Heather H.'s Blog at WyzAnt.com

Grown-ups, and why they're cool.

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Heather H.

I lovvvve tutoring adults. In some ways, this surprised me. I'd taught high school English for six years before beginning work on my Ph.D., and I absolutely adored my high school students. I'm still close with many of them and attend their college graduation parties, weddings, and baby showers (where I promptly feel very old). It's only natural, then, that I get really excited when a new high school student signs up for tutoring.

Since I began working at WyzAnt, though, I've had many adult students - and man, they are awesome. Adult students come to me with very clear goals. They've examined their lives and have decided to make a change. They make serious sacrifices to come to tutoring. They take notes, listen attentively, and do as much of the homework I assign as they possibly can. They bring awesome questions to our tutoring sessions. They learn as if they're sitting on a mine that will explode if they stop. There's nothing like the commitment of someone who has decided to improve her life. And as an added bonus for me, they're fun - they bring all sorts of life experiences to our sessions, and *I* get to learn from *them*.

Last night, I got this email from a former Praxis student:

"I got the job! I signed my contract on Tuesday ... thank you for all your help. If it wasn't for the help you've given me the past 8 months I wouldn't be where I am today! I plan on keeping in touch when I need more of my writing advised, so be ready!!"

Can there be a bigger high than that? This student realized, after earning a bachelor's degree in a different field, that he really wanted to be a teacher (a guy after my own heart!). He went back to college, studied hard, and had to tackle the Praxis. We met throughout the fall, and he worked seriously hard. I could not possibly find enough homework to make him happy. Mostly, we worked on his confidence. He was much smarter and more knowledgeable than he would give himself credit for. And then he nailed his test. A few weeks ago, he emailed to say that he had a couple of interviews lined up with school districts and asked for some help with revising his portfolio, as well as for tips for the sample lesson he had to teach.

Last night, it all culminated with that email. Could there be anything better? His hard work, and a bit of help from me, has landed him that teaching job he so desperately wanted - the one that seemed like such a distant dream when we began working together. He is going to be a fantastic teacher who will make such a difference in his students' lives, and I am overwhelmed with pride for him.

I don't think I could have a better job.

Because No One Wants to Study.

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Heather H.

I get it. We're all busy, and when we're not busy, we don't want to use our downtime to study. Over the years of my own learning, I've found that the hardest step is just getting myself to sit down and work sometimes - I'd rather do a thousand other things.

But studying doesn't have to be time-consuming. In fact, you can do it without taking time away from whatever else you have to do.

Although "real" learning isn't memorization, we do actually have to memorize sometimes: vocab words, formulas, measurement conversions, or special right triangles. But sitting down for a long study session of these sounds about as exciting as cleaning public toilets.

Fear not. I have three solutions that I share with all of my students.

First, find your downtime. When are you doing a menial task that doesn't use any brainpower? Driving, washing dishes, vacuuming, getting ready in the morning - during all of these activities, my hands are busy, but my brain isn't. (Don't worry - I still somehow remember to stop at red lights!) Right before you do this activity, look over a couple of things that you need to memorize and then rehearse them while you do this activity. You can also download podcasts (or easily record your own) and listen to these while you work or commute. For instance, I love the quirky songs produced in the Princeton Review Vocab Minute (free on iTunes).

Second, whiteboard markers and lipstick are your friends! A couple of months ago, I had a student who said that he was awful at memorizing formulas - but he needed to learn the quadratic equation to pass his algebra class. I suggested that he write it on his shower tiles (NOT the grout) with cheap lipstick. Then he could practice it whenever he took a shower (more downtime). His bathroom looked ridiculous for a couple of weeks, but it worked. Women (who tend to spend more time doing hair and makeup) might prefer to write on their bathroom mirror with whiteboard marker. Whiteboard marker easily cleans off of glass, and after a couple of days of looking at that formula or a couple of vocab words, you're likely to remember it.

Third, whenever possible, make it a game! There are several vocab games that you can download to an iPhone or iPod (and I imagine that Droids have them, too, but I don't actually have a Droid to find out for sure). Think about all of the time you've spent playing Angry Birds (or your game of choice while you're waiting in doctors' offices) - you could use that time to master some vocabulary.

The brain can hold seven pieces of new information at once (which is why phone numbers have seven digits!), so don't overdo it. You aren't going to learn fifty vocab words in one sitting. Study seven, and then the next time you sit down, add seven more (being sure to review the last seven). Keep building up the stack, seven words at a time, and you'll find yourself actually *learning* the words, not just cramming them in and forgetting them in a few days.

The Secret Life of a Tutor

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Heather H.

Sundays are days to be lazy, to hang out with friends, to read books or swim in pools or play outside. Today is an exceptionally hot Sunday in early June. Since I got up, I've been holed up in my home office, working on tutoring. Even though I've spent the past nine or so hours (with breaks for shrimp tacos, diet Coke, and ice cream) working, I haven't actually had any students today. I realized that not many people are aware of the "behind the scenes" of tutoring (well, at least of good tutoring), and it's gotten me to think a bit about the concept of having an "hourly rate." Realizing that mine is one of the higher rates on WyzAnt, I thought I'd share a bit of the "secret life of a (good) tutor," so you might have a better idea of what you're getting for your money.

Although I work very hard during our tutoring sessions to make them as productive and educational as possible, it's everything I do when you aren't around that helps me do that. Before and after we meet, I'm doing all of these things to help you reach your goals:

- I work through every question of every book I use while tutoring. Although I could work through questions on the spot during our lesson, having all of the work in front of me saves me time, and I become more and more familiar with the types of questions you'll encounter (whether it be in a content area like algebra or a test like the GREs or SATs). Doing this also helps me anticipate the kinds of mistakes my students might make on different questions, and I mentally rehearse how I might talk a student through those problems.
- I align lessons with materials from different sources, from a primary source we might use during a lesson, to secondary sources to work through for homework or to supplement the lesson for better understanding.
- I write thorough lesson reviews shortly after every lesson. While WyzAnt requires that every tutor write a 25-word review, mine are always several paragraphs long and include the specific content covered during the lesson, an overview of your progress towards your larger goals, an outline of the homework assigned (including links and page numbers as necessary), and a reminder about when we'll be meeting next.
- I investigate new materials thoroughly and purchase new texts frequently. This means that I'll always have exactly what you need to help you right at my fingertips (and is also a reason that I prefer to tutor from my home office, as I can't always predict what you'll need before the lesson).
- I receive daily emails from different sources, like the College Board, to keep me up-to-date on changes to tests, as well as strategies and extra practice questions.
- I make vocabulary flashcards by hand with all of the words you'll need for your test or to improve your reading.
- I communicate with new students via email and phone, answering questions about my experiences and asking questions that will help me know best how to help you.
- I respond to homework questions from current students; sometimes, you just can't wait for the next tutoring session to get yourself unstuck.
- As an educational researcher, I keep up-to-date on educational research by reading several journals, and I'm writing my dissertation on learning. I also read books that help me gain even more expertise in the subjects that I teach, such as grammar or writing.

I love tutoring. It's the best rush when a student achieves his or her goals, and I get so excited about helping out in that process. It's a privilege, really. And without that love, I wouldn't be willing to put in the hours I do outside of the sessions themselves (which are always fun).

Tutoring well takes a lot of work and time, but unfortunately, many tutors who charge less don't put in any time outside of their sessions with their students. In an upcoming post, I'll be writing about how to pick a great tutor - one way is to get a sense of the secret life of the tutor you're considering.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment or to ask me questions!