Richard Shagoury - A Successful Mentor and Chemistry Tutor

Richard Shagoury - A Successful Mentor and Chemistry TutorRichard Shagoury is a chemistry tutor and mentor to struggling students. He is so good that his students have started quitting the course to make extra money. They are very successful in teaching himself and they are teaching other people as well.Richard Shagoury is not a science teacher, he is a chemistry tutor and mentor to struggling students. He is so good that his students have started quitting the course to make extra money. They are very successful in teaching themselves and they are teaching other people as well.Chems like uranium, thorium, plutonium and even amino acids are rare earth metals. It is said that a rare earth metal is more expensive than gold and silver. They are used in nuclear reactors. These are mined on the ground and they need help and expertise to mine them.There is a strong earthquake in India every thirty years. The nearest mining company is thirty-eight hours away and they do not have the necessar y machines and equipment to extract these metals. This causes havoc to their companies. If India is able to get rid of its heavy dependence on imports of these metals then it can grow its economy.There are many people in India who cannot earn enough money to support their families, and sometimes need valuable services from friends. They also need to be able to help them pay off their debts. The best way to get a higher income is to become a tutor others, and teach your friends and family how to get free, affordable education.When Richard Shagoury started tutoring, he was not an instructor. He only knew the name of a few courses that were quite expensive. At that time he had no idea of the popularity and demand for his services.Richard Shagoury did not know that his popularity would grow. He saw one night that a TV show was airing his career ambitions and advice to aspiring teachers. This has been one of the reasons for his popularity.

5 teacher blogs to get you excited about teaching abroad

5 teacher blogs to get you excited about teaching abroad Leaving to teach abroad soon and looking for first-hand stories from other teachers who’ve been there, done that? Or, are you thinking of dipping your toes into the world of blogging? You’re not alone! Blogs can be a great resource for new teachers abroad looking for help and honest advice on what teaching abroad is really like, as well as a fun way for you to share your experiences with friends and family back home. Blogs that focus on teaching abroad can be a little tricky to come by, so we’ve decided to round up some of our favorite bloggers teaching abroad (in no particular order) below, as a handy resource for some teach abroad advice, as well as some inspiration to, hopefully, get you started with a teach abroad blog of your very own! American Teacher Overseas American Teacher Overseas follows the journey of an American teacher during her placement teaching abroad in Doha, Qatar. She also brought her sons on her journey abroad with her so they can also experience life in a new culture! American Teacher Overseas is full of first-hand stories of daily life as an expat living in Doha. What's more, she happens to be a Teach Away alumand a University of TorontoTEFL Online grad. Angblue222 Angela’s blog will make anyone wanting to teach abroad put Kazakhstan at the top of their list of top teaching destinations overseas. Previously living in Kentucky, Angela sold almost everything she owned and packed up what she had left to move to this unfamiliar country. Angela’s experiences will not only teach you all about the amazing Kazakhstan culture but give you a first-hand look at what it’s like to teach abroad in this unique country! Side note - she’s also another teacher who was placed through Teach Away. Check out an interview she did with us about how her experience teaching abroad in Kazakhstan helped her succeed in teaching back home! Red Dragon Diaries Red Dragon Diaries author Tom Gates holds nothing back in his blog documenting his life as an ESL teacher in Korea. What makes him unique? He’s a former corporate IT professional who, many years after graduating college, finally realized his dream of teaching English abroad. The Red Dragon Diaries is a collection of anything and everything having to do with teaching English in Korea and the daily adventures of living abroad. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. Teaching Wanderlust Amanda Isberg, author of Teaching Wanderlust, is an invaluable source of information about all things teaching abroad. Withexperience teaching in multiple cities in the United States, Japan, Italy, Mexico, Azerbaijan Venezuela, her blog is filled with advice to help anyone thinking about teaching abroad. In addition to blogging about her experience teaching, Amanda also shares her adventures and advice about living in South America - specifically Venezuela and the surrounding countries. Adventures Around Asia Richelle’s journey teaching abroad started with a semester studying abroad in China during college. Her temporary placement evolved into her now blogging about her life working as a college counselor in Beijing, experiences teaching abroad and adventures exploring “Asia off the beaten path”. Richelle’s blog covers all the basic need-to-know advice about teaching abroad in China. She also focuses on encouraging othersnot to hold back when it comes to traveling by yourself and exploring all Asia has to offer. There’s no doubt that your experience teaching abroad will be full of incredible memories you’ll want to document. We hope these bloggers will entertain you with stories of their own adventures - and maybe even inspire you to become a teach abroad blogger yourself!

How to Prep for College Applications Over the Summer

How to Prep for College Applications Over the Summer 5 things to do over the summer to prep for college applications Summer is here, and high school students are excited to have a mental break from all the academic tasks theyve been doing throughout the school year. Many students will choose to work on college applications over the summer so they can fully focus on their classroom material in the fall. This is a great idea because, when students try and tackle all of their college prep activities at once, it becomes overwhelming pretty quickly Our Orange County private college admissions consultants are here to get you into your dream school. 1.   Get organized The very first thing students should do is sit down and get organized. Some things that students need to do to apply to college successfully seems frustrating at best. There are an immense amount of things that have to get done to send out of college applications, but if students break it up into smaller tasks and get a little bit of help the process becomes manageable. Students who are well organized are more likely to complete this hurdle efficiently and still have a lot of time to just rest, relax, and enjoy the summer. 2.   Work with a college counselor Students should work with their college counselor to help them navigate the college application process. Most high schools provide a college counselor to help students, but there are also private college counselors available to help walk students through the process. Whether students are using the Common Application or are applying directly to a smaller liberal arts college using the college’s specific guidelines, a college counselor makes the entire situation easier to manage. 3.   Raise those SAT scores Many students take their SAT or ACT only to find out they were a few points short of what they were hoping for. Although test prep is a long and arduous process, its worth taking the test a second time to potentially get a better score and feel more secure about college applications. Summer is a great opportunity for students to concentrate on test prep with a private tutor and take the test again in the fall or winter. 4.   Work on the personal statement The personal statement or essay is also essential to the college application process. This is where students have a chance to stand out from the crowd and be heard. Personal statements are also part of the holistic admissions process, meaning that the admissions committee looks at more than just grades and test scores. In fact, a great essay can easily make the difference between an acceptance and rejection. Summer provides an opportunity for students to concentrate fully on this important task without the distraction of other homework assignments (READ: Irvine Tutoring Tips: 5 Tips to Cope With Summer Stress). 5.   Apply for financial aid and scholarships Many students forget to apply for financial aid or scholarships. Perhaps parents are going to pay for the bulk of a student’s tuition, or they simply havent thought about it. Many students dont even realize they qualify for financial aid and couldve ended up saving thousands of dollars over the four years. Additionally, there are tons of scholarships out there based solely on merit that can help students pay for part of their tuition, books and other fees, or even living expenses. Most of these scholarships range from $250 to $1,000, and students can apply for several scholarships at once. Life is a lot easier when students dont have to work 20 or 30 hours a week just to make ends meet so investigating some different scholarships is an excellent use of a student’s time this summer. The best way to prep for college applications over the summer is with the help of an experienced Orange County college admissions consultant. Our private consultants have a 97% success rate. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Take the Wheel 17 Hacks for Designing the Best Online Lessons with Your Language Tutors

Take the Wheel 17 Hacks for Designing the Best Online Lessons with Your Language Tutors 17 Hacks for Designing the Best  Online Lessons  with Your Language Tutors Looking to optimize your time spent in  online language lessons?Ive long been  collecting advice, wisdom and hacks from polyglot podcasts and blogs, from books on the science of language learning  and through my own many years of experience as both a language student and teacherâ€"in the classroom and online.In this post, Ill whittle all that down to  the best of the best.The basic premise is that you get the most out of your one-on-one online sessions when you, the student, take the wheel and design the classes yourself.Youve likely never planned your own lessons before, which is why Ive put together this post of 17 hacks.And just in case anyones still on the fence about online tutoring,  heres  an ultra-quick rundown of the main benefits:Theyre usually one-on-one, so you dont waste time listening to others mangle the language.You also wont be wasting (relatively significant!) time getting to and from class, or paying a teacher to come to you.Online classes are  a relatively cheap w ay to have a native-speaking tutor from anywhere in the world.They  can be individualized to match your goals and learning style.So with so much to  gain, lets get started! 17 Hacks for Designing the Best  Online Lessons  with Your Language TutorsResource Hacks1. Use Verbling, italki or WyzAnt for finding teachersVerbling is  a site that specializes in online language tutoring. You can search based on price, availability and, of course, language. Plus, this site has its own video technology! This means you don’t need Skype or another third-party program, so if you find a tutor on Verbling, you can skip the next step below.italki  is currently one of the most popular options for finding language tutors, and offers a wide variety of tutors for various languages. You can select a language, browse tutors for that language and schedule an online lesson, all right on the site.WyzAnt  helps people find online or in-person tutors for a variety of subjects. Its a great option for finding an online language tutor if you want to get really specific about what youre looking for in terms of payment or schedule, or if youre looking for someone who can fit into a certain timeslot ASAP.2. Connect with the  best tech for video callingSkype is the most  common choice for language classes, so your choice of video calling may be settled by the fact that its what your tutor already has. In my experience, Skype tends to deliver more acceptable  sound quality on slower Internet connections compared to  Google Hangouts, whose image quality is a bit better. Good sound is obviously more important for a language class.Google Hangouts does have  Google Docs (see below) integrated, but theres nothing to keep you from using Google Docs separately at the same time youre on Skype.3. Use Google Docs for correcting texts together in real timeIve compared Google Docs to Microsofts offering, Word Online, and while the latter  may come out on top in terms of some word processing features, Goo gle Docs tends to be better for editing your attempts at written language  together in real time during an online class. Word Online has more frequent lag when saving; Google Docs just works, allowing  you to more instantly see the changes that your teacher is making as you edit a document together.Google Docs also has a chat feature next to the document, so you can use that as scratch space for looking at grammar issues without writing in the document itself.4. Have access to quick translationsThe quickest way to get a decent answer for a puzzling word or phrase in many languages is either Google Translate or WordReference; I keep them both open during classes.A better way to look up words however is with Google or Bings image search feature. If youre having trouble understanding something that your teacher says, and its a concept that could be understood quickly visually, encourage your teacher to share a link to pictures of what theyre  talking about, rather than a translation.Fo r example, my Serbian teacher recently sent me this link to explain the kajle, or blinged-out necklaces worn by certain classless hooligans in her country. A picture is worth5. Use online whiteboardsIf you like to doodle, draw or diagram concepts and  conjugations, a whiteboard can be convenient. There are several sites that allow you to simply pop in and start drawing, and you can get a link to share what you are doing with your teacher and allow them  to contribute too. A Web Whiteboard is one good one.Choosing Your Tutors6. Use more than one tutorTheres no reason you should have just one tutorâ€"youre not planning on speaking your target language with just one person, who has  just one speaking style  and viewpoint on life, are you? Language learning is hardly a monogamous commitment, and no tutor  should expect as much.Im usually working with two or three tutors at any one time on a target language. Aside from giving me  various perspectives and speaking styles, it helps me  cro ss-check things. Even the best teachers get some of their explanations a bit wrong sometimes.Changing things up also keeps the lessons more interesting for me, and even for the tutors. I can repeat the same basic lesson plan with several different tutors if Im having trouble with a subject, without the risk of boring any one of them to death.7. Work with native speakersOf course you should  work with native speakers! You want to be able to speak with them someday, right? One of the principle advantages of online tutoring is that you can work with someone from anywhere in the world for a reasonable price.Also, consider the  target version (dialect/accent) of your language. Dont, for example, learn Senegalese French if youre planning  a move to Montreal! If possible, get someone who was born in and still lives in your target region. Even grammar rules can vary  widely in most languages; the most educated Spaniard  from the south is still going to occasionally use different conjugation s  than someone from the north.Id also recommend only focusing on one dialect  and trying to get only teachers from that region, so that you dont have contradictory inputs about grammar and vocabulary, which can be frustrating. If youre a glutton for punishment, wait to take on other versions of the language until  youre firmly comfortable with one of them.I can think of one counter-example in which youd learn  a language that you intend to actually  speak only with non-native speakers: Business English in many parts of the world functions this way. But even students learning English for purely business purposes in Siberia, for example, tend to prefer to learn with native speakersâ€"from anywhereâ€"for aesthetic reasons. Wed all like to sound like natives, in the end.8. Consider if  you want to learn the academic dialectA related consideration is whether you want to learn the academic (correct) dialect  of the languageâ€"as David Foster Wallace reminds us, it  is  just a dialectâ€"o r the street-y, conversational version youll actually use when speaking.Im not planning on ever writing scientific papers in Italian or business proposals in Serbian, so personally, Im always going to choose the latter in my language adventures. My guess is that many  readers of this blog have similar goals, but most of our tutors are at cross purposes;  they feel  some innate, mysterious responsibility to foist  the academic version of their language on us. It can take some convincing to get them to focus on conversational grammar and vocabulary. If you land with a teacher who absolutely doesnt want to teach you the language as its used in everyday conversation, get another.On a related note, when  I was learning Russian I found it  hard  to get female Russian tutors  to utter or explain even the mildest swear words. So, where there are strong gender and socio-economic divides in how the language is used, you may have to take this  into consideration in choosing a teacher. In the e xample of Russian, if  you need to learn to understand and use swear words (which are a  huge feature of that spoken language), you may need a male teacher.9. Ensure your teacher has a solid Internet connectionIf you frequently have problems connecting, dont hesitate to change tutors.10. Find a tutor who is a pleasure  to talk toHaving a rapport with your tutor is important and underrated. A  funny teacher is always better than a boring teacher with tons of degrees! The lessons will be more memorable if theyre amusing, and if youre motivated to speak with  a great person, youll stick with it for longer.Other qualities that factor in:  Does your tutor speak slowly and clearly? Is your tutor  patient, or does he/she get frustrated?  A big warning sign is a teacher who  insists on explaining things in English rather than the target language. Its better to have a teacher who knows how to use pictures and  words that are simple enough for any level. The best teachers can explain most thi ngs entirely  in the target language for any studentâ€"and know better than to try to explain those few things that are too complicated for the student at that point.11. Look for someone who fits your  learning styleAs the great overview of language learning studies  How Languages Are Learned  points out, students tend to do best when theyre learning from a teacher whose style matches the one that they  believe  is best.This is also a safe excuse to ignore all Internet advice (including mine, dang  it!) on language learning; youre going to be motivated and have better learning and retention when youre learning in a way that seems correct based on your habits and previous educational experiences.12. Sometimes inexperienced tutors can be betterA little tip that I picked up from language-learning addict Judith Meyers interview on episode 12 of  David Mansarays fabulous podcast is that you may sometimes want to have an inexperienced, untrained tutor. Highly trained and seasoned  teacher s are more likely to have firm and antiquated ideas about language learning, and are less likely to be willing to let you plan your own lessons (see the last  section).Even worse are the inexperienced and  highly trained teachers. And many countries produce a surfeit of academics who have studied the intricacies of the grammar of the academic dialect (usually as more commonly used  in a politically powerful region some 50-100 years back), but have not studied how to explain  the language to foreigners, which is quite a different subject.Inexperienced teachers generally charge less and are more flexible about working with you towards  your  goals.Experienced teachers can, however, be lifesavers when you need a grammar point explained and your textbook or Internet references arent making any sense. Experienced (often older) teachers have taught  grammar points to foreigners many times, have honed their explanations and examples, and know the exceptions to watch out for.Meyer suggests that inexperienced tutors are better for experienced language learners, and experienced tutors are better for inexperienced learners. Personally, I tend to work with several inexperienced tutors, but have at least one experienced tutor that I can check in with once a month or so for the more vexing grammar issues.Lesson Planning13. Yes, you should plan your own lessonsIts nice and easy to just show up for your lesson and go through something that your tutor has planned.But if youre an active, self-directed learner youre going to get a  lot more out of your tutoring sessions.Lessons that you plan yourself are going to be perfectly suited to your own grammar issues, interests and language level. In my classes, Ive recently been learning to talk about home repair and modernist  cooking, because these are big interests for me  right now. Doing so  makes the lessons more enjoyable for me, but it also ensures that Im learning vocabulary and constructions that Ill be more likely to use whe n Im having conversations in my target language. On the other hand, Ive never in my life had a competent conversation about sports, even in English, so a class that focused on that subject would probably not be so useful for me in real life.14. Prepare by finding material before your lessonsHopefully you already have a good textbookâ€"I happen to like the Teach Yourself  language books, which are targeted for self-directed learners and available for lots of languages.You can plan your lesson based on a lesson in your book, but you can also use  pop songs, real-world videos from  FluentU, short stories, news articles and any other material from the target language. Ive even planned lessons around my Facebook chats with friends who are native speakers, wherein I try to learn the new slang and expressions, and practice using them myself with my tutor in new contexts.15. Nail your self-planned grammar lessonsId suggest that you dont waste time talking  about grammar during your lesson, at least as much as possible. You can learn about the rules from  your book, which hopefully has excellent explanations. The goal of the lesson should be to practice and apply them. (You certainly should, however, prepare to ask your teacher about any issues that you dont understandâ€"and you may want to email trickier questions to your tutor  ahead of time so that he/she  has a chance to prepare for them.)To prepare most grammar lessons, what you want to do is think up  situations that trigger the specific grammar point in question. One sticking  point for learners of Slavic languages, for example, is verb aspect. But for purposes of not traveling quite so far, lets look at how wed study aspect  if we were learning  African-American English, whose  aspect system is distinct from Standard English.A very polished teacher of the African-American dialect for non-natives (good luck finding that!) might be able to give you an explanation, but you could  find that anyway in your grammar t exts.For your lesson, youre better off  trying out  the aspects youve learned, and discovering which one is most appropriate for a given situation.  When should  you say You makin sense and in what situations should you say You be makin sense? (The answer, if youre curious: The second is the continuous aspect, so say you be makin sense  to compliment someone who is wise; the first sentence is only  a valid response to a one-time sense-maker.) Practicing like this reveals the grammar in a much more concrete way, and, more importantly, ensures that you can then spit that grammar out  correctly in context, when the appropriate situation arises.The same applies to learning prepositions, cases, conjugations, valency, etc. Learn the rules from your book, look at the examples, and then create and use more examples with your teacher. In what situations does this rule work? What are the exceptions?16.  Limit your lessonsLanguages are Pandoras boxes of beauty and complications, and learners c an be tempted to devour them voraciously. A lesson about the simple past tense can quickly devolve into the intricacies of the past subjunctive, and a simple, early lesson in  talking about the weather can wander off into hail, tornadoes and mudslides.But, if you want to remember anything afterwards, youre much better off learning just a few limited words and phrases, and how to employ them in lots of different contexts. Likewise for grammar, if you get just one construction down really well, itll stay with youâ€"save the variations that it can lead to  for your next lesson.17. Have some unstructured conversation lessonsConversation lessons are probably less useful than the more structured lesson ideas presented above, but theyre more fun, and they can also uncover very important  vocabulary and constructions that you can focus on in future lessons.If you do an unstructured lesson (for example, on a day that youve been too tired or  busy to prepare anything more concrete), at least take a minute or two to think of a few areas that you want to discuss. Perhaps there are things that you havent yet tried to talk about in your target language? Or an area that needs more practice?During the lesson, make sure that you or your tutor  notes down the new words and phrases that you discover, so that you can go back to them later. A great way to review after such a lesson is to write up a short text about your opinions, using the new vocabulary, and then submit it for correction either to your teacher or to lang-8.com, a lovely website where native speakers correct each others texts.I hope that these hacks have given you some useful ideas for optimizing your lessons and integrating them  into your total language learning plan. If done right, online tutoring sessions are something that you look forward to during the day, and think about long afterwards.Mose Hayward is a  polyglot  who blogs  about the scientifically proven benefits of (and excuses for) tipsy  language lea rning, among other silliness.

General Chemistry Quiz - Some Useful Information

General Chemistry Quiz - Some Useful InformationLearning about the General Chemistry quiz is beneficial. One reason why it is beneficial is because you can learn the basic facts regarding chemistry. Here are some of the benefits you can get from a quiz about chemistry.First of all, studying the chemistry can be considered to be a very large part of science. What's more, this is also one of the most important branches in chemistry. This means that if you want to study chemistry, then there is no way you would not be exposed to the scientific field. So, as a result, you can benefit from a quiz on General Chemistry because you will know about the things that are involved in the subject.Secondly, studying about the General Chemistry quiz can be beneficial because you will be able to see your test scores. If you have already completed the basics of chemistry, then you will definitely notice how you have done when you take the General Chemistry quiz.Thirdly, remember that, if you have alre ady completed the basics of chemistry, then you will learn more. Furthermore, you will be able to prepare for the chemistry test. You will also be able to pass the test because you will learn more about the subject.Lastly, you can be sure that you can study for the quiz. In other words, you will not be left out when you have to take the test.Overall, studying about the General Chemistry quiz can be helpful. You will be able to see how you have done and whether you are really knowledgeable about the subject. It will also show you how you have done on the GCSE chemistry test.Overall, these are the benefits of the General Chemistry quiz. It is extremely useful for you.

Chemistry Counting Atoms in Compounds Worksheets

Chemistry Counting Atoms in Compounds WorksheetsChemistry counting atoms in compounds worksheets have a very simple concept. You must first decide what element you are going to analyze. Then, you will be given a list of chemical compounds and you will only need to click on the particular compound you want to determine its properties. After clicking the button, the compound is shown in all its terms, which includes weight, color, atomic weight, and so on.Once you have selected the compound you would like to study, the worksheet tells you which results you can get when you determine the properties of the compound. The list may include all the properties of the compound. Or, it may not. There are some calculations that depend on the unit used in the calculations. For example, if you choose grams instead of grams per pound, the results are of different values, and you can also get different results for a unit of alcohol.Once you have selected the results you want to get, you are prompted to calculate the weight. If you want to be more precise, you can add the grams to the particular element, so that the result can be easily converted to pounds. Otherwise, you can take the grams as a reference.Once you have chosen your result, the button that says the result in pounds is clicked. The formula for this is the formula of the element, times the result from the worksheet, divided by the number of grams in the workbook. Then, you enter the result as your weight. Usually, you are able to click the button in the worksheet after entering the required results. This makes the worksheet very user-friendly.A new worksheet is created whenever you make a change to the formula in the worksheet. If you choose a different formula, the old one is overwritten. The worksheet refreshes itself automatically when the formulas change.The answer button in the worksheet tells you how to solve the equation for the different substances. A quick calculation is usually easier than the calculation s based on units. You only need to enter the number of grams in the solution you want to determine its properties. Also, you can click the button to get the results in grams. The result will also give you the atomic weight and the molecular weight.Once you have solved the equation for the compound, you can click the button to see the solid solution for the compound you have determined. You can study more about chemistry counting atoms in compounds worksheets if you are interested. Just read the sections below. Then, you can click the button to get the solution for the particular compound you chose.

How to Find the Right QCT Chemistry Tutor

How to Find the Right QCT Chemistry TutorIf you're interested in taking the QCT Chemistry tutoring, you may find yourself feeling intimidated by the need to have someone else review your work and possibly critique it too. So, how do you find a chemistry tutor that's right for you?As with any program of study, there are many variables that should be considered when you're choosing a chemistry tutor. Obviously, you'll want someone who is trustworthy and experienced and has the right attitude. But beyond that, there are some other things to consider before you get started.For example, ask previous students what worked and what didn't. When a student writes a testimonial about his or her tutor, make sure you take that into consideration. What's the student's overall impression of the tutor? Do they like him or her?Safety and health precautions are important. Ask the teacher and other teachers for suggestions as to which teachers are most qualified for your course, and get references from previous students if possible.Don't rush into an appointment. Just like any other aspect of your life, it's best to make an appointment, ask questions, and then meet in person. It's best to meet in person first to discuss your expectations, because it will give you the opportunity to see the tutor in action before making the commitment to meet in person.Keep a notebook and pen by your computer to jot down notes about your QCT tutor. Go through your notes one at a time and try to remember the highlights. This will help you create a better relationship with your tutor and save yourself time and money. Plus, your notes will help you create a more structured schedule of when you meet.When you're searching for a QCT Chemistry tutor, keep in mind that previous students are likely to have good and bad memories. Consider them to be a resource that you can draw on if you find yourself not liking the teacher or experience difficulties with the lessons. So, take the opportunity to meet your t utor in person so you can learn more about him or her and ultimately get a better understanding of what it means to be a QCT Chemistry tutor.

Where To Find Drawing Lessons

Where To Find Drawing Lessons Finding the Perfect Drawing Teacher ChaptersWhat Makes a Good Drawing Teacher?Take Art Lessons With Superprof Private TutorsFinding Drawing Teachers Among Art StudentsWhere Can You Post to Find Affordable Drawing Lessons Near You?Drawing is one of Britain’s most beloved art forms.Just like music, drawing stimulates your creativity and imagination, both focused on the right side of the brain. This, in turn, helps develop concentration and patience.For if there is one thing you need to learn basic drawing skills, it’s patience. Whether making simple line drawings or realistic oil paintings, you will be using up a lot of blank paper to get to the result you want.But where can you learn to wield pen and brush?There are a lot of art teachers offering drawing classes throughout the UK.How do you know how to choose a teacher?Where can you find good drawing teachers?Here are some tips on finding the perfect art teacher…To be a good pedagogist means to go at the student’s rhythm. Everyone learns in his own way and at hi s own pace… Someone trying to teach you everything at once is probably not the right art teacher for you.What’s more, your drawing instructor should be capable of giving you constructive criticism during your art lessons. It is important for his feedback to allow you to progress, improve and develop your artistic instincts.A good art teacher supports his students and introduces him to different techniques and different artistic styles.And, of course, the proper drawing supplies!From Antiquity to the present day, various artistic styles have moulded and defined art history - dadaism, impressionism, romanticism, neo-classicism, Nabis, fauvism… By discovering the culture of art, you will find inspiration. This is why art is taught in schools since grade 1.Art classes in school are good for the proper development of childen's abilities. Photo by Lee Fenner on VisualHuntA good teacher will know how to select artworks from different periods and styles of art history and encourage yo u to reproduce them in different techniques. However, a good teacher will never force a student to produce a drawing that doesn’t inspire him.A good teacher will propose several subjects over the course of a year - but leave students free to refuse and propose an alternative reproduction or personal project. The best way to make progress is to stay motivated. This way, you will never feel pressured to draw.Also, be sure to choose your drawing teachers based on your wants and needs. Some are more competent in some areas than others, such as classical oil painting, manga style or figure drawing. You just have to find someone that suits you in that regard.Take Art Lessons With Superprof Private TutorsWhen drawing, it’s important that you enjoy yourself.There are many reasons to take drawing classes. But finding the right teacher is not always easy. And the best teachers are not always those offering art lessons near you.And while intensive drawing courses or weekly classes in an ar t studio are a good way to wet your feet and discover new mediums, they are hard to fit into a tight schedule.Learning how to draw with a private art teacher might be a good alternative.It’s important to get along with your drawing tutor and be on the same wavelength ´to give you a good atmosphere to work in and develop your confidence. The best way to do this is to choose your teacher yourself.Private art teachers can focus on your needs and help develop your creativity. Photo by Len Radin on VisualHuntIn fact, Superprof offers drawing teachers throughout Britain. You can choose between 493 drawing tutors on our website.As you surf, you will realise that their profiles are all slightly different.Whether you want to study acrylic painting, watercolours, landcapes, pastel drawing, still life, portrait painting or anatomical drawing, you are sure to find the right teacher for you! Every one of our private tutors introduces himself on his profile page. Potential students can immedia tely see what their specialities are.Take the time to really think about what aspects of drawing you want to learn and choose your drawing teacher carefully based on those criteria.Choosing your tutor on Superprof also means you have a wide range of prices available to you.Most one-hour lessons cost between £20 and £30 - meaning there is something there for every budget.And private lessons are a great way to make sure your drawing classes fit into your timetable. Rather than taking weekly courses that tie you down to a certain time, take advantage of the freedom of drawing lessons at home.If you are not a great fan of the internet, Superprof might reassure you. It’s the foremost platform for sharing knowledge, with many people using it happily every day - its tutors make its reputation.If you are still not sure, don’t hesitate to tour the profiles and look at the comments left by other students.Finding Drawing Teachers Among Art StudentsPainting lessons, sketching techniques, live models, illustration, landscape drawing… Art students are used to all sorts of visual arts classes!   They are usually well-versed in all aspects of the Fine Arts. And they often make very good drawing teachers - because they are passionate about what they do.But who are they?There are different types of art school depending on what profession you want to go into:Fine Arts schools to become an artistArchitecture schools to learn to draw buildingsGraphic arts schools to learn design and layoutUniversities to become a professor or get a degree in Art History or Museum EducationThese students learn all about three-point perspective, the different techniques (pastel, coloured pencil, pen and ink, tempera, digital painting…) and master the basics - such as sketching or still lifes - perfectly.In short: art students master both theory and practice. That's why they often give beginner drawing lessons or intermediate art classes to earn some extra money.They are often very versatil e and can even introduce you to other artistic mediums such as sculpture, modelling or collage.Since they are still studying, their own lessons are still fresh in their minds, which often makes it easier for them to pass on what they have learnt, since they still have an intimate understanding of the learning process. They might have fresh ideas about how you can perfect your drawing skills on your own.Art sutdents can give very good drawing lessons as they are very much immersed in the learning process themselves. Photo on VisualhuntThey are also very passionate and will enjoy teaching you how to draw. It’s a way of going to art school by proxy.Don’t hesitate to contact art students for a beginner drawing class or to improve your technique.The prices for their drawing lessons are often more advantageous than those of an art studio near you.Where Can You Post to Find Affordable Drawing Lessons Near You?Nowadays, it’s fairly easy to find a drawing teacher on the Internet, but y ou can also put out a classified ad if you are looking for something specific.You can advertise for an teacher either on the Internet or in shops. You simply need to set down on paper what you want to learn and what you expect in terms of artistic skills.Once you have written your ad, you just need to find the place to post it.Classified ad sitesOn the Internet, you can make use of classified ad sites such as Craigslist or Locanto. They have a “jobs” section and it only takes a few minutes to upload your ad.Social networks are also a great way to pass the message along.Twitter and Facebook might be your best allies. But putting your request in your status you can reach not only your friends, but your friends’ friends and all their contacts.Shop windows and corkboardsDon’t forget shop windows and corkboards - especially if you have an art supplies shop near you. Art students and teachers come in regularly to buy materials and will see your ad. Or put up a sign at your local a rt school or university. There is certain to be someone interested in making a few pounds by giving drawing lessons…After that, you only have to decide on a date for your first drawing class! Take basic drawing lessons with a private tutor from Superprof.

Ask an Admissions Expert Densil R. R. Porteous II

Ask an Admissions Expert Densil R. R. Porteous II Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Densil R. R. Porteous II is currently the Director of Admissions at Columbus College of Art Design. He has served in leadership roles in admissions at Stanford Universityand his alma mater, Kenyon College. Densil has also taught at the high school and post-secondary levels when he served as Director of College Counseling at the Drew School in San Francisco and College Counseling Certificate Instructor at University of California, San Diego. VT: How far ahead of time should a student begin working on his or her college application? Densil: Arent students always working on their college application? Not to add to the unneeded stress of an already complicated process, but we know that everything a student does will somehow shape that ever generic college application. However, when it comes down to an application for a specific college I think a student can start a month or two into their senior year. With the prevalence of the Common Application and the Universal Application we now know that the root of many applications are the samethis is an effort by colleges and universities to take away a little stress from this process for students. Each school may have a supplement that a student should spend solid time on reflecting on the school specific questions and considering the answers that best speak to that schools community. Identify a schools application deadline, give yourself a deadline about a week before that deadline and then map back one month from that point. This may allow a student to create a large ca lendar of all the moving pieces needed to complete several applications at different schools. VT: What are the best ways to go about selecting a terrific essay topic? Densil: Ive been working in admissions for roughly eleven years as a professional and four years on top of that as a para-professional. I can say for certain there is no such thing as a terrific essay topic. There is such a thing as a well-crafted essayregardless of topic. The end game from an admissions essay is the admissions officer getting a deeper understanding of the applicantand hopefully how that applicant will engage as a part of that schools community. So, it is not about the topic, but it is about how you present the topic, the notion of how that topic relates to the essence of you, the applicant, and potentially how you see all of that affecting who you are and aim to become. VT: Are there any essay topics you get tired of seeing or would warn students to stay away from? Densil: The other day I estimated that I have read right about 10,000 essays during my time as an admissions officerthat is a large number. What I can say is that there are many variations on a theme. During my time as a college counselor I told my students never to write about something they wouldnt have in an open conversation with a very close friends parent. Say your best friend is someone you have known for at least ten years; youve been over to the house, likely had sleepovers, have gotten to know the family fairly well. You might be open to sharing the stories of struggles, a recent breakup, that tough choice you had to make about cheatingbut then there are those things that might make you blush if you had to share it with them. I wont give examples herebut if think youll blush when telling your very close friends parent then youll probably not present it in a very eloquent in an essay that wont make an admissions officer feel uncomfortable. And remember it is about the presen tation of the topic more than the topic itself. VT: What is the biggest mistake a student can make on a college application? Densil: Lying. Dont falsify information, dont add puffery to your presentation of self and dont write what you think the school wants to read. Be yourself, express your essence and do all of that respectfully. VT: What is the typical process an admissions officer goes through to evaluate applications? Densil: Every school is different but the core of the application evaluation process is trying to get a deeper sense of the student through the students written presentation of self, through any extra evaluative support from teachers or college counselors and looking at any numerical information that gives a sense of potential success in the classroom. VT: What do you think is the single most important thing a student should make sure they present in the best possible way on their application? Densil: Everything. A student should present everything in the best possible way being their most authentic self. VT: How should students go about determining the culture of a university, and whether they would be a good fit? Densil: We live in an age where so many students do their research about schools by visiting websites and listening to friendsthese are okay outlets but ultimately spending time on a campus really gives a student the sense of a community. Being able to engage with members of the community genuinely give a sense of what a prospective student can expect. A campus is made up of a variety of personalities and that sense of culture requires an experiential understanding. VT: Early-action, early-decision, binding/non-binding, regular decisions...With so many choices when applying, what do you recommend to students? Densil: Dont try to game the system. Do your research and make an informed decision. ED is bindingbe sure that is where you want to be and can afford to be. EA is not binding, but be sure that at the moment you submit that application you believe your application is the strongest it can be and that it wont change if you applied at a later time. Ask an admission professional at the school at which you are interested about statics in relation to acceptance rates, ask about that specific schools philosophy in relation to the different application options. Every school is different and being informed is most important. VT: How important are grades and standardized test scores when admissions decisions are being made? Densil: This is school specific as some schools dont require standardized test scores and some schools may not request transcripts until much later in the process of application review. A student needs to understand one thing: your numerical portfolio does reflect if and how you might be successful in the classroom at a college or university. If a student feels a need to contextualize their numerical portfolio because it doesnt fully reflect who they are as a student in the classroom then they need to share that information with an admissions office. If there is a learning difference present then an admissions needs to know that so as best to contextualize and application. If a student suffered from a physical illness keeping them from engaging in classroom, stresses at home, family obligations, work responsibilitiesall of these things may impact the numerical portfolio for a student and an admissions person doesnt know unless a student explains the situation. VT: What tips do you have for students asking their teachers for letters of recommendation? Densil: Ask early. Dont wait until a week before the deadline to request a letteryou will get a rushed letter. Dont just ask the teacher in the class where you got an Athat teacher may have very little to say about you. Find a teacher that likes youwe are human and we dont get along with everyonejust because you have an A in this particular class doesnt mean you get along the best with that teacher. Dont be afraid to consider a teacher where you have a lower gradeif it is a class where you working really hard and giving 110% that teacher will likely speak best to you dedication to an academic topic. Dont wait until the last minute you will get a rushed letter; ask earlyoh, did I say that already?The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.