French Verbs of Motion Conjugating the Past Tense with Être

French Verbs of Motion Conjugating the Past Tense with Être Sign up successful Common French Verbs of Motion Verbs of motion are  exactly what they sound like  â€" they are verbs that express transitions from one place to another, or occasionally, a lack of transition. Some verbs of motion, along with their past participles, include: aller  (to go)  ?  allé(e)(s) descendre  (to go or step down)  ?  descendu(e)(s) monter  (to go or step up)  ?  monté(e)(s) sortir  (to go out)  ?  sorti(e)(s) partir  (to leave)  ?  parti(e)(s) venir  (to come)  ?  venu(e)(s) revenir  (to come back)  ?  revenu(e)(s) rester  (to stay)  ?  resté(e)(s) Note that the basic past participle form for almost all these French verbs follows same the regular pattern as other verbs with the same ending (-er, ir, or re). Even aller, which is normally an irregular verb in the present tense, follows the same pattern as other er verbs. The only exceptions on this list are the irregular verbs venir (venu) and revenir (revenu). Forming the Past Tense with  ÃŠtre Now you can form the past tense with être! Similarly to the past tense with avoir, conjugate the verb être in the present tense, and use the appropriate past participle for the action you wish to express. For example: Je suis descendu du train.  I stepped off/down from the train. Tu es sorti aller au parc.  You went out to go to the park. (If you need to brush up on the present tense of the verb être, take a look at this post  on irregular French verbs.) Remember to Agree with Number and Gender! Now, lets take a look at the variations in the participles that come along with French verbs of motion. You may be wondering why there are extra es and ss in parentheses after the past participles listed above. Whenever you use être as the auxiliary verb (and you will also use être for the  passé composé  of reflexive verbs when you learn about them, if you havent already), the past participle must agree with the subjects number and gender. The first example above assumes a male speaker, while the second assumes the speaker is talking to a boy or man at the same social level. Past participles will change in the same way that adjectives change, adding e for a feminine subject and an s for a plural subject. See the examples below for variations in the use of  past participles: Il est allé à la bibliothèque. He went to the library. Elle est allée à la bibliothèque. She went to the library. Ils sont allés à la bibliothèque. They (including at least one male)  went to the library. Elles sont allées à la bibliothèque. They (all females) went to the library. Je suis allée à la bibliothèque. I went to the library (and I happen to be a female). Nous sommes allés à la bibliothèque. We (including at least one male) went to the library. Vous êtes allées à la bibliothèque. You (and youre all females) went to the library. This variation with gender and number is usually the hardest part for non-native speakers to remember. You might note also that for vous, all forms of the past participle could be valid, depending on the situation: Vous êtes allé. You went (and you are a male  and my social superior or someone I dont know well yet). Vous êtes allée. You went (and youre a female  and my social superior or someone I dont know well yet). Vous êtes allés. You went (and there are more than one of you, including at least one male). Vous êtes allées. You went (and there are more than one of you, and all females). Lets try a few examples to practice. Fill in the blank with the appropriate past tense of the verb in parenthesis. Vous _________________ (partir) hier. (You are talking to a male  and a female.) You left yesterday. Nous _________________ (aller) au cinéma. (You decide if the group has males  in it or not.) We went to the movie theater. Tu _________________ (venir) chez moi la semaine dernière. (You are talking to a female.) You came to my house  last week. Ils _________________ (rester) à lécole jusqu à 18 heures. They stayed at school until 6:00 p.m. Je _________________ (monter) sur le train. I stepped onto the bus. Now check your answers to see how you did! êtes partis If the group has at least one male  : sommes allés; If youre all females: sommes allées es venue sont restés If you are a male: suis monté; If you are a female:  suis montée How did you do? Keep practicing and checking yourself, and whenever you run across a French verb of motion, remind yourself to use être for the passé composé. Interested in learning more about French verbs? The best way to learn any language is through individualized instruction with a qualified tutor, who has the knowledge and resources to help you succeed in becoming a  fluent French speaker. Sign up with  a French tutor today! Post Author:  Carol Beth L. Carol Beth L. teaches  French lessons in San Francisco, CA. She has her Masters in French language education from the Sorbonne University in Paris and has been teaching since 2009.  Learn more about Carol Beth here! Photo by Hernán Piñera   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

50 Fascinating Facts About the Spanish Language [Infographic]

50 Fascinating Facts About the Spanish Language [Infographic] Suzy S. Calling all linguaphiles, trivia buffs, students, teachers, and  world travelers you probably already know that a countrys language carries many clues about its history, culture, and values. Understanding the intricacies can often make it easier to learn a language,  also, since youll likely recognize patterns, or how certain language relate to each other. The Spanish language in particular is really cool to learn about, as youll see in this post! We  got help from our tutors to compile a list of a whopping 50 interesting facts about the language of Spain, as a way to test your own knowledge. But first, a few FAQs you should definitely know Where is Spanish used? When you think about Spanish speakers, you likely think about Spain and Mexico. But actually, Spanish is the offical language for more than 20 countries including Cuba, Argentina, Chile, and Nicaragua. Its also worth noting that its not the ONLY language spoken in Spain. Other official languages of Spain are Galician, Basque,  and Catalan. Who else speaks Spanish? Its no wonder that many students, business professionals, and travelers choose to learn Spanish its estimated that almost 400 million people worldwide speak the language! Moreover, being bilingual has tons of benefits. Not only that, but its becoming one of the most widely-spoken second languages in the world. Ok, now test your knowledge! The infographic below showcases the most interesting facts we found. See how many of them you already know, and then scroll down to learn even more about the Spanish language! Share this Image On Your Site pstrongPlease include attribution to TakeLessons.com with this graphic./strong/pbr /br / pa href=https://takelessons.com/blog/language-of-Spain-z03img src=https://takelessons.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Interesting-Facts-About-the-Spanish-Language.jpg alt=50 Fascinating Facts About the Spanish Language width=720px border=0 //a/pbr /br / p Spanish Grammar Syntax If taken literally, the word la persona (person) is feminine, even though it may refer to a man or a woman.[1] Nouns that end in -a are usually feminine, but if they start with an a, they take the masculine article el to avoid the combination of the two same vowels (i.e. Spanish speakers say el alma instead of la alma). Still, the word remains being feminine.[2] Many words have completely different meanings depending on what syllable is stressed. For example,  la mamá  (stressed on the second syllable: the mother), la mama (stressed on the first syllable: the breast). Spanish has two different verbs that mean “to be” in English: ser and estar. The first one is for permanent states (such as personality features of a person;  Yo soy alto [I am tall]) and the second one is for temporary states (such as the location of something; Yo estoy en casa [I am at home]). Even though nouns ending in -o are usually masculine, la mano  is a feminine word. Many nouns are spelled the same but change meanings if theyre used with a different grammatical gender. For example, el cometa (the comet) and la cometa (the kite); el cura (the Catholic priest) and la cura (the cure); el pendiente (the earring) and la pendiente (the slope).[3] Different from English, Spanish has a relatively free word order, and variations of the Subject-Verb-Object order occur much more often than in English. For example, the sentence “Juan wrote a book” can be said like Juan escribió el libro,” “El libro escribió Juan,” “Escribió Juan el libro,” and even “Juan el libro escribió,” or “El libro, Juan escribió” for some literary effect.[4] In most parts of the Spanish-speaking world, theres a familiar-informal 2nd person singular pronoun (usually tú) and a formal 2nd person singular pronoun for unknown, older, or important people (usted). In the Rioplatense variety, the pronoun tú is never used; vos is used instead as the informal-familiar 2nd person singular. In some other countries, such as Ecuador, both tú and vos coexist, but the second one has a social connotation and is considered a highly uneducated (and even lowly) way of addressing others.[5] Exclamations and questions in Spanish need to begin with an “opening” exclamation mark ( ¡) or question mark ( ¿). These punctuation marks do not exist in other languages, except some minority languages in Spain. Considering the three moods (Indicative, Subjunctive, and Imperative), there are 17 tenses in Spanish.[6] Spanish has two different versions of the imperfect subjunctive that coexist in modern Spanish (Pretérito Imperfecto del subjuntivo), one with -ra endings and one with -se. Most native speakers use either form interchangeably. For instance, the words amara or amase ([if I] loved). Spanish Pronunciation Spanish is a very phonetic language. If you know how a word is spelled, you can surely know how its pronounced. If you know how a word is pronounced, you cannot be sure of how its spelled. Letters b and v sound the same in Standard Modern Spanish (this simplification took place between the 15th and 17th century). Between vowel sounds, theyre pronounced like a soft b, in which the lips don’t touch. This last sound doesnt exist in English.[7] Until the early 18th century, the letter x was used to represent the x sound, like  the Scottish word loch. After that, it was replaced with the letter j to represent the same sound. For example, the word caja (box) used to be spelled like caxa.[8] The letter c, when it appears before the letters e and i, is pronounced differently by speakers in Latin America and Spain. The former  pronounce it like an s,  whereas the latter pronounce it like th in “the.” There are plenty of homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently) in Spanish that cause native speakers difficulties in learning how to write. Popular examples are hacia (towards) and Asia (Asia), and hola  (hello) and ola (wave). Even though the letters y and ll sound slightly different in most parts of Spain and Latin America, in Rioplatense Spanish, the variety spoken in the most populated areas of Argentina and Uruguay sound like “sh” in English. For example, baya (berry) and valla (fence) sound like bah-shah. Despite being one of the most common words in the language, the word yo (I) can be pronounced in at least four different ways depending on the location of the speaker. The letter y can behave as a consonant at the beginning of syllables (onset), or as a vowel at the ending of syllables (nucleus).  For example, yo (y is a consonant), hoy (y has a vowel sound).[9] Spanish  Vocabulary There are words in Spanish that cannot be translated in one word in English. An example is empalagarse (to feel sick because of too much sweetness in food, but also figuratively, as in romantic situations).[10] Another word that cannot be translated in one word is sobremesa (after-dinner conversation).[11] Around 8% of Spanish vocabulary is of Arabic origin.[12] Within numerous expressions of casual Spanish conversation, there often exists a strong likeness to Arabic expression. Probably most well-known is the interjection ¡Ojalá!, which is derived from the phrase law šá lláh, meaning “if Allah wills [it].[13] There are 30,500 words that contain all of the vowels (a, e, i, o, u).[14] New verbs can be easily created by adding the suffix -ear at the end of the words. This is how modern technology-related words have been invented from English words; for example, escanear (to scan)[15]  and tuitear (to send tweets).[16] A very common phrase in Spanish thats literally translated into holding someones hair (tomarle el pelo a alguien) means to mock someone with false compliments or promises.[17] In Argentina, theres a group of slang words called vesre. They come from the Spanish word for reverse (revés)  after moving around a few letters. Just as the word vesre, other words are made by switching around letters. These words are now so common in Argentina that they may be used more than the “real” word. For example, garpar (Standard Spanish: pagar, English: to pay) or toga (Standard Spanish: gato, English: cat).[18] Many English words have been adapted to Spanish in the 20th century and have become everyday vocabulary. For instance, fútbol (football), suéter (sweater), pulover (pullover), and overol (overall).[19] There are two phrases in Spanish that can be translated to “I love you”: Te amo and te quiero. The first one is said between lovers or closely-related family members. The second one is mostly friendly and typically not romantic. There isn’t a verb in Spanish that can be literally translated to “like.” Me gusta la pizza can be literally translated to the approximation: “The pizza is pleasing to me.” English and Spanish share plenty of similarly-written words that don’t mean the same. Theyre called false friends and learners of Spanish should be aware of them to avoid difficulties. For example, embarazada means pregnant in English and not embarrassed. The Language of Spain Culture and History Spanish is the 2nd most-spoken language as mother tongue. The number of speakers of Spanish as a first language is almost 399 million.[20] The language with the highest number of native speakers is Chinese with 1.2 billion people.[21] Spanish is the 3rd most-used language on the Internet, with 256.8 million users.[22] The use of Spanish on the Internet has grown 1,312.4% from 2000 to 2015.[23] Spanish is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.[24] Spanish is the official language in 22 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela.[25] Spanish is expected to be the first language of 50% of the population of the United States within 50 years.[26] Theres a Spanish-based creole language spoken in the Philippines called Chabacano (poor taste, vulgar). Its the sole and most extensive Spanish-based creole language that still exists in Asia or Oceania.[27] Based on estimates from Census data, the Hispanic population in the US will grow to 132.8 million in 2050. People who speak Spanish may call it español (meaning: it comes from Spain), or castellano (meaning: it  comes from Castilla, Spain), and many people use both words interchangeably.[29] In 1492, the same year when Columbus arrived in America, the first grammar of Spanish was published by Elio Antonio de Nebrija.[30] Spanish was the major diplomatic language until the 18th  century.[31] In 1713, the Real Academia Española was founded. It established authoritative criteria for the sanctioning of neologisms (newly coined words) and the incorporation of international words. Spanish grammar was formalized during this period.[32] In present-day Spanish, September may be spelled septiembre or setiembre. However, the latter is considered a vulgar or informal version of the earlier one because of the dropping of sounds. Contrary to popular belief, the word setiembre is the “originally Spanish” word, since until the 17th century there was no agreement in spelling and the p was not pronounced.[33] Some words that begin with f in other Romance languages, begin with “h” in Spanish. This makes such difference a unique development for the Spanish language. For example, ferrum (Latin: iron) and hierro (Spanish: iron); falar (Portuguese: to speak) and hablar (Spanish: to speak); figlio and fumo (Italian: son and smoke)  and hijo and humo (Spanish: son and smoke).[34] The letter ñ is the only Spanish letter of Spanish origins.[35] Beginning in about the 12th century, Spanish scribes (whose job it was to copy documents by hand) used the tilde placed over letters to indicate that a letter was doubled. This resulted in the Latin word annus to be spelled año in Spanish.[36] The first written records in Spanish are the Glosas Emilianenses and they date back to 964 A.C.[37] The first Literary piece that was fully written in Spanish was “El Cantar de Mio Cid,” which dates back to the 13th century and whose author is unknown.[38] Sources [1] http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=persona [2]  http://www.spanishgrammargenius.com/why_do_i_use_masculine_article_with_feminine_word.htm [3] http://spanish.about.com/od/nouns/a/double_gendered.htm [4] http://spanish.about.com/od/sentencestructure/a/word-order-in-spanish.htm [5] http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/86107/Ennis.pdf [6] http://www.rae.es/diccionario-panhispanico-de-dudas/apendices/modelos-de-conjugacion-verbal [7] Lapesa, R. (1981). Historia de la lengua española (9th ed.). Madrid: Gredos. pp. 422. [8] Lapesa, R. (1981). Historia de la lengua española (9th ed.). Madrid: Gredos. pp. 423. [9] http://clas.mq.edu.au/speech/phonetics/phonology/syllable/syll_structure.html [10] http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=empalagar [11] http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=sobremesa [12] http://people.math.sc.edu/rorabaug/docs/ArabicInfluence.pdf [13] http://people.math.sc.edu/rorabaug/docs/ArabicInfluence.pdf [14] http://www.solosequenosenada.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/palabras_con_todas_las_vocales_sin_qu_ni_gu.txt [15] http://dle.rae.es/?id=G9JTupB [16] http://dle.rae.es/?id=asr6h3K [17] http://lema.rae.es/drae/srv/search?id=9sxZRrtuiDXX2EHANeeY [18] http://www.speakinglatino.com/argentine-slang-in-reverse-vesre/ [19] Lapesa, R. (1981). Historia de la lengua española (9th ed.). Madrid: Gredos. pp. 458. [20] http://www.ethnologue.com/language/spa [21] http://www.ethnologue.com/language/zho [22] http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats7.htm [23] http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats7.htm [24] http://www.un.org/en/sections/about-un/official-languages/ [25] http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/countries_by_languages.htm [26] http://artsandscience.usask.ca/languages/languages/spanish/ [27]  https://www.academia.edu/5922616/Chabacano_The_Case_of_Philippine_Creole_Spanish_in_Cavite [28] http://www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/2009-2013-lang-tables.html [29] http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=castellano [30] http://www.optimnem.co.uk/learning/spanish/language-history.php [31] http://www.optimnem.co.uk/learning/spanish/language-history.php [32] http://www.optimnem.co.uk/learning/spanish/language-history.php [33] Lapesa, R. (1981). Historia de la lengua española (9th ed.). Madrid: Gredos. pp. 390. [34] http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/staff/letchfoa/comparison/comparison2 [35] http://spanish.about.com/cs/historyofspanish/f/tilde_origins.htm [36] http://spanish.about.com/cs/historyofspanish/f/tilde_origins.htm [37] http://www.mecd.gob.es/dctm/ministerio/educacion/actividad-internacional/consejerias/reino-unido/tecla/2005/mayo/20-05-05b.pdf?documentId=0901e72b80b7eb9c [38] http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/cantar_de_mio_cid/ 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

If Youre Not Growing Youre Shrinking - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / If Youre Not Growing Youre Shrinking - Introvert Whisperer If Youre Not Growing Youre Shrinking Dow Escalante November 28, 2016 Career Development No responses Go to top As we approach the end of the year people often think of their careers, so today I’m going to toss out a few thoughts for you to consider. Your career is always moving in some direction; it never stays the same. The question is: What direction is it going? Is that the direction you intended? Even if we aren’t intending to get promoted or a higher level if we aren’t growing, we’re shrinking. Growth comes in a number of ways such as learning new skills  or taking on new tasks. Think of this like the ever-expanding resume. You want to show some type of growth or progression on your resume because it demonstrates your initiative along with all sorts of other good characteristics. Also, your career is your responsibility and only you can decide what direction you want to go and how you will get there. It’s easy to get derailed by life or work circumstances but a couple of times a year, you need to make an appointment with yourself and contemplate the next couple of moves you need to make. Also, if you work for the type of company that offers classes or reimburse you for classes you take; don’t get lulled into the idea that’s all. Consider those classes a place to get started. There are colleges and university both local and online that can explode your skills. If you’re aiming for a promotion or higher level, make sure you know what you need to do to turn yourself into the best possible candidate. This is too important to make assumptions, you have to do your due diligence and speak to experts or management to get the correct information. I call this a gap analysis and I speak to too many people that either don’t do all the steps for the gap analysis or they make assumptions that prove to be wrong. There you go. Two things for you to take action on. Today.

22 MORE Useful French Phrases for Striking Up a Conversation

22 MORE Useful French Phrases for Striking Up a Conversation Sign up successful French Conversation Starters Quest-ce que vous faites ce weekend? /  Quest-ce que tu fais ce weekend? What are you doing this weekend? Queest-ce que vous avez fait le week-end dernier? /  Quest-ce que tu as fait le week-end dernier? What did you do last weekend? Comment est-ce que vous allez passer vos vacances? /  Comment est-ce que tu vas passer tes vacances? How are you going to spend your vacation? Quelles autres langues est-ce que vous parlez? /  Quelles autres langues est-ce que tu parles? What other languages do you speak? De quelle nationalité êtes-vous? /  De quelle nationalité es-tu? What is your nationality? Quest-ce que vous faites dans votre temps libre? /  Quest-ce que tu fais dans ton temps libre? What do you do in your spare time? Quelles sont vos sports préférés? /  Quelles sont tes sports préférés? What are you favorite sports? Quelles sont vos chansons préférées? /  Quelles sont tes chansons préférées? What are your favorite songs? Où est-ce que vous avez voyagé? /  Où est-ce que tu as voyagé? Where have you traveled? Où est-ce que vous voudriez voyager? /  Où est-ce que tu voudrais voyager? Where would you like to travel? Quest-ce que vous aimez manger? /  Quest-ce que tu aimes manger? What do you like to eat? Où habitez-vous? /  Où habites-tu? Where do you live? Quest-ce que vous faites comme travail? /  Quest-ce que tu fais comme travail? What kind of work do you do? Quelle est votre matière préférée à lécole / au collège / au lycée / à luniversité? /  Quelle est ta matière préférée à  lécole / au collège / au lycée / à luniversité? What is your favorite subject matter in school / middle school / high school / university? Est-ce que vous avez un chien / un animal de compagnie? /  Est-ce que tu as un chien / un animal de compagnie? Do you have a dog / pet? Est-ce que vous avez des frères ou des sÅ"urs? Décrivez-le. /  Est-ce que tu as  des frères ou des sÅ"urs? Décris-le. Do you have brothers or sisters? Describe them. Quel est ton  film préféré? Pourquoi? /  Quel est ton  film préféré? Pourquoi? What is your favorite film? Why? Quel est votre livre préféré? /  Quel est ton livre préféré? What is your favorite book? Qui es votre acteur / actrice préféré(e)? Pourquoi? /  Qui es ton acteur / actrice préféré(e)? Pourquoi? Who is your favorite actor? Why? Qui est ton  musicien préféré? /  Qui est ton  musicien préféré? Who is your favorite musician? Quel est votre endroit préféré? Décrivez-le. /  Quel est ton endroit préféré? Décris-le. What is your favorite place? Describe it. Si vous pouviez vivre n’importe où, vous choisiriez quel endroit? / Si tu pouvais vivre n’importe où, tu choisirais quel endroit? If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Not sure where to bring up  these French phrases? Check out some  ideas for practicing conversational French here. And of course, these phrases will come in handy when youre working with your French tutor, as well! The more speaking and listening practice you get, the faster youll learn. Post Author:  Carol Beth L. Carol Beth L. teaches  French lessons in San Francisco, CA. She has her Masters in French language education from the Sorbonne University in Paris and has been teaching since 2009.  Learn more about Carol Beth here! Need 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  Pedro Ribeiro Simões

Subtraction within 1000

Subtraction within 1000 There are different mathematical operations in math such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Subtraction is of the basic and prominent mathematical operation used in every branch of math and life in general. Subtraction is denoted by the sign -and is also called as difference. Subtraction means difference or the amount by which the total quantity is reduced. In subtraction the order in which the numbers are subtracted is very important. If the order of the numbers is changed the answer also changes. Hence subtraction is not commutative or associative. Example 1: Subtract the following numbers and find the answer: 792 - 561? Solution: Given are two numbers 792 and 561 which are both within 1000. Subtracting the numbers 792 + 561. First the ones place is subtracted 2 - 1 = 1. Now subtracting the tens place of the given numbers 9 - 6 = 1. Then subtracting the hundreds place of the numbers = 7 5 = 2. Hence the subtraction of: 792 - 561 = 211. Question: Multiple choice question (Pick the correct option.) What is the difference when the two numbers 695 and 382 are subtracted? a) 313 b) 963 c) 343 d) None of these. Correct answer: option a. Explanation: Here the two numbers 695 and 382 are given. Subtracting the ones place 5 - 2 = 3. Subtracting the tens place 9 - 8 = 1. Adding the hundreds place 6 - 3 = 3. Hence, subtracting the numbers 695 - 382 = 313.

Volunteering With Tutorfair - Snehas Story

Volunteering With Tutorfair - Sneha's Story Sneha S is a registered Tutorfair  tutor and has completed a volunteer placement for the Tutorfair Foundation.  Read her story  below..... Being a Masters student in London usually means long hours in the library, essays that will make your head hurt and one too many existential crises. It also means you yearn to step out of your academic lifestyle and do something different. For me, this welcome respite came in the form of Tutorfair. Having seen advertisements of the company pop up on my social media, I finally decided to give it a go and I am so glad I did. Tutorfair is an educational company that provides you with the opportunity to help tutor students and adults of all ages to improve their subjects. These subjects range from sports to academics and you have the luxury of choosing as many subjects as you wish to tutor once you sign up to this website. Excited and a tad bit nervous, I got down to business and started my own profile on the website which was quite simple, that coming from a technologically challenged person like me, is a big deal ! Once I had signed up, I was greeted with a warm welcome mail and an invitation to a seminar hosted by the company in partnership with Teach First, one of the leading educational organisations attempting to end educational inequality in London. The training day  provided two massive benefits. For one, it taught you and educated you, the tutor, about how to improve your teaching skills and your interactions with the students. It also speeded up your verification process on the website. So, on a not so sunny London morning, I headed to the training day, curious and ready to participate in everything it had to offer. It was a wonderful experience to say the least. I was made aware of the huge disparities in education in the city and learnt a plethora of ways to not just intermingle with the students but also make the syllabus more interesting. I got to learn how to pick up on subtle clues about students who might not be coming from the most stable of homes and how to deal with them without hurting or causing harm to the students and also got to practice the newly learned methods. The training day  also gave me the chance to network with other tutors who not only came from all different spheres of life but also had loads of experiences of their own to share. The entire day  was fascinating and I would do it all over again, if given the chance. Once I had completed the training, I was invited to the Tutorfair office, where I was provided with a more detailed description as to how the company and website works. I understood the ropes of the company and was delighted to stumble across two adorable pets roaming around in the office. Hurray for all the animal lovers !! Amidst talking to the other newly signed tutors and munching on delicious snacks, we were led to a small room one by one where we were videotaped. This video allows for a more personal network between the client and tutor, providing the client with a little more information regarding the tutor they might possibly book. Before I knew it, my profile was live on the website. The company gives the tutors the luxury of choosing the rate per hour at which they would like to tutor and also choose the timings for when they are available. Having one or two or more references makes the profile even more attractive and welcoming and soon, I was caught up in the world of tutoring. There are times when it can get challenging, parents worried about their children’s performances might need reassuring and at times even the children need to be constantly reminded that their hard work and dedication will pay off. Providing incentive, confidence and encouragement is key along with a constant stream of patience and motivation. For me, applying to Tutorfair was one of the best decisions I could have made. Not only did it give me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and submerge myself in the world of academics from a different point of view but it also gave me the chance to give back by volunteering and by sharing the knowledge I had amassed. The feeling you experience when your student succeeds is indescribable and irreplaceable, almost like drinking hot chocolate on a very cold day. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy and you can’t help but hide that goofy smile and the contagious exhilaration that your student exudes upon succeeding. So go ahead, click on that link and sign up. Give volunteering with Tutorfair a try, I promise you, it will be worth every minute. Get Involved with The Tutorfair Foundation

Volunteer Spotlight Sharon and Kelsey Manning - Heart Math Tutoring

Volunteer Spotlight Sharon and Kelsey Manning - Heart Math Tutoring Volunteer Spotlight: Sharon and Kelsey Manning Volunteer Spotlight: Sharon and Kelsey Manning January 23, 2020 Sharon and Kelsey Manning are a mother/daughter pair who are partner tutors at Merry Oaks International Academy, working with the same students on different days every week! We sat down with them to learn more about their experience as Heart Tutors. Q: How did you get involved with Heart Math Tutoring? Kelsey: I work for Bank of America, and Heart gave a presentation at my office encouraging us to volunteer. I’ve been a Heart Tutor for five years now! Sharon: Kelsey and I were at a breakfast in December 2017, and the discussion around the table was inclusivity and how we could get involved on a local level. Kelsey challenged me to come alongside her and be a part of the Heart program, so I joined in January 2018. After that semester, we began partner tutoring so we could work with the same students. This is our 2nd year as partner tutors. Q: Have you had the opportunity to work with the same students over multiple years? K: When I volunteered at Westerly Hills Academy I had the same student for 3 years. It’s so great and so impactful to see how much they change. Even going from the first to the second semester, coming back from winter break, having that time apart from them for a little while makes you realize how much they’ve grown. The effect is doubled after coming back from summer vacation â€" there’s a few cobwebs to clear away, but then you realize how much progress they’ve made since you worked with them in the previous year. It’s great to be able to leverage our relationship when my student is feeling a little shy or intimidated. We even saw one of our students when we were out in Uptown once, and it was so great to say hi and meet her family! Q: What are the benefits of having a partner tutor and how do you utilize that relationship? K: Since we are mother and daughter, it’s a lot easier. It’s neat for our relationship because we can connect about the girls and talk about their progress. I would totally recommend for anyone to partner with someone you know if you can â€" it not only helps you provide a better experience for the students, but helps your relationship since you are helping the community together! S: It also provides a level of accountability, making sure we both are being the best tutors we can be. The students even know about our relationship â€" if Kelsey isn’t able to come to tutoring one week, the students will say “Where was Kelsey this week?! You’re her mom, you should make sure she comes to tutoring!” We can also share with the students about our lives â€" when Kelsey got engaged, I showed my student a picture of Kelsey with her fiancé, and our student was SO excited for her! K: And that gives the students more to talk about with us. They asked me after that, “Your mom said you’re engaged! Can I see more pictures?” S: We will even have phone calls about tutoring to compare notes, and put our heads together if a student is struggling with a concept or has trouble focusing. Communicating about what we hear from our students helps us understand what is happening outside the classroom â€" it’s a conduit for communication. We have seen a change the way our students respond to us, just in one short semester. They’ve gotten to know us and are so much more comfortable. Q: Outside of math, what do you talk about with your student(s)? S: One of our students is extremely shy and we’ve been able to work on making eye contact, speaking up, and being confident. We want her to believe that her words are important, and that her voice matters. I’ll tell her, “That’s the right answer! Say it emphatically!” We’re slowly trying to pull her out of her shell, and it’s great that we can work together and both see the progress she makes. K: And now that Mom has told me what she’s doing with our student, I make sure to give the same messages for consistency. Another thing is that both of our girls are Spanish-speaking, so I ask them to teach me a Spanish word on my way back to class. I told mom about it, and we’ve started writing down the words they teach us so we can keep track of everything that we’ve learned throughout the year. Now the girls look forward to it and will even have words prepared before they see us! Q: What is your favorite or the most rewarding part of being a tutor? S: When you get to the end of year and you look at the difference between where your student was on the first day and last day of tutoring, the difference is tremendous. K: The small victories throughout the year, as well â€" brain checks, making it through the notebooks, getting to track the progress students make toward their goals and seeing how excited they are about it. When you get to the end of year and you look at the difference between where your student was on the first day and last day of tutoring, the difference is tremendous. Q: How does your tutor experience impact other parts of your life? K: Obviously the unique experience I’m able to share with my mom has impacted our relationship. I’m also a graduate of CMS, so being able to give back and address a large need is really rewarding. I work in a corporate environment and sometimes it’s a stretch to make it work with my schedule and I may feel stressed at times, but when I get to the school, I never second-guess why I’m there. It really grounds me and sets a great positive tone for the rest of the week. S: I get great joy out of doing something for somebody else. It takes the focus off me and my perceived problems, and helps put into perspective where I am, the resources I have, and how I can use my resources to help in a larger way. It seems like such a small thing but as soon as I get there, get the kids, and get going, it’s like an adrenaline rush â€" you’re so glad that you’re doing this, and that feeling spills over into the rest of your day and week. K: My mom makes a good point, I would say I think everyone innately wants to give back to the community, get involved, but uses the excuse about not being able to give the time or commit to a whole school year. With Heart you have a regular routine and you have to be there weekly â€" I look back on my month and my year, and it’s reaffirming to me that I’ve made a large impact and it’s because of that routine â€" it makes sure that I’m there, and it adds up week over week. When I get to the school, I never second-guess why I’m there. It really grounds me and sets a great positive tone for the rest of the week. Q: How has the support from Heart and the Program Coordinators impacted your experience? S: We as volunteers don’t have to create anything, we don’t have homework, don’t have to prepare ahead of time. We can walk in and grab our materials and go â€" Heart has made the process so streamlined and seamless. Heart takes care of everything so we can just focus on our time with the students. It makes it easy to do it weekly.I really like the fact that we can take the curriculum home to practice and prepare if we want. I also love the high energy level that everyone carries into the room while we’re there, and the sharing of information through the monthly newsletter. If there are school holidays or school events I plan to attend, I can use the dates to plan ahead. I enjoy having that information. K: The curriculum makes it so easy, the Program Coordinator is always there to help with questions or concerns, and they know your students by name. You can really feel the commitment to the program from the coordinators. And the flexibility too is a great selling point. I hear a lot of people say they can’t commit because they can’t make it work with their schedule, but the flexibility is there if you need to reschedule due to work, lifestyle, etc. Q: There are a few common concerns people have when they consider becoming a Heart Tutor, and we would love to hear how you address these concerns. What would you say to someone who has these concerns? I am no good at math. S: If you can play dice, play cards, and read on a basic reading level, you don’t have an excuse! I am no good with kids. S: Because the curriculum is so well-written and leaves nothing to chance/interpretation, give it a try and see. If you interact with people, you can interact with children and can follow the script. You don’t have to come up with anything on your own. Just dig in and say “I’m going to do this,” and it will come. K: The icebreakers at the beginning of the year really help you lean into the relationship. Treating them as a partner or peer if you’re intimidated by kids can help â€" you are partners and are both working together to improve their math skills. I don’t have a partner tutor to sign up with. K: Challenge someone to be your partner tutor! Go find somebody to volunteer with you! Or let Heart provide you with a partner tutor, and just get your feet wet and see what it’s all about. Once you’re more comfortable you can be a spokesperson and get your friends and family to join. S: From a personal standpoint, we grow more when we’re uncomfortable and out of our element. This isn’t just about the kids â€" it’s personal improvement and beneficial for the tutor as well as a student, and signing up on your own can be a great opportunity for growth. I don’t have time in my schedule. S: We all make things happen if we really want them to happen. Some people are more constrained than others, but if you have a little bit of wiggle room and can adjust your schedule slightly or work from home for a bit, I’d say bring it on. K: It’s the most rewarding hour of my week. Take the leap to just try it and see the benefits. You can start with just one student, just 30 minutes a week, and see how it goes. Talk to the people who impact your schedule â€" your boss, coworkers, etc., to see if they’re on board. You may not think they’ll be supportive, but you don’t know until you ask! S: Also, it’s an important use of time â€" you’re investing in these students’ futures. Every child deserves equal access and equal opportunity. K: That’s a great point â€" do your research and see what a large need there is, and that this is a way you can help. Q: Anything else you want the world to know about Heart? K: Anybody can do it! It’s easy! S: It’s so worth it. Take 5 minutes to read Heart’s mission statement and general information about the curriculum. It’s an important use of time â€" you’re investing in these students’ futures. Every child deserves equal access and equal opportunity.

Archeology - Tutor Hunt Blog

Archeology Archeology ArcheologySubjectsThe AQA - assessment and qualifications alliance - announced in October that it would be removing both A-level and AS level Archeology from the syllabus. Students currently studying the subject will of course be able to complete it, but it will not be taught to a new set of pupils from next September.Many have been outraged by this decision, seeing it as a move to erode cultural understanding and wider social issues. Daniel Boatright, the teacher of Archeology at Worcester Sixth Form College, has said that that subjects outside mainstream academia are hugely beneficial to pupils, enabling them to discover skills that would otherwise have `been left undiscovered.` Dr Boatright has said it is `extremely naive` to restrict the curriculum to only the major academic subjects, and has launched an online petition to have the Archeology reinstated. This petition, which has collected more than 13,000 signatures, is headed by ; the words of the Roman philosopher Cicero: `To b e ignorant of what went before you were born is to remain always a child.`The actor Tony robinson, who presents numerous archeology TV shows, including the popular Time Team, has been strongly opposed to the excision of A-Level Archeology from the syllabus. Talking to the Guardian Newspaper, he said `To take away the chance for children to study archaeology at A-level seems to me to be a barbaric act How could you remove such a tranche of valuable subjects from our A-levels? The removal of all that knowledge is awful It feels like the Visigoths at the gates of Rome!`Mike Heyworth, The Director of the council for British Archeology, has stated that `This is disastrous news for archaeology. Another vital route into the study of the subject is being removed.`AQA has the jurisdiction to remove the subject simply because it is the only examining body permitting students to study the Archaeology before university. Demand for the subject has not been particularly high over recent years, with just 369 students sitting the exam in in 2016, and an additional 621 taking the AS level test.Along with the AQA exam board`s announcement of the dropping of A-level and AS level Archeology, a number of other niche subjects are being phased our of the curriculum. Classical Civilisation along with Citizenship studies and Communication and Culture will also be removed from the 2017 syllabus.As of the 1st of December however it was announced that Art History A-Level, which was due to be dropped, will remain as a qualification. It seems like the subject got a last minute reprieve, and was only saved by a high profile campaign to keep it on the syllabus. The historian Simon Schama described the decision to drop the subject as `a big dull axe wielded by cultural pygmies` Others prominent figures who fought against the scrapping of Art History included the artists Cornelia Parker, Anish Kapoor and Jeremy Deller, along with the Director of the Tate Gallery Nicholas Serota. `Art history is the study of power, politics, identity and humanity. It makes perfect sense to keep the exam,` said Jeremy Deller `The arts are one of the great strengths of the UK and I am pleased that A-level provision in art history will not be interrupted for students starting sixth form in 2017,` said Dr Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery.Many have said that if the UK is to remain competitive, and improve its standards of education - it ranked a lovely 23 in the international 2013 PISA scoring - it must focus more on the core academic subjects, and less on the more eclectic humanities. Many would retort that it is just these so called eclectic subjects that provide the greatest lessons regarding society and humanity. During the Second world war, when he was asked to cut the arts budget, Winston Churchill apparently replied: `Then what are we fighting for?` 3 years ago0Add a Comment