elementary (k-6th)
Early life as a k-6th child is can be said to be more about confidence building than about being intelligent. A child begins from a point of not knowing something, to learning about it. One can look at this as a process of realization, to building confidence, before ultimately tackling problems.
Among other things, understanding the challenges that k-6th students face, teachers and tutors need to have patience, be calm and be reassuring. To build confidence in these young students, tutors and teachers must show appreciation for wrong answers, as much as for correct ones. It makes most sense to get a child interested in the subject matter, than to get the correct answer. It may take some time to correct a wrong answer, but it may take a life time (if at all) to re-ignite interest in a child who shuns the subject.
At the k-6th level, children who show interest in a subject are the ones who may ultimately do well. As long as they remain interested, their participation is assured. Propelled by their curiosity, they show their perspectives, and teachers and tutors can understand how, and where to help them learn. Above all, when it comes to k-6th students, teachers and tutors cannot be judgmental about a child's potential. Their role is to help develop it.
study skills
Effective study skills are necessary for any student who hopes to do well in any course. It is also important to note that while some strategies are universal, different courses require different study approaches. Additionally, a student must understand the underlying reason for each strategy. In this regard, study strategies for test taking purposes will differ from those aimed at in depth understanding of the subject matter. It goes without saying that before implementing any study strategy, students will find it helpful to prepare for the course in advance. This calls for good time management in order to review upcoming topics, and taking a casual (if not complete) read of the subject matter. In doing so, students get a feel of the challenges that lie ahead. Once in class, such students are well placed to listen and ask questions in areas not effectively addressed by the teacher/ professor.
After class, students need to find time to review what has been taught, either by doing assigned homework, answer practice questions, or re-reading the topics. It is at this point that effective study strategies begin. Subjects that are not math related require some degree of memorization. Thus group study, use of prep cards, and reading topics over is quite in order. Math related courses require much discussion and practice, and this is how problem areas are addressed and resolved. Study strategies should not be confused with test taking strategies...which require a different approach.
ESL/ESOL
It may come as a shock to when right in the middle of a sentence someone interrupts you. Worse than that, you may be utterly confused when they ask you what language you are speaking. Well, take it from me, the English language has evolved. What may be English to one person may be gibberish to someone else. Whether you are a native English speaker, or it is your second, third or fourth language, you must fully comprehend the differences that exist. A proficient English teacher or tutor is one who can understand, rephrase, rewrite or translate in context what’s being said, read or written. He or she is able to contextualize, and make relevant a student's idea so that it can be appreciated by the student's audience. Hence, while many Brits, Aussies, Canadians, and Americans may claim English as a first language, there are very obvious verbal and grammatical differences in the form of English that they speak. If that is the case, then should non-native speakers, just give up trying to learn how to read, write and speak English? Absolutely not! The important thing is to understand version of English that is spoken in their new environment, and go for it. I am glad that my career journey exposed me to the English language culture shock, and I am very comfortable speaking, writing and contextualizing what students of English need to know.
chess
When I think chess, I think checkmate! However, I would rather be the one saying it, not hearing it. Chess is as much a game of offense as it is one of defense. It is about strategic decision making and thus calls for sacrifices, in order to gain rewards. Chess is about patience, but one is not expected to do nothing. While expecting to capture the opponent’s most valuable pieces, be on the lookout for baits and traps. Above all, be ready to retreat when necessary.
This narrative should give any amateur chess player a general idea of what to expect. To hit and run, conquer or be defeated. However, you must also understand that just like in a real battle, not all of your weapons work the same. A King may be more valuable, but he is usually on the run, or being defended by others. Pawns can be expended, Rooks can be used for defense, and Bishops for long range assaults. Your Knights will help you confuse the opponent, but your Queen has the greatest strength. Sacrifice her at your own peril! That is how you lose the war...and the game.
business
Why should you study business? Business study provides students with the foundation necessary to understand how businesses operate. Even though we interact with, in and around businesses every day, we take for granted how they come into existence and how they survive. Business students understand this, for to them every business is unique. There are intricate details that differentiate between one barber shop and another or one coffee shop from the other. A business study is important, for students learn about business formation, ownership, scale, geographical location, customer needs among others. These are important facets that students and business owners alike cannot afford to ignore. In reference to the aforementioned areas, some businesses can be duplicated while others arise from unique skills. There are ideas and technical factors that cannot be duplicated, replicated or transferred without piracy, or other form of unlawful infringement. Students of business are well placed to understand the strategies necessary to successfully run a business. It is also important to understand how to protect some unique advantages that the business may have, by filing patents, copyrights or other lawful means. Ultimately, no business will succeed without competent management. Regardless of the business type, the owner must be a competent manager. If lacking such skills, such an owner must employ people who are competent. It is the management who then are charged with decision-making responsibilities for successful operations. Therefore, business study provides insight into areas of resource management, strategic alliances, production capacity, capital requirements, and diversification among others. In the end these are areas in which diligent students of business are likely to specialize at some point.
Quick Books
If Finance and Accounting formulas intimidated you into choosing a different career line, you probably never thought that you would have to deal with them ever again. However, in the fortunate event, (no pun intended) that you have made a success out of your career, the necessity to understand how well you are doing. If as is often the case, you have started a small or medium sized business, your long forgotten nightmares about number crunching can be put to rest. The solution: QuickBooks.
QuickBooks is not exclusively for the financially literate. While you have to be literate to understand the instructions, this program takes all the headache of number crunching away from you. One thing you may still not be able to do, is to set-up the chart of accounts by yourself. This may need the expertise of an accounting professional and a few days of training, before you can navigate through the system. The QuickBooks advantage is that as long as you are making your primary entries correctly, it will provide you with complete records that make sense, at the push of a button.
Thus assuming that you have a small business that sells merchandise on cash and credit, have an employee or two, you pay utility bills (among others) and have Business Bank Account. At the end of any period, you can cut checks, generate reports that show your revenues and expenses for the period. Further still, you can show the details of the expenses, whether they are wages, purchases or bill payments. You can also generate detailed reports of your revenues, which may be sales receipts, Capital infusion, refunds for purchase returns etc. A final advantage of QuickBooks software is that it is easy to integrate with other industry software, and you can easily transfer your business records for Tax preparation, or Bank reconciliation among others. When you need a professional, I will show you how it is done!!