Why Guitarists Should Study Music Theory

Why Guitarists Should Study Music Theory Why Learn Music Theory as a Guitarist? ChaptersDo You Have to Learn Music Theory if You Want to Play the Guitar?Can Anyone Learn How to Play the Guitar without Music Theory?Five Good Reasons for Learning Music Theory as a Guitarist“How is it that music can, without words, evoke our laughter, our fears, our highest aspirations?” - Jane SwanAlmost everyone in the UK likes music. Music, just like sport, is an integral part of thousands of children’s lives.  However, this isn't the only reason why people learn how to play music.If you want to learn how to play the guitar, do you have to learn music theory?Are you still looking for the answer to this question?Maybe it's because music theory sounds really boring was putting you off the idea of learning how to play the guitar.In this article, we're going to look at the relationship between music theory and playing the guitar and whether or not you should learn it. PeterGuitar Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EdgarGuitar Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st less on free!Discover all our tutors PaulGuitar Teacher 5.00 (12) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DanielGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToddGuitar Teacher 4.75 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamueleGuitar Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KurtGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RyanGuitar Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsDo You Have to Learn Music Theory if You Want to Play the Guitar?Let's put an end to all the suspense. No, you don't have to learn music theory in order to learn how to play the guitar. However, guitar  lessons, even one for a beginner, will probably draw upon music theory to help you improve your guitar playing.You can learn musical instruments at any age. (Source: 2400474)There are plenty of famous guitarists, such as Jimi Hendrix, who never learnt music theory and still became amazing guitarists.Reading Music an d Learning TheoryHowever, when it comes to music theory, we tend to muddy the waters. A lot of people think music theory involves sitting at school desks in front of a draconian teacher who's making their students repeat after them.This is enough to put anyone off the idea...However, there are two main parts to music theory:Learning to read sheet musicConcepts concerning music theory such as intervals, major skills, minor scales, arpeggios, etc.If you're learning to play the guitar with guitar lessons in a prestigious music school, these types of lessons might be unavoidable. Most classical pieces are not available as tablature which means that you will probably have to be able to read sheet music. However, you won't necessarily need a profound understanding of music theory in order to read which notes you have to play.Most guitarists, in fact, don't even have to know how to read sheet music. A lot of songs are available as tablature. You just have to know about the guitar tablature in order to play the music. This is far simpler than learning how to read sheet music.Guitar tablature tells you what you have to do on your guitar rather than which musical notes you have to play. This is useful if you can't afford a guitar teacher, are just learning guitar for fun, and are just interested in strumming some basic guitar chords.However, tablature doesn't tend to tell you the rhythm or the note value. This can make playing certain songs complicated. A good understanding of music theory will help you learn guitar more quickly and make you a real guitar player sooner.Find out more on how to start playing guitar.Learning Music Theory to Improve Your Improvisation and Composition SkillsAs you have understood, most beginners won't need to learn how to read sheet music. Learning music theory isn't obligatory and you can always go back to it later once you've got better at playing the guitar.To get started, you should familiarise yourself with two key aspects of playing th e guitar: rhythm and chords.This way, you can immediately start enjoying playing the guitar without getting bogged down in all the dry and boring music theory.However, if you'd like to know exactly why you're playing what you're playing, you need to know more than just where to put your hands on the neck.On the other hand, after a few months or years, you might want to learn how to compose your own musical improvise and at this point, music theory will become essential.You're going to need to know how to put together scales, which chords go together with which scales, and which chord progressions make a good song, for example.If you don't know anything about music theory, you're far more likely to play the wrong notes when you improvise.Don't forget to gauge your level before you start your lessons.Can Anyone Learn How to Play the Guitar without Music Theory?Firstly, music theory is not obligatory.  But…While guitarists like Kurt Cobain composed by ear and Django Reinhardt didn't even know the names of notes or chords, these guitarists are the exceptions. They're musical geniuses.They had an incredible ear for music, unlike the average person. There isn't one born every minute…The theory of music actually involves a lot of maths and physics. (Source: 777546)We'll assume that you're just a mere mortal.  You'll need to develop your ear and constantly work on your technique.Music theory will help improve your ear, knowledge of notes, scales, chords, and different rhythms that will help speed up just how quickly you can learn how to play the guitar.Without any knowledge of music theory, it will be very difficult to compose or improvise. You can use different scales, phrases, and your knowledge of melodic theory to put together interesting licks, riffs, and guitar music.We're not just talking about composition. An understanding of harmonic and melodic structure is essential for anyone who wants to improve their creativity.  Music theory doesn't limit your creat ivity. In fact, it's a way to get the most out of your musical instrument. A knowledge of music theory will open doors to your musical creativity.The more scales and progressions you know, the more you'll be able to draw on to compose music and improvise without playing a single wrong note whether you're playing on your own or with your band.Different Ways of LearningWhile anyone can learn how to play guitar by ear, not everybody should.  While some people are able to teach themselves how to play the guitar and are willing to put the time and effort into doing so, others will need the help of a guitar tutor or teacher and require a more structured learning approach in order to play given song.Everybody's different.  Some people have a great ear for music and can learn instruments almost effortlessly.However, learning music theory can fill in the gaps in their knowledge.  Imagine how good Hendrix could've been if he'd studied music theory.  We often tend to focus on objectives achiev ed and not the journey towards achieving said objectives.Would he have been better had he learned music theory?Or would it have been a waste of time?The journey doesn't really matter if you arrive at the same result, right?The amount of time taken is what really matters.Do you still think the results are the only thing that matters?Why not think about all the famous guitarists that studied music theory and are just as good as Hendrix?Check out these great tips for guitarists, too!Five Good Reasons for Learning Music Theory as a GuitaristWhile music theory isn't obligatory, a knowledge of it could speed up just how quickly you can learn to play the guitar. It doesn't matter whether you play the acoustic guitar, electric guitar, blues, classical, or rock, everything you do on the guitar, even tuning it, is based on music theory.Not every great guitarist studied music theory. (Source: Ribastank)Are you sure you still don't want to do it?If you're still not convinced, here are five more good reasons to study music theory:Music theory is the language of musicians: if you know music theory it'll allow you to speak to any musician in terms that they'll understand. It's a universal tool that allows anyone to play music regardless of the instruments they're playing.Music theory can help improve your visual memory since you'll also be reading music and not just playing it. It's a way to learn to play a given note just by seeing it on a piece of sheet music. This will help save you time when it comes to learning new songs.By learning how to read sheet music, you'll better understand music theory and will know how chords and scales are put together. This will help you learn how to play guitar more quickly.You'll learn the most common form of musical notation. While a lot of guitarists use tabs, these can only be used by those who play string instruments.You'll be more credible as a musician: as a classically trained musician, you'll gain more credibility, especially in th e eyes of other classically trained musicians. Knowing music theory is a huge advantage for guitarists or any other musician.Don't get discouraged.The more you study music theory, the more quickly you'll learn to play the guitar. (Source: obBilder)While music theory often gets a lot of bad press, it can be really beneficial.  It might seem hard to believe when you're sitting in front of a music textbook. It's a lot more enjoyable to just play your guitar than sit down and hit the books. A beginner guitar course won't cover as much theory as an advanced one but the more you advance, the more you'll need theory.You don't have to sit down and read your entire music textbook in one go. You can study for a short period of time, then practice for a bit, then go back to studying, for example.So when will we see you in your first music theory lesson?

Algebra Linear Equations Online Tutoring

Algebra Linear Equations Online Tutoring Algebra linear equations are always of form ax + b = 0 where x is considered as the variable in the equation and a and b are real numbers. This form ax + b =0 is called as the standard form of any of the linear equations. The variable can be any other alphabet too. Let us take some examples of Algebra Linear Equations to understand the concept I a better way. Example 1: - Solve the following equation 2 (3 + x) + 5 = 10x 2 (x 1) Solution: - From the equation:- 2 (3 + x) + 5 = 10x 2 (x 1) 6 + 2x + 5 = 10x 2x + 2 11 + 2x = 8x + 2 Subtracting 2 from both sides, we get 11 + 2x 2 = 8x + 2 2 9 + 2x = 8x Subtracting 2x from both sides, we get 9 + 2x 2x = 8x 2x 9 = 6x Dividing both sides by 6, we get 9/6 = 6x/6 x = 3/2 Hence x = 3/2 is the solution of equation 2 (3 + x) + 5 = 10x 2 (x 1) Example 2: Solve the following equation for m 5 (m + 2) -10 = 8m (3m + 7) Solution:- From the equation: 5 (m + 2) -10 = 8m (6m + 9) 5m + 10 10 = 8m 6m 9 5m = 2m 9 Subtracting 2m from both sides, we get 5m 2m = 2m 9 2m 3m = -9 Dividing both sides by 3, we get 3m/3 = -9/3 m = -3 Hence m -3 is the solution of 5 (m + 2) -10 = 8m (3m + 7).

What Age is Best to Start Learning Guitar

What Age is Best to Start Learning Guitar Suzy S. Is there a best age for learning guitar? We asked guitar teacher Linda L., who has taught young children, teens, adults, and seniors for her take My opinion on the best age at which to start learning guitar has evolved over the years. I started teaching myself to play the guitar at the age of 14.  The book that I used to teach myself featured photos of a 7-year-old girl demonstrating how each chord was to be played. The author of the book told the readers that he had this young student of his demonstrate the fingerings so that no teen or adult learning from this book could think that their hands were too small to play a full-sized guitar. I was left with the impression that 7 is a good age at which to start learning to play the guitar. I have been teaching students of a wide range of ages to play the guitar for well over 25 years now. The youngest guitar student I ever had was 6, and, although he might have been old enough to learn to play the guitar, especially given that he was starting with a smaller, child-sized guitar, this particular child was not mature enough to follow my directions or stay focused long enough to learn. A few years ago, I had a mother tell me that her 5-year-old son was really interested in learning to play the guitar. Remembering my experience with the 6 year old, I told her that I thought her son was still a bit too young for guitar lessons. However, it occurred to me, sometime later, that instead of suggesting that her son wait a couple of years (or maybe start with piano in the meantime), I could have suggested that she get her son a ukulele to start with, as a smaller and easier to learn, but similar instrument. About a year after that, I volunteered for “Girl’s Rock Camp”, in Atlanta, and I discovered that some of the guitar instructors there taught the beginning guitarists to play with the guitar tuned to an open chord, so that all they had to do, for the purposes of the camp, was learn to strum! It was a brilliant, yet simple way to allow girls who had never picked up a guitar before to learn to play a song with a band, in just one week! These girls were ages 10 through 16, but this would work as a starting point with much younger children too. And then, just last night, I discovered some videos of a talented young banjo player, now age 14 and performing professionally on a regular basis, who started lessons at the age of 4! Some older adult students have asked me, “Am I too old to start learning to play the guitar (or banjo)?” My answer to that is, “You’re never too old to learn to play an instrument!” Playing the guitar (or other musical instrument) brings joy to people of all ages. I have taught beginners who were retirees in their 60s, and some of them have become great guitarists! Students who are really enthusiastic and persistent, and willing to spend the time practicing, can learn at any age. Now, when asked, “What is the best age to start learning to play the guitar?” I would say that there is no universal “best” age; it really depends on the individual child, teen, or adult. A child as young as 4, or an adult of any age can begin to learn, if they are really motivated and have a patient, creative, and devoted teacher! Looking back, I wish I had not simply told the mother of the 5 year old boy that he was too young to learn guitar. I just hadnt thought enough about all the ways there are to play the guitar (e.g., percussive guitar, slide guitar, open tunings), or alternatives, such as a ukulele, in terms of teaching young children to play. Also, the lack of hand and finger strength in a small child, that might cause a teacher to look for alternative ways of playing for the youngest beginners, might also be the case for adults with arthritis, in which case the same solutions would apply. A 4 year old child is not too young to learn guitar, an 84 year-old adult is not too old to begin, and I’m not too old to learn to be a better teacher! Linda L. teaches piano, guitar, songwriting, and more in Tucker, GA. She has more than  30 years of experience as a music teacher, for both private lessons and classes.  Learn more about Linda here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  Rochelle, just rochelle

Learn to Use Computers with IT Courses Online

Learn to Use Computers with IT Courses Online IT Courses: From Beginners’ Lessons to Computer Mastery ChaptersThe 10 Steps to Learning the A to Z of ITLearn the Basics with IT Training Courses with a TutorHow Can You Learn More about Computers for Free?How Can the Older Generation Learn about Computers?IT is a massive subject and it’s everywhere in the modern world. In addition to using computers, tablets, and smartphones, IT literacy and computer skills also play an important role in business and are becoming increasingly important as the years roll on.Whether you want to learn basic computer skills, perfect your typing and master word processing programmes like Microsoft Word, take computer classes on robotics and machine code, or just simply how to   browse the internet, you should find some of the answers in this article, Superprof's introduction to computers and how to learn how to use them... CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool suppo rt Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 ( 2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe 10 Steps to Learning the A to Z of ITYou don’t need to take programming classes or enrol on a computer literacy course to get the basics of IT down. With a few private IT tutorials either at home or over webcam, you’ll learn important personal computer basics  during IT courses such as:How to turn the computer on and off (this is pretty fundamental!)The main components (like the central processing unit) that make up a desktop computer (a laptop is usually too difficult to take apart)How to create a document using a word processor, spreadsheets, or a presentation using the Microsoft Office suiteHow to carry out basic IT maintenance tasksHow to make your own websiteInternet basics like surfing the web safelyBasic skills like how to connect an external hard drive and save your dataHow to plug in and install a printerWhile there are a lot of things to learn, you don’t need a degree in IT or to attend computer coding courses to learn how to do them.Photoshop allows you to edit photos to make them better. (Source: Matan Segev)Learning about computers and IT will not only improve your digital literacy, it'll teach you more about modern technology and digital cultures. Any beginner in a private computer class can learn:How to shop online safely and navigate the world wide webHow to use either an Apple or Android tablet (your tutor will explain more about each operating system)How to transfer photos from your digital camera to your computer and send them as an email (electronic mail) attachmentHow to scan a document and send it in an emailIf you take note of these computing tips, you’ll soon be able to use your machine without any help from anyone else.For those who are passionate about computers and would like to make them part of their career (as a web de veloper, algorithms specialist, web app developer, IT technician, etc.), you should consider getting IT tutorials either in person or online with an IT specialist.There are so many different fields to work in in IT:programmingcomputer graphicsoffice automationcyber protectionhackingsimulationsautomationintegrationgraphic designdevelopmentLearn the Basics with IT Training Courses with a TutorIf using computers is driving you mad, private tutorials are the way to go. A tutor could help you get over any difficulties you’re having with certain programmes and you could ask them questions about the things you struggle to do with your computer.Whether you need help using a search engine, installing peripherals, creating a local network, learning a programming language such as C or Visual Basic, using Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, or Excel more effectively, or learning the basics of photo editing or movie editing software, you’ll find the right IT instructor to help you on Superprof’s n etwork.To find the right tutor, every learner should make sure to read reviews left by their other students and make sure that they teach exactly what you’re looking to learn.  Here are some of the qualities you should look for in a private IT tutor:The ability to turn IT jargon into everyday language so novices can understand it.Patience and teaching skills.A passion for teaching and transferring knowledge.A drive for familiarising their students with different IT tools.A willingness to use new technologies to open up new methods of communication.In terms of resources, you should ask that your tutor to provide you with summaries, a handout, or notes for you to look over between your sessions so you can ask them pertinent questions the next time you see them.If you’re learning how to programme, it might be worthwhile printing out important lines of code and functions that you’ll need to study.If you're scared of navigating the internet, you don’t understand what cookies are doing on your computer, or you don’t feel comfortable buying online (which is often the case with senior citizens who are regularly targeted by hackers in order to get their bank details), why not consider getting a specialised IT tutor to help you grab the mouse by the horns?If you can't make it to computer classes, you can also take online computer courses via Skype!During your tutorials, you should ask your tutor to teach you how to shop online. (Source: Photo Mix)If you find the right tutor, your private tutorials won’t cost you an arm and a leg!How Can You Learn More about Computers for Free?Can you get free computer tutorials for beginners? Is it possible to learn a programming language or web development without spending a single penny? Yes to both!Firstly, you should check around on your social networks to see if you know anyone who could help you with these kinds of things. If you're new to computer technology, you'll probably have to ask someone to help you with the so cial networking.Ask one of your “friends” (real or virtual) in a private message. It won’t help sending out a request to everyone as you’ll end up wasting your time going through useless comments and responses.If you can sew, dance, speak a foreign language, or provide personal fitness advice, you could consider doing a like-for-like exchange where they teach you about computers and you teach them another skill in return.If this option doesn’t work for you, why not think about the many associations and organisations that exist to help people learn how to use computers and avoid digital exclusion?There are often beginners’ computer classes teaching people about what computers are, what they do, how to use an office suite, and how to browse the internet. However, be careful! You probably won’t learn how to code HTML or Python in these kinds of classes!  This type of specialised knowledge is usually taught by IT experts in schools and educational establishments (or by exp erienced private tutors).I really learned a lot from my computer courses with my Superprof tutor!If you're going to learn to code, you should get familiar with your keyboard. (Source: pixabay.com)Don’t forget that there also associations offering IT classes in order to alleviate the effects of digital exclusion.To learn more about computers, there’s few places better than the internet. This resource is home to literally thousands of articles and tutorials on a wide range of different topics relating to IT.  By searching things like “IT training”, “computer science”, “programming languages”, or “learn to code” on Google or YouTube, you’ll come across thousands of sites and videos.However, they’re not all free and you usually have to pay for the better resources. These are great if you want to learn to use programmes like:PhotoshopAfter EffectsLightroomIllustratorBlenderExcel, Word, and PowerPoint.How Can the Older Generation Learn about Computers?How can you r educe the generational gap between the baby boomers and millennials who grew up with computers and have their eyes glued to their smartphones every second of every day?With computers, of course!An entire generation is starting to retire and there’s never been a better time to learn about computers.Thanks to increasing life expectancy in most European countries, retirement is a huge opportunity to take up new hobbies and learn new skills.  You can use computers to check your bank, book holidays, speak to grandchildren over Skype, or just mess about on a talent while waiting for the kettle to boil.Some members of the older generation remain reluctant to take IT tutorials and learn more about computers in general because they can’t really see the benefits immediately.When it comes to IT tutorials, the older generation are probably the best students. (Source:  pixabay.com)Superprof has some advice for tutors who’d like to teach senior citizens how to use computers and become more independent as a result.Be patient and persistent with your students! You’ll sometimes have to explain something several times in several different ways.Give real-life examples of how computers and technology can be used to help them. Programmes like Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Photoshop need be taught using a hands-on approach rather than just explaining them. You need to think of exercises that highlight the utility of these programmes rather than just telling them what they do.If you are teaching web design, consider leaving your student on WordPress or another CMS to play around with so they can discover for themselves what they can do.If you’re helping them with installation or maintenance, you should show them the inside of their computer and how to install a hard disk or RAM. There’s a good chance they’ll find this quite interesting and learn more quickly as a result.As you’ve probably understand, IT and computer training is useful for everyone, regardless of their age. Whether they’re working, retired, young, or old, everyone all over the country can benefit from a better knowledge of computers.  There are plenty of great IT lessons and tutorials for those who know where to find them.You can learn by paying for private tutorials, as a skills exchange, learning with lessons provided by organisations, or different websites providing lessons. By doing a little digging, you’re bound to find the right solution for learning how to use computers more effectively.Find out more about tutorials on cyber security in your everyday life.

Can You Spot an American Listening Exercise

Can You Spot an American Listening Exercise I found this video today on YouTube in which people from around the world are asked if they can spot Americans that is, if they can  know someone is from the United States by stereotyping the way they look, act, dress, etc.As a American, I find their answers to be pretty funny all around. I think a lot of people around the world have a strong idea of what an American should look like, and how they should act, based on what theyve learned from media. When I travel, people tend to think Im from a different country, and are surprised to found out Im from the U.S.Personally, I think that people from my country tend to be very different. Its a big country with a lot of people, and youll find that  there are so many different factors age, ethnicity, location, class, geography that its almost to say what an American is.Watch the video below, then see if you can answer a few listening questions.Answer the questions in comments and well respond.1. What are 5  ways they identify Americans?2 . Do you think any of these stereotypes are true?3. Have you ever seen somebody and known they were American?4. Can you identify people from other countries?5. What are some stereotypes of people from your home country?6. What is the guy at 2:18 talking about?

Tutoring In Schools One-to-One Tuition

Tutoring In Schools One-to-One Tuition Even experienced tutors can struggle when starting to deliver sessions in schools. Tutoring in-school means being particularly mindful of how your sessions fit into a student’s school life and tailoring your approach accordingly. This sounds easy enough in theory, but what does it mean in practice?   This week, we’re looking at one-to-one tutoring. Across the Foundation team, we’ve seen more than our fair share of this in dozens of schools across the country, which means we’ve seen how things most often go wrong - and how the best tutors get it right. We’ve compiled a list of the five things tutors should definitely be doing when they work one-to-one in schools. Staying positive about maths lessons After a few weeks with a new student, it’s common to hear that they love attending the sessions. ‘You explain things so well,’ they’ll say, ‘everything seems so easy when you go through it.’ You swell with pride and give a gracious acceptance speech â€" humbly acknowledging an adoring crowd as you accept your Tutor of the Decade award. Then, inevitably…   ‘You’re so much better than Mr Clarke. He goes through everything too fast and can’t even explain it well. I don’t understand him. He’s a rubbish teacher â€" I much prefer coming here. Can I come here for every lesson?’ And you’re back in the room with a thud, standing at a very important crossroads.   Tutors should be prepared for this possibility â€" mindful not to let the student develop an unhealthy dependence on sessions and always ready with the right words should they hear any negativity towards teaching staff. The purpose of your sessions is as much to improve your student’s attitude towards their regular lessons as it is to improve their subject knowledge in its own right.   Connecting sessions to classwork   It’s all too easy for progress made in tutoring sessions to stay in tutoring sessions. Consistently, evidence shows that tutoring interventions are more effective when they’re meaningfully connected to students’ regular lessons â€" allowing them to feel the benefit of the additional work when they’re back in the classroom. This is particularly important to remember for tutors in schools, where students can feel particularly disorientated by contrasting approaches to a subject. They might be told in their lesson to use one approach for a certain problem, only to have that contradicted in their tutoring session. What to do? Who to trust? Maybe their tutor wants to cover a different topic altogether â€" something they’ve not come across yet that won’t be covered in lessons for a few weeks. Will they feel that progress back in the classroom? Tutors working in schools should be building a relationship with the teaching staff of the relevant department. It’s important to know what was covered in your student’s last lesson and what will be covered in their next. If it’s a tricky topic, what method is the teacher using? If you’re not familiar with it, take some time to get used to it before the session. Ensuring your approach connects meaningfully with classwork will drastically improve the impact of the sessions in both the short and the long term. Personalising topics The great power of one-to-one tuition is the personalisation of content. When working with just one student at a time, every topic can be approached with that student’s experience and personal difficulties in mind. This is the mechanism that makes one-to-one sessions so impactful, with students able to make meaningful progress much quicker than they might be used to. When working in schools, the particular topics, resources or methods to be covered might come from teaching staff. Whilst this is a really important aspect of in-school tuition, it shouldn’t cause tutors to forget to personalise teaching for each student. Take the time to get to know your tutees â€" what are their hobbies? What subjects do they like best? Which of the fundamentals of this subject have they never felt comfortable with? Start every session with a warm-up to see how they’re feeling today and ground every task in something that connects to your student. Balancing ‘friendly’ with ‘focus’ One of the things we get asked about the most during training sessions is how to tread the fine line between a fun atmosphere and a focused lesson. For inexperienced tutors, it’s all too easy to take a ‘matey’ approach in early sessions that leads to behavioural issues after a few sessions. Or, by contrast, to overthink the thing and come off too stern in the first hour and put their student off. Here’s what we recommend. Remember that you have an obligation to be warm, kind, friendly and supportive. Don’t try to take a stern or disciplinary approach â€" it’s just not what you’re there to do. However, your student knows the rules and so should you. If you encourage rule-breaking in your sessions (think lateness, bad language, etc.) it’s no longer clear where the line is, which can lead to small losses of control down the line.   Most importantly, keep your promises. If you say something’s going to happen it has to happen. Good, bad or indifferent, if you’ve made a promise you have to keep it. As long as you tread that line, your students will know that (although you’re friendly) you’re to be taken seriously â€" and at the end of the day what you say goes! Keeping records and feeding back It’s really important to discuss student progress with teaching staff. They’ll want to know how students are getting on in sessions and you should always be prepared to have that conversation. By talking to teachers, you might be able to pick up some information about what your students have been struggling with in lessons or whether they’re showing signs of improvement in class. All of this means taking detailed notes of what happens in sessions. Not only so you have a record of what topics you’ve covered (trust me, you’ll forget!) but so that you can come back to little mistakes in later sessions to reinforce learning. Your notes will be an invaluable basis for planning sessions, sharing progress with teachers and giving meaningful, responsive feedback to students. Word to the wise: never take your session notes off-site â€" that’s not the kind of thing you want to leave on the bus! If you’re interested in tutoring in-schools, contact the foundation at foundation@tutorfair.com, check your profile for volunteering opportunities or browse our website to find out what’s on.

Learning how to study

Learning how to study Watch This First!The video linked above is a great way to help students who may be having a hard time studying. I remember when I was younger I was one of the worst people I knew at studying. I'd always find myself distracted, looking out the window, or wanting to play video games. However as the video shows there are a great number of things one can do in order to effectively studying. The core concept behind the video is self-recognition. By this I mean the video stresses that in order to be the most effective at studying, somebody really has to know about themselves, most notably their shortcomings. Are you easily distracted by loud noise? Pick a quiet place to study. Always feeling hungry or bored when studying? Bring a snack with you before you start. Finding the words in your music to be distracting you? Pick music that doesn't have lyrics, like classical music. For myself I find it most effective when I sit in a quiet room, with some tea to sip on and some Mozart in the backgr ound. However that may not be true to everyone. The most important thing when it comes to studying is knowing what it is you have to do to make your studying the most effective.

How to Approach a Teacher About an Unfair Grade

How to Approach a Teacher About an Unfair Grade If you received a grade on a test, assignment, or paper that you feel is in error, you should definitely approach the instructor or professor to discuss and clarify the issue. You may find a mistake has been made and receive a more palatable grade. At the very least you can explore what made your effort subpar and gain some understanding of what the teacher is expecting for the next test or essay. On occasion the teacher may allow you to retake a test or redo a paper if you can demonstrate compelling circumstances. Choose the time and place wisely It is highly unlikely that a high profile, public attempt to change a grade will get you the result you are seeking. Do not confront the teacher during class or when other students are nearby. Take a low-key approach that allows both you and the teacher time and space to discuss the matter respectfully and to explain opposing views without rancor or an audience. Although you could schedule a meeting through an email, take the time to meet face-to-face with your instructor. It is impossible to control the tone of communications and reach a true meeting of minds through an email. Ask when your teacher has at least 20 minutes to meet, preferably in the instructor's office. Prepare thoroughly Before you meet with your teacher, carefully review your test and paper along with any comments the grader has attached. Decide whether you honestly believe you were unfairly graded or whether your effort fell short. If you feel the instructor has not adequately explained matters, keep that on your list of discussion topics, too. Use your study materials to help you decide where the disagreement lies. Here are some ways you might improve your grade: - If the instructor made a mistake: If you feel you gave correct answers that were not assigned proper credit, bring along the materials or notes that substantiate your claim. When meeting with your teacher, politely show the evidence for your position. If an honest mistake was made in grading, the teacher should correct the error and give you the points you deserve. - If you made a forgivable error: Perhaps you did not fully understand the assignment. Maybe you were overwhelmed with other class work and missed an assignment deadline. If you feel you did not put forth your best work because of a one-time circumstance, consider talking with your teacher to see if you can explain the situation and perhaps do some extra work to improve your grade. Be sure that you are honest in this conversation and, if given an additional chance, put forth your very best effort. Know this is an approach that can usually be used only once. - If you are struggling with comprehension: Sometimes the unfairness lies with inadequate preparation or presentation from the teacher or his or her assistants. This is a delicate problem, but if you approach it in a humble and authentic way you may be able to gain the knowledge you need to do better the next time or be given a second chance to show what you know. Bring along the materials you've been assigned and notes taken and ask where you could have found the correct answer or theory. If the concepts are not clearly stated, you may be helping not only yourself but also other students and the teacher when you seek further clarification. Once your discussion is complete, be sure to thank your teacher no matter what the outcome. Keep the entire affair private and move on during the remaining class sessions.