumsPlaying the Drums Can Improve a Child’s Discipline“If music be the food of love, play on.” - William ShakespeareA good number of teenagers play a musical instrument and the guitar, keyboard, and the drums are amongst the most popular instruments.A number of studies have shown that there are a lot of benefits to playing musical instruments such as making you smarter, improving your social life, relieving stress, giving you a sense of achievement, building confidence, improving your patience, and making you more creative!There are even more benefits if children are playing them. A child’s brain is a sponge. Playing an instrument such as the drums is beneficial for their c ognitive development.  Make sure you protect their ears, though.In this article, we’re going to have a look at 8 benefits specific to children who decide to play the drums.Find some drum lessons on here.Improving a Child’s Reactions with the DrumsPlaying the drums requires you to concentrate and coordinate your arms and legs quickly. The drums give a song its energy and the drummer sets the tempo.  They need good reflexes in order to play a song in a group. They need to also lead the group in terms of rhythm, feeling, and tempo.They’ll need to throw in a cymbal crash here, open the hi-hat there, etc. When you play the drums, you need to focus on what the band’s doing as well as what you’re playing.You will need to choose the right kind of kids drum set.This is where having good reflexes will help. Just like with concentration, good reflexes will come with practice.Improve Your Relations with the DrumsIf your child wants to learn to play the drums, you’ll have the choice between private lessons or group lessons. There are pros and cons to each type of lesson.At home, your child will build a rapport with their private tutor. It’s important to, therefore, choose the right tutor. If they don’t get along, your child will quickly get bored.Everyone remembers a teacher from school that made them hate a subject. This can be even truer when it comes to private lessons.The problem with private tutorials is that the student is on their own. This can be a disadvantage when it comes to drums.  Drums are meant to be played in a band or an orchestra.  With group classes, they have the opportunity to play with other musicians like guitarists, bassists, saxophonists, pianists, etc.  The other children will have the same level as them.In any case, the group dynamic will help them to progress more quickly. They will learn together and push each other to do better.  Being part of a group is part of a child’s development as they’ll develop empathy and respect f or others.Playing the Drums Can Improve a Child’s DisciplineDrumming from a young age is a good habit for a child to pick up. Playing the drums can improve your lifestyle, tone muscles in your arms and legs, and improve your cardio fitness.Whether in a workshop or a group, there are plenty of ways for children to learn about music. (Source: musikschule)You need to be great fitness in order to play the drums for a full hour during a concert or a gig. Once again, practising will help you improve your endurance, especially if you began playing young.  You need to put a lot of work in, too. This isn’t an easy instrument to learn and you’ll need to practise almost every day if you want to really improve.  Thus, it’s a great way to improve your discipline.A child will quickly learn that you won’t learn everything after the first attempt and that you’ll need to keep practising in order to learn that tricky drum beat.In any case, whether your child learns to drum professionally or just as a hobby, there are plenty of benefits.So are you ready to get them started with the drums?If you’re looking for private tutors, check out those on Superprof. You can search for tutors by both the subject they teach and where they are. If, for some reason, you can’t find any drum tutors near you, don’t forget that there are also tutors who can teach students over webcam with video conferencing software such as Skype.Most tutors on the platform offer free tutoring for the first hour, allowing you to see whether they get along with your child or not and giving you the freedom to choose the right tutor for your little one. Take your time choosing the right tutor.

How Personal Brand and Your Career Goals Connect in Order to be Successful - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How Personal Brand and Your Career Goals Connect in Order to be Successful - Introvert Whisperer How Personal Brand and Your Career Goals Connect in Order to be Successful For the Twitter-minded, who like their quick hits, here’s the moral to this story: Your career is only going to go as far as your Personal Brand. That’s right. Your career goals and whether or not you achieve them and when you achieve them are completely driven by your Personal Brand. I don’t think many people really think of their Personal Brand as being such an impactful thing. Let me explain a few things about Personal Brand: Your Personal Brand is how you are perceived. It’s not about how you THINK you are, it’s about how others experience you. If those around you (especially decision-makers and management) don’t “see” you as X, then guess what? You aren’t going to be X. You create your Personal Brand by what you do. Simple concept. You might be a marketing who that just happens to geek out on making Excel spreadsheets for everyone. You’ve created a Personal Brand with both things: A Marketing-Excel God. Not bad unless you want to be a Corporate Lawyer. You can shape and re-shape your Personal Brand throughout your career. Rarely does anyone stay in 1 profession anymore. As we zig-zag our way through our career, we have to redefine what we focus on, talk about and do (our behavior) to go with each change. If we didn’t, there would be no zag to the zig. We’d be going nowhere. Your Personal Brand isn’t just one thing. You are one full recipe of a number of characteristics and attributes. It’s that combination of things that makes you completely unique. The question is: does that recipe reflect the career of your choice? If not, you’ve got changes to be making. You may not be that perceptive. Not only can be our own worst critics, we are often not very objective when figuring out how we come across to others. I’ve known of people who thought they were a darling but most people think of them as a jerk or wonky. If you’re out of sync between your perception and reality, that’s the reason you aren’t getting traction in your career. You need feedback on how you’re perceived and then you need to really listen to it. You have to perform. With all of this discussion about Personal Branding, at the heart of your Personal Brand is whether or not you are barely scraping by in your job or the resident rock star. You want to think of your job performance as the foundation of your Personal Brand. If you aren’t performing well, that is your Personal Brand. You can try to behave as a resident rock star, but you aren’t one if you can’t perform. Consider that your first step in Personal Branding if you’re sputtering. Think one step ahead. You always need to be thinking about what your next career step or progression is. You then need to be branding to that next step before you get there or you won’t get there. The President of the US doesn’t start acting like a President after the election. They begin branding as a President long before campaigning starts and if they don’t, poof goes that job potential. Is your Personal Brand adequately reflecting your career goal? If it’s not, the good news is you can reshape it to help you pave the way to success. Go to top Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.   I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.   In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression.   Get your copy now: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential. What’s one element of your Personal Branding that you’d like a little help with? Let me know in the comments! Image: Flickr

The Benefits of Being Mindful in the Workplace - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / The Benefits of Being Mindful in the Workplace - Introvert Whisperer The Benefits of Being Mindful in the Workplace   Demands of the modern workplace are making our jobs more dynamic and unpredictable. That means we need to be more present, focused and on point in order to perform well on our day-to-day tasks. However, we are also fighting off distractions, monotony, fatigue, and similar foes that make us feel disconnected from our work. This usually results in productivity drops and cloudy judgment, which make us all the more likely to make mistakes. Feeling distracted from the present moment by past disappointments and future concerns can be quite frustrating. The good news is that “living in the now” is a skill you can work on and improve over time. This practice is more popularly known as being mindful. What Is Mindfulness?   The concept of mindfulness has its roots in Bhudistic practices. It is a psychological process that describes the sensation of being able to focus on the present moment. The idea entered the field of clinical psychology and psychiatry in the 70s and since then studies have shown that mindfulness can be useful for achieving and maintaining mental health. Mindfulness affects our cognition and behavior in a way that makes its benefits quite transferable and applicable to different areas of our lives including our career and work life. It doesn’t matter what type of job you’re doing, everyone can benefit from practicing mindfulness with a goal of improving their performance and taking their career to the next level. How Does Mindfulness Help Your Career and Work Life   Improves Focus and Productivity Being presents increases our focus and sparks our productivity. It’s a tool we use to deal with distractions and provides us with greater stability, control and efficiency.   Reduces Stress   Mindfulness is a great way of relieving excessive workplace stress. So much so that renowned corporations such as Google and Goldman Sachs are creating formal mindfulness programs to reduce the stress of their employees and to fight stress-caused absenteeism and disengagement. Facilitates Divergent Thinking Being more mindful means we’re also more creative. Living in the moment means we’re not relying on or limited by established patterns of thinking and it allows us to explore fresh approaches and ideas.   How To Practice Mindfulness Being mindful is a skill and it can be practiced and mastered. The essence of the practice is focusing on a particular sensation or action, recognizing when your mind inevitably wonders and simply guiding yourself back to the subject of your meditation. Experienced mindfulness practitioners describe the benefits as “strengthening a muscle” which will allow you to gain more control over your attention. There are several techniques that have proven to be very efficient for beginners: Deep Breathing Exercises Focusing on your breathing is probably the easiest exercise you can start with when practicing mindfulness. It’s recommended that you get to a relatively quiet space with little distraction. Close your eyes, breathe in deeply, hold your breath for a moment and then breathe out. While you’re doing this focus exclusively on your breathing and whenever you catch yourself thinking about anything else, simply restart the process again. You will notice over time that it’s easier to remain focus and you will suffer from fewer distractions. Raisin Meditation Meditating while eating raisins is an example of mindful eating. The idea behind the practice is that focusing on the different sensations caused by eating can improve our mindfulness over time. Raisin is a perfect candidate for this exercise because of its texture, shape, feel and strong flavor. The exercise should be around 5 minutes long and each raising should be consumed slowly, following a particular set of actions. The steps included are: observing the raisin, feeling it with your fingers, smelling it, exploring the texture before consuming it and finally, focusing on the taste, sensations of chewing and swallowing the raisin. Body Scan Meditation This technique is an extension of breathing exercises. Once you’ve gotten into position and you’ve done a couple of breathing-focused cycles, you can now choose a body part like your foot or your head and move your attention towards it. Notice the sensations you feel when focusing on that particular body part. There might be some tingling sensations, tightness or you might notice the difference in temperature from the rest of your body. After a certain amount of time, shift your focus back to your breathing and then proceed to explore another body part. Repeat the cycle until you’ve scanned your entire body.     Conclusion   The best thing about mindfulness is that you can have great results with minimal investments. Ten to twenty minutes of mindful meditation should definitely be added to your list of personal habits for a productive tomorrow. In the era of constant informational flow and sensory overload in the modern workplace, mindfulness will both protect our mental health while helping us become more productive and efficient.   … Author Bio: Mark is a biz-dev hero at  Invoicebus   a simple invoicing service that gets your invoices paid faster. He passionately blogs on topics that help small biz owners succeed in their business. He is also a lifelong learner who practices mindfulness and enjoys  long walks in nature more than anything else. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Online Trigonometry Tutor - The Finest Tutors For Learning

Online Trigonometry Tutor - The Finest Tutors For Learning 0SHARESShare Every subject is important and thus it should be carried on with utmost care and proper process. Let’s take up trigonometry as example. It is a subject that requires a lot of knowledge to perform well in the subject. Take a look and you will surely get a good and enthusiastic online trigonometry tutor that can help you to achieve new dimensions over the subject through their teachings. Today with the growing competition, private tutors can deliver the best to their students. In some cases they do not have ample time and in other cases the teachers are not that efficient to make the learning method easy. For a subject like trigonometry, it is very essential that you should have an expert teacher to clear you and help you out for better understanding of the subject. Online tutoring process can be one of the best way through which learning can be fun and knowledgeably as well. The online tutoring institutes are well organized and thus they try to appoint those teachers who have a desired qualification with the subject and also good level of experience. As the interview process is very tough so the end result of getting a good teacher is sure. Online tutoring process is also called e-learning courses. The e-learning process can be said to be fast and efficient for all the students who takes times to understand and learn the entire process of trigonometry. A good and efficient teacher can mend the entire problem that comes up with the subject. Expert teaching help makes any subject easier for any student. Thus, getting a good online trigonometry tutor can be helpful for those who have a weaker base over the subject. [starbox id=admin]

What is it Like to Attend Brandeis University

What is it Like to Attend Brandeis University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Steve is a 2012 graduate of Brandeis University. He studied French and Healthcare and is currently tutoring in New York City. He specializes in many subjects including Anatomy tutoring, Physiology tutoring, and ISEE prep tutoring. See what Steve had to say about his experience at Brandeis: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Steve: Brandeis University is located in Waltham, Massachusetts. Its about 12 miles away from Boston proper and about 8 or 9 miles away from Cambridge. The campus itself is beautiful campus with many woods nearby and plenty of nature but its biggest complaint is that its a bit more hilly than other schools. There are two transportation options, the Bran-van and the Crystal Shuttle. The Bran-van shuttles students between Waltham and Brandeis, it runs every 15 minutes and it has a dedicated number to call for information. The Crystal Shuttle mainly runs during the weekend and it goes into Cambridge and picks up and drops students at Harvard Yard. The Shuttle runs until 2am during weekends. A car is helpful but only upperclassmen are allowed parking passes; for most people the Bran-van suffices for errands. A bike is a great investment but prior to getting one, one should investigate the bike-lending program that Brandeis offers. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Steve: The beauty about Brandeis is that because its such a small school and campus, there are only about 4000 students, both undergraduate and graduate on campus. Professors will always try their best to include and aid students outside of class. Academic advisors and teaching assistants are just as available. Thankfully with how integrated email is nowadays, if someones office hours dont sync up with your schedule, most people are more than happy to have email reservations for times that are convenient for both parties. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Steve: The dorm life at Brandeis is simple, at best. The rooms are what you make of them, it all boils down to how willing you are to decorate and revamp the room. Dining options are pretty set in stone. There are two main locations for dining, upper and lower campus. Lower campus is buffet style and is a great place to study and spend the day away in. Upper campus has specific hours when its open. There is also something called the C-store which is the campus convenience store which stays open until 2 A.M. most days. There are many socialization opportunities at Brandeis but again that depends on the disposition and personality of the person. There are parties and campus events, hundreds of clubs, dozens of sports teams. Any niche you can think of, chances are its being catered to. It goes without saying that Brandeis is a Jewish University but this should never pose a problem for anyone. As a student who isnt Jewish, I never felt ostracized or alienated; the environment and the stu dents themselves were gracious and understood that people come from all walks of life. I made friends for life and dont regret my decision at all. If you want to learn more about Judaism, there are many opportunities to do so but its neither overwhelming nor all-encompassing. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Steve: Brandeis supports and represents dozens of majors. In regards to the hard sciences, Brandeis is a research school and this is evident in how classes are structured and how curricula are developed. My major was French and Francophone Studies and American Healthcare. Brandeis excels at placing students in top-notch study abroad programs. Most students chose to do study abroad during their junior year for a semester, either fall or spring, or the entire year. Its not uncommon to see your class during junior year shrink a little. The professors for both my majors were excellent and truly gave me a solid foundation for what Id ultimately like to do, being a doctor for Doctors Without Borders. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Steve: As a freshman, the beauty about having to dorm and being away from home is that its a very conducive environment for making friends. Most students are unsure of or even scared of the decision they made to dorm away from home but because of this it also helps students expand their horizons and make new friends much quicker. After all, wouldnt you rather be unsure of something with other people? This isnt to scare or worry anyone; this is normal. Its a part of the transition from high school to college. All students are different so they may react to it or get used to it in different ways and in different amounts of time, but before you know it, itll be routine and youll laugh at how scared and nervous you were during the first couple of weeks. Greek life plays a barely significant role at Brandeis; you will always find pledging events, tabling events, or something sponsored by Greek life. It gets a little more complicated because Brandeis doesnt officially endorse any fraternit ies or sororities. For this reason, all Greek houses are actually off campus. The Greek life at Brandeis doesnt reign supreme like it does at other state schools. At Brandeis, the Greek life is more of a personal choice. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Steve: The Career Center and other Student Services are top-notch. Hiatt, the Career Center, excels at giving students the tools to get the right job or get into the right graduate school. During campus recruitment events, its not uncommon to have companies like Dell, Yahoo, Google, Goldman Sachs and various other excellent companies in attendance. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Steve: The study areas are spacious and easily available. They usually only get crowded during finals which may be a common trend for all schools. In addition, there has been some construction going on for expanding and improving locations for students to convene, study, and socialize. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Steve: Waltham is your run of the mill town; its small and family friendly. If youre used to suburbia, you probably have a good idea already. If youre from New York or another big city, it may be a slight adjustment. The best establishments are the many restaurants and bars that are on Moody Street, the main street in Waltham. Most students choose to go during the week to Moody Street for a nice diner or a quick drink. During the weekend, most students go sightseeing, or out on the town in Boston and Cambridge for those who miss the city life, which is easily accessible thanks to the Crystal Shuttle service that runs during the weekend. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Steve: The student body is around 4,000 students, making Brandeis a small, tight-knit school. Depending on the subject matter, classes may range from 7 students to 300 students. Lecture courses, like Biology or Psychology usually have around 200 to 300 students. Upper level classes are more likely to have fewer students, sometimes between 15-25 students. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Steve: The one class I loved the most was during my senior year, fall semester. It was called American Healthcare: Law and Policy; it was a healthcare class that touched upon the legal aspects of healthcare and the legal implications. I loved this class because of how much I ended up learning and how relevant everything I learned was to me and the nation in general. We spoke about Obamacare and how it would impact our nation. We learned about its many facets and how they would be put into place throughout the years. The class was very interesting because it was actually taught by a lawyer who made it seem all the more real and engaging. This is just one class I loved and I probably mention it because I took it not so long ago. My other favorite class was The Films of Disney. This class needs no explanation, we learned about the societal and cultural impact of Disney films on America and the world. We watched classic films during our free time and wrote papers that truly analyzed the films. Check out Steves tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Its a Chemical!

Its a Chemical! “It’s achemical,” exhaled a person, almost spitting out chemical as if the word itself were inherently toxic. To the general public, this statement may be alarming. To one who understands that everything made of matter is a “chemical,” it’s quite funny. If a simple primer on chemical concepts can dispel the incorrect notion that all chemicals are dangerous and toxic, imagine the possibilities delivered by a robust understanding of chemistry, the central science. Regardless of a student’s academic or professional goals, an education in chemistry provides a student with more than a mere understanding of the pH scale and balancing an equation. From the organization required to set up challenging unit-conversions in stoichiometry, to the exercise of spatial awareness in Valence Shell Electron Repulsion Theory, the skills a student develops in chemistry will prepare him or her for an array of opportunities. Should a student wish to pursue science of any kind, whether it be m edicine, software engineering, or zoology, a strong performance in high school chemistry will engender the critical thinking and technical approach to problem-solving that the world needs.Of course, should a student not wish to pursue science, there are still a plethora of benefits to investment in a chemical education. The aesthetics of chemical reactions alone may be enough to intrigue more artistically-inclined scholars into understanding mechanisms behind physical and chemical transformations. For the especially pragmatic student, understanding chemistry may translate into understanding differences in boiling points with changes in elevation so that cooking is not compromised during a camping trip. For the poetic student, the quote “we are made of stardust” may be an invitation to see chemistry play out in the cosmic scene. Perhaps the most advantageous aspect within the nature of one-on-one instruction is that students can receive truly personalized instruction. Chemistry e specially illustrates this idea given its vast applications and ubiquitous presence in our lives. At AJ Tutoring, our tutors not only share their expertise with students of all levels, but also do so in an enticing way that acknowledges the unique interests and goals of each scholar. AJ Tutoring trains its chemistry tutors to translate complex and abstract scientific phenomenon into more tangible ideas, to empower students to make connections between seemingly distinct concepts, and to develop an innate curiosity to explore the universe in which we live. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help your student with chemistry!

Huntington Learning Center Shares Common Academic Pitfalls of High School Students

Huntington Learning Center Shares Common “Academic Pitfalls” of High School Students High school is a different world when it comes to academicsand for many students, it can mark the beginning of academic problems or exacerbate issues that were minor in middle school. According to Eileen Huntington, co-founder of Huntington Learning Center, parents can help their teens avoid such academic pitfallsif they know the signs. High school is a time when parents need to pay very careful attention to what is going on with their teen in school because they will be more removed from the classroom than they ever have been, says Huntington. Communication with your teen and teachers is important, as is watching your teens grades and demeanor overall. Huntington shares five academic pitfalls that can plague students in high schooland tips on what to do if you notice your teen falling into any of them. Slacking off High school offers an abundance of opportunities to meet new people, get involved and have fun. For some students, that can have a negative impact on their motivation and/or commitment to their studies. If you notice your teen spending a disproportionate amount of time on his or her social life (vs. school) and poor grades come home early in the school year, talk about how to put a plan into place that will help your teen find a better balance. Apathy Some intelligent students get to high school and lose their sense of responsibility (especially without as much nudging from parents). Does your teen seem to lack self-discipline and independence when it comes to school work and studying? Does your teen rush through homework, often leaving it incomplete? Students who become lazy in high school need intervention immediately. With the help of your teens teachers, you can set goals and a study plan to achieve them (as well as a follow-up plan). With time and effort, your teen will begin to understand how his or her actions affect school achievement. Effort that doesnt yield results In high school, its normal to expect that your teen will spend more time on homework. However, if you observe that your teens hard work is not yielding positive results or that simple homework is taking more time than seems reasonable, you should investigate whether there are gaps in your teens skills causing him or her to struggle. Disorganization Up until high school, many students lean on the help of teachers and parents to stay organized and on top of everything. However, some teens who are otherwise capable students become overwhelmed by the volume of high school work. If your teen suddenly has difficulty keeping track of homework, maintaining a neat study space, or making the most of each study session, he or she may need help establishing effective study and organizational habits. Avoidance Avoidance of school work can take many forms, but the most obvious is procrastination. If your teen consistently puts off work until late at night or avoids planning ahead for big, important projects, theres no doubt that this will quickly become a major problem in high school. Pay attention to whether the issue is with all subjects or one in particular. High school definitely steps up the academic challenge. Huntington reminds parents to take note of how their teen handles the change. Most parents are intuitive enough to recognize when there is a problem with their children, but it isnt always easy to know exactly whats going on, she says. If you have a child in high school and you sense issues arising, call Huntington. No problem is too big to overcome, and we can help your teen get and stay on the right track.

A Beginners Guide to Home-Based Businesses

A Beginners Guide to Home-Based Businesses Image via Pexels Home-Based Business: What to Do Beforehand Unfortunately, creating a home-based business isn’t as simple as quitting your job, sitting at home, and saying you have a business after building a website- if it was, everyone would do it! Rather, having a home-based business takes a good deal of patience, dedication, research, and investment. Here are some things to consider before you make the leap and start your own business. Dig Deep for What You Want: This may seem like an obvious first step, but without it, there is no starting your own business! We all have passions and things that interest us, but the real question at hand is, can I turn this interest or passion into a career? So, you have to dig deep to figure out what it is you want exactly. In today’s age with technology, the options are almost limitless in what you can do and accomplish. You could be a blogger that plays and reviews video games (and gets paid for it)! Or you could be the next big name in the entertainment world on Youtube. All it takes is aligning your dreams and goals with the job market and reaching for it! Research What it Takes to Get There: No one can go from point A to point B without some elbow grease and research into what requirements, qualifications, and skills it takes to get to build a home-based business. It’s important that, before you take the leap, you gather all the information you need in order to carefully asses what you need to do, what skills you need to build, etc. to make your dream of having your own business a reality. A blog post by Miss Ashley Allison  suggests  an  article  from Regis College, which “highlights some of the careers where certain skills are needed; which could be a motivator to help you decide on the path you want to take.” Boost Your Confidence: This world is tough and to make it in this world, you have to have confidence- confidence in yourself, in your ability to do a job, in your skills, etc. We all have points where our self-esteem is low and we don’t believe in ourselves, so you’re not the only one.   To create a home-based business and a successful one at that, you need to have confidence, or else how can you ensure that you can continue on with your business after the smallest setback? In an article on Entrepreneur.com, guest writer and CEO Chris W. Dunn  recommends  a few ways to build your confidence, such as visualizing yourself as you want to be, affirming yourself, doing something that scares you every day, helping someone else, caring for yourself, and shifting to an equality mentality, among some. One that I personally liked was to take the 100 days of rejection challenge. Dunn writes, “Jia Jiang  has become famous for recording his experience of “busting fear” by purposefully making crazy requests of people in order to be rejected over 100 days. His purpose was to desensitize himself to rejection after he became more upset than he expected over rejection from a potential investor.  Busting fear isn’t easy to do, but if you want to have fun while building up your self-confidence, this is a powerful way to do it.” Be Comfortable with Taking a Risk: Stepping outside of your comfort zone and the traditional job market to make your own home-based business takes a leap of faith and a fair amount of risk- and that’s ok! The steps you’ve taken prior to this have adequately set you up for doing this and now all you have to do is take that leap. Taking risks is scary because there’s no guarantee of success or a favorable outcome, however, you never know unless you reach for it and try it! Have a Backup Plan: Making your dream job a reality doesn’t happen overnight, in fact, it can take months or even years to come to fruition. While you are figuring out what you want to do and how to execute it, be sure to have a backup plan or backup job so you can support yourself during the process. Building Your Home-Based Business: Step by Step After taking a few things into consideration, you’re ready to start your home-based business- but where do you start? Don’t worry, I got you covered. Image made via Canva.com Write Out a Business Plan: Every business starts at a ground zero, and to effectively structure and build your business, you have to write out a business plan. Doing so helps you articulate what you are aiming to do, how you are going to do it, what resources you need to achieve your goal and the expected cost/profit of your goal. According to Entrepreneur.com, “A business plan is a good way to explore the feasibility of a new business without actually having to start it and run it. A good plan can help you see serious flaws in your business concept.” Having a business plan will help you stay organized and on the path of your goal(s) instead of being confused and scattered, which can ultimately lead to failure. Here are some important things to include in your business plan:   Your Basic Business Concept Your Strategy and Actions to Implement Your Strategy What Your Business Will Over in Contrast to the Outstanding Market/Industry You’re Entering Financing Needs Determine Your Business Entity: The next step in the process of building your home-based business is determining the specific kind of entity that your business will be. Lisa Furgison of Bplans.com writes, “You’ll need to select between sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, corporation, S corporation, nonprofit, or cooperative. You may want to talk with your mentor, accountant, and lawyer to make this decision.” Understand Home-Based Business Taxes: Everyone has to pay taxes, even if you are self-employed and have a business at home. If you don’t pay taxes on the money you make, you won’t have a business anymore and deal with charges of tax fraud or evasion- trust me, you don’t want that! Depending on the kind of business you establish, your taxes will reflect that. Talk with a financial expert or account to help understand the taxes you’ll have to pay, expenses you can write off, and how to obtain a business tax ID. Create a Schedule: Just because you work from home doesn’t mean that you want your work schedule to be all over the place. You don’t want to be working until 3am one day and going to be at 7pm the next. Of course, some days are going to be unbalanced, but you want to have a schedule so you can stay organized and balance your workload in a healthy, productive manner. Leslie Truex of the Balance Small Business suggests, “Find blocks of time you can use to build your business. For example, work an hour in the morning, an hour at lunch and two hours after everyone goes to bed. On your calendar, mark blocks of time for home business tasks and then guard that time.” Designate a Proper Work Area: Plenty of us are guilty of having a messy desk or office area in our home. Think about it, when you have clutter like papers, books, memos, etc. all over your desk and office space, do you really feel like working in there? I know I don’t. Having a messy workspace clutters your mind and distracts you from what you’re trying to accomplish. Since your livelihood and business is at home, you have to designate a proper space to work. In a blog post by Gunderson and Denton, they note that this is one of the common mistakes of people who have home-based businesses. They suggest that “having a reserved office space can help you get into work mode. Even if your home is small, you can set aside a corner for your desk and computer specifically for your work. Eliminate all distractions in the area. If you have to work in a common area, keep your desk designated for work only, and create some sort of divide between work and home.” Assemble Your Dream Team: Though you may have all intentions of working by yourself (and there’s nothing wrong with that), you still need to have a few important people in your corner to help your business flourish and keep you sane in the process. Lisa Furgison writes, “Find an accountant to help with taxes and payroll, an insurance broker to decipher policies, a lawyer to draw up business forms, and a mentor to talk with during tough times.” Network, Network, Network:   Networking online is no different than networking in the real world. Find people in your same niche, connect with them, follow their business pages and establish a relationship. Through networking, you can collaborate with people and expand your audience! Additionally, promote your business on social media networks, such as Facebook or Instagram. Create specific pages on these sites for your business and link your business website on your Facebook and Instagram so not only can people reach you on social media, but they can also share your posts to spread the word! Use hashtags and look at the best times to post of each social media site to optimize your reach. Image via Pexels Creating a home-based business is by no means an easy thing to do, but if you have a   drive and a passion to mix your passions with your skills and make something meaningful of the two, then it is certainly worth it in the end. Before diving in, do some important things like digging deep for what you want, boosting your confidence, and researching the market and industry you’re entering. After that, build your plan, create a schedule, designate a space, and do the boring tax work to take your business off the ground. If you have the right support system around you, there’s nothing that can stop you from being a success. As always, good luck!