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Why Kids Hate Math

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

May 2013 Student Newsletter, 5th Edition

Written by R. Bruce N., from Lawrenceville, GA.

It may come as a surprise that I hated math while in school. If I teach it today, then something must have happened. Here is my tale of conquering math anxiety...

From day one, kids in school get drummed into them that teachers know it all. Students don't dare challenge the teacher and if they are falling behind it's implied that the fault lies within the student. (My story is on no way intended to bash the teaching profession. There are many, many excellent teachers out there.) But, teachers today are dealing with new challenges such as larger class sizes, condensed curriculum, etc., so less time is spent on assessing the individual's progress and understanding. This fact, combined with the tendency for kids to avoid questioning teachers on unclear concepts, leads to low self-confidence in the classroom and poor performance.

That was me: afraid to question. And, consequently, my grades suffered.

My teachers (in an expensive private school) taught to the top and ignored the bottom half of the class. Guess where I was? I always sat at the back of class, out of trouble and out of sight. Many, many times, I wanted to ask a question because I was confused. But, my heart would thunder and my stomach would turn at the thought of being ridiculed. Ridicule is a very powerful blunt instrument. So, questions didn't get asked and there were no answers. According to a series of studies from the American Educational Research Association, only 25% of students asked for help once more, after failing to get an answer to a question on the first attempt.

Math anxiety is very common and can be transferred to students from other classmates or even subconciously passed down from parents. Math anxiety manifests in the classroom because students run the risk of appearing vulnerable in front of their peers - something that we spend our entire adolescence trying to avoid. Class participation for a math class often requires students to rely on memorization, and one person's ability to recall information differs greatly from person to person- especially when mixed with the pressure to respond quickly and confidently in front of an audience. Another challenge for students is having the confidence to potentially answer a question incorrectly – appear foolish - or inquire further about a concept that is still unclear.

So in my case, pretty much ALL the basic concepts of math were never fully learned, all a vague blur, and I had nowhere to go but down. Math is like a ladder with a bunch of rungs. If the lower rungs are missing, then it's impossible to climb the ladder. The years rolled on and math became more and more difficult – more and more confusing – and when kids are confused they will do anything to relieve the discomfort. Truth be told – we all do that. As a result, kids will turn away, turn off, make excuses, engage in diversions, blame others, hate math, lie to themselves (and their parents) and sink! They give up hope for the future and resolve that they will never be a "math person."

I was lucky. My best buddy's dad was a man I admired greatly. Even at my lowest, he picked me up by the scruff of my neck and gave me a life lesson. All it takes is one person to change your outlook and restore confidence. Specifically, he taught me about belief systems. I believed I was stupid. As a self-fulfilling prophecy it worked beautifully. Everything was hard, nothing was easy, and what the teachers had told me over the years came to be true. I was dumb and the results proved it.

Now, if I teach math today, then something must have happened. Yes, it did. Mr. Brown taught me about my bent beliefs and he persuaded me that the best way to understand math was to try to explain it to other people. My immediate reaction was, “You must be insane! How can I do that?!” But, Mr. Brown insisted and even got me a job as a math teacher! Not just any job, but at a prestigious technical college named after John Napier, the guy who invented logarithms! Scared or not, Mr. Brown pushed me forward and I studied, and I studied, and I studied. Not to pass an exam, but to pass my future students unscathed. After spending the afternoons on intense individual study, I would go to school at night and teach math. Monday through Friday – every night. And, as I was teaching - I found I was really teaching myself.

I finished at my University with 1st Class Honors, and making 100's became routine - something I would have never thought possible. Once I abandoned my fear of asking questions and focused on learning concepts rather than relying on memorization, no exam question could rattle my cage and there was no more exam anxiety. I became comfortable confronting the things I was unclear on, and admitting openly when I needed help. One-on-one learning is a life-time opportunity - once students find comfort and are at ease in being open and honest about their shortcomings, they open the door to REAL learning.

After one year of this intense study and clarification in my mind, I discovered that, without my perceived pressure of a classroom full of peers waiting to judge my performance, all the basic concepts were actually very straightforward and made perfect sense.

Don't we ALL like stuff when we - are - good - at - it? I came to really enjoy math - because I - was - good - at - it.

Genius? Me!? No way!! I just did what had to be done. Period.

No more doubts, no more fear, and no more exam anxiety.

Lessons:

The faster you admit that you "don't get it" the sooner you WILL.
It's ok to ask for help from others. ASK QUESTIONS!
We can ALL be "Math People."
Study time is a must. NO excuses.
Believe you can – and you can! Telling yourself you NEVER will is setting yourself up for failure.

R. Bruce Neill has been a tutor on WyzAnt since February 2011, and provides online lessons. SEND AN EMAIL to R. Bruce today to inquire about availability. Since joining the site, he has taught over 900 hours and received 450 star ratings. His reviews are overwhelmingly positive and one students goes as far as to call him a "math genius!" He tutors in Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Microsoft products, Mac, Physics, SAT, ACT, Language Arts, Career Development and resumes - even Portuguese!

7 Rules for Giving a Great Presentation

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

May 2013 Student Newsletter, 5th Edition

Written by Tutor Janine H. from New York, NY

"Ugh. A presentation. Anything but a presentation. No really. I mean isn’t there an option for a paper or an executive summary that everyone could read? I don’t want to be the clown in front of everyone going on and on about a topic that nobody cares for. I do not need the aggravation (or the nausea, sweaty palms, and shaking heads that go along with it). Please, I beg you. NOT A PRESENTATION."

Sound familiar? I’m going to take a shot in the dark and say yes. You are certainly not alone. Paul L. Witt, PhD, an assistant professor of communication studies at Texas Christian University, reports that the number one fear in the U.S. is public speaking. That’s right. More people are afraid of public speaking than snakes, spiders, or any other creeptastic creature you can think of. Added to the fact that you’ve probably sat through more mind numbingly dull presentations in your life than you care to remember, it's understandable why students are hesitant to embrace them.

All that being said, you still have to give the darn thing no matter how unpleasant it may be. So how can you make it more bearable for yourself and for your audience?

1. Content. Content. Content.

Yes. I am blatantly snitching and updating every realtor’s mantra of “location, location, location.” Why? Because location is to real estate as content is to a presentation. It is the bedrock of the entire process. You can have a killer delivery complete with fireworks, party favors, food and drink but if the content isn’t there your presentation is going to fall flat.

How to make your content shine? RESEARCH. I know, another dreaded word, but a well-researched presentation with SPECIFIC details will only make your life, and the lives of your audience better. When you are well equipped with the right research, creating the presentation will actually be easier for YOU to create and will be easier to follow and more engaging for YOUR AUDIENCE.

Now, this does not mean you get to write and deliver an encyclopedia on your topic. A good presentation will be rich in detail, but will contain only the absolute minimum necessary to get your point across to the audience. So cut, chisel, and sand down your content so it is as streamlined as it can be. We want a mean, lean, fighting machine that captures the audience’s attention and holds it.

Which leads me to…

2. Know thy Audience

I know I said content was the most important element of a presentation, but it is actually tied with audience. Consider all of those times you sat in a presentation that seemed that it would run until the end of time. It was most likely because you didn’t feel engaged. The content of the presentation was not geared to you. Either you couldn’t understand it or simply couldn’t find a way to connect to it. So don’t torture your audience in the same way. Tailor your presentation to whom you are speaking. Every aspect of it. You ask, “What aspects?”

Language: If you are giving a presentation to a group of engineers you are going to be using more technical jargon than if you were talking to a group of high school drama students. Plan accordingly. Do not assume that everyone in the audience knows exactly what you are talking about. Take time to define key terms. I always like to preface a presentation with the notion that if someone does not understand something I’ve said at any point, they should raise their hand and ask. No point suffering in silence. And if one audience member doesn’t know a term or concept, you can bet at least five others don’t either.

Style: Again, the group of engineers is going to be more tolerant of a drier presentation than a group of high school drama students, but that does not mean that you have the right to bore anyone to tears. When talking through complex examples you run the risk of your audience getting lost and losing focus, so try breaking the process into smaller pieces. Better yet, come up with analogies. Specifically analogies that involve people. This may sound silly, but trust me, it works. In his book, Hardwired Humans, Andrew O’Keefe discusses the concept with Mark Schenk, the co-founder of Anecdote. Before humans could write, they told stories. The human brain is specifically set up to listen and to talk. Stories tap into our humanity and can transform dry facts into something that we can relate to because people are of infinite interest.

OK. So you’ve researched the topic, you’ve streamlined your content, and you’ve tailored it for your audience. It’s all on paper so you are ready to go. Right?

WRONG.

3. Practice Makes Perfect

“Wait. What do you mean?” you ask. Under no circumstance should you ever give a presentation without having practiced it. I’m not talking mumbling it half heartedly ten minutes before you give it. A good rule of thumb is for every 15 minutes of actual presentation material, you should spend at least an hour rehearsing. It seems like a lot, but that’s the low end. Seriously. Have you ever been to play? What if the actors came on mumbling their lines with completely wrong inflections, made no eye contact with one another and appeared that they didn’t really know what on earth they were talking about? You’d want your money back. Same rule applies for a presentation. Now, I am not saying you have to have it memorized, but you should be very, very familiar with the content. You should feel comfortable enough with the material to make regular eye contact with your audience.

Run your presentation for your friends, family, dog, cat, hamster, bird, cactus or your favorite wall. Get feedback. Work on it again. It will help more than you know. It will make the material start to come alive for you (as you won’t be panicking about whether or not you read it correctly) and for the audience, which is really the main concern. Oh, and added bonus? You’ll feel less anxious come the actual presentation.

4. Take a breath

Before you begin, take a breath. Inhale slowly for eight seconds and exhale slowly for eight seconds. Do this three to five times depending on how bad your nerves are. It will help. I promise. When we are tense we tend to breath shallowly, which skew the oxygen and carbon dioxide balance in our bodies. Too much carbon dioxide? Your heart rate will jump, you’ll feel dizzy, your muscles will tense, and you could feel sick to your stomach. The deep breaths and the fact that you are holding them will help your body get the oxygen it needs to help calm you down and get back to normal levels in the blood stream.

5. Connect with your audience.

In theory, if you’ve practiced and you’ve taken the time to breathe, this step should come more easily for you. Remember, first and foremost you are giving your presentation for YOUR AUDIENCE. Make eye contact. Ask them questions. Check in with them and make sure that everything is clear. You would not be putting yourself through all of this if it were not for them. And guess what? It will help minimize your anxiety levels if you can try to reach out and befriend them. They are not going to start throwing things at you. They will not bite you. At least one hopes. They want your presentation to go well because they too must live through it. For examples on ways to connect with an audience, check out TED talks on YouTube or through the TED website. Presenters are not allowed to use any note cards and use very minimal amounts (if any) of PowerPoint slides. They are completed focused on communicating their points to their listeners/viewers.

6. Projection and Pacing.

This kind of goes hand in hand with “connecting with your audience” and “practice makes perfect” but it’s important enough to get its own bullet. It may seem silly but two of the most effective ways to wreck an otherwise very dynamic presentation are not projecting and pacing the presentation incorrectly. Again, it all circles back to the audience’s needs. If audience members can’t hear you or can’t understand what you are saying because you are speaking at light speed it doesn’t matter how fabulous your material is. I recommended prefacing a presentation with something along the lines of “Can everyone hear me? Yes? Good. If at any point during the presentation this changes, please don’t hesitate to raise your hand or ask me to speak up.” Breathing will help you with both issues. Take the time to breath throughout your presentation to keep you oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in check. If you do this, you won’t physically be able to rush through the material. And if you have sufficient breath, you will be able to fully support your voice to make it carry.

7. Have Fun

If you really get into the material and allow yourself to get excited, the audience will see that and will actually experience some of your joy. Ah, the beauty of mirror neurons. No really. According to new discoveries in neuroscience, when we see an action or emotion being carried out or experienced by another person, the same areas in our brains activate (to a less extent than the actual participant, but they are still lighting up. Check out PBS and NOVA’s video for more information on mirror neurons.

Et voilà. How to make a presentation enjoyable for the audience and yourself.

“Umm. But you didn’t say anything about PowerPoints…”

Ah, the dread PowerPoint. Personally, I despise PowerPoints – added time and effort on my part, and by and large distracting for an audience, but sometimes they are necessary. So if you absolutely must have them here are some simple guidelines:

Only include absolutely necessary information. A study at the University of Houston by Robert Bartsch and Kristi Cobern found that material included in PowerPoint presentations that is not pertinent actually was harmful to viewers’ retention of the material.

The slides are in addition to, NOT the focus of your presentation. If all the material you are going to discuss is contained on the slide, why on earth would any one bother paying attention to you? Give them a copy of your slides and stay home.

Images are more powerful than words for your slides. According to Ian Price of Business Training Direct, an audience will maintain 7% of the material in textually form words, 38% of vocal input that accompanies that slide and 55% of what is visually displayed.

If text must be present it should be no less than 30pt according to Guy Kawasaki a former Apple "chief evangelist” and venture capitalist.

No more than a slide every two minutes. The focus should be on what you’re saying not how many slides you can click through.

Janine is one of Wyzant's top 100 tutors for 2012 nationally. She graduated from Wellesley with a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and French (with honors) and a M.A. from NYU Tisch in Performance Studies.

7 Rules for Giving a Great Presentation

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

May 2013, 5th Edition

Written by Tutor Janine H. from New York, NY

All that being said, you still have to give the darn thing no matter how unpleasant it may be. So how can you make it more bearable for yourself and for your audience?

1. Content. Content. Content.

Which leads me to…

2. Know thy Audience

Language: If you are giving a presentation to a group of engineers you are going to be using more technical jargon than if you were talking to a group of high school drama students. Plan accordingly. Do not assume that everyone in the audience knows exactly what you are talking about. Take time to define key terms. I always like to preface a presentation with the notion that if someone does not understand something I’ve said at any point, they should raise their hand and ask. No point suffering in silence. And if one audience member doesn’t know a term or concept, you can bet at least five others don’t either.

Style: Again, the group of engineers is going to be more tolerant of a drier presentation than a group of high school drama students, but that does not mean that you have the right to bore anyone to tears. When talking through complex examples you run the risk of your audience getting lost and losing focus, so try breaking the process into smaller pieces. Better yet, come up with analogies. Specifically analogies that involve people. This may sound silly, but trust me, it works. In his book, Hardwired Humans, Andrew O’Keefe discusses the concept with Mark Schenk, the co-founder of Anecdote. Before humans could write, they told stories. The human brain is specifically set up to listen and to talk. Stories tap into our humanity and can transform dry facts into something that we can relate to because people are of infinite interest.

OK. So you’ve researched the topic, you’ve streamlined your content, and you’ve tailored it for your audience. It’s all on paper so you are ready to go. Right?

WRONG.

3. Practice Makes Perfect

4. Take a breath

5. Connect with your audience.

6. Projection and Pacing.

7. Have Fun

Et voilà. How to make a presentation enjoyable for the audience and yourself.

“Umm. But you didn’t say anything about PowerPoints…”

Only include absolutely necessary information. A study at the University of Houston by Robert Bartsch and Kristi Cobern found that material included in PowerPoint presentations that is not pertinent actually was harmful to viewers’ retention of the material.

The slides are in addition to, NOT the focus of your presentation. If all the material you are going to discuss is contained on the slide, why on earth would any one bother paying attention to you? Give them a copy of your slides and stay home.

Images are more powerful than words for your slides. According to Ian Price of Business Training Direct, an audience will maintain 7% of the material in textually form words, 38% of vocal input that accompanies that slide and 55% of what is visually displayed.

If text must be present it should be no less than 30pt according to Guy Kawasaki a former Apple "chief evangelist” and venture capitalist.

No more than a slide every two minutes. The focus should be on what you’re saying not how many slides you can click through.

WyzAnt Tutoring Announces 2012 College Scholarship Finalists

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Twenty Finalists to Compete for $10,000 in College Scholarship Awards

WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest online marketplace for private tutors and students, has announced the finalists for its third annual college scholarship contest. Out of thousands of applicants, 20 students were selected to move onto the final round of voting where three outstanding students will be awarded a total of $15,000 in scholarship funding.

Beginning in October, applicants composed essays describing how they intend to use their education to make an impact on others. Students were then encouraged to share their essays on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other online channels to solicit votes for their essays. The 20 student essays with the most votes will now move onto a final round of voting during which tutors who list their services on WyzAnt.com will choose three scholarship recipients.

“This is our third year running the WyzAnt College Scholarship Contest, and every year we’re impressed and inspired by the stories student’s share with our community,” said WyzAnt director of marketing, Daniel Breiner. “We have some really great finalists to choose from this year and I can’t wait to see who our tutors choose as this year’s scholarship recipients."

Throughout May, tutors listed on WyzAnt.com will conduct the final round of voting and their collective votes will determine three winners from the remaining 20 finalists. First place will be awarded $10,000 to the school of his or her choice and the second and third place winners will be awarded $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. WyzAnt.com will announce this year’s winners in early June, 2013.

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About WyzAnt.com: WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects ranging from academics and test preparation to music instruction and computer and career training. Students can review tutor profiles, subject certifications, background checks, and tutor videos and blogs to ensure they find the perfect match for their individual tutoring needs.

Help your child avoid summer learning loss

Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

5 activities to help prevent the summer backslide

Teacher Appreciation Week!

Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Check out the freebies around town honoring all the fabulous educators out there.

Treat yourself today and this week with these special deals!

Chick Fil A - May 7th - FREE Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Entree.

Chipotle - Show your school faculty ID to any Chipotle from 4pm – close and receive buy one/get one burritos, bowls, salads or tacos!

Elmer's Glue Sticks - Teachers sign up and submit your supply list and refer other Teachers to get 12 free Elmers Glue Sticks.

Barnes & Noble - Save 20% off the publisher's list price on all purchases for classroom use.

Crayola - Artful lessons, classroom resources and the latest information regarding special programs and offers.

The Container Store - Educators get special discounts

Joanne Fabric - Show ID to receive special teacher rewards.

Ann Taylor Loft - special teachers discounts with valid ID.

A.C. Moore - No official link, but valid with teacher ID.

New York & Company Through May 8th, All nurses and teachers 30% off any in-store purchase with valid form of ID.

Why Kids Hate Math

Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

How a former "math-hater" became a top ranking math tutor on WyzAnt.com

That was me: afraid to question. And, consequently, my grades suffered.

Don't we ALL like stuff when we - are - good - at - it? I came to really enjoy math - because I - was - good - at - it.

Genius? Me!? No way!! I just did what had to be done. Period.

No more doubts, no more fear, and no more exam anxiety.

Lessons:

The faster you admit that you "don't get it" the sooner you WILL.
It's ok to ask for help from others. ASK QUESTIONS!
We can ALL be "Math People."
Study time is a must. NO excuses.
Believe you can – and you can! Telling yourself you NEVER will is setting yourself up for failure.

WyzAnt’s $15,000 College Scholarship Contest Approaching Submission Deadline

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Students applying for WyzAnt’s 3rd annual college scholarship contest must submit a 300 word essay by May 1, 2013 for a chance to win $15,000 in available college funding.

In its 3rd annual college scholarship contest, WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest marketplace of in-home tutors, is offering $15,000 in college scholarship funding to three deserving students. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 in funding paid directly to the school of his/her choice, with 2nd and 3rd place finalists receiving $3,000 and $2,000 respectively.

This year’s contest asks applicants to compose an essay in 300 words or less, responding to the prompt, “How will you use your education to make an impact on others?” WyzAnt’s annual scholarship is unique in that finalists are chosen by popular vote and applicants are encouraged to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to share their essays and solicit votes from friends and family. Students can visit WyzAnt.com or popular scholarship listing services like Fastweb.com and Zinch.com to learn more about this year’s scholarship and the approaching May 1st submission deadline.

Students interested in participating in this year’s contest are encouraged to apply soon in order to have ample time to share their essays and receive votes from friends and family. Applicants with the most votes as of May 1st will advance to a final round of voting during which tutors listed on WyzAnt.com will choose the three winners for WyzAnt’s 2013 college scholarship contest. WyzAnt will announce the contest finalists in May and the three winners in early June.

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About this company: WyzAnt, Inc. is a national tutor-student matching service specializing in connecting students with in-person tutors. Parents and students can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of disciplines ranging from academics, test prep and career training to music instruction and athletic coaching. Visitors can review tutor profiles, rates and student feedback to ensure they find the perfect private tutor.

[Infographic] How to Choose a College

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Acceptance letters are flooding in. Just when you think the decisions are over, the hard part begins!

Choosing the Right College: Three Financial Considerations When Deciding Among College Acceptance Offers

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500

April is a notoriously stressful time for college-bound students and their parents. Each day is filled with anxious anticipation and constant mailbox monitoring, waiting for responses to college applications. For many, the elation of an acceptance letter is followed shortly thereafter by another difficult question to answer in the long, drawn-out college application process: Which college offer do I accept?

In a recent survey of more than 350 independent tutors conducted by WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest online marketplace of private tutors, respondents were asked to comment on what they felt were the most important factors students and parents should consider when deciding among college acceptance offers. Possibly a reflection of the nation’s economic climate, the three most common responses included financial considerations.

Majors & Degrees Offered

According to Dr. Fritz Grupe, founder of MyMajors.com, 80% of college-bound students enter college without declaring a major. However, with the average tuition at four year institutions topping $22,000 per year according to the National Center for Education Statistics, that trend may be changing. Lauren Seeger, a recent college graduate and private tutor from Hesperia, CA, encourages students who are considering multiple schools to ask themselves, “Does this school offer the major (s) I want? “ An estimated 50% of students will change their major at least once while in school, a potential costly decision particularly if a school transfer is required to pursue a new degree. Students can save themselves time and money and avoid the hassle of transferring schools by considering the top two or three areas of study they’re most interested in pursuing, and verifying that their potential schools offer those courses. with a high level of uncertainty may be the most appropriate option.

Tuition Cost & Financial Aid

In 2012, the average college student graduated with $27,253 in debt; that’s a 58% increase in student debt in just the last seven years! Earlier this year, Forbes reported that the number of parents taking on student loans has increased as well, up 75% since 2005. Considering the significance of the investment and the potential consequences for graduating with a large amount of debt, it’s impossible to ignore the cost of college when weighing a decision among accepted schools. Students and parents should inquire about financial aid options as well as available grants and scholarships students may be eligible for. A strong financial package with available grant opportunities can often tip the scales toward one school over another.

Career Services & Graduate Job Placement

A school’s career services and job placement reputation may be a more important consideration today than ever before. Bruce Neil, an independent high school math tutor in Oakwood, GA, explains that “a college degree no longer guarantees job placement after graduation,” and advises college students to “be prepared to change careers 2-3 times throughout the course of their working life.” The Center for College Affordability and Productivity reported that 48% of 2010 college graduates are currently working in jobs that require less than a bachelor’s degree. Before accepting an offer, students and parents should explore the school’s career resources and reputation for helping its students find quality jobs, and hopefully pay down some of that debt! The 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act requires schools to disclose job and graduate school placement statistics for their students. Additionally, students should contact career service offices and ask about the school’s career counseling resources and recruiting services.

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About WyzAnt.com

WyzAnt.com is the nation’s largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning through one-on-one instruction. WyzAnt maintains an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and allows students to begin lessons with the security of a 100% Good Fit Guarantee. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects spanning academics, test preparation, music instruction, and computer and career training. WyzAnt’s annual college scholarship offers students $15,000 in college funding. To learn more and to hear what WyzAnt customers have to say, find WyzAnt on Facebook.

[Poll Results] Most Important Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Colleges

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Arguably "the most important decision of your life," choosing a college takes careful deliberation and consideration. In a recent poll conducted by WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest directory of in-person tutors, we asked tutors to list the most important factors that students should consider when deciding between colleges. This word cloud displays the most commonly reported responses:

#1: Majors & Degrees offered

In recent years, due to an increasingly competitive job market and sky-high tuition rates, students have been encouraged to be thoughtful about their academic tracks and subsequent career plans even earlier. A few tutor responses indicated that, even with a specified field of interest, students should consider a college’s alternative program offerings or “back up options,” in the event that the initial idea isn’t a good fit. Considering 50% of college students change their major at least once while in school, this may be a reality for many students. For students who are uncertain about their career and interests, a liberal arts school with a variety of programs should be a more highly ranked option in the decision making process.

#2: Cost & Financial Aid

It is clear that student debt has grown astronomically in recent years. The average student in 2012 faced $27,253 in debt, which is a 58% increase from 2005. Tutor Mykola V. tells students that “out of pocket cost should not be [greater] than the average first year salary of the career you choose.” With 15% of students defaulting on loans last year, it begs the question whether the high price tag associated with your dream school is worth the risk – especially faced with the reality that very few students are guaranteed full-time employment post-college.

Special consideration should be given to schools who offer you financial assistance. “Students may have already applied for various financial aid packages offered by the school as early as January, but check to see if the schools you’re greatly considering still have available grants that are open to applications. It could mean the difference of one school over the other,” says Tutor Sarah G. in Tucson, AZ.

#3: Location

There are many secondary factors that are closely associated with cost, such as the school’s location. Attending a college or university in a major city will result in higher costs of living. Additionally, a farther distance from home will rack up travel expenses for students who expect to return home for holidays or other occasions. If students are looking to attend college in a new part of the country, they should make it a priority to visit the campus as many times as possible to assess their level of comfort with the location. After all, this will be home for at least 4 years!

HONORABLE MENTION #4: Career Services & Graduate Job Placement

Factors like dorm size and cafeteria quality are the deciding characteristics of the past. Instead, students should be mindful of the on-campus career services and alumni network that each school offers. Today, about half of college graduates work in jobs that do not require a degree, so students need to be more reliant on university resources than ever before. As a result of the Higher Education Opportunity Act passed in 2008, schools are required to disclose job and graduate school placements, in addition to some other helpful statistics. If a student has his or her heart set on a certain industry - especially in the areas of technology, engineering or business - then the school’s reputation and relationship with employers will be a major factor in helping students reach their professional goals. Students should research which employers have a history of hiring graduates from each institution.

A common recommendation from most tutors is to reach out to current and former students who attended each university or college in question. Most students and alumni would welcome the opportunity to share knowledge about their alma mater. They are an excellent resource who can give you specific, first-hand commentary on all aspects of the school and the characteristics that are most important to you.

Check out tutors near you who can help you with College and Career Counseling!

3 Things To Do This Morning to Have a More Productive Day

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

By Stephanie Siebert, WyzAnt Marketing Coordinator

As much as we enjoy escaping the “daily grind,” most people inevitably fall back into a routine. A routine helps the majority of us become more efficient and productive in our personal and professional lives. Students of all ages can benefit from creating their own rituals and viewing them as helpful and comforting rather than stifling and oppressive. By adopting these three habits into your morning routine, you can proactively tackle challenges that each day brings and help prevent the buildup of stress over time.

START YOUR ENGINES

Get into the habit of enjoying a healthy breakfast each morning. Your brain requires fuel from food in order to function properly. When you wake up in the morning, your energy storage is running low and your body is counting on you to recharge. Countless researchers agree on the simple fact that students who eat breakfast have increased memory retention and better overall performance. However, there is more to this step than simply grabbing a pastry at your favorite coffee shop. “Eat a good breakfast with plenty of protein and non-sugar carbohydrates for a slower, steadier, release of energy,” says tutor Lakesha P. from Charlotte, NC. Crystal G from Suffolk, VA urges her students to “get about 15 grams per meal.”

GET MOVING

A review published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine suggests that exercise leads to better brain function. Tutor Paul C. reports, "research studies have shown a clear correlation between improvement in students' test scores in math and science, and their level of physical activity. For example, when math class followed PE class, the students had significantly higher scores." The positive effect on the mind and body could be the result of a number of factors, beginning with increased flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. Additionally, the influx of endorphins that come with exercise contributes to an elevated mood. Don’t worry, you don’t need to commit to an hour in the gym each morning in order to benefit. Simple calisthenic exercises or a series of stretches will get your oxygen flowing and will help you feel energized for the day ahead.

GET A MENTAL WORKOUT

Humans are built with instincts that help us quickly delegate tasks and solve problems in times of crisis. However, it’s more challenging to proactively problem-solve and anticipate challenges when there is no immediate issue or extenuating circumstance at hand. Set aside time each morning to lay out all of your tasks and choose your preferred method of prioritizing for that day. You may want to start off by tackling the low-hanging fruit (mailing a letter, getting your oil changed, etc.), the items that are associated with the most stress (responding to that angry email from your group member, filing taxes), or the bigger, more involved projects (drafting an essay, taking a practice test, etc.). Tutor Rabekah G. of Bellevue, WA goes as far as to graph her priorities with the following parameters:

The axes are Level of Importance and Level of Urgency. The quadrants are:

High Importance, High Urgency

High Importance, Low Urgency

Low Importance, High Urgency

Low Importance, Low Urgency

By listing tasks in one of these quadrants, it is easy to see what to spend the most time on and in what order.

While these three tips are certainly helpful and can be implemented by many, it is important to remember that you know yourself best. Set routines based upon what works best for you! If you're unsure of what might work, experiment with different ways of starting your day. This will ultimately help you become more aware of your optimal level of productivity. And, don't forget to have fun!

Memory and Learning

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Blog entry by Jeff. S

I taught my middle school students about memory at the beginning of each school year. I quizzed them about their memories over the next three to four weeks, then reduced the reviews to once every other week. My students commented, “Why do you keep quizzing us about memory? We already know this stuff.” My response was, “Exactly! That’s why I keep quizzing you." Students of all ages use different learning techniques that teachers and parents have taught them. Each technique is based on memory related research. This article will help parents, teachers, tutors, and all students understand the four stages of memory and how to use this knowledge to improve the quality and quantity of learning.

Four Stages of Memory

Human memory is a four - stage process: input, encoding, rehearsal, and retrieval. A problem at any stage affects memory and learning. When I teach these stages to my students, I use a filing cabinet analogy. Here’s how the analogy goes:

Think of your brain as a filing cabinet. The metal cabinet itself is like your brain. Papers that go into the cabinet are like your memories. When we file papers in a filing cabinet, we use a system so they stay organized and we can find them easily. We can’t just take stacks of papers and throw them in! Our filing system helps us keep papers organized for easy relocation.

Input

This is what we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. We see and skim the papers to file so we know what drawer and folder they go in. We’re not memorizing (or “learning”) them yet, we’re just taking it all in and organizing our papers. This is what our brain does with sensory information.

Encoding

This happens when we’ve filed and organized the papers in their files and drawers. We categorize them so we can start learning what’s there. We can remember what’s in the drawer but not the exact papers or the locations of files in the drawers. In other words, we’re committing drawer contents to short term memory.

Rehearsal

is like using the filing cabinet repeatedly. As time goes by, we refine our knowledge of what’s in the drawer. Now we can easily locate old quizzes and tests from October. We’ve used the file enough that we know where they are. Rehearsal is just practice.

Retrieval

This is when we find the file we’re looking for. In fact, now that we’ve rehearsed the location of the files and folders, we know exactly where they are located without looking. The information is in our long - term memory. Now the question is, “How do we keep the file’s location in our long – term memory?” The answer is: more rehearsal!

Memory and Quality Learning

Knowing these steps can help us improve the quality and quantity of learning. Several things can interrupt the memory process at any of the four stages. Here are several ways we can maximize learning based on the four – stage memory process:

Study in a well-lit environment. Dark environments cause eyestrain, which interrupts the input stage. If you can’t see what you’re studying, your brain spends precious resources dealing with the low light situation. The same goes for wearing your glasses or contacts when you study.

Collect all materials before studying. This can interrupt the input, encoding, and retrieval processes, depending on when you discover you forgot something. For example, imagine you’ve been studying for an Algebra test for 30 minutes and can’t find your old homework. You stop what you’re doing and go find the problems. In this case, you interrupted the encoding (or “rehearsal”) stage because you were practicing problems you already knew.

Get 8 – 10 hours of sleep a night (for teens). Adults need less sleep – about 6 – 8 hours. Many parents don’t realize how much sleep their children need. Children’s bodies grow through their teen years. Research shows that the human brain doesn’t fully mature until about age 21 or 22! Lack of sleep “dulls” the brain because it doesn’t have a chance to restore itself.
While we sleep, our brain sorts through the day’s sensory information and gets rid of things it doesn’t need. For example, if you went to school today, your brain doesn’t need to remember images of your friend’s faces, how the hall lockers look, or which textbooks you took to each class. That information is already in your long – term memory. Your brain sheds these repetitive memories to make room for the next day’s learning. Without sleep, your brain is still full of today’s memories and there’s no room for new learning.
Take planned breaks. Your brain has limits on the amount of new information it can process. Once it reaches its limit, your brain needs a break. Plan your break so you know the interruption is coming. Set a timer and stop studying when it goes off. Take 15 minutes every hour to hour and a half to stand up, walk around, go to the bathroom, and get some water or a snack. This engages your brain in a different activity and gives it a break from intense learning.

Summary

Human memory is a four - stage process: input, encoding, rehearsal, and retrieval. Students can do several things to help improve their memories: study in a well – lit environment, collect everything you need before you start studying, get enough sleep, and take planned breaks.

To comment on this blog, or to ask Jeff a question about this article, visit his blog page here.

Recovery Plan for Failing Student

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Posted by John O. from Carlsbad, CA

The reality is that the student may be "in over their head" and no amount of effort will get a satisfactory result. Or maybe the student does not have the time to overly focus on one course over the others even for a short time to recover from a failing grade. This is a difficult and even emotional decision but should at least be momentarily considered. Is this class a necessity? Is there the ability to drop it? If you feel recovery is possible or if there is no other open option then on to the Recovery Plan. Though I am calling this a recovery plan – this is also a “B+ to an A+” or C to a B+" plan!

Strategic Plan

Understand how the final grade is arrived at in detail as this impacts strategy especially if one part is overly emphasized. Usually the “battle” is between homework and exams. Exams are usually the predominant part of the grade - so rally around the next exam, midterm or final. You need 7-14 days for this Mock Test plan below. If homework plays a predominant role, then homework needs to be improved and that will help future exam results too. There also may be opportunities for extra credit – that can be very helpful!

Sometimes an instructor will allow a retake of a failed exam. It’s worth asking! My own daughter, in statistics, was allowed a retake and she got a solid A from an F! For past material already covered on an exam that will not be covered on a final exam, unless the concepts carry through, this material may be able to be ignored from this point forward. Be careful though because “math is cumulative”. As much as the student may wish one topic can be dropped forever, it may not be true. Step-by-step Approach to a Mock Test

Create a timeline by working backwards from the exam date, including the steps below in your timeline. Make sure that every element of the recovery plan timeline is placed in the student’s calendar, and that they “honor” their calendar. The more the timeline is compressed, the more daily time must be dedicated to execute the plan. Often the teacher will provide more notice of an exam if they are asked. The student doesn’t need an exact date – just the earliest date and the test content.
For pre-college students, according to the parent’s preferences, it may make sense to offer a “reward” of some kind if the student achieves a milestone grade improvement. I suggest a symbolic award is a more impactful than the cost of the reward. Recognition vs. cost.

The student prepares intensively for the next exam resulting in a “mock exam” 3-4 days before the actual exam. There are several steps to design and administer the mock exam.

The student and/or parent meet with the instructor seeking as much guidance as possible as to what will be covered in the next exam. Explain to instructor and ask for guidance in designing the mock exam. Every instructor wants their students to succeed and there’s nothing as delightful to an instructor as a student that is motivated to improve and the “turnaround” of such a motivated student. That makes instructing worthwhile!
Student awareness to the teacher’s hints in class is crucial. Often it takes until college years for students to comprehend this. Instructors drop hints all the time – sometimes blatant. “This problem or one identical to it will be on the exam.” Or “You might see this type of problem again.” The last comment might be delivered with a wink and a smile. An aware student is a good student. They will hear the instructors hints to test content loud and clear and write it down.

Design the mock exam. Almost certainly you need a tutor’s help on this. The test should consist of fresh “never-been-worked-problems”. But it is up to parent/student to meet with the instructor and collect the list of problem types to be on the exam. Note that for college courses, it may be possible to find old exams from the same class/professor. Though it’s possible the professor may “re-use” the old exam – your purpose is to use the old exam as a mock exam to prepare for the actual exam. There is nothing wrong in using an old exam to prepare.

The student should prepare for the mock test as if they are preparing for the actual test, but more thoroughly than thus far. Prepare by working problems of each type expected. Spend little time on reviewing existing “worked” problems. Instead, find more “fresh” problems (for which you have answers), and work the fresh problems. The more problems worked the better. Progress to more difficult problems of each type as you can. A good tutor has an endless supply of problems to work.

The student works the mock exam in same environment and conditions as the actual exam. Observe the same rules. (Calculator allowed or disallowed, cheat sheet allowed or disallowed, etc.) The student should literally “pretend” they are taking the exam like actors rehearse a scene. Use a location that mimics a quiet exam environment. Of course, time the exam.

The student and/or tutor uses the mock exam results to focus their last minute efforts the next 24 hours.

24-36 hours before the actual exam, the student is ready. Now the student can relax, perhaps exercise the day before the exam and get a great sleep the night before the exam.

The student walks into the exam relaxed and confident – no last minute cramming necessary. Probably no one has prepared as well or has worked as many problems. Probably the most prepared they have ever been for an exam! Improving homework results and test-taking skills: Now there are two topics to address in a future blog!

WyzAnt Behind the Scenes: Where Do All the Students Come From?

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

An Interview with Daniel Breiner, Director of Marketing at WyzAnt.com

WyzAnt.com is the nation’s largest online tutoring marketplace, visited by millions of students and parents every month. Students submit a new tutoring request to WyzAnt’s job board every minute, and that’s in addition to the students who email tutors directly. To find out how WyzAnt manages to attract so many new students, we spoke to WyzAnt’s Director of Marketing, Daniel Breiner.

Q: So what’s the secret? How does WyzAnt find so many students who need private tutoring?

A. Actually, it’s the other way around. Most students find WyzAnt and the tutors who have their profiles listed on WyzAnt.com; we just make it super easy for them to do so.

Q. Can you explain what you mean by that?

A. Every day, millions of students and parents search the web in order to find private tutors. Most use search engines like Google and Bing which return results related to the search query, e.g. “private tutors.” The search engine’s algorithm attempts to determine which results or webpages will be most helpful for the user and orders them accordingly; these are considered the “organic” results. Search engines also reserve space above, below and beside the organic results where advertisers can pay to be listed. These “sponsored” placements are also relevant to the user’s search query and are typically highlighted to differentiate them from the organic listings.

Q. Ok, that seems simple enough. WyzAnt.com is a website about tutoring, so it shows up in the search results when someone searches for a tutor, correct?

A. In theory, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. There are thousands of websites related to tutoring, each of which contains many webpages. WyzAnt.com alone is made up of millions of different pages. The search engines use an algorithm to rank all of these pages in order of relevancy; however, where your page ranks is extremely important. An estimated 89% of clicks go to webpages included in just the first ten search results.

Q. Wow, that’s really competitive. How do you make sure WyzAnt’s pages are included in those first ten results?

A. The search engines do not disclose exactly what goes into their ranking algorithm, but there are some best practices we follow in terms of page structure and content that help our pages rank highly. One of WyzAnt’s major advantages is the fact that the site has been around for more than seven years and has built up quite a bit of credibility with the search engines during that time. Today, WyzAnt ranks in the top three organic results for thousands of search terms.

Q. You mentioned paid listings in search results, how does that work?

A. Paid listings make up about 15% of listings on a typical search results page, and those listed at the top of the page receive 85% of all paid listing clicks. These placements are sold by the search engines in a web auction through which advertisers can place bids to have their listings appear in the search results for specified search terms. Advertisers can alter their bids and listings depending on the user’s physical location, search history, device (mobile vs. desktop computer), time of day, and more. The advertiser’s bid along with the listing’s relevancy to the user’s search term will determine their listing’s placement.

Q. Does WyzAnt bid on any paid placements?

A. We bid on tens of thousands of keywords in national and local auctions to help tutors on WyzAnt receive as many students as possible. The majority of our ads appear in the highly competitive top-of-the-page paid placements and some of those placements can cost as much as $10-$20 per click! So next time you see WyzAnt webpages listed in the search results, stick to the organic listings and save the paid listings for your potential students!

Stay tuned next month for another Behind-the-Scenes installment with WyzAnt.

5 Questions to Ask a Potential Tutor

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0600

5 Questions to Ask a Potential Tutor

5 Everyday Ways to Make Math Fun

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0600

March 2013, 4th Edition

In the United States, standardized test scores show that Math is one of the subjects students struggle with the most. State and federal grants are available to fund new and existing Math - focused programs with the goal of helping students improve their performance on these tests. Parents can lend a hand by making Math matter in the young people’s lives. This article lists five activities parents can do with their children to help them understand the importance of Math skills and improve their Math comprehension.

1. “Everyday Math”. This isn’t the same as the Math method many schools teach. Instead, by this I am referring to the chances you - as an adult – have to use Math in your everyday life. This might be the hardest of the five activities because you probably use more Math than you realize. For example, has your child ever asked you, “How much longer ‘til we’re there?” on a long car trip? I’m sure they have! Help them do the mental Math to figure out how long it will take instead of answering their question. We use Math when we get gas, buy groceries, look at the clock, and many, many more times during the day. The next time your child is with you and you find yourself doing some mental Math, talk about it. Let them know what you’re trying to figure out and let them help you. With practice, your child will learn how important Math is to their everyday lives; they’ll be much better at mental Math, too!

2. Weather. This activity works well with younger students and those who love Science class. It certainly worked for my daughter. When she was in kindergarten or first grade, she started studying weather. She immediately showed interest at home and started asking what the weather was going to be like the next day or two. From there, her interest expanded into natural disasters like tornadoes and hurricanes. As my wife and I encouraged her, we realized she was improving her Math skills, too. She was learning about wind speeds (miles/ kilometers per hour), the Fujita scale, storm size relative to effected states and area of the ocean covered by a hurricane. Weather data is easy to find and it is available every hour of every day for different parts of the world.

3. Cooking. This activity helps you teach two skills with one lesson. Cooking – especially baking – is great for teaching the functionality of fractions. Kids of all ages can help with cooking and baking. If you’re cooking for a large group of people, you can teach your child how to double or triple the fractions in the measurements. You can extend this activity by teaching them about portion sizes and figuring out how to buy enough ingredients to cook the recipe. The next time your elementary student reminds you about the school bake sale or bringing cupcakes for student birthdays, have them help you do the Math and bake the cupcakes.

4. College Planning. This works well with high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Use Math to help your high schooler compute the “real world” costs of college. Until they do this, they won’t have any idea how much it’s going to cost. Have them add tuition, room and board, school supplies, textbooks, any bills they’re going to have to pay (ex. cell phone, gas money, etc.), snacks . . . everything you can think of. Then, have them multiply it by four so they can see how much their college degree will cost.

You can extend this activity by talking to them about college loans. Use the results from the “college expenses” activity (above) to help them see how much money they’ll need in college loans. Remind them about interest and help them compute the final amount they’ll have to pay back using a 10 or 20 – year repayment schedule. This may just help your teenager understand the importance of studying hard in college!

5. Video Games. If your son or daughter plays video games, the game tracks and saves their game play statistics either on their console, PC, or on a separate website. This is not an endorsement for increasing their gaming time, or allowing them to play games you don’t approve of. Instead, use Math to teach them how to make the most of their gaming time on allowed games. For example, at a minimum, gamers earn experience points for finishing levels and performance scores with vehicles or weapons in the game. Have them use their scores to compute things like “average level completion time” or “average experience points per level”. (Make sure they know how to interpret these numbers.) Explain how they can use the data to set personal goals for improving their scores. Instead of passively sitting and playing the game, they can work toward their goal. This works for all types of games: racing, shooting, adventure, sports, and more.

Summary: School standardized test data reveals a trend of poor Math performance in the United States. Because of this, state and federal education grants are widely available for new and existing Math programs. Parents can help their children see the importance of Math skills by taking the time to do Math - related activities. Some activity examples are: involving children in your everyday mental Math, translating daily weather data, using fractions and multiplication while cooking and baking, helping high schoolers plan for college, and using video game statistics to create gaming challenges.

Testing: Turn the Nightmare into a Breeze with these Seven Tips

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600

By tutor and academic mentor, Foster L.

Written by ACT tutor, Foster L

What are some tips for making sure your test goes smoothly? I've found the following works for me, and I've listed these (not an exhaustive list, but the ones that come to mind) in order of importance. Maybe I'll get it up to ten some day, so I can call them commandments, but for now they're just seven rules:

Rule 1. Know as well as you possibly can what the test will be like.
Bug your professors/instructors about this if they haven't told you. Believe it or not they lead strange and sequestered lives and will often be happy to talk about their material with you and how they judge mastery of it (that's the exam). If you don't both know the format and have a good idea of how much you'll need to study to do well, you need to ask more questions.

For example, are you likely to finish the test? Some tests are actually designed so you aren't expected to finish. If that's true for your test, knowing this gives you a huge advantage over test-takers who don't, since you won't be sweating the fact when you have more problems left than minutes to do them in and you'll be skipping around to the easy ones!

Is it multiple choice, true-false? Knowing these facts--or even better--taking last semester's test for the same class, assuming your professor allows you to do this (Ask if you're not sure! Academic Dishonesty if detected can mess you up in ways that will make failing this test seem like a pleasant memory), will make test day much more predictable, help you allocate your study time/personal time wisely, and minimize your stress.

Rule 2. If you don't know a question, move on.
So easy to say, so hard to do. But you've got to make sure you don't miss out on the low-hanging fruit while you're busy booking a cherry-picker to get that apple hanging from the highest bough. Perfection is not the goal. Doing as well as you can is, so answer everything you can easily first, then give those hard nuts to crack a second look.

Rule 3. Eat healthy and get those 8 hours of sleep.
It's tempting to make this number one, but not following Rules 1. and 2. can ruin you even if you've done everything else right, while even a sleep-deprived student can often pass. Still, pulling all-nighters may seem like a good idea, and if you've been naughty and partied when you should have been studying they might even raise your grade from the abysmally low score you would have earned with no studying at all, but for best results, you need a healthy diet and exercise, and most importantly, you need sleep. Sleep deprived brains function poorly on many levels including recall and reaction time. You need to be kind to yourself and get the studying done over long periods rather than cramming and/or all-nighters.

Rule 4. Don't change answers based on your gut.
Only change answers when you have a logical reason why you KNOW what you have down is wrong. For example, if another question implies that your answer is wrong, that would be a good justification for changing an answer. Or if you recalled a key piece of information that logically implies a different answer than the one you have down. But "the answer is usually C, and I'm not sure it's D" or "The previous two answers were D, and I'm not sure this one is D, so I'm going to change my answer to C," are not good reasons to change your answer. Your first gut instinct is usually as right as you're going to get, and people who change their answer based on their gut more often change to a wrong answer than a right one.

Rule 5. Write down early in the test memorized facts you'll need.
If there are formulas, dates or identities or any memory intensive items that you have memorized but may forget when you're stressed and short of time toward the end of the test, write these down at the beginning. In fact, if you are allowed to use scratch paper, start writing these down on your scratch paper as soon as the first paper is handed out. That way you're making good use of your time while others are still sitting and dreading the exam when they could be doing something useful, like you.

Rule 6. Use all the time. Yep, all of it. Use all the "spare" time you might have looking for information to help you get the right answer, checking your answers, improving your essays, etc., BUT keep Rule 4. (above) in mind and keep that gut instinct of yours in check: after the first shot you take at a question, it does more harm than good if you let it!I mean think about it: in most courses the exams are a HUGE portion of your grade, so it's now or never. Give your professor a performance he'll shout "Encore!" for, because you won't get many chances to shine.

UNLESS of course it's finals and you've got another killer exam you NEED to study for. This is an acceptable reason to peace-out early.

Rule 7. Pick a good place to study
Preferably one similar to the one your test will be in. Your brain is a highly tuned fact-crunching machine, and it likes sameness when it comes to recalling information. So give it a break and help yourself by studying in a classroom like the one your test will be in. The similar environment will help cue your mind when you need to recall information.

More importantly, make sure it's a quiet place. Got screaming children? That's why God invented babysitters and libraries. Noisy room-mate and/or neighbors, repeat solution without babysitter.

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The 3 C's: Avoid these things the night before an exam

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600

March 2013, 4th Edition

We asked our network of 64,000 tutors to weigh in on how students should spend those crucial days leading up to a big exam. The best way to avoid that moment of panic - when you realize you've got too much information and too little time to learn it - is to develop a fool-proof study strategy that works for you. Our study skills and test prep tutors help students identify habits that may hinder preparation and performance on the actual test day. These 3 habits were among the most commonly reported:

CRAMMING

Critical thinking and cognitive clarity occur when the brain is able to effectively process and categorize new information. Often times, newer concepts build on existing ones, and when those links are clearly understood the result is a higher rate of retention. Cramming a large amount of information into the brain in a short amount of time and expecting to retain it is difficult. If you find yourself in a bind the night before, “you need to assess your current understanding of the topics and then prioritize the material that you are trying to digest,” says tutor John F. from New Orleans. “Look to see if your chapters have an executive type summary either at the beginning or end of the chapter,” writes John in his blog. When you are able to put the topics into context with things already committed to long-term memory, you will have a greater chance of recalling the new information during your exam.

According to UC-San Diego psychologists as reported on popsci.com, if you can’t avoid cramming, be strategic with your timing. If you have only one date on which to study, choose a day that's closer to when you first learned the material than when you take the test—but not too close - you need to allow the information to sink in. Aim for a few days after you are first introduced to a topic to revisit it and review the sections that are unclear. It is unrealistic to revisit material the day before an exam and expect to magically understand concepts that were unclear from the start.

Another reason to cut out cramming the night before an exam is sleep. Most teachers and researchers agree that a few hours of extra sleep is more valuable than those last few hours of studying. At a certain point, you will be undoing any productivity you accomplished during your study session because the brain consolidates memory and processes the new information during the deep sleep phase. Plus, there is such a thing as “ over-learning.” According to psychologicalscience.org, once you master your vocabulary list, or recite all of your history flashcards perfectly, any study beyond that point is considered over-learning.

CAFFEINE

A cup of coffee is harmless, right? Consider these side effects: increased tolerance and dependence, insomnia, possible dehydration, anxiety, headaches, irritability, fatigue and depression. This list does not set the scene for a mindset conducive to productivity and studying.

There are three main chemical processes behind the caffeine phenomenon. Caffeine suppresses adenosine action which is the compound that makes you feel sleepy. It increases adrenaline in your body which explains why some people feel their heart race or become sensitive to noise and distraction. Additionally, it revs up the production of dopamine which stimulates the pleasure center in your brain. The result of all these mechanisms is the feeling of boundless energy!

The jury is still out on the true effects of caffeine and whether the “energy boost” we feel lends itself to increased learning potential. While caffeine has been linked to increased alertness, students will see no major improvement in memory or complex thinking, according to U.S. Army Research Institute psychologist Harris Lieberman. In short, the increased enthusiasm we feel when preparing for a late night study session is nothing but a façade. Considering all of those nasty side effects that compound over time, that Venti coffee doesn’t sound so tempting after all.

"When people drink too much caffeine, the brain sometimes reacts to caffeine like it reacts to adrenaline--a fight or flight reaction that keeps them from staying cool and thinking clearly. When we are in panic mode, we don't do our best thinking. For example: If we were running from a tiger or lion, we would have a hard time thinking about how to do an Algebra problem, right?,“ says tutor Paul C. from Birmingham, AL. Caffeine has been linked to increased anxiety for regular drinkers, and many students can attest that anxiety is already running high during exam week.

Additionally, caffeine is not a one size fits all solution. Ever notice how some people can down an espresso after dinner and head right to bed within an hour or two? And then there are those that report disruption in their sleep patterns even after consuming a caffeinated beverage 8 hours earlier. Caffeine stays in your system for up to 9 hours, so make sure you are aware of the effects caffeine has on you, specifically. (Source: studymagazine.com)

COMMISERATION

It may be comforting to commiserate with friends and classmates who share the same test-induced anxiety the night before an exam. Voicing insecurities and nerves in a group setting may be cathartic but it is not a productive use of time.

Studying with an unprepared and easily intimidated friend from your class, which you may disguise as a “study session,” could negatively affect any confidence you’ve built up in preparation for the exam. It is a result of what psychologists call "emotional contagion" or "social contagion," which is the transfer of negative emotions simply by association. “Attitudes are catching, so be sure the people you surround yourself with are carrying the 'emotional contagion' you want to have,” writes Chicago Tribune contributor Robert Pagliarini in his article. If you prefer to study in a group setting, try to arrange study sessions with positive, assertive members of the class who demonstrate confidence in the classroom.

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How WyzAnt is building a digital bridge between tutors and students

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600

The business has continued to grow at least 50 percent each year, and WyzAnt now has 50 employees at its Bucktown headquarters

3 Ways Parents Can Help Their Kids Succeed in the Classroom

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600

Simple at-home techniques that pave the way to success, posted by Stephanie S.

WyzAnt.com currently has the largest network of certified tutors available on the web – over 64,000 and counting- which means exclusive access to top study tips and proven practices to help students succeed in the classroom. While the majority of learning happens at school or during private tutoring sessions, there are some actions that parents can take at home to contribute to their child’s overall academic success. After reviewing hundreds of tips submitted by our network of private tutors, we found the following to be the most commonly reported:

Ask your kids to teach you what they learned during their lesson.
“The most important feature of an engaged student is critical thinking. Critical thinking is understanding a subject in your own words, and being able to explain the subject to others,” says WyzAnt language tutor Rachel M., from Evanston, IL. Pretend that you’re unfamiliar with the topic and encourage your child to play teacher!

Initiate positive and open communication.
“Always discuss the lesson and tutoring session with your child. Find out what is going on,” says WyzAnt tutor Valerie J. from Dallas, TX. The more you communicate the less you have to read between the lines to find out where and why they are struggling. In certain cases, the method of teaching can conflict with a child’s learning style, which is why WyzAnt offers a good fit guarantee for each student.

Emphasize a healthy mind and body!
“This means eating right, getting enough sleep,” says WyzAnt test prep tutor John B. of Harleysville, PA. Many outside factors can affect sharpness in the classroom. While it’s impossible to control all aspects of your child’s day, a consistent bed time and balanced meals are important habits that can be established in the home.

Chicago's Exploding Tech Startup Scene: Second to None

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

Chicago's speedy rise through the ranks of a tech-epicenter has been years, if not decades, in the making.

[Interview] How to have a terrific tutoring year in 2013

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

Learn from the experience of Brian Scholten, a top WyzAnt Tutor

An interview with Brian Scholten, a top WyzAnt tutor.

Q: How did you get started on WyzAnt?

A: I started out on a total of 5 or 6 websites. My goal was to be in every tutor listing on the web and show up in the results when you perform a search online. Currently, WyzAnt is one of two remaining websites that I work with.

Q: What does your weekly schedule look like?

A: For the past two and a half years I have averaged about 65 hours a week - before that I tutored on a part-time basis, following in the footsteps of my mother. One of the most important things I do is to take at least one day off to myself. I didn’t do this at first. It’s nice to have this time dedicated to family or personal activities. Fridays are the best day I have found to take off. Sunday is the most popular tutoring day, so be prepared to tutor that day if you are willing.

Q: In your opinion, what makes you successful on WyzAnt?

A: I attribute my success to two things: One, I know competing rates in my area and how I compare. When I first began tutoring, I wanted to stay on the low tier of the average hourly rate, but not the absolute lowest. If you’re too much on the low end it can be a signal of poor quality. I have since raised my rates. And two, I tutor a diverse range of subjects.

Did you know? For WyzAnt tutors, the national average rate is around $42.43 but that number will vary depending on your location and subject.

Q: As you achieve more student demand through WyzAnt, it may make sense to raise your hourly rate. How do you handle communicating rate adjustments to parents and students without getting backlash from students and risking a negative review?

A: I have a policy of “Grandfathering.” The rate you started with is the rate you will have going forward. If you stop tutoring for a period of time then you will be subject to new rates. Make a policy for this and make sure to clearly communicate that to your students to avoid potential problems.

Q: With almost 1000 hours of tutoring and 291 ratings, you have never received less than a 5-star rating. In your opinion, how can you get good ratings?

A: Number one, care about your student. It’s very obvious when it’s just about the money versus when a tutor actually cares. Number two, act professionally. A large part of any business is customer service. An example of this: don’t be a stickler for time and expect to cut the lesson off in exactly an hour if you’re not at a natural end point. Additionally: be on time. This is where the 15-30 rule comes in. This is a very simple rule that I implemented early on in tutoring and has helped me enormously throughout my career thus far. For every 15 minutes of driving time between students, I give myself 30 minutes to do the drive. That's it. While you might lose 15 minutes of potential earnings, the benefits far outweigh the possible loss of earnings (and yes, I give myself a full hour or at least 45 minutes for students a half hour away).

When first starting out, that first 5-star rating is crucial to improving your standing. The next ones are also very important to prove that the first 5-star wasn't a fluke. Actual written reviews then help to solidify what a potential student learned about you from your rating, but they have to be meaningful. A quick "great tutor" review will just get passed over.

Q: Are you ever worried about coming across as too aggressive with students when asking for a review?

A: When it comes to reviews and ratings, I rarely ever need to ask for them, except if it is the last session with a long-term student. Instead, I have found it to be much more beneficial to focus on the lesson summaries; I advise most of my students to read them, and in that same email with the summary are the links to both the rating and review, so students have a higher chance of seeing those options and naturally doing them instead of me directly requesting them.

I didn't receive my first written review until after a year with WyzAnt, but it was by far my most powerful one, where the father wrote very specifically on how I helped his daughter, as well as how I conducted myself. I have had prospective students comment on how that review affected their decision to first seek me out. In my experience, quality almost always trumps quantity although both are important.

Q: How important is it to be flexible? Given the busy nature of students and parents, how do you manage cancellations and rescheduling while maintaining a full-time schedule?

A: My biggest tip for this is to conserve the cancellation policy. And, make sure you know what your cancellation policy is. For me, I don’t charge the first-time a student no-shows. I think it is a turn-off for new students [for tutors] to be really strict about the cancellation policy upon the first meeting.

While I think it’s important for you to be aware of your own policies, my philosophy in general is to not be overly upfront about rules at first. I am direct with the policies after the first time that a student cancels incorrectly, making sure both the parents and student understand it at that point. A good idea is to employ a two-tiered cancellation policy. If the tutor shows up for the lesson and the student is a no-show, then I charge one rate. However, if the student gives a couple hours of advance notice, then the tutor could charge a lesser rate.

Q: Based on your experience, what are the most important qualities of a tutor?

A: Be patient. Most tutors have some recollection of a class or subject that kicked their butt. Think back and put yourself in that position.

Be flexible, be ready for anything. There are things that students are being taught today that I was never taught at their age, such as different problem solving methods. You may have to teach yourself first and then be able to teach it to your students.

Always focus on reputation management. Always strive to be your best. Even if it’s a one-time test prep student, it’s possible that they can and will refer new students. Each student matters because they all have the power to refer and review. One of the ways to measure success as a tutor is the amount of student referrals you receive. If you are building up a student-to-student word-of-mouth referral network, it is the ultimate sign that you are doing something right.

Remember: referrals from WyzAnt students are also required to go through WyzAnt, but you get the 85% Rewards Rate for these students!

Q: Any suggestions that tutors can take advantage of right now to help their business?

Build your profile page. In your free response, be succinct and powerful. No one wants to read through an entire book, but they want to know who you are. You should include how long you've been a tutor, and your experience in your particular industry. Focus on your specialty if you are listed in multiple subjects.

Did you know? A profile with a photo gets 3X's the business as one without. Upload a photo now!

Scan the job postings regularly rather than waiting only for in-bound job requests; you want to be the first one to respond to new posts by potential students.

Email with care. If you mass email a large selection of students that aren’t a good fit, it could hurt your ranking in the search results. Instead of casting a large net to potential students who are unlikely to respond, focus on crafting meaningful responses to the job postings that are a good fit.

When you do email a potential new student, keep it professional and customize your responses. This means that you begin with a salutation, even if it is just a "Hello ___,", a brief description of yourself and why you think you are qualified to help them in this particular situation, and possibly a list of open time slots.

Get certified in all of the subjects that you feel you can handle and that you can effectively teach.

For any tutors interested in learning more about Brian's experience and best practices, he welcomes emails at brian.scholten@wyzant.com.

The 3 Basic Learning Styles: How Do You Learn Best?

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0600

January 2013, 3rd Edition

Auditory vs. Visual vs. Tactile

Posted by Katherine B., WyzAnt.com Staff

"The best type of tutoring or teaching is to combine all three learning types in his/her lesson plans," says tutor Julia C. from Roanoke, VA. If a lesson plan incorporates all three learning types, then all students will have an equal opportunity to excel in the classroom. Additionally, students get an opportunity to practice other non-dominant learning styles.

Auditory learners typically pick up music, language and acting more easily than other types of learners. When faced with a challenge, they are more likely to ask for help from a friend, rather than fixing the problem themselves or reading a manual. Jeopardy–like games that require you to pose a question and answer out loud may be the best type of study tool.(discovery.com)

WyzAnt tutor Juliet J.from Banning, CA blogs that “Auditory learners prefer hearing lectures or explanations. They do well with learning in song. They might say things like: I hear you, or can you tell me.” Julie also notes that “auditory learners do well with group discussions, question and answer sessions, and explaining to someone else what they have learned.”

Math teacher and WyzAnt tutor Diane W. recently tried a new exercise with her students that was helpful to all three learning styles, though auditory learners in particular. “I have learners say out loud how they would solve the equation before they even write it down. For example, with the equation 5x-3=9, the student would say ‘add three to both sides, then divide both sides by 5.’ This really helped many students who too often rush into trying to solve a problem without first thinking about the ‘big picture’ or strategy.”

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Tactile (kinesthetic) learners are the doodlers and the do-ers. They tend to struggle the most with essay questions because of the amount of time spent on one single task. They naturally prefer – and possibly benefit the most from — online quizzes and interactive learning tools. Allowing tactile learners the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, as opposed to explaining them, is optimal. (discovery.com)

According to Juliet, “Kinesthetic learners do best when they are allowed to use their bodies while learning. They would benefit from the use of flash cards, acting out what they are learning, or using some type of device they can manipulate to understand the ideas or concepts being taught.” Art tutor Susan E. also suggests kinesthetic learners “take study breaks often, move while studying, and highlight information while learning.” Check out the rest of her blog post to see more tips!

"My daughter is in junior high. She has ADHD (ADD) and she is a kinesthetic learner. She squeezes and manipulates silly putty in one hand while she takes notes, listens to lectures, and even while taking tests. Ever since she started this, her test scores sky rocketed and is an “A” student in every subject. It might just be all in our heads, but we are convinced that as long as she is performing any sort of tactile task while she does her school work, then her brain is fooled and she learns and performs better," reports WyzAnt parent, Ron L., of Fruitland, IA.

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Visual learners tend to memorize and recall information well, especially when it is written down. They learn best from reading a book, rather than working in groups with other students. For visual learners, sitting in front of the classroom may help retain more information. Flashcards also are the most beneficial for visual learners to retain information. (discovery.com) Juliet let us know that “Visual learners need to see what they are learning. They can be identified by the words they use such as ‘I see’ or ‘Can you show me,’ and prefer a list or written explanation of what they need to do, rather than being told.”

Susan’s best study and learning practices for visual learners include “underlining and highlighting information and drawing pictures to associate the information, reading books with pictures and descriptive words, and drawing or writing in large, colorful spaces.”

LEARNING STYLES - Related Blog posts:

(image source: http://meetmags.com/mme/2007/11/meetings-101-2/)

WyzAnt Opens Network of 60,000 Certified Private Tutors to Students for Free Online Homework Help

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0600

WyzAnt Answers Turns Internet Search into Personable and Reliable Answers from Experts.

WyzAnt Answers is an academic focused question and answer forum powered by more than 60,000 subject verified tutors registered with WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest network of private tutors. Like many answer sites, WyzAnt Answers is open to the public and users can post questions, view answers and vote for answers they find most helpful. What differentiates WyzAnt Answers from sites like Yahoo! Answers is the focus on academics and the reliability of the answers. Only WyzAnt’s screened and verified private tutors are eligible to respond to questions lending credibility to the posted answers.

Students today are conditioned to use search engines to find answers to virtually any question. The Internet contains a wealth of information and search engines are continually improving to help us find the most relevant results from trusted sources. However, search engines don’t always capture the nuances behind complex or very narrowly defined queries. But what if students could tap into a national network of qualified educators to receive free, timely answers with thorough explanations? That’s the idea behind WyzAnt Answers and hundreds of students a week are already reaping the benefits.

“WyzAnt is committed to matching students with private tutors capable of providing highly personalized lessons and instructions,” said Andrew Geant, CEO and co-founder of WyzAnt. “Sometimes students have very specific questions or need clarity on a particular concept that may not require meeting with a tutor for a detailed lesson. WyzAnt Answers is a place where students can go to get a quick, reliable answer from a certified tutor – no matter how complex the question might be.”

WyzAnt tutors offer instruction on a variety of topics ranging from math and science to language and computer training. This diversity in tutor expertise allows students to ask questions in practically any subject and receive free answers, usually within hours. For students who need additional assistance, WyzAnt offers an easily searchable database of local tutors available for private, in-person instruction.

For more information about WyzAnt Answers, visit http://www.wyzant.com/answers. or visit WyzAnt.com to find a tutor in your area.

About WyzAnt.com

WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. WyzAnt maintains an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and allows students to begin lessons with the security of a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects spanning academics, test preparation, music instruction and computer and career training. To learn more and to hear what WyzAnt customers have to say, find WyzAnt on Facebook.

Is Holiday Brain Drain Real?

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Featured blog post by WyzAnt tutor Jeff Stickler

There is plenty of research about the “summer brain drain” – a reference to the amount of learning that children lose during their summer breaks. Some researchers believe students can lose as much as three months worth of last year’s learning over the summer. Several reasons are cited for this; one of them is the absence of regular reviews of material to reinforce what’s been learned. This article summarizes the “brain drain” phenomenon and how educators, parents, and families can help prevent this from happening.

“Summer Brain Drain”

Educational researchers have studied the “summer brain drain” phenomenon for years. Most of this research is related to the psychology of memory, forgetting, and biopsychology. There are many causes of “forgetting”, including something as simple as walking through a (virtual or real) doorway. (For an article on the “doorway forgetting effect”, see Dr. Ira E. Hyman Jr’s. article titled “Doorways Cause Forgetting: What did I come here for?” from May 25, 2012 at this link.)

Other reasons cited for “brain drain” are: lack of mental stimulation, lack of a structured environment (students get out of the habit of learning), an increase in the amount of time spent without adults supervision (for older children in families where both parents work during the day), and a lack of continued reinforcement of recently learned concepts and skills.

“Summer brain drain” is a real phenomenon. Teachers typically plan on repeating about one month’s worth of the previous year’s learning to offset this loss. The effects of the “summer slide” (as its also called) are also cumulative. This means, for example, that if a student loses two months’ worth of 1st grade learning over the summer, by the end of their 3rd grade year they’ve lost a total of four months’ learning.

“Holiday Brain Drain”?

A recent trend in education research is in the area of “holiday brain drain”. There is at least some evidence that the three to four week break between December and January leads to a loss of learning. By December, students have completed about half of the school year. All told, this equals about 18 weeks of daily learning and predictable routines. It stands to reason that any break of more than three days might lead to student’s forgetting classroom procedures and some content.

Teachers already recognize this and issue plan accordingly. As a classroom teacher, I planned to review classroom rules have students practice classroom procedures the first three days back from winter break. About 95% of teachers in schools where I have taught do likewise.

On a larger scale, school districts are transitioning to year-round academic calendars. These schedules include frequent, shorter breaks of no more than two weeks. Breaks still center on traditional holidays but can also come at the end of grading periods. This increases the number of days students are in school each year, which provides more opportunity for structured learning, and gives them less time to forget what they’ve learned.

Adults can intervene and stop the “brain drain” cycle – even reversing any accumulated learning losses. The following are several ideas for parents and families to help fight the “brain drain”.

Fighting the “Brain Drain”

1. Encourage daily reading. Encourage your child to read a little every day. As parents, we know our kids’ likes and dislikes where reading is concerned. Plan library or bookstore visits and help your children choose something you know they’ll like. Also, find something to read yourself and model good reading habits. Turn off the TV and computer and read for 30 minutes a day. If you choose to create a scheduled reading time – say, at 2 p.m. every day, you’ll soon see your child picking up their book or magazine at that time with little to no prompting.

2. Show enthusiasm for learning. If you read an interesting article in the newspaper or online – especially if it matches your child’s interests – tell them about it. This will show them that you value learning and you want to include them in your own learning. They will see that it is a priority and take it seriously.

3. Limit technology time. This is especially true for students in 6th – 12th grade. Children this age may even expect their break to be filled with endless days of playing video games, lounging in front of the TV, and gaming on their smart phones. As easy as it is to let them “do their own thing”, adults should set technology limits for their children. Adjust them based on your child’s age.

4. Encourage creativity. Use the additional family time to do something creative. This doesn’t have to be a huge, hands-on craft project that requires a lot of planning and materials. Teach your child a new game. Take them to an art or children’s museum. Read your very young child a story about magic or fairies. However you choose to do it, get your child to engage their brain in “outside the box” thinking.

Summary

“Brain drain” is a real phenomenon that occurs when students are on breaks that are longer than two weeks. Up to three months of the previous year’s learning can be lost over the longer, 3-month summer break. The effects accumulate over time and require a focused effort by adults to overcome. Parents and families can encourage their children to unplug from technology, read a little every day, show an enthusiasm for learning, and encourage creative thinking to fight the effects of “brain drain”.

I hope you found this article helpful. Please take a minute to leave a comment, Like this post on Facebook, or Tweet the post via Twitter using the buttons on the right side of my blog page. If you have questions about whether a tutor is right for you or if you would like advice for your unique situation, feel free to E-mail me using the “E-mail Jeff S.” button on my WyzAnt tutor home page. I’m happy to help!

Today’s article is dedicated to the memory of the 26 young students, teachers, and administrators whose lives were tragically ended in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday, December 14th, 2012. Let us commit ourselves to providing a safe learning environment for all children and cherish each opportunity to show our love to the children in our lives.

"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." ~Kahlil Gibran

12 Days of WyzAnt Winners

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

For 12 days, we are giving away cash and prizes to a randomly selected tutor and student pair. Check back each day to view the winners!

Congratulations to all of our winners during the 12 days of WyzAnt! The giveaway is now closed.

PREVIOUS WINNERS:

Friday, December 14th: Candis D. and Amir A. won $100 to the WyzAnt Store!
Thursday, December 13th: Ruth Z. and Lana F. won the WyzAnt Medium Black or Multi-color Messenger Bag!
Wednesday, December 12th: Sara P. and Lisa S. won the Laptop Sleeve!
Tuesday, December 11th: Malkia P. and Ashley F. won the Classic Hoodie Sweatshirt!
Monday, December 10th: Peter D. and Meagan C. won the Portable Speaker!
Sunday, December 9th: Gail W. and Pam G. won a FREE TUTORING LESSON (student) and BONUS REWARDS POINTS(tutor)!
Saturday, December 8th: David B. and Van K. won the WyzAnt Classic Wool Fitted Hat!
Friday, December 7th: Roxana C. and Cathey L. won the Keep Calm and Tutor On water bottle!
Thursday, December 6th: Jodie S. and Cristen J. won the iPhone cover or smartphone skin!
Wednesday, December 5th: Marguerite B. and Harjeet S. won the Keep Calm and Tutor on t shirt!
Tuesday, December 4th: Yair G. and Gail J. won the WyzAnt Two-tone Mug!
Monday, December 3rd: Harry L. and Christian S. from Bloomfield, MI won the WyzAnt Classic Logo t shirt!

Forbes Up And Comers: Jamie Quint, Andrew Geant, Matthew Prince, Philip Fierlinger

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Four Entrepreneurs doing really cool things who are worth watching.

WyzAnt and Uloop Partner to Bring Tutors to College Students Across America

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

WyzAnt.com partners with Uloop.com helping thousands of college and university students access quality tutors at affordable rates

WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest network of private tutors, announced today its partnership with Uloop.com, an online marketplace designed for and powered by college and university students. Uloop.com is an online marketplace where, among other things, students can buy and sell textbooks and furniture, apply for scholarships and student loans, and find housing, jobs and now, local tutors to help with their studies.

Since 2007, Uloop has grown to provide college news and classifieds for over 1500 colleges and universities throughout the country. “Our desire is to provide college students with a marketplace of services that meet their practical needs throughout the school year. This is exactly why we’re excited to partner with WyzAnt and their network of qualified tutors.” said Uloop co-founder and CEO, Corey Cleek.

WyzAnt.com is the country’s largest tutor-student marketplace with over 60,000 tutors nationwide. WyzAnt tutors offer in-person instruction in a variety of topics ranging from academics and test prep, to music lessons and language and computer training. “WyzAnt has the largest network of tutors in the country, and many tutors are certified teachers, PhDs, nurses, engineers or lawyers. Their mastery of the subjects they teach make the WyzAnt network a great fit for the university and graduate students that Uloop serves,” said WyzAnt co-founder and CEO, Andrew Geant. “Uloop provides college students with convenient access to a number of helpful services and directories and we’re thrilled to see WyzAnt tutors added to their network.”

The partnership will allow college students to locate tutors near their school and compare qualifications, rates and student feedback. Students can then contact WyzAnt tutors directly to schedule lessons all within their school’s Uloop page. Tutor rates vary, but most tutors offer competitive rates averaging between $35 and $50 per hour. To find out if your school has a Uloop page with private, college tutors, visit uloop.com.

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About WyzAnt.com

WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, dedicated to promoting education by offering students one-on-one instruction and annual College Scholarship opportunities. WyzAnt maintains an “A+” rating with the Better Business and allows students to begin lessons with the security of a 100% satisfaction guarantee. To learn more and to hear what WyzAnt customers have to say, visit WyzAnt Tutoring on Facebook.

About Uloop

Uloop.com is the leader in college classifieds and campus news with a presence at over 1,500 US universities. Through the Uloop platform, students can connect to buy and sell textbooks, find jobs and internships, search for housing and roommates, apply for scholarships and student loans, and publish and explore campus news. For more information, visit www.uloop.com and @Uloop on Twitter.

Triumphant Obama Faces New Foe in ‘Second-Term Curse’

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600
New York Times links to WyzAnt History and Politics Now section

Amidst the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Inspirational Tutor Makes Remarkable Commitment to Help Student Succeed

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

With subways closed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, WyzAnt tutor Matt Brandenburgh commutes 8 miles by bike to provide in-person physics lesson

WyzAnt Physics tutor Matt Brandenburgh of Brooklyn, NY, demonstrated admirable dedication to his student this past week after Hurricane Sandy battered most of the East Coast and brought New York City to a rare standstill. With many New York residents still without power and access to transportation, Matt's actions are an inspirational reminder that life goes on.

When Suzanne W. of New York, NY, considered hiring a physics tutor for her son, she found her son resistant to accepting any outside support. Suzanne decided to continue her search and found Matt’s profile on WyzAnt.com, a private tutoring site with over 60,000 tutors nationwide. With numerous math and science certification and over 300 tutoring hours logged, Matt seemed like an excellent choice for her son. When Matt had to reschedule their first appointment due to illness, Suzanne thought nothing of it and the session was moved to the following week. However, within 48 hours of that conversation, Hurricane Sandy made landfall just south of New York City resulting in the mandatory evacuation of parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

With subways and roads still closed two days after Hurricane Sandy hit, Matt Brandenbaugh braved the 8 mile commute from his apartment in Brooklyn to Manhattan in order to meet Suzanne’s son for their scheduled physics lesson. After postponing their first lesson, Matt said he felt obligated to make Wednesday’s appointment so that Suzanne’s son would be prepared for his upcoming exam.

“He biked an hour over the bridge to Manhattan and then carried his bike up three floors in the pitch black hallway while I held a flashlight to lead the way,” said Suzanne. Thanks to Matt’s dedication, Suzanne’s son left the lesson feeling confident and prepared for his exam. “Of equal importance,” noted Suzanne, “my son thought Matt was great and no longer feels any resistance to seeking outside help for his studies.”

Amidst the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Inspirational Tutor Makes Remarkable Commitment to Help Student Succeed

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

November 2012, 2nd Edition

With subways closed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, WyzAnt tutor Matt Brandenburgh commutes 8 miles by bike to provide in-person physics lesson

WyzAnt Physics tutor Matt Brandenburgh of Brooklyn, NY, demonstrated admirable dedication to his student this past week after Hurricane Sandy battered most of the East Coast and brought New York City to a rare standstill. With many New York residents still without power and access to transportation, Matt's actions are an inspirational reminder that life goes on.

When Suzanne W. of New York, NY, considered hiring a physics tutor for her son, she found her son resistant to accepting any outside support. Suzanne decided to continue her search and found Matt’s profile on WyzAnt.com, a private tutoring site with over 60,000 tutors nationwide. With numerous math and science certification and over 300 tutoring hours logged, Matt seemed like an excellent choice for her son. When Matt had to reschedule their first appointment due to illness, Suzanne thought nothing of it and the session was moved to the following week. However, within 48 hours of that conversation, Hurricane Sandy made landfall just south of New York City resulting in the mandatory evacuation of parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

With subways and roads still closed two days after Hurricane Sandy hit, Matt Brandenbaugh braved the 8 mile commute from his apartment in Brooklyn to Manhattan in order to meet Suzanne’s son for their scheduled physics lesson. After postponing their first lesson, Matt said he felt obligated to make Wednesday’s appointment so that Suzanne’s son would be prepared for his upcoming exam.

“He biked an hour over the bridge to Manhattan and then carried his bike up three floors in the pitch black hallway while I held a flashlight to lead the way,” said Suzanne. Thanks to Matt’s dedication, Suzanne’s son left the lesson feeling confident and prepared for his exam. “Of equal importance,” noted Suzanne, “my son thought Matt was great and no longer feels any resistance to seeking outside help for his studies.”

ACT or SAT? The Short and Sweet Guide to College Entrance Exams

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

November 2012, 2nd Edition

Written by Lana Larcher, Content Curator at WyzAnt.com

For students planning on going to college, junior year is ridden with college apps and tests, namely the ACTs and SATs. The rule of thumb has been “the east and west coast schools value SAT scores more, while the mid-west wants an ACT score.” While this generally proves to be true, here’s a fast break down on the similarities, differences, and whether it’s worth taking both tests.

Subjects Tested

As a student, your first concern may be “What’s on the test?” The ACT and SAT differ slightly in content included. The SAT includes only three subjects: Reading, Math, and Writing. All three of these portions of the test are absolutely mandatory. The ACT, on the other hand, tests Math, English, Reading, Science, and Writing (if you so choose).

Writing

“Wait, the ACT tests writing only if I choose to do so?” That’s right. As a student, you decide whether or not you want to take the writing portion of this test. However, beware! Some colleges require the writing portion, some suggest it (and will look at it as an additive part of your score), and some do not care about the writing score. As a rule of thumb, if you aren’t sure where you’re applying yet, taking the writing portion is your best option. Cover all of your bases.
Cost

Each of these tests costs money, which is one reason why it is important to figure out whether or not it’s necessary to complete both. If you are only applying to schools that want the ACT, then don’t take the SAT. If you’re still unsure, as many college students are, take both of them, and then send your records only to schools that want that particular test score (as sending scores can be an additional cost). The actual cost of each test is: SAT - $50 ($17 late fee), ACT - $35 ($50.50 with the writing portion). So, financially speaking, there’s no benefit to choosing one test over the other.

Style

Possibly the biggest difference between these two tests is the style of testing used. The ACT measures what you have learned in school (knowledge), whereas the SAT measures your verbal abilities and reasoning (aptitude) without solely relying on what you’ve learned in school. This means that, on the ACT, you’ll only see questions pertaining to what you have (or should have) previously studied. On the SAT, you may see articles, charts, and graphs related to something you’ve never heard of before -- but you will be given enough information that, combined with your critical thinking skills, you will be able to deduce an answer from what’s given to you.

Penalties

That probably sounds like the SAT is way easier, right? Not necessarily. The SAT test makers take off quarter of a point for every question you answer incorrectly; however, questions you leave blank do not count against you. Therefore, if you were to answer one question correctly, and the next four incorrectly, you’d have a score of 0.

“The ACT is easier”

Many students that take both the SAT and the ACT claim that the ACT is easier, and/or students score better on the ACT. This is likely due to the fact that the ACT only includes questions regarding things you have (or should have) learned. Therefore, you’re more at ease in answering the questions, because it’s familiar to you. The SAT is not the same; it will likely give you unfamiliar information and ask you to use it to solve a problem, which uses your critical thinking and reasoning skills. Although many students possess and are capable of answering these questions, they are often nervous about taking the test that will get them into college, and therefore do worse on the SAT than the ACT, purely due to lack of familiarity.

Search WyzAnt ACT Tutors and SAT tutors in your area.

Top 3 Study Tips to Rev Up Your Study Skills Success

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

November 2012, 2nd Edition

Stuck on a problem, experiencing writers block or suffering through constant distraction? You are not alone. Procrastination plagues students and businesspeople alike. The resulting feelings of being overwhelmed only make the problem worse. Here are three quick tips to start off your study/work session on the right foot.

Written by Kim A., Psychology and Study Skills tutor

1. Mind your space.
A cluttered space is distracting and does not feel comfortable. Find a box and clear off everything from your workspace and computer screen except for what you specifically need. Don't worry about organizing it first (this is a distraction technique and promotes procrastination). Just make a clear and comfortable space. Your surroundings are important too. Be sure to find a quiet workspace with minimal distractions.

2. Get a timer and set it for 30-45 minutes. Part of the challenge with procrastination is the urge to take "study breaks". People who exercise talk about the point in the work out where they want to quit, but at that point, they need to push through to benefit and see results. This is the same with studying and learning. At times when our brains are challenged, we look for ways to relieve the pressure. If you have a timer, you can just tell yourself to keep going for a few minutes more. Once the time goes off, give yourself a 15-20 minute break. Do something fun like taking a walk, petting the dog or some other physical activity (not online social media or games). Keep with the program until the day's goals are done. After you are finished, give yourself the freedom to reward yourself with activities that before were distracting (social media, games, television).

3. One subject/one project at a time.
Setting out the daily/hourly goals of the project is really important. For those that suffer from procrastination, the point at which the work is being addressed is usually under pressure and stress. Feelings of being overwhelmed by the volume of what needs to be accomplished, and limited time to accomplish goals, are stressful and can lead to poor work performance. The old adage is the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, which definitely applies to homework and studying. Break the project into smaller 30-45 minute goals. Do this quickly based on how you feel it might logically happen. Your intuition and left-brain analytical side works much better this way. Only focus on what needs to happen right now. When overwhelming feelings creep in, just go back to your plan for right now. As you get better at this, you will find yourself setting and achieving smaller goals to accomplish projects before they are due - it happens naturally!
Bonus Tip!
I use magazine holders (the cheap cardboard ones you can get at IKEA or Target) for each topic. All the materials such as: books, folders, binders, notes, resources etc. go into each box. As materials come in from a lesson or class, I put them into the appropriate box. When I am ready to do work or study, I grab that box full of resources and work from it. When I am done, everything goes back into the box and onto my shelf and I grab the next subject. This tip makes it so much easier to keep organized and ready for the next study session or work project.

Have fun and realize that developing study skills is about finding what works for you. Learn from mistakes and celebrate the successes!!

Tutor Newsletter, 1st Edition: Make a Good First Impression

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Make a good first impression. Introduce yourself to potential new clients!

Make a Good First Impression:

The first stage of the tutor search process happens online, but you can still make a personal connection with potential students and their families by using the tools available on your profile. Post a video introducing yourself to potential clients, and bring your profile to life…literally! In a recent poll conducted by WyzAnt, an overwhelming majority of parents and students agree that an introductory video would help them feel more comfortable contacting a tutor. “It would be very helpful. Sometimes to just hear a person’s voice can mean a lot,” says Rikki S., parent of a Pittsburgh, PA student. With the advice of some current WyzAnt tutors, we’ve developed these tips on how to create an effective introductory video:

Tips For A Great Introductory Video

Be Yourself: You want your video to accurately represent who you are in real life. “Record it after one or two practice runs. Otherwise you just end up looking forced and tired,” says tutor Emilio M of Modesto, CA. It’s also helpful to offer insight on your personal approach to teaching. “If you can’t tell already, I like to be goofy and I love to make people laugh,” says Joshua M in his video.

Keep It Casual: You don’t need to create a lengthy video for it to be meaningful. For starters, take 30 seconds to introduce yourself. To protect your privacy, use only your first name and include a general location as well as the subjects in which you tutor. You can tell a lot about yourself in under a minute as Emily G. demonstrates in her video. (same as above) When in doubt, keep it brief - according to a study by digital content distributor Wistia, the average human attention span for online videos is 60 seconds.

Content: Think about what you want to convey to potential new students. Have you received awards or honors in your area of tutoring? “Videos are a great platform to demonstrate specialties. It’s one thing to list on paper what your skills are, but with things like language tutoring, pronunciation and proof of proficiency is key,” says French tutor Tahoma L. See additional language tutor examples below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIfDOgcyaYw&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_Y2Ga7K9qQ&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEHcELZZd8A&feature=BFa&list=PL7D45F54CAA4363F4&index=4

*Note: You are viewing these videos on our YouTube channel. Upload your video directly to your personal profile page here and it will automatically show up in the WyzAnt YouTube channel.

Location and Setting: Choose your location wisely. “I chose to shoot my video against a colorful wall outside of a library to create a calm and aesthetically pleasing background,” says Emilio. Avoid ambient noise and clutter in the background. “The small amount of information visible in the frame can subconsciously affect how parents perceive you, and a few scattered papers or clutter could be construed as being disorganized," says Psychiatrist, Dr. Stephen Siebert. Choose a neutral background, with the camera focused waist up and mounted at eye level, drawing attention to your face, expressions and words. Seek out a space where natural light is predominant and supplement with artificial light such as a desk lamp.

Technology: Don’t let the worry of perfect editing and technical aspects involved deter you from making a video. Many newer computers come standard with a webcam, as do many smartphones. Whether you’re most comfortable with PCs, Macs or digital cameras, we’ve got you covered with a list of helpful resources from all over the web. See the full list below:

Helpful Links from Around the Web:

How to Upload Videos Taken with My iPhone

How to Upload Video to Your Computer

How to Upload Videos From My Digital Camera

How to Upload My Flip Video on to My Computer

How to Transfer a Video to a Mac

How to Transfer a Video From an iPad to the PC

Need more inspiration? Here are some other video examples:

Amy from Weymouth, MA: http://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/MA/East-Weymouth/4802/Videos/

Nick from Glendora, CA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGRz-U9ehHc&feature=plcp

Emily from Sherman Oaks, CA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yr2UOOa-GU&feature=plcp

Five Steps to Find the Perfect Tutor

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500

With WyzAnt’s Tips, Parents and Students Can Select Tutors that Complement Their Learning Needs and Achieve Desired Results

With the school year in full-swing and SATs and finals looming, many parents and students are consulting tutors and education specialists to help achieve academic goals. While working with an expert might be the appropriate course of action, finding the right person for the job is a critical and potentially difficult task.

WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest directory of in-person tutors, has compiled the following five tips to help parents and students find the perfect tutor this fall.

1. Match the tutor to the student’s learning style

Each student has unique needs when it comes to the learning process, and tutors who are successful with one student may not be as successful with another. First, ask your school counselor to help you determine whether your child is an auditory (learns best by listening), kinesthetic (learns best through experience) or visual (learns best by sight) learner. Share this information with the tutor and discuss whether or not their teaching style and approach to lessons will be a good fit. WyzAnt.com’s verified network of private, in-person tutors allows students and parents to easily compare tutor profiles and teaching styles prior to beginning lessons.

2. Request credentials and references

Depending on the topic, it is important to understand your tutor’s mastery of the subject in addition to his/her teaching style. Degrees obtained and coursework studied can help you understand your tutor’s capabilities, but sometimes, objective anecdotes and recommendations from past clients can be even more valuable.

3. Think safety

When working with a private tutor, it is important to establish a relationship that feels comfortable and safe for all parties involved. Background checks provide a reliable starting point. In addition, the student should have a work environment he/she is comfortable in, free from any outside distractions.

4. Require feedback and open communication

Establishing a productive relationship between a tutor and student is an important process that may take time. Consistent communication among the parents, student and tutor will facilitate this process and ultimately benefit the student. WyzAnt tutors are required to provide feedback after each lesson occurs so that parents and students will have a documented history of the topics covered during each lesson. Consistent communication is important and can help avoid misunderstandings that can damage the relationship such as questions about billing or a tutor's policies related to things like canceled lessons. Having a third party involved can help by removing these types of administrative burdens, allowing the tutor and student to focus 100% of their attention on each lesson.

5. Set goals

No two students are alike, and the student’s initial understanding of a subject in addition to his/her motivation to work hard and learn the subject will impact the perceived success of the tutoring relationship. In a survey of more than 625 WyzAnt tutors, 53% of respondents believed their students could achieve a full letter grade improvement with five or fewer hours of private tutoring. Establishing healthy, realistic goals prior to beginning lessons, whether it’s grade improvement or general understanding and comprehension, can generate motivation and help all parties appreciate the value of the tutoring lessons.

About WyzAnt.com WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, dedicated to promoting education by offering students one-on-one instruction and annual college scholarships opportunities. WyzAnt maintains an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and allows students to begin lessons with the security of a 100% satisfaction guarantee. To learn more and to hear what WyzAnt customers have to say, find WyzAnt Tutoring on Facebook.

5 Steps to Finding the Perfect Tutor

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500
Your kids may be back in school, but class size or struggles with basic concepts may mean they need extra one-on-one help.

National Tutoring Company WyzAnt Announces Third Annual College Scholarship Essay Contest

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Committed to helping ambitious students pay for the cost of college, WyzAnt raises their scholarship offering to $15,000 for the company’s 3rd annual college scholarship contest.

WyzAnt, a national tutoring service, today announced the third annual WyzAnt college scholarship contest. This year’s contest features $15,000 in available awards and encourages applicants to solicit votes for their essay submission. Responding to the prompt, “How will you use your education to make an impact on others?”, applicants will write a short essay and advance to the finals based on popular vote. Applications must be submitted by May 1, 2013 and winners will be announced in June.

Over the past two years, WyzAnt has awarded $16,000 in college scholarships to six deserving students whose peers helped them advance past the first round of WyzAnt’s voting process. During the first round of voting, applicants are encouraged to creatively leverage social media sharing capabilities to promote their essays. In 2011, a celebrity tweet from Johnny Popstar of New Kids on the Block fame encouraging followers to vote for his friend’s essay resulted in an immediate flurry of votes. The top 20 popular vote recipients advance to a final round of voting where WyzAnt’s network of 60,000 tutors choose three winners.

Last year’s contest winners took home a combined $10,000 in college scholarships and were selected from a competitive pool of applicants spread throughout the country. Daniel Breiner, Director of Marketing for the Chicago-based tutoring company, said the decision to increase the amount of WyzAnt’s college scholarship from $10,000 to $15,000, was based on the scholarship’s widespread appeal. “Every year we’re impressed by both the engagement and quality of the essays we receive,” said Breiner. “We look forward to reading this year’s submissions and sharing those essays with the WyzAnt community.”

About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the nation’s premier marketplace for tutors and students, offering a user friendly, secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. WyzAnt maintains an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau and allows students to begin lessons with the security of a 100% satisfaction guarantee. To learn more and to hear what WyzAnt customers have to say, visit the WyzAnt Facebook Page.

WyzAnt.com Gives Away One Year of Free Tutoring

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Wyzant.com, the nation’s premier tutor-student matching service, announced today the launch of the Win a Year of Tutoring Sweepstakes. Anyone can enter, and on November 15th, up to two lucky winners will each receive over $2,000 in free tutoring.

The sweepstakes is announced as students return to the classroom for the beginning of the 2012/2013 school year. “The start of a new school year is an exciting time bringing with it new opportunities and challenges for students and parents alike,” said Daniel Breiner, WyzAnt’s Director of Marketing. WyzAnt tutors offer instruction in a wide array of subjects making it possible for students of any age to find tutors not just for school but also for recreational purposes like learning a new language, instrument or computer skill. “You can learn a lot with a year of private, in-person instruction,” said Breiner. “We look forward to seeing how students take advantage of this giveaway, and we’re eager to find out how much they’re able to achieve throughout the course of the year.”

WyzAnt’s Win a Year of Tutoring Sweepstakes is unique in that it encourages entrants to tell their friends and family about the giveaway. WyzAnt is giving entrants an extra chance to win for each person they refer. In other words, if someone you refer wins the drawing, WyzAnt will double the prize and give each of you a year of free tutoring. WyzAnt makes it easy for entrants to spread the word with a suite of sharing tools and also tracks the number of referrals made in real-time so that entrants know the number of chances they have to win.

Winners of WyzAnt’s Win a Year of Tutoring Sweepstakes will be drawn on November 15, 2012.

About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the nation’s premier marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. WyzAnt maintains an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau and allows students to begin lessons with the security of a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects spanning academics, test preparation, music instruction and computer and career training. To learn more and to hear what WyzAnt customers have to say, find WyzAnt on Facebook or visit the WyzAnt LinkedIn page.

Tutor Q&A: Is 5 years old too young to prepare for College and Career? SAT or ACT? What is an “Edu-preneur?”

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500

September 2012, 1st Edition

See the answers to these questions and more from one of our top college counseling and test prep tutors, Jacqueline Hicks Grazette.

Q: I see you are primarily listed as a test preparation and college counseling tutor. Why did you decide to focus on this area?

As a former teacher, I saw college prep and college counseling as areas of weakness that are prevalent in both public and private schools. Many students are not receiving the support they need through their institutions, due to the high students-to-counselor ratio in these schools. For example, most public school counselors are assigned about 300 students to individually counsel. That is far too many for a counselor to give any one student much individualized attention. Also, few teachers understand the nature and content of standardized tests such as the SAT, ACTs and AP exams. Students are not being prepared for the type of information that shows up on the SAT, ACT and AP exams; the best way to prepare students is to teach the content of these exams and then test the content in the modalities that these tests are given. This is rarely the case in the classroom.

Q: Why don’t schools put more effort behind preparing students specifically for these tests?
Schools feel pressure to administer and focus on the state-mandated assessment tests, but the reality is that these scores are not counted in the college application process. Also, many teachers have not been certified in this material; they do not know the content themselves. This is often the case with AP exams.

Q: What else is getting left behind in the classroom?
The problems are mainly with reading and writing. Kids aren’t reading enough- not enough novels, short stories and classics. There are not nearly as many writing assignments to practice analytical writing, essays and argumentation. Schools don’t have the time or the resources available to guide each student through the re-write process required to produce high quality writing. That is why the summer offers a tremendous opportunity for enrichment and to engage with material in a different, more creative way. Math is also an issue in that the quality of math instruction varies greatly from school to school.

Q: In general, how do you feel about standardized tests playing a large role in college acceptance decisions?
I have mixed emotions about this. I can see the justifications from an admission officer’s point of view: grade inflation is rampant, particularly among private schools. An “A” doesn’t mean true “A” level work across the board. These tests level the playing field and take the fluff out. Standardized tests can serve as a means to measure the meaningfulness of the grades on the transcripts and serve as a basic barometer of achievement. However, I don’t like when schools focus solely on the testing as a means to measure performance. One test is not always a good judge of a student’s ability. Testing scores are not something to obsess over. I tell students to adequately prepare, take the test, and move on.

Q: What is the age range for your college prep students?
I will give you the ideal age as well as the reality. Ideally students would begin college counseling around 13, when they have completed 8th grade. 9th grade is when the actual college prep begins whether a student is aware of it or not. All actions beginning in 9th grade will contribute to the college application. This is the time to start thinking carefully about course selection and summer experiences; the earlier a student prepares, the more likely the student will utilize the academic school years and summers in a way that will make a favorable impression on the college application. So, I would like parents to contact me the summer after 8th grade. The reality is we see a lot of students coming to seek help in their junior year during the second semester. Independent counselors can still help; it just makes it more challenging. Worse case, even if I see a person for the first time by fall semester senior year, the outcome is usually better than if the student had not received any assistance at all.

Q: You have plenty of experience working with both parents and schools. What are your thoughts on who should be in charge of a student’s college preparation? How do you see parents fitting in to the equation?
The college application process is a family endeavor, but the student should take primary responsibility in researching schools, being timely with application materials and choosing a good fit. Parents will need to be involved in certain aspects especially when talking about costs, distance from home and safety concerns, but the student needs to identify a potential good fit in order to do well. The needs of the parents should be met, but not at the expense of respecting the student’s voice in the process. Sometimes you can see a disconnect between parents and students during these discussions. With help, this process tends to bring families together and open the lines of communication; in this regard, college counseling can turn into a form of family mediation around the process. Because the college application and financial planning process is a family enterprise in most cases, I require my initial meeting with a new student to involve the entire family.

Q: The ACT, Inc. has created an assessment tool at the request of states who are concerned that their students are not prepared for college and subsequent careers. It will be administered are early as elementary school. Hoping to start spring 2014, the exams are online and are meant to target weaknesses for improvement. Do you think this sort of monitoring and assessment could positively affect a student’s college and career success?
It depends upon the age at which this assessment is given. I do not support this for students who are not in high school. I think this is too much testing and kids are already being tested enough as it is. Developing tests of this nature could make people cynical about the purpose of these tests and the companies that distribute them. Are we just perpetuating a cottage testing industry? Elementary school is not the age for testing career interest or college ability, and I do not see this test being an effective measurement of a student’s future when administered to young students. There is too much natural growth, development and dynamic learning that happens after that age. There are other ways to discover interests without it being forced upon students so early.

Q: Is the ACT gaining popularity over the SAT?
Of the two, I would say that students typically prefer the ACT, mostly due to the pacing of the ACT and the fact that the layout is straightforward: reading at the beginning, math, and then science. The SAT bounces back and forth from section to section and students say that it can break the rhythm. Additionally, the questions themselves seem to be more straightforward. Some students also like that science is offered on the ACT while it is not included on the SAT

Q: What is an appropriate way to prepare students for college and career?
We don’t have enough summer internships and institutions that really prepare students for what college and careers will be like. Not nearly enough to reach the demand of parents and students. There is a need for more study abroad programs, enrichment programs and premier educational institutions offering summer college preparation. Summer programs at highly selective colleges, such as Brown University, are currently among the many colleges doing things like this, but there’s not nearly enough. For example, I attended a summer program at a New England boarding school prior to my application to colleges. It strengthened my academic performance and exposed me to several highly selective colleges during the program. Ultimately, I was admitted to each of those Ivy League schools to which I applied. I credit my time at that school to helping me understand more about the level of work required in college and what it would be like to live away from home. Counselors can help parents find these types of opportunities; we can play a role in separating the summer “camp” type experiences from those that offer real academic rigor and college exposure.

Q: At what point do students typically identify a career path? What is a healthy age to do so?
My career counseling is done mainly with graduate students. Most of my pre-college students don’t know where they want to end up. Some kids know that they want to pursue specific professions such as medicine, law and engineering right off the bat, but these are not your typical students applying for undergrad. Usually, college is the time and place where students identify what they want to do. I hope that kids get exposed to different options in college; they should select schools that offer career advising and a range of options.

Q: Has the economic situation changed the way kids go through the college prep process?
I would say that families and kids are more cost-conscious. They are asking more about the financial aid that is available to them and looking at different financing options when deciding on a school. There is increased interest in merit aid and in schools that offer co-ops where you get real-world work experience as part of the academic program, such as Drexel.

Q: During our interview, you called yourself an “edu-preneur.” What is an “edu-preneur?”
It is an innovator within the academic field, using alternative funding and other external resources. We are former teachers, college professors and other educators who have stepped out of the silo of traditionally structured schools, but want to find ways to link the traditional institutions with the demands of the 21st century. We still keep the students’ best interests and educational needs at the center, but think outside the traditional box in terms of how those needs are met. I see the potential to link seemingly disparate institutions---colleges, businesses, government agencies, technology and private funding resources -- to foster creative learning which goes beyond the traditional concepts of classroom learning and assessment testing. We have a deeper interest in connecting students with civic engagement, global learning and whole-brain thinking. Many educators are growing frustrated at fighting the status quo within the school systems, so we have stepped out to pioneer these new approaches by creating new business models for K-12 education. Within 10 years, we believe our educational system will look very different from the traditional structures that dominate the marketplace today; we are part of the pioneers that are leading that change.

9 time-saving tips for the back-to-school rush

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500
WyzAnt.com has close to 60,000 tutors on file -- many with user reviews -- so there's probably someone near you with a specialty in the subject bedeviling your child.

5 solid branding efforts on the cheap

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500
Five ways that small companies have spread the word without breaking the bank.

Surfing the Web for Online Tutors - CNBC

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WyzAnt CEO, Drew Geant, on CNBC's Squawk Box

Check out WyzAnt CEO, Drew Geant, on CNBC's Squawk Box earlier this month. Drew discusses the nature of the marketplace, how WyzAnt can offer some of the most competitive tutoring prices on the web, and what the company has in store for the future.

Private Tutors Name Top Five Summer Reading Recommendations

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Recent studies by leading in-home tutoring service WyzAnt.com reveal that continual reading is the best method for students to avoid summer learning loss.
In a survey of more than 1,000 independent tutors conducted by WyzAnt.com, more than 40% of respondents indicated that reading, regardless of the subject matter, was the best way to stay sharp and avoid what many in the education field refer to as “Summer Learning Loss.” The following list is a compilation of the most popular tutor suggestions for summer reading material.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins – Set in a post-apocalyptic society where selected members of each remaining district are matched against one another in a fight to the death, The Hunger Games draws from Greek mythology, weaving a tale of sacrifice, friendship, and love in a dystopic world.

While the Hunger Games is not likely to show up on students’ list of required reading material, “the book does touch on some great social and ethical issues to get students thinking critically,” said WyzAnt tutor Christina Meals. The Hunger Games is an entertaining story with the power to engage readers which, many tutors believe, is the most important obstacle for students to overcome during summer vacation.

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen – Often thought of as Austen’s magnum opus, “Pride and Prejudice remains one of the most popular books in English literature, a position it has held for over two hundred years,” states WyzAnt tutor, Janine Hegarty. The story is told from the perspective of Elizabeth Bennet, an intelligent, headstrong woman born into a family with four other daughters at the turn of the 19th century. Elizabeth finds herself confronting her own pride and prejudices through her encounters with the wealthy aristocrat, Mr. Darcy.

The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand - Hailed as Rand’s first literary success, this philosophical novel follows the turbulent career of an avant garde architect who refuses to sacrifice his designs despite public opinion. Because of its philosophical nature, WyzAnt tutor Chaitali Mehta believes The Fountainhead “is an excellent read and significantly effective in late middle school through high school. It helps to increase vocabulary and improve reading comprehension while sowing the seeds for philosophical thinking in young minds."

1984, by George Orwell - In 1984, a man searches for freedom and love in a totalitarian state infested with constant government surveillance and intervention. Washington Based tutor, Nels Blair believes 1984 is relevant to our times and claims that “students who read 1984 will study certain ideals which promote personal growth, while witnessing examples of ideals which counter personal growth.”
To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee – Set in the 1930’s, To Kill a Mockingbird follows two young siblings in the deep south who begin to understand the meaning of justice, equality, and friendship by observing a prejudiced trial and their interactions with the town recluse.

WyzAnt Tutor Nicole Vermilion hails To Kill A Mockingbird as “a coming of age story that will inspire readers to look at the innocence of youth, prejudice, courage, and moral dilemmas in a different light.”

In addition to these summer reading suggestions, over 50,000 tutors are available on WyzAnt.com to help students review curricula from the previous year, and prepare students for the upcoming school year. WyzAnt has maintained an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau and allows students to begin lessons with the security of a 100% satisfaction guarantee. To learn more and to hear what WyzAnt customers have to say, find WyzAnt on Facebook or read the WyzAnt Twitter page.

A Different Kind of Summer Reading

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500
How to help your dyslexic child when school’s out

WyzAnt Surpasses 50,000 Certified Tutors

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Nation’s Largest Network of Private Tutors Gives Students Choice, Convenience, and Security with all Tutors Being Tested and Screened.
WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest network of private tutors and students, announced today that it now has over 50,000 tutors located throughout the country offering in-person lessons in more than 200 subjects. WyzAnt.com’s searchable online database enables students to easily locate and interview tutors, review feedback and run background checks – all in one convenient place.
“We are excited to pass this milestone as we continue to provide students with a depth of options in location, curriculum and convenience,” says WyzAnt cofounder and CEO, Andrew Geant regarding the 50,000 tutor mark.
This year, WyzAnt added an average of 100 new tutors to its network daily. WyzAnt’s more than 50,000 tutors are spread throughout the United States with at least one tutor located within 10 miles of 90 percent of the population.
“WyzAnt made finding a tutor easy by including reviews that told us what other parents and students thought about each tutor’s teaching style, pace and personality,” said Laura Beth, a mother from Evanston, IL who used WyzAnt.com to find a tutor for her son. “The tutor we chose has a profile on WyzAnt.com that proves he knows and loves math and approaches teaching with a sense of humor which is perfect for our son.”
WyzAnt’s tutor network provides students with extremely prompt responses to their inquiries, and the company offers a satisfaction guarantee for all tutors.
“WyzAnt’s large network allowed me the opportunity to view profiles for hundreds of tutors, making it easy to compare and choose the tutor that would best fit my educational goals and needs,” said Ester, a graduate level student who used WyzAnt to find her tutor. “Personally, I was looking for someone with a strong command of the subject who would be flexible within my schedule and help me maintain my high GPA. WyzAnt.com made that process easy, fast and secure.”
For more information or to find a tutor in your area, please visit www.wyzant.com.
About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. WyzAnt maintains an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau and allows students to begin lessons with the security of a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects spanning academics, test preparation, music instruction and computer and career training. To learn more and to hear what WyzAnt customers have to say, find WyzAnt on Facebook or visit the WyzAnt LinkedIn page.

WyzAnt Tutoring Featured in Crain's Chicago Business

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500

How One Firm is Helping Tutors with the Business of Tutoring.

How One Firm is Helping Tutors with the Business of Tutoring.

Staying Sharp This Summer: WyzAnt Helps Parents and Students Find Tutors to Combat Summer Learning Loss

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Studies Show Students Can Lose Two Months of Academic Competency During Summer Vacation.
More than three out of four parents are concerned that their children will fall behind academically this summer, according to an online survey from WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest network of private tutors and students. In the survey, 77 percent of parents expressed concern about “summer learning loss,” with nearly 50 percent indicating they were very concerned. Summer learning loss refers to the loss of academic skills and knowledge during summer vacation. WyzAnt’s survey is based on responses from 270 parents online with a margin of error of ±5.96 percent.
“Because the first couple months of the school year are often spent reviewing material forgotten over the summer, some students go all the way through October without learning anything new,” said Andrew Geant, co-founder and CEO of WyzAnt. “Fortunately, more and more parents are aware of summer learning loss and are being proactive by hiring qualified, one-on-one tutors who act as a bridge to the new school year.”
Nearly 100 years of research have found that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the start of a new school year than they did at the end of the prior year, according to the National Summer Learning Association. In fact, summer learning research shows that students lose on average two months of math competency and struggle to maintain reading levels, with the loss greatest in math and spelling.
To counter summer learning loss in any subject, WyzAnt makes it easy to begin one-on-one instruction with a local tutor. WyzAnt’s tutor marketplace contains over 45,000 screened and certified tutors capable of teaching a wide range of subjects and student needs, from math and science to special needs and test preparation.
At WyzAnt.com, parents and students can interview multiple tutors, review feedback and run background checks – all in one convenient place. For more information or to find a tutor in your area, please visit www.wyzant.com.
About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors & students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. WyzAnt has maintained an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau and allows students to begin lessons with the security of a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects spanning academics, test preparation, music instruction and computer and career training. To learn more and to hear what WyzAnt customers have to say, find WyzAnt on Facebook or read the WyzAnt Twitter page.

WyzAnt Tutoring Announces Winners of the 2012 WyzAnt College Scholarship Contest

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Scholarships recognize ambitious students and their most important life lesson.
WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest marketplace for private tutors and students, today announced the winners of the 2012 WyzAnt College Scholarship Contest. After several months of voting, three deserving students have been selected to receive a total of $10,000 in college scholarship funding.
In a short essay, applicants shared stories on WyzAnt.com about the most important lesson they had learned in their lives. During the preliminary round, site visitors could read the essays and vote for their favorites. In the final round, hundreds of current WyzAnt tutors voted to narrow the finalists to three outstanding winners.
“WyzAnt prides itself on the quality and selection of tutors available through our online tutor marketplace,” said Andrew Geant, WyzAnt.com co-founder and CEO. “But what this contest shows is that our tutor quality is equally matched by the amazing students across the country. It was truly inspiring to read these outstanding essays and the entire WyzAnt.com team wishes every participant the best of luck as they go forward and accomplish great things.”
The first place recipient, Jesse Barnes, a senior from Spencer High School in Spencer, Iowa, wrote about her family and the importance of selflessness. In her piece, titled “Know the Difference,” Jesse talks about growing up with her identical twin sister during difficult financial times and learning to appreciate the sacrifices everyone in her family made for one another. Next year, Jesse will attend the University of Iowa where she and her sister will major in Biology, with aspirations to attain PhDs in the subject.
Iman Seale, a junior at East Ridge High school in Clermont, Fla., took home second place with an essay about learning to embrace and value one’s differences. In her essay, Iman shares her experience with cultural diversity and her appreciation that “the world is not a place of uniformity.” Iman plans to study Graphic Design when she goes to college in 2014. Until then, she will continue to bolster her resume as she takes advanced English and Economics classes through Florida Virtual Schools, in addition to her standard high school curriculum.
Rounding out this year’s winners was Elena Chavez, a senior from Kempner High School in Sugarland, Tex. As the first member of her family to complete high school, Elena credits her achievement to the hard work and ambition of her youngest sister. “Witnessing my young sister’s adversity and accomplishments opened my eyes and gave me the push I needed to succeed,” she writes. Elena says she is proud to be a role model to her two younger sisters and looks forward to seeing them follow in her footsteps. Elena will attend the University of Texas next year, where she plans to study Dentistry and to continue pursuing her love of the arts.
WyzAnt would like to thank all participants in this year’s college scholarship contest. To read these three essays and thousands of other inspirational stories, please visit WyzAnt College Scholarships on the web.
About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. WyzAnt’s dedication to industry leading customer service has earned it an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau. To learn more about WyzAnt, interested parties can find WyzAnt on Facebook or view WyzAnt’s LinkedIn page.

Study Shows Private Tutoring Increases Standardized Test Scores and Improves Chances of College Admission

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

With 2012 spring SAT and ACT test dates approaching, private tutoring company WyzAnt.com reports an increased demand for standardized test tutors.
WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest marketplace for private tutors and students, offers in-home tutoring in over 250 subjects including SAT and ACT test preparation. As the 2012 spring SAT and ACT test dates approach, WyzAnt reported tutoring requests for the SAT and ACT exams have increased more than 30% from February to April.
While most students engage in school-organized preparation and personal study, working with a private tutor to prepare for standardized tests like the Sat and ACT is proven to increase test scores and likely the probability of being accepted to college. In a study conducted by the NACAS (National Association for College Admissions Counseling), standardized test takers were asked what they had done to prepare for the exam. Respondents who worked with private tutors reported the most significant improvements over previous scores with an average increase of .43 points for the ACT math section and .6 points for the ACT English Section. Similar improvements were reported for the SAT exam where students who worked with private tutors received 10-20 points higher on average for subject specific sections.
Although these reported improvements might seem insignificant, surveyed college admissions counselors stated that what may seem like small improvements can have a meaningful impact on college admissions decisions. According to the NACAC study, “More than one third of postsecondary institutions agreed that an improvement on the SAT Math section of 20 points, or a score increase on the SAT-CR of 10 points, would ‘significantly improve student’s likelihood of admission.’”
WyzAnt tutor Nicole Coffineau advocates long-term test preparation over a 10 to 12 week period, although she admits just a few lessons can make a difference in raising student confidence and awareness. “Having a few lessons definitely has an impact on students because the first big hurdle is getting past the format of the exam which is significantly different than a student’s normal school work and exams. Once students get used to the logic of the test, they become more comfortable.”
Standardized tests continue to be an important part of the application process for most colleges and universities, and as competition for admission increases, more students are turning to private tutors to help improve their test scores. According to college admissions professionals and tutors like Nicole, working with a private tutor for just a few lessons and receiving even small improvements on test scores can accomplish this objective and bolster a student’s chances of admission.
About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects ranging from academics and test preparation to music instruction and computer and career training. Students and parents can review tutor profiles, subject certifications, background checks, and read WyzAnt student reviews to ensure they find the perfect match for their individual tutoring needs. Find WyzAnt on Facebook to learn more about the company and to hear what other users are saying.

WyzAnt Tutoring Featured in Chicago Tribune’s Sunday Edition

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500
Many startups choose to self-fund their enterprise so they can retain control of the business

WyzAnt Tutoring Announces 2012 College Scholarship Finalists

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Twenty finalists to compete for $10,000 in college scholarship awards offered by WyzAnt.com.
WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest marketplace for private tutors and students, last week announced the finalists for its second annual college scholarship contest. Out of thousands of applicants, 20 students were selected to move onto the final round of voting where three outstanding students will be awarded a total of $10,000 in scholarship funding.
Beginning in October, applicants composed essays about important life lessons they had learned and shared their essays on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to solicit votes on WyzAnt.com. This year, WyzAnt received essays from students in all 50 states.
“Every year the contest produces some truly inspiring and insightful stories that we’re honored to share with the WyzAnt community,” said WyzAnt director of marketing, Daniel Breiner. “I look forward to seeing who our tutors choose as this year’s winners and rewarding those students with WyzAnt scholarships.”
Throughout April, WyzAnt tutors will conduct the final round of voting and their collective votes will determine three winners from the remaining finalists. First place will be awarded $5,000 to the school of his or her choice and the second and third place winners will be awarded $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. WyzAnt.com will announce this year’s winners in early May 2012.
About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects ranging from academics and test preparation to music instruction and computer and career training. Students can review tutor profiles, subject certifications, background checks, and tutor videos and blogs to ensure they find the perfect match for their individual tutoring needs.

Chicago-based Tutoring Company, WyzAnt, Partners with Local Charities to Give Back to the Community

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

National tutoring company WyzAnt helps make private education more accessible and affordable while also serving local communities by working with non-profit organizations like Open Books and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest network of private in-home tutors, was launched in 2005 to make the segmented tutoring industry more efficient and accessible for students and tutors. In 2008, the company relocated to Chicago and became an active member in Chicago’s emerging technology industry.
Since moving to Chicago, WyzAnt’s tutor base has grown by more than 500% and now features a network of over 40,000 tutors serving students in all 50 states. Students and parents may visit WyzAnt to search for tutors in a variety of disciplines and review tutor bios, backgrounds, student reviews, and even WyzAnt tutor videos to ensure they find the perfect match.
As the company grows, WyzAnt continues to find innovative ways to make affordable private education accessible to as many people as possible. In 2011 WyzAnt established a non-profit organization called WyzAid, aimed at helping other non-profits locate qualified volunteer tutors for at-risk youth. Right now WyzAid serves the Chicago community by working with partners like the Illinois Education Foundation.
In 2010, WyzAnt announced the creation of its annual college scholarship contest and awarded three college students a combined $6,000 in scholarship funding. In May, WyzAnt will announce the winners of its 2011 college scholarship contest and award a total of $10,000 to three deserving recipients.
In recent months, the WyzAnt office has expanded its community involvement by working with local Chicago charities. Last fall WyzAnt employees collected over 200 items of non-perishable food for the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s holiday supply. In February, WyzAnt employees contributed more than 250 books and DVDs to Open Books, a resale store whose proceeds fund a variety of literacy programs.
“We’re honored to be able to work with local organizations that have such a positive impact on people’s lives,” said WyzAnt community outreach coordinator Katherine Brichacek. “Seeing the office rally together to meet our donation goals is really rewarding and we’re excited to expand our community involvement as we continue to grow.”
Committed to supporting the Chicago non-profit community year round, WyzAnt’s upcoming philanthropic efforts will support 826 Chicago, a volunteer tutoring center also located in the Bucktown neighborhood. Starting this spring, WyzAnt will collect office supplies and snacks to assist 826 Chicago’s after school programs.
About this Company: WyzAnt, Inc. is a national tutor-student matching service specializing in connecting students with qualified in-home tutors. Interested parties can learn more about the company on the WyzAnt Facebook page or comment on WyzAnt’s community involvement on WyzAnt’s Twitter Page.

Full-Time Professionals by Day, Private Tutors by Night: The Next Frontier in American Education

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

As states slash their education spending and classroom sizes continue to grow, a new study by national tutoring service, WyzAnt, Inc. shows former and current full-time professionals are meeting parents growing demand for qualified private tutors.
In a recent survey of more than 1,100 independent tutors conducted by leading in-home tutoring provider WyzAnt, Inc., 69% of tutors held professional positions prior to becoming private tutors. Ranging from bond traders and business consultants, to physicians and lawyers, respondents with backgrounds in a variety of trades are drawing on their professional experience to offer students private tutoring in a variety of subjects.
Private tutoring has long been a part of the US education system and is becoming even more popular growing by more than 5% annually according to executive director of the Education Industry Association, Steve Pines. As the demand for tutors continues to rise, individuals without formal teaching backgrounds are joining the tutoring community. “I imagine you’ve seen a real increase in demand from parents and students who are unhappy with the state’s education system,” said California tutor, Mary Kelsky, in an interview with WyzAnt. Mary was referring to California’s public education system which along with Arizona, Hawaii and South Carolina has slashed its education spending by more than 20% of its pre-recession budget.
After selling her condo in Chicago and moving to California in 2008, Mary, a former VP of sales, and her husband started their own business but found their clients had difficulty acquiring financing for projects. Mary later looked into teaching jobs, but with depleted state budgets, districts in her area were forced to trim resources through service cuts and teacher layoffs. As a result, Mary decided to list her tutoring services privately as well as with tutoring services like WyzAnt.com where she tutors elementary students 14-15 hours each week. “The extra money is nice,” said Mary, “but the real reason I tutor is to keep busy while doing something I’m passionate about which is teaching children.”
While Mary picked up tutoring following a distinguished career in business, other tutors offer their services in addition to their daily trade. Matt Caire, a bond trader with Linscomb-Williams in Houston, Texas, tutors 5-10 hours a week through WyzAnt, helping undergraduates and MBA level students with their statistics and finance courses. “Tutoring allows me to stay fresh on the material I learned in my master’s courses, said Matt. “If you’re going to teach a subject, you have to know the material really well. I think the best way to learn and stay sharp is by teaching.”
WyzAnt co-founders Andrew Geant and Michael Weishuhn were not surprised to find current and former professionals outside the education industry becoming private tutors. “When we started WyzAnt in 2005 we did so with the understanding that individuals of various backgrounds had acquired skills and resources in their careers that they could share with students,” said Geant. WyzAnt’s web-based platform allows students to review tutor backgrounds, professional experience, WyzAnt tutor videos, student reviews and more to ensure they’re able to find an appropriate match for their individual needs.
About this Company: WyzAnt, Inc. is a national tutor-student matching service specializing in connecting students with qualified in-home tutors. The company was founded in 2005 and has provided educational services ranging from academic tutoring and test preparation, to WyzAnt’s college scholarship and career training. Interested parties can learn more about the company on the WyzAnt Facebook page or by visiting WyzAnt.com.

Teaching and Tutoring Jobs Abound at Leading In-Home Tutoring Provider WyzAnt.com

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

With school back in full swing following the holiday season, parents and students are turning to private tutors in record numbers.
WyzAnt, Inc., a nationwide tutoring service specializing in matching students with qualified in-home tutors, reports a recent surge in requests for private tutors. WyzAnt, which boasts a network of nearly 35,000 active tutors, offers instruction in a variety of subjects ranging from math and science tutoring to English and language tutoring. In 2011, WyzAnt received over 250 thousand tutor requests throughout the country, and that number is steadily increasing. As students return to the classroom in 2012, WyzAnt’s network of qualified tutors are fielding an abundance of new tutoring jobs.

In order to tutor with WyzAnt, candidates must complete an online application which is carefully reviewed by members of WyzAnt’s staff. Tutors must also prove their proficiency in the subjects they wish to teach by successfully passing individual certification exams. WyzAnt maintains an updated directory of available tutors who are required to respond to student requests within 24-48 hours in order to maintain an active listing. When hiring tutors through WyzAnt, parents and students can easily review the local tutor profiles that include detailed background information, education, customer reviews, photos, blogs and more. Other useful tools include real-time background checks and convenient payment methods.

WyzAnt has been connecting students with qualified tutors since the company was founded in 2005, and each year the company has witnessed a significant uptick in tutoring activity in January. “Every year we see a significant increase in the number of tutoring requests we receive following the holidays” says WyzAnt’s Director of Marketing and Communications Daniel Breiner. “Students return to school after the New Year either facing finals or having just received last semester’s grades. Some students look for help closing the semester strong while others look to start off on the right foot going into the New Year.”

Fortunately, this demand for tutoring is being met with an increase in the number and quality of people who are offering private tutoring services. Several factors such as the difficult job market and teacher layoffs are involved. “Private tutoring is an increasingly pervasive part of the US education system,” said Breiner. “When WyzAnt was founded in 2005, the goal was to make the process of finding the most qualified tutors as convenient and affordable as possible for parents and students, while helping talented educators find quality jobs.”

The approach seems to be working as parents and educators alike continue to leave rave reviews about the effectiveness of WyzAnt’s matching process.

“I’ve been with WyzAnt for all of one full week and already have 4 students that I've scheduled sessions with. I am receiving more emails from potential students than time I have to tutor them. WyzAnt has allowed me to re-enter the tutoring world with an ease I thought was unachievable. This truly is a fantastic online forum to make contacts, with not only a myriad of tutors with a multitude of experiences and skills, but more importantly, eager students seeking knowledge and help. WyzAnt has, without doubt, made tutoring easy for tutors and students.” - Vimal, WyzAnt tutor from Alexandria, VA

“My son has been using WyzAnt since last January and I wish I had found out about them sooner! I love how easy it is to find a tutor, read about their backgrounds and make the connection with them. It is so easy to pay for the lessons and I appreciate the discount if you sign up for a package.” - Kim, parent from Pleasanton, CA

In 2012, WyzAnt intends to continue strengthening their industry leading tutor-student matching process. A newly developed search algorithm serves to bolster the experience for both tutors and students by ensuring students will be able to quickly find the right tutor for their needs while notifying tutors of the most relevant, up-to-the-minute job opportunities. As the post-New Year’s tutoring requests continue to roll in, WyzAnt tutors are poised to benefit from a substantial influx of tutoring and teaching jobs in 2012.

Students Applying for Admittance to the Country’s Most Selective Colleges Expected to Face Fierce Competition in 2012

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The number and caliber of students applying to four year colleges and universities has risen steadily in recent years and reports from private tutoring company WyzAnt.com suggest the 2012 applicant pool will be even more competitive.
The application deadlines are rapidly approaching for most American universities, and high school seniors are working feverishly to put the finishing touches on their applications. Reports gathered from leading tutoring service provider WyzAnt.com and several other sources all indicate that the quantity and quality of the year’s applicants are likely to rise once again; the result—students applying to the nation’s top colleges in 2012 face astoundingly long odds.

In 2011, many of the nation’s most selective schools saw a dramatic increase in the number of applicants resulting in some of the lowest admissions rates on record. The New York Times reported that applications to Harvard rose more than 14% from 2010 to 2011 and as a result the school admitted just 6.2% of applicants. Columbia University was the second most competitive school in 2011 admitting just 6.4% of applicants. Many schools reported similar figures as the number of applications from 2010 to 2011 rose as much as 47%, as was the case for Trinity College, a small liberal arts school located in Hartford, Connecticut.

As the number of college applicants continues to rise, so too do the caliber and diversity of the overall applicant pool. According to the College Board, the number of high school students taking the SAT exam has increased by 48% since 2001. The most significant growth over that time period came from students who identify themselves as Hispanic/Latino (up 150%), Asian (up 80%) and Black (up 79%). The College Board also reported an increase in student GPAs over the past 10 years stating that 45% of SAT test takers reported a GPA of an A- or better in 2011, a 9.8% increase from 2001.

Students today are better informed about the college application process and are taking extra steps to get ahead including hiring private guidance counselors and tutors. Jacqueline Grazette, an independent college counselor in the Washington DC area, credits both increasing competition and decreasing school resources for the surge in demand for her services. “There just are not enough counselors in most public and private schools to give students the individualized attention they need to plan and prepare for testing and college applications.” On the topic of standardized tests she adds, “Few students are able to score well on standardized tests without some form of test preparation. Highly specialized tests such as the AP, IB and SAT II exams cover a breadth and depth of content that many students have not been exposed to in school. Tutors help address these issues, if contacted early enough in the process.”

A new survey by WyzAnt.com confirms that even top students are looking to get an edge by hiring tutors. The recently completed poll of 283 WyzAnt tutors from 43 different states indicates that over 25% of students who hire private tutors are already honor roll students before they commence tutoring. Only 1/3 of the independent tutors surveyed say that their work is primarily for remedial purposes.

In response to the surge in applications, some schools like Harvard, Princeton and The University of Virginia have chosen to reinstate their early admissions programs in 2012 and allow students to apply early in the hopes of improving their chances for admittance. In November, The Boston Globe reported that the number of early applications submitted to Harvard in 2012 was up 5.8% from 2006 when the program was discontinued. Many schools reported similar findings for their 2012 early applicant pool including Princeton which received three times as many early applicants as there were spots in the entire freshmen class.

While 2012 may go down as the toughest year to apply to college, the future of this trend is less certain. Tuition, which is already at record highs, is projected to continue increasing for the foreseeable future even though Americans have less disposable income to put towards education as a result of the slow economy. Robert Vellani, PhD, is a teacher who has instructed at both the high school and college levels, and he is also a private test preparation tutor. He acknowledges the recent increase in competition but also suggests that it may not be permanent. “Many believe that a four year college is mandatory while others believe we need more trade schools and the four-year college is for a select few. Look at the Occupy Wall Street movement - many complain that the degrees they struggled to earn are worthless in the current economic climate.”

Whether the role of America’s four-year universities changes in the future remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—today’s young people are faced with more pressure than ever to perform in school and distinguish themselves from their peers, both for college admission and beyond.

About this company: WyzAnt, Inc. is a national tutor-student matching service specializing in connecting students with private tutors. Parents and students can visit WyzAnt.com to find a tutor that meets their individual needs. Whether it’s a qualified math tutor or a private SAT tutor, visitors can review tutor profiles, rates and student feedback to ensure they find the perfect private tutor

WyzAnt.com Launches Charity to Provide Free Tutoring to Deserving Students

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Less than one year after announcing plans to develop a platform for volunteer tutors, WyzAnt, Inc. has launched a non-profit called WyzAid, and students in the Chicago area are already reaping the benefits.
WyzAnt.com is a Chicago based company that uses internet technology to help millions of students and parents find qualified, local tutors in all fifty states. Last January, WyzAnt CEO Andrew Geant announced his intentions to use what he and co-founder Michael Weishuhn have learned building WyzAnt to create a non-profit organization that would grant deserving students free access to quality tutors.
“We believe every student deserves access to a quality education, but unfortunately, many students cannot afford the supplemental help they need.” says Geant. “Our tutors share that belief and have made WyzAid a reality by volunteering their time to work with students who otherwise would not have access to personalized instruction.”
The Illinois Education Foundation (IEF) also believes that quality education should be available to motivated students, and in September, the nonprofit began partnering with WyzAid to help fill their tutoring needs. The IEF empowers low-income, highly motivated community college students to succeed in work, school, and life. The IEF provides its scholars with comprehensive student supports which help ensure that they achieve their degrees and reach their full potential.
“The Illinois Education Foundation was founded under the principal that given the right resources, motivated students can achieve success in their academic, professional and personal lives,” said IEF Program Manager Nina Sanchez. “Tutoring is one of the resources we offer our students which helps them achieve their goals.”
WyzAid is currently providing IEF with private English tutors and Math Tutors who work with community college students one to two times per week. Geant is optimistic about WyzAid’s outlook and the impact it could have. “Our work so far has proven two things: first, there are countless organizations like The IEF that have an urgent need for private tutors, and second, many excellent tutors are willing to donate their time when they know their efforts are making a difference. WyzAid seeks to mobilize these tutors using technology, ultimately on a large, national scale.”
“Tutoring my two college students is very rewarding for me,” said one WyzAid tutor working with IEF students. “I feel [my students] need a tutor on many levels, and I’m more than convinced that I’m doing something extremely worthwhile with my time.”
The WyzAid web platform will be available to qualifying organizations in early 2012. By partnering with top-tier non-profit organizations, WyzAid aims to help students of all backgrounds experience the benefits of private tutoring.
For more information on the WyzAid tutoring program, contact info@wyzaid.org.

Behind America's Tutor Boom

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600
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WyzAnt Announces 2nd Annual College Scholarship Essay Contest Featuring $10,000 in Awards

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

With college tuitions on the rise, WyzAnt, Inc. offers students an opportunity to offset cost by sharing their inspiring stories for scholarships.

WyzAnt, a nationwide home tutoring service, has announced its 2nd annual college scholarship contest. This year’s contest features $10,000 in available awards and encourages applicants to solicit votes for their essay submissions. Responding to the prompt, “What was the most important lesson you have learned in your life?”, applicants will write a short essay and advance to the finals based on popular vote. Applications must be submitted by April 1, 2012 and winners will be announced in May.
Last year’s contest winners took home $6,000 and were selected from a pool of over 4,500 applicants. Daniel Breiner, Director of Communications for the Chicago-based tutoring company, said the overwhelming engagement in last year’s contest encouraged WyzAnt to make the college scholarship contest an annual tradition. “We received thousands of great applications last year and read some truly remarkable stories.” WyzAnt’s scholarship is unique in that it encourages applicants to leverage the power of social media by sharing their essays with email contacts, Facebook friends and Twitter followers to receive votes and enhance their chances of winning. “As a company that uses technology to create a highly engaged education community, we wanted to give our scholarship applicants access to tools that will help them share their inspiring stories with friends and family,” said Breiner.
Applicants who receive the most votes for their essays will advance to the finals where WyzAnt’s network of nearly 40,000 tutors will choose three winners. This year’s contest asks applicants to reflect on an important life lesson they have learned. “WyzAnt tutors work with students on a daily basis, providing one-on-one lessons,” said Breiner. “That kind of personalized attention impacts a student’s growth, and involving our tutors in this scholarship allows them to witness the importance of their work.”
About this company: WyzAnt, Inc. is a national tutor-student matching service specializing in connecting students with in-person tutors. Parents and students can visit WyzAnt to find a tutor that meets their individual needs. Whether it’s a qualified math tutor or a private SAT tutor, visitors can review tutor profiles, rates and student feedback to ensure they find the perfect, private tutor.

The Career Hot Seat

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500
How to Make Money this Summer

WyzAnt Announces Winners of 2011 College Scholarship Contest

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The votes are in and three winners remain! Thanks to all participants and to all the tutors who helped select the winners. Click here to view the winning essays: http://www.wyzant.com/scholarships/v1/winners.aspx

New Survey Reveals Immediate Impact of Private Tutoring

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

On average, students improve by more than a full letter grade in just 10 hours with an in-home tutor according to a national survey of 269 independent tutors conducted by tutor-student matching service, WyzAnt.com.

According a recent survey, 72% of students improve their scores between one and two full letter grades after just 10 hours of private tutoring compared with only 4% of students who see minimal improvement. 12% of students see an improvement of 2 or more full letter grades.
Tutors cite several major reasons for the great results, first of which is the individualized instruction. John Park, a math tutor and chemistry tutor from New Jersey, explains, “Tutors are better able to assess a student’s needs and weaknesses and target the instruction to fulfill the gaps in their knowledge. We can also do it in fun and interactive ways that cannot be accomplished in a classroom setting.”
Many tutors also cited improved comfort level and confidence as key factors. “With a tutor, the students are able to talk about issues that they are having with the material, make mistakes, correct them, and not have to worry about being judged by peers or dismissed by a teacher,” says Taylor Blake, an elementary education and Spanish tutor in the Atlanta area.
According to the tutors surveyed, the degree of improvement depends on a number of factors including the subject area (math and science are especially receptive to tutoring), grade level, how far behind the student is, the student’s personality and, most importantly, the student’s attitude and work ethic.
Says Jason Billings, a math and physics tutor from Connecticut, “Students that are self motivated typically do the best. Issues with understanding concepts and test taking techniques are fairly easy to fix; issues with actually doing the work and putting forth effort are much more difficult to overcome.”
In many cases an unmotivated student can turn into a motivated one with increased confidence, according to Mr. Park. “Many students report being able to answer the teachers’ questions in class the very next day,” he remarks. Several tutors said witnessing a student’s renewed excitement for learning is their greatest professional satisfaction.
For families hesitant or unable to make a large financial commitment, it’s great news that so much progress can be achieved with just a few hours of private tutoring, and many tutors indicate that once students get back on track, they require a minimal amount of tutoring to maintain their improved performance.
Mr. Billings explains that “the bulk of the improvement is seen between six to eight hours. By this time, they’ve usually had about a month of tutoring. Most students go into more of a maintenance mode after this point rather than playing catch up.”
WyzAnt’s CEO, Andrew Geant, is quick to point out that staying current in class in the first place is the real key to success in school and that, “it’s best to use tutoring to supplement classroom instruction rather than for emergency damage control.” Mr. Geant also notes that tutoring is about much more than improving your GPA. “Let’s not overlook the other advantages of private tutoring,” he says. “Self-esteem, knowledge, study skills and mentorship are also major benefits of private tutoring. Much of the learning that occurs is not measurable in terms of grades.”

Are You Getting Your Money's Worth From Your Tutor?

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600
January 2013, 3rd Edition

New Payment Options

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500
In response to growing demand and in an effort to more efficiently deliver tutor payments, WyzAnt recently released a daily direct deposit option. Tutors who elect to have daily direct deposits will have funds for each lesson deposited in their bank account five days after the lesson. By default, tutors will continue to receive semi-monthly payments, so if you’d like to learn more or sign up for the daily direct deposit option, you can do so by changing the Payment Method on your My Account page.

Find Tutoring Jobs on Twitter

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500
Are you looking to find tutoring job opportunities in your area? Now you can use Twitter to stay up-to-date on all the tutoring job opportunities in your metropolitan area! Whether you check Twitter on the go from you handheld device or from your home or work computer, WyzAnt Twitter Jobs can help you find and land new tutoring assignments. Give it a try today!

WyzAnt Unveils Plans for New Charity

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

WyzAnt recently announced plans for WyzAid, a program where deserving students can receive free tutoring.

The program, which will first be rolled out in the Chicago metropolitan area, hopes to ultimately affect the lives of many thousands of students across the country. WyzAnt plans to utilize its community of over 20,000 tutors to deliver the tutoring, making the program highly scalable.

Crain's Chicago Business and other online news sites have recently featured the WyzAid program. Please see the following links to read more:

Crain's Chicago Business
Examiner.com
WayneLiew.com

WyzAnt Surpasses 20,000 Tutors

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

After years of growth, nationwide tutor-student matching service WyzAnt reaches new milestone.

WyzAnt, which began with a few Washington DC area college students tutoring local k-12 students, now offers over 20,000 qualified instructors. These tutors teach more than 130 different subjects covering academics, test prep, musical instruments, foreign languages, computer instruction, and sports. Today, the tutors are not just college students; teachers, musicians, professors and professionals all use WyzAnt to offer expert instruction on a part-time basis. Students of all ages benefit from the individualized instruction in the comfort of their homes.

WyzAnt has continually refined its tutor-student matching process. "It starts with having great tutors," says Andrew Geant, President of WyzAnt, Inc. "From there, we utilize our full service website to make the matching process and the ongoing relationship as easy as possible. Our prices are fair and we have great customer service to make sure all parties are well-informed and fully satisfied with their experience."

The combination seems to be working. Thousands of new students are turning to WyzAnt every week find a the perfect tutor.

WyzAnt Partners with Lexis-Nexis to Offer Background Checks

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:38:47 -0500

In cooperation with Lexis-Nexis, WyzAnt now offers the ability for interested students and tutors to run background checks. Tutors looking to improve the visibility of their profile can elect to order a check on themselves through the new system. Moreover, students may run a background check on a potential tutor prior to beginning lessons. To learn more, please review the background check policy.

Personal and Custom RSS Feeds Now Available

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:02:19 -0500
WyzAnt now offers site updates via RSS! Using your location, travel willingness, and subject interests, we have created a personalized job feed for all WyzAnt tutors. You can also subscribe to some of our other feeds or create your own custom job feed. Check out our RSS feeds page to get started!

WyzAnt Now Enables Tutors to Post Videos on Their Profile

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:11:45 -0500
As an added feature for the WyzAnt community, earlier this month WyzAnt enabled tutors to post videos on their profile pages related to education and tutoring. So far videos have included musical performances, video introductions, short films, and more! Do you have a great idea for a video? Signup or login to your tutoring account and visit My Videos.

WyzAnt Introduces Tutor Articles

Tue, 05 May 2009 11:19:14 -0500
In response to growing demand, WyzAnt has launched a blogging section of our website where tutors can submit articles about tutoring and education. The articles range in content from stories about successful tutoring relationships to specific tips about how best to communicate difficult concepts to students. By reviewing these articles, students can learn more about potential tutors or pick up new tips for success. Be sure to check out some of the great articles today!

WyzAnt Launches Mobile Website

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:17:39 -0500
Earlier this week, WyzAnt launched a mobile version of our website at mobile.wyzant.com. Use any web-ready mobile device and navigate to mobile.wyzant.com. Once you have logged into your account, you can check your WyzAnt email, search for tutoring jobs in your area, and contact potential students. Manage your tutoring account when you're on the go with mobile.wyzant.com!

Text Message Alerts

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:22:24 -0600
At WyzAnt, our goal is to help you connect with current and new students as quickly and easily as possible. If you are interested in receiving immediate updates by text message anytime a current or new student emails you, and anytime a new job is available in your area, than sign up for text message alerts. Simply login and go to your My Account page. Under Tutor Info next to your profile picture, you will see a link to sign up for text message alerts. Please not that standard text messaging fees set by your carrier will apply.

WyzAnt Introduces the WyzAnt Rewards Program

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:07:28 -0600
WyzAnt Rewards is a new points-based incentive program available to registered tutors who are interested in taking a more proactive role in the WyzAnt community. Through the program, tutors can earn rewards like cash prizes, vacations for two and much more.

The initial iteration of WyzAnt Rewards is called the WyzAnt Advocate Program and is available to all registered tutors. Tutors can earn points for leaving a testimonial about WyzAnt, encouraging students to leave feedback after lessons, and for referring new students and tutors. The WyzAnt Rewards Program is based on the idea that the more the WyzAnt community grows and the more vibrant it becomes, the more valuable it will be to both tutors and students. With a growing student population, tutors will have greater opportunity to teach, and with a growing tutor population, students will have more opportunities to learn.

As the WyzAnt community continues to grow, so too will the WyzAnt Rewards Program and the opportunity for tutors and students to earn points. Stay posted for new ways to earn points including contributing educational materials to the website, entering to win fun contests, providing helpful feedback and more. To learn more about the Rewards Program, login to your account and click onWyzAnt Rewards

WyzAnt Offers New Discount Package!

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:22:11 -0600
Wyzant is excited to announce a new tutoring package for purchases of $2,500 or more. With a discount rate of 20% and savings starting at $500, this new lesson package is our best value offer yet. Have a child heading back to school? Looking to learn a new language? This package is perfect for curious minds who want to make a serious commitment to education. Remember, your WyzAnt credit is good for any number of students, with any of our tutors, anywhere in the country!

Leading Student-Tutor Matching Service Deploys Quova's IP Geolocation Data to Localize Web Content and Advertising, Increasing Conversion Rates by 50%

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600
Quova, Inc., the leading provider of Internet geolocation data services, today announced that WyzAnt, a national provider of private tutoring services, is using the Quova On-Demand IP geolocation service to localize content, seamlessly connecting students with tutors that match their location, need and budget. Implemented as part of a major Web overhaul initiative, Quova's geolocation data enables WyzAnt to pinpoint the IP address of each visitor, down to a zip code level, and display a landing page featuring tutors in their local area, greatly improving WyzAnt's conversion rates.
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Fox News Chicago Features WyzAnt, Inc. as one of the Cities Best Part-Time Jobs

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600
On December 24, 2008, Fox News Chicago ran a story featuring the best part-time jobs in the Chicago area. With the help of local tutor Sarah Southcott and student Rachel O'Donnell, the Fox team conducted an interview explaining how WyzAnt allows people to make money while helping students in their community achieve their academic goals.

In-Home Tutoring Service WyzAnt.com Partners with Chicago’s Crane Tech Prep High School to “Give the Gift of Education” this Holiday Season

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600
CHICAGO – Wyzant.com, a Chicago-based website where students find local tutors with expertise in more than 150 different subjects, announced today it will donate $10 for each student who registers on Wyzant.com to help Chicago’s Crane Tech Prep High School. To register on WyzAnt.com, students simply search for and contact local tutors, but no purchase is necessary.

The new “Give the Gift of Education” program is already increasing the website’s traffic and registrations. The program will also offer one free tutoring lesson to all new students who visit WyzAnt.com and contact a tutor between December 15 and January 15.
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Wyzant.com In-Home Tutoring Service Launches New Website Interface

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600
WyzAnt Tutoring - a national provider of private tutoring services,
released the latest version of the company’s leading tutor-student matching website on Tuesday, November 1. The newly optimized site will allow WyzAnt to increase its presence; the tutoring and test prep industry estimates 2008 sales of over 40 billion dollars (2009 Barnes Reports: US Exam Preparation and Tutoring Industry)
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Wyzant.com Online Tutor Matching Service Sees Remarkable Growth as Parents Seek Tutors to Help Kids Improve Grades

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Parents seeking tutors to help their kids improve their grades
are turning to WyzAnt's private tutoring service, an online matching service that connects local college students, teachers, retirees and other professionals with students who need tutors to improve their grades.
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WyzAnt Tutoring Service Celebrates Milestone with Free In-Home Tutoring Lesson

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

WyzAnt.com, a tutoring service that matches students with tutors, now has 10,000 certified tutors and is celebrating by offering all new customers a free lesson with the tutor of their choice. WyzAnt offers homework help, test prep tutoring, music instruction, foreign languages and more.
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WyzAnt Tutoring, Teaching and Coaching

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
WyzAnt (pronounced "Wise Ant") has a fully searchable database of over 10,000 tutors who teach over 140 different subjects. These certified tutors come to your home to teach you any academic subject, musical instrument, foreign language or test prep. With WyzAnt, every lesson is guaranteed. We are so confident in our tutors that if you are unsatisfied in any way with your lesson we will provide you with a different tutor and the next lesson is on us. WyzAnt provides a way for you to search for a tutor, pay for a lesson, and schedule it all online. Please visit WyzAnt Tutoring Service online or call (703)945-1835.

How Tutors can use WyzAnt

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
This article will introduce the WyzAnt service. This is unlike most online tutoring services. WyzAnt connects tutors with students and the tutoring occurs in the students home or other safe places.
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Now Accepting Amex

Tue, 13 May 2008 21:43:29 -0500
Good news if your an Amex user. In addition to Visa and MasterCard, we are now accepting American Express. Current clients are welcome to change their billing preferences if they'd rather have their Amex card as the primary credit card on the account.

Direct Deposit Now Available

Tue, 13 May 2008 21:43:29 -0500
All WyzAnt tutors now have the option of receiving their paychecks via direct deposit. Registering is simple and can be done via the link on the My Account page. Stay tuned for more helpful features to be released in the near future.

Over 5000 Tutors!

Sun, 04 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
WyzAnt.com recently surpassed the 5,000 tutor mark for the first time, further distinguishing itself as the largest directory of certified tutors on the internet.

WyzAnt now boasts over 50+ tutors in 26 US markets. New York City has the most tutors (444) followed closely by Los Angeles (403), Chicago (372), Boston (311), Washington DC (290), Portland OR (246), San Diego (205), San Francisco (204) and Atlanta (190).

By subject, WyzAnt currently has 500 or more tutors in 26 different subjects ranging from SAT test prep to French instruction. Other popular subjects include piano, English, elementary education, ESL, algebra, reading and biology.

WyzAnt’s customer base is growing in step with its tutors; the company has attracted over 1,000 new customers in 2008 year to date. Particularly notable is the company’s growth in West Coast markets, Texas, Florida and Atlanta.

The company’s rapid growth is good news to those people who are seeking an in-home tutor or are interested in being a tutor part-time.

WyzAnt.com Helps Tutors Connect with Students

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600
WyzAnt and Tutorz: the perfect match when it comes to connecting tutors and students.
The web services of Tutorz.com have teamed with the professional tutoring expertise of WyzAnt.com to generate an academically effective online connection between students and tutors. Now that Tutorz and WyzAnt have joined forces, it is simpler than ever for tutors and students to find each other online.
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WyzAnt.com and Tutorz Partner to Help Students with Homework and Academic Performance

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600
WyzAnt and Tutorz: the perfect match when it comes to connecting tutors and students.
The web services of Tutorz.com have teamed with the professional tutoring expertise of WyzAnt.com to generate an academically effective online connection between students and tutors. Now that Tutorz and WyzAnt have joined forces, it is simpler than ever for tutors and students to find each other online.
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Leading Tutor Directory, WyzAnt.com, Enters New Markets

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
WyzAnt's
new markets include San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Chicago. Previously, WyzAnt has restricted its business primarily to Boston, Washington DC, New York City. WyzAnt President, Andrew Geant, cites the company's "improved marketing and recruiting techniques and more sophisticated web systems" as the catalyst behind its decision to expand into these new markets.

More New Cities

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
WyzAnt is now highly active in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. We’d like to welcome our new West Coast customers and tutors. We are also making inroads in Portland, OR and Sacramento, so if you’re in one of these markets, keep an eye out for our new tutors being added daily. WyzAnt offers you a highly searchable directory of in-home tutors in all academic subjects, musical instruments, computer instruction, foreign languages and more.

Other growing markets include Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Orange County.

To search tutors in all our cities, visit us at WyzAnt.com.

XML Feed

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
WyzAnt has created an XML feed so that other websites can easily access our tutor data and list it on their sites. This is a great tool for websites who rely on content to drive traffic. We’ve made it easy for you to gain access to our data on over 15,500 tutors. Just go to WyzAnt.com/feed.aspx.

New Email System

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500
All WyzAnt tutors now have a new, internal email system to help manage their clients. The new system means that tutors now can do all their messaging, lesson-logging, and job-searching from one website. We hope you find the new system useful.

WyzAnt Grows Into New Markets

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:45:19 -0600
WyzAnt has taken several large steps this month towards expanding its operations, primarily into the greater New York, Boston and Chicago markets. WyzAnt has been active on a national scale of over a year now, and it has now committed substantial resources to penetrate its satellite markets more thoroughly.

So if you're a client in one of these new markets, be on the look out for a much greater selection of tutors. And if you're a tutor, now is a great time to join the WyzAnt team.

WyzAnt Works Closely With Educational Charities

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600
WyzAnt,Inc (www.WyzAnt.com) forged two close partnerships with educational charities in 2006. WyzAnt’s recruiting and tutor management systems have made the company an asset to these
charities in their search for and management of qualified tutors.
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WyzAnt Works Closely With Educational Charities

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600
WyzAnt forged two close partnerships with educational charities in 2006. WyzAnt’s recruiting and tutor management systems have made the company an asset to these charities in their search for and management of qualified tutors.

In August, WyzAnt began providing tutors for Catholic Charities in Hartford, CT. Catholic Charities helps immigrant children in East Hartford. WyzAnt’s tutors provide SAT prep, homework assistance and guidance to these children.

In October, WyzAnt became a major recruiting resource for the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) in New York City. WyzAnt provides the HCZ with over 30 tutors, all of whom work approximately 24 hours per week. These tutors help Harlem Children prepare for New York State tests. They also provide homework assistance, encouragement and mentorship.

WyzAnt intends to increase this contract-based aspect of its operations in 2007.

New Features for Tutors and Students

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0600
WyzAnt continues to improve its user experience by adding helpful new features to its website. For tutors, these include a revamped homepage with more useful data about earnings, schedules, etc. For students, we’ve revamped the payment process and added a “My Tutors” feature. Students now also have the option of alerting multiple tutors at once about their needs.

We hope you enjoy these new features. There are plenty more to come in 2007. As always, we encourage your feedback and ideas.

WyzAnt Will Find You a Tutor

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
WyzAnt’s network of partner Universities and recruiters has grown to enable us to find customers the exact tutor they need.

With over 1000 tutors listed on WyzAnt.com, WyzAnt can usually provide enough options for customers in its major markets. However, in more obscure subjects or less populated areas, customers may not find a tutor that suits their needs. In these cases, WyzAnt is now encouraging customers to contact us and let us know what type of tutor they want.

Let WyzAnt do the work for you…and for free. WyzAnt calls upon local universities and various recruiting resources to find its customers the perfect tutor. Often times, the search is complete in just a few days. If you or someone you know is having trouble finding a tutor, send WyzAnt an email today!

Elementary Education

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0600
You may notice some new faces on our website. We’ve been doing a lot of recruiting lately in order to provide with you even more qualified tutors from which to choose. We have focused especially on recruiting experienced elementary education instructors for our customers with children in grades K-6. It is critical to get children started on the right track from the very beginning; our elementary education tutors have degrees in elementary education studies and all have great experience teaching children. To learn more about these tutors, do a search for "Elementary Education" in your zip code.

WyzAnt Inc., a tutoring company in Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland, is now providing free tutoring to deserving students through its charity, WyzAide

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0600
WyzAnt, Inc., a tutoring company in Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland, is now providing free tutoring to deserving students through its charity, WyzAide. WyzAnt, pronounced 'wise-ant,' is a tutoring company that has over ninety part-time tutors teaching more than eighty subjects. The company offers an advanced website (www.wyzant.com) that allows visitors to search for a tutor by a number of criteria. Once you find a tutor on WyzAnt.com, you can schedule and pay for the tutor right online, simplifying the often-troublesome task of hiring a tutor.
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WyzAnt Expands

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0600
WyzAnt is pleased to announce its expansion into Metropolitan Chicago and Central New Jersey. If you are looking for a tutor in these markets, let us know! Someone from our office will be happy to help you get started. Customers in New Jersey and Chicago can expect the same outstanding instruction and customer service as our Mid-Atlantic customers have grown to know us for.