5 New Years Resolutions for Parents

5 New Year's Resolutions for Parents Parents can be a defining factor in their childs academic success, and the New Year is a great time to reflect on your habits. Checking in regularly with your student, celebrating their successes, and encouraging independence are just a few resolutions to consider setting in 2019. Keep reading to learn five New Years resolutions for parents. New Years resolution #1: set clear expectations and deadlines No matter their age, most students flourish with structure. Ensure that youre using clear and defined language when communicating expectations and deadlines to your child. For example: For younger students, establish a rule like, Homework must be completed before screen time. For older students, communicate clear expectations for grades, such as, Your GPA must remain above a 3.0. [RELATED: How Parents Can Help Students Setand AchieveAcademic Goals] New Years resolution #2: check in regularly Students also benefit from accountability. A daily check-in on homework and upcoming tests and projects is a great way to touch base with your child about schoolwork. Remind them of critical times, such as the end of a marking period. While older students may grumble, these check-ins are essential reminders and are helpful for keeping students on track. Additionally, winter break is a great time to check in with your children regarding their academic goals. Have an honest conversation about whats going well and what can be improved. Ask your older students what you can do to better support them in 2019. [RELATED: How Parents Can Help with Elementary Homework Challenges] New Years resolution #3: celebrate your childs successes Parents are often the reinforcers who ensure their children complete their work. However, parents also have the chance to truly celebrate their students successes. These celebrations are just as important as the reminders. Celebrations can be small things, such as positive words of encouragement, letting them choose the music on the way to school, or ice cream on a Friday night. New Years resolution #4: help your child be more proactive before stepping in Often, parents want to step in at the first sign of something going wrong for their children. By doing that, however, children lose crucial opportunities to navigate conflict and advocate for themselves. Support your child by giving them strategies to be more proactive. For example, if they dont understand the homework, encourage them to ask a friend. If they received less than stellar feedback on an essay, prompt them to set up a lunch meeting with their teacher to see how they can improve. Learning these skills now will serve them well in college and beyond. [RELATED: 4 Ways Parents Can Help High School Students Succeed] New Years resolution #5: set a good example All of these strategies are great, but if youre not truly implementing them, they will ring hollow for your very perceptive children. If youre encouraging your child to utilize good work habits, be sure to model these yourself. For example, running around the house before you leave for the day makes it difficult for your child to not do that as well. Perhaps you can both set out everything you need for the day the night before to ensure a calmer start to the day. Another idea might be to model task lists and calendar tracking. Your child will notice you making a to-do list for important projects and logging appointments on your calendar. That example may inspire them to do the same. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Find Drum Lessons In Belfast

Find Drum Lessons In Belfast The Best Drum Lessons In Belfast Chapters3 Reasons You Should Learn The DrumsBecome as Good As John WilsonKasey’s Drum LessonsBelfast Drum AcademyDrumschool BelfastFind A Tutor On SuperprofAre you wondering if you should start to learn the drums and are looking to take lessons in Belfast?Thanks to Superprof you will be able to find the best drum lessons in the city. Morrison and Ray Elliott, Wilson played on studio recording sessions for Them's second album Them Again (released January 1966). Visa regulations meant that he had to be replaced by stand-in drummers for initial live dates abroad, due to his youth. He was substituted by Dave Harvey upon leaving Them, and went on to work with Belfast groups 'Derek The Sounds' and 'Cheese'.In May 1968, he and bass professional Richard McCracken associated with guitarist Rory Gallagher in Taste, after the band's previous line-up had disbanded. The newly formed Taste moved permanently to London where they made a deal with the record label Polydor.In 1968, the band, along with Yes, opened for Cream at Cream's goodbye concerts, and consequently toured the US and Canada with the supergroup Blind Faith.In April 1969, Taste issued the first of their 2 studio albums, the self-titled Taste, with On the Boards following in 1970, the latter displaying the band's jazz influences. In 1970 they played as part of the Isle of Wight Festival, alongside Jimi Hendrix and The Who.Later the same year Taste travelled Europe but were disbanded by Gallagher, who decided to attempt a solo career, playing their last show on New Year's Eve in Belfast. Wilson and McCracken directly formed 'Stud' in early 1971, with Jim Cregan and John Weider.They delivered the Stud album in 1971 and September in 1972, maintaining the jazz-rock roots of On the Boards but failing to make a commercial and profitable impact. They separated in 1972, though a live-in-the-studio album was released posthumously - Goodbye: Live At Command (1973).Look up for lessons in Cardiff. SerbanDrum Teacher 5.0 0 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyDrum Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RussellDrum Teacher 5.00 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JamesDrum Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StephenDrum Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeteDrum Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OllieDrum Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexDrum Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsKasey’s Drum LessonsKasey Peters teaches drum kit lessons in Belfast.She specialises in putting students through graded examinations and also teaches for a hobby, leisure, fun using acoustic drum kits.Catering for all ages, styles, strengths and needs. Friendly and encouraging lessons!Professional, muffled volume acoustic drums and cymbals are used to ensuring total hearing protection. No electronic drum kits.At their s tudio, the drums sit side by side, facing the same direction. This promotes better interaction and enables presentations to be easily imitated.You will not face a wall, but rather play out to the room as in a gig or performance. Slow down apps can be employed to learn songs at a comfortable tempo.There are plenty of good ways to teach yourself the drums. (Source: StockSnap)Belfast Drum AcademyAt the Belfast Drum Acadamy, the private drum lessons are a comprehensive platform to help study, develop and understand in detail your playing level by employing techniques, tips and tricks used by leading drummers of the most eminent standard for many musical circumstances.Learn under individualised guidance in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, allowing you to target your main goal with an approach to hand technique, self-confidence, reading, ear instruction, improvisation, time feels, genre knowledge, rudiments, and exercise habits.All of our lessons are composed and planned, to teach all, from novices and intermediates, through to high-level drumming.For those of you who are curious about reading music and seating exams, the Belfast Drum Acadamy uses the Rockschool syllabus. The instructors have used this syllabus as both a tutor and pupil for nearly ten years and gained a distinction in their grade 8 exams.With the Belfast Drum Acadamy, students not only get to play in a number of classic and modern styles such as Rock'n'roll, Funk or Country, as well as Jazz and Latino music but can also consider Drum n Bass, Metal and Afro-Cuban to name a few. As well as this, learners will have the opportunity to develop other important artistic skills such as improvising, view reading and listening.Learners are given an occasion to put all their laborious work and practice to the test twice a year when the Belfast Drum Acadamy exams are held here in Belfast. Not only is this a concrete step in building a pupils confidence, but can also provide vital expertise for future exams o r tryouts etc.Look up for drum lessons in Edinburgh.Students are under no obligation to sit exams if they do not desire to, and will not be listed for an exam until fully settled. The Belfast Drum Acadamy helps lay an excellent framework for anyone who either wants to play music for fun or to attempt music as a career.Nevertheless, if you don’t fancy to read music or sit exams then do not panic, there are still amounts of things we can do. You will be required to practice, source music and rhythm ideas to work on at lessons, learn elementary counting skills and learn manageable rudiments like flams, drags and ruffs.You will be able to work on tunes you know and love as well jamming over backing tracks they have compiled, or they can help improve your sense of timing by working along with a click track or metronome.Drumschool BelfastDrumschool Belfast started in 1995 when drummer and percussionist Alan Sykes began receiving requests asking for tuition from several drummers who had heard of his own training, expertise and skill.From a few students, this has grown to over 70 per week in neighbourhood schools and confidentially covering all ages and stages of experience.The Drumschool Belfast way of learning is divided into 4 different stages, each of them designed to help you learn different elements of the drums and to build your skills to a higher degree.Foundation ZoneThis stage incorporates the fundamental elements of the Foundation Grades up to a level of Grade 2 plus much, much more! You gain an understanding of basic music theory and how to apply this to your playing at the drumset.Classic Rock ZoneThis stage builds on your basic skills and incorporates most of the elements of the level of Grade 3 with an emphasis on developing great rock rhythms and various other styles.At this stage, the exams are still optional.How to improve your inventiveness as a drummer? Creativity works just like technique (source: Groove3).Performer ZoneThis stage will consist o f building onto all the skills you already acquired and it will incorporate the level Grade 3 to 5 with an emphasis on drum score interpretation, styles studies, greater independence and creativitySession ProZoneThis final stage of the Drumschool Belfast program will summon all the elements you previously learned and will get you to the final level of Grades 6-8 with a stress on the variety of styles that you will meet in your drumming career!Alan Sykes has been using his classical training and 30 years of wide playing experience, is an honoured and experienced tutor offering professionally structured drum-kit education, including graded exam candidates from his home studio, neighbourhood recording studio and in local schools.Find A Tutor On SuperprofWith hundreds of drum tutors registered on Superprof throughout the UK, you will be guaranteed to find one to help you to learn how to play the drums.With lessons ranging from £10 to £30 an hour you will surely be able to find a tutor that suits your needs and matches your goals.Find more drum lessons in the UK:Drum lessons in ManchesterDrum lessons in LondonDrum lessons in BirminghamDrum lessons in LeedsDrum lessons in Glasgow

Lets Count Advantages of Online Tutoring

Let‘s Count Advantages of Online Tutoring 0SHARESShare Don’t count the chickens before they hatch, it is said. You can count the advantages of online tutoring, before entering its portal. Let’s find out how e- tutoring is focused towards student motivation and high end learning products. Learner friendly:  You avail a basket of benefits like time management, choice of subject, selection of tutor, independent study, self orientation and stress free education in online learning. E- Trained tutors: It is a community of savvy tutors, who are up with modern trends in approaching the student fraternity. You get to know online tutors chat with you, interact and try their hard to bridge the gaps in your studies and provide what you demand in your homework help, assignment work or test papers. Sit before your computer and register on the website desirable for you and feel the difference. The comfort zone of learning: No travel expense and these are pocket friendly offers. Even free tutors online are there for your convenient learning at home with your interactive tools. Get ready to enjoy the fun of learning with video text chats, Skype interaction, fun exercises, visual images and other tech aids. It is all at your doorstep with the personal support of a tutor who enters your heart through his PC and takes you to a different educational set up. Know your pus and minus:  Online tutoring websites monitor your progress    and learning pace with their guidelines for their tutors. You feel their ardent support for your learning needs, tailoring to     your demands and expectations in every phase of learning. Achieve higher scores and better grades by entering the right tutoring site online and prove your excellence in your school and college degrees. [starbox id=admin]

The Cornell University College Experience

The Cornell University College Experience The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences, as well. Steve earned his Bachelors degree in Economics from Cornell University in 2011. He currently tutors many subjects in New York City, specializing inSAT prep tutoring, GRE prep tutoring, and Algebra tutoring. See what he had to say about his time at Cornell University: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. How urban or rural is the campus? Did you feel safe on campus? Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Steve: Cornell Universitys campus is stunningly beautiful throughout the seasons. It is located near the Finger Lakes in upstate New York, so the atmosphere is generally very rural and safe. Downtown Ithaca is within walking distance, right next to campus. It can get a bit snowy and chilly during the winter, but I love the cold, so it fit me very well. On campus, there are a variety of places for all students, whether you want to find a quiet place to study or an open field to throw a football around with friends. The architecture is a mix between old and new; there are modern buildings, as well as older, Gothic-style halls. To get around campus, most people walk. It takes about 30-40 minutes to get from one end of the campus to the other end, but most of your classes will probably be located close together. Because of how big the campus is, other transportation options include riding a bike, driving a car, or taking a bus. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Steve: Most professors, advisers, and teaching assistants are very approachable, in spite of their impressive backgrounds. You will occasionally get one or two professors throughout your entire Cornell University career who are a bit grumpy, but overall, office hours are generally flexible, and there are so many people who are willing to help you. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Steve: Dorm life can be very different depending on which hall you live in. Each hall has its own layoutand thus tends toward different social structures. For example, there is townhouse living, where four people share a townhouse together. Compare that to my first year at Clara Dickson Hall, where it was a very typical boys hallway, girls hallway, and a common lounge in the middle of each floor. Most rooms tend to be pretty spaciousI had a single with a walk-in closet, and I still had plenty of room left for everything else. Dining at Cornell University is amazing. There are a variety of meal plans to choose from, and the food is fantastically delectable. In addition to various ethnic food options, such as dim sum on Saturdays, they also have regular themed-food nights, where chefs prepare food from a particular culture or in relation to the theme of the night. If you get a chance, please visit the Cornell Dairy Bar and try out their ice cream. It is to die for! As far as social life goes, the student population is hugely diverse, so you will meet all sorts of people from all over the world. I was not part of any fraternity while I was there, but I think something like 30% of the campus is associated with Greek life, if you are interested in joining. I do not think finding a healthy social life will be any problem at all. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Steve: My impression was that all majors/programs were all highly supported through campus funding and allocation of resources. I believe Cornell University has an impressive College of Engineering, as well as a highly prominent Hotel Administration major, if you are looking for specific highlighted programs. I studied Economics because I was interested in how people make decisions. You will find that many restaurants often ask people to order dessert before they receive their meal because people tend to order more when they are hungry. It may sound like common sense, but this is part of behavioral economics, and I was fascinated to study those types of decision-making options. I thought the university did a great job of supporting my area of study because I had a lot of access to professors and graduate students for help. I had also switched to Economics from Math during my junior year, and I thought the whole process was very smooth and friendly. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Steve: It was extremely easy for me to make friends as a freshman. There are plenty of events to socialize at, and if you cannot attend those, there are lots of opportunities during class to meet other people. I did not join Greek life, but I do not think it had a dominating role as far as I can remember. They would pass out flyers for certain events and/or fundraisers, and I went to a few parties myself, but Greek life never seemed to overshadow campus life. I think everyone is able to find their own social circle that they feel comfortable with without feeling pressure to join any particular groups. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Steve: The Career Center helps you work on your resume and really works with you to build your profile. It is a free walk-in service, and they constantly send you emails about job openings in your preferred field(s). There is also a career fair that many high-profile companies send representatives to in order to recruit students. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Steve: The libraries are gorgeous and easily available. Certain parts of the libraries can get crowded sometimes, especially during prelims or finals time (we call midterms at Cornell University prelims). But there are over ten spacious libraries on campus dedicated to various departments. The student union is located at Willard Straight Hall, but I do not think many students go there to study, especially since there are three libraries within a two-minute walk. Dorm lounges are definitely another option, and there are rules during prelims and finals time to be quiet and to respect other peoples studying time in public areas. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Steve: There is a small downtown area right at the south exit of campus which we call Collegetown. That area has a lot of bars, restaurants, cafs, etc. that fit your general needs. For even more fun activities, restaurants, or other nightlife events, there is a local Commons in downtown Ithaca that is within walking distance, but most people take the bus. It is an excellent local food and shopping area that hosts cool annual events like the Apple Harvest Festival. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Steve: The student body is around 3,500 students per year, for around 14,000 total undergraduates. The university total for students, including graduates and professionals, is around 21,000. Do not be too intimidated by those numbers. Most of my classes, other than the introductory courses in lecture halls, were between 10 and 30 people. Depending on your major, you might have other fluctuations in class sizes. Generally, I was not happy with the large lecture classes (100+ students), although one of my favorite classes was Psychology 101, which had a class size of 1,000+ students. Yes, a thousand plus. I definitely enjoyed the smaller seminars a lot more, as you could actively participate in discussions and actually get to know the professor and your classmates better. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Steve: I think Psychology 101 with Professor Maas was definitely the most memorable experience for me. I took that class as a freshman, and despite the over 1,000 students that were in Bailey Hall taking that class with me, Professor Maas was able to deliver entertaining yet informative lectures that I still remember to this day. I was skeptical at first, due to the sheer amount of students that were sitting in his lectures, but somehow, he made it work. Sadly, Professor Maas has retired and no longer teaches that class, but I hope you will find your own memorable experience at Cornell University! Check out Steves tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

10 Great Movies About Musicians (and Their Formulas for Success)

10 Great Movies About Musicians (and Their Formulas for Success) Mac There are a ton of movies about musicians out there but what can you learn from them? In this article, music teacher Willy M.  takes you through 10 movies about musicians and reveals their unique tricks  that made them successful “Art is the closest we can come to understanding how a stranger really feels. Roger Ebert When it comes to movies about musicians, we generally see the same pattern in each  story: an unknown artist struggles with their personal demons as they  try to make a name  for themselves, and  they ultimately reach stardom at the expense of their relationships or mental health. While most of these movies fit a cookie-cutter pattern, they also showcase the unique skills and tactics that each artist uses to become successful. Below is a list of 10 movies about musicians that include a brief summary of each  film, as well as each artists special formula for rising to the top. These  movies were selected based on Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score, meaning we picked the top 10 movies based on tens of thousands of audience votes. Are you ready to take an inside look? Lets check them out! Walk the Line (2005) “Walk the Line” is the story of Johnny Cashs rise to fame. It gives a glimpse of both the triumphs and heartaches that come from striving for fame. Johnny had a troubled relationship with his father, and playing music was his way of finding solace. Unfortunately, he turned to drugs for the same reason. The movie demonstrates how Johnny went from one failed relationship to another, eventually conquering his addiction to drugs, and ultimately finding a way to use his music to inspire and bless people (namely  prisoners)  who related to him. Click here to watch the trailer As demonstrated in the film, Johnny Cash learned how to make the I, IV, V pattern work for him. His simple chord structure, under well-crafted melodies, put his songs in the minds of listeners for generations to come. While Johnny Cash songs arent  structurally complex, the melodies are catchy and reminiscent of older folk idioms that continue to inspire and challenge players today. Ray (2004) Many  movies  discuss the dangers of using drugs to fuel creativity, and “Ray” is no exception. Jamie Foxx portrays the late, great Ray Charles in this biopic about his life. In the movie, we see  Rays  rise to fame and his struggle (and ultimate victory) over a heroin addiction. Click here to watch the trailer Foxx’s portrayal of Ray Charles is one of the most accurate depictions of a popular musician moviegoers will see. We see a great deal about the process of making a great recording, and how producing a good record  is often a team effort. Ray has a great band, awesome producers (like the legendary Ahmet Ertegun), and great backup singers (though theyre often at the center of many of his issues). Rays success  shows us that its important to work well with others, and that serving the music should come before serving yourself. Love and Mercy (2014) “Love and Mercy” describes the life of Beach Boy bass player, songwriter, producer, and vocalist, Brian Wilson. The movie shows Brian slowly descend into madness during the recording of the “SMiLE” album. He spent years in a drug-induced fog, until the controversial Dr. Eugene Landy helped “rescue” him from his addictions. But it really took Brian’s love for his wife, Melinda, to rescue him from the clutches of the overbearing Dr. Landy. Click here to watch the trailer Surprise, surprise! This is a film that, yet again, shows the dangers of using drugs to self-medicate, and how they quickened  Wilson’s mental descent. But this film also demonstrates true musical genius when it comes to the amazing melodies and harmonies that Wilson chooses to explore in his music. The true nature of great melodies is demonstrated in the scenes that show Wilson composing. The movie also shows how  some  of Brians melodies are almost lost by the verbal abuse from his  demanding father, Murray. Yet, the powerful melodies endure and inspire us today, which goes to show you that a great melody is practically immortal! Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) “Coal Miner’s Daughter” tells the story of country singer, Loretta Lynn, and her rise to stardom from the absolute depths of poverty. Her musical endeavors are supported by  her husband,  her  children, and her  manager, Norm Burley. Burley is shown throughout the movie tirelessly  working to promote Lynn’s music. Click here to watch the trailer One of the key takeaways from this movie, aside from the tremendous amount of hard work that Loretta puts into her act, is the amount of effort her family and manager put into it as well. What we see as a successful “solo” act is actually the result of many people working together to bring her music to the world. This is another important lesson that young musicians should know: No matter how good you are as a musician, you cant get anywhere without the support of quality people. This movie teaches us that  when you get to the top, be careful not to step on the people who helped you make it. Amazing Grace (2006) This movie is about the events that led to  the classic Christian  hymn, “Amazing Grace,” and the ending of slavery in England. The movie depicts the work of William Wilberforce, an attorney who strove to end the slave trade in England. One of Wilberforce’s friends and supporters is John Newton, former slave-trader turned churchman. Newton inspires Wilberforce with courage and spiritual strength to stand up against an age-old tradition (slavery) that both men see as pure evil. Newton describes the events that caused him to have a religious conversion, which he sees as giving him a second chance in life. These events inspire the words to the beloved  hymn, Amazing Grace. Click here to watch the trailer This movie teaches many great  lessons that young musicians can learn from, but one that stands out is the power of a lyric. Amazing Graces lyrics show that faith and a new start can truly cause change in both individuals  and society as a whole. John Newton was a scoundrel, but after nearly dying at sea, he became a Christian. Instead of enslaving his fellow man, he spent the rest of his life working to end slavery. His powerful testimony has been passed down in the form of a hymn  and has inspired people from all walks of life to continue to work towards helping people instead of harming them. Amazing Grace shows the value of songwriting and how a truly inspiring song can continue to impact the lives of people for hundreds of years afterwards. The Glenn Miller Story (1954) “The Glenn Miller Story” tells the story  of big band era (1930s-1940s)  band leader, Glenn Miller. Not only was Miller the leader of a famous band, most famous for the song “In the Mood,” but he also served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. His stint in the Air Corps was brief, however, when his plane disappeared  over the English Channel in 1944. Click here to watch the trailer This movie  shows a top notch musician (he played cornet, mandolin and trombone) and band leader who felt a higher calling than just entertainment. He chose to give up a lucrative career as a band leader, at the height of his fame, in order to help stand up against the tyranny of Nazi Germany. And though it ultimately cost him his life, he died for something he believed in, which is a rare thing in the music business these days. The takeaway for modern musicians:  use your music to accomplish great things, and not just to entertain for entertainments sake. La Bamba (1987) La Bamba is  the story of Ritchie Valens, one of the first Hispanic rock stars in the world. The movie follows his rise to stardom, showcasing his  rocky relationships with his family and his girlfriend, Donna. Valens career was tragically cut short because of a  plane crash that also killed another musician on our list, Buddy Holly. Click here to watch the trailer Ritchie Valens was one of the first rock musicians to combine traditional Mexican scales over top of rock rhythms and chord progressions. We see in this movie that talent took Valens a long way, along with his creation  of  a new genre  that combined traditional rock with a new style. La Bamba was a great song because it took the newly developed idiom of rock  and  slapped a folk tune and lyrics onto the new style.  His style was certainly enduring people love La Bamba even to this day! The Buddy Holly Story (1978) “The Buddy Holly Story” tells the tale of early Rock n’ Roll guitar legend, Buddy Holly, and his band, the Crickets. In their brief career, they had hit after hit of great tunes that continue to influence musicians to this day. Click here to watch the trailer Buddy Holly is one of those musicians that, even if you’ve never heard of him, you’ve been influenced by him. Even though he died in the 1950s, musicians for decades to come  were heavily influenced by his music  (e.g.  James Taylor, The Ramones, Don McLean, Tom Petty, the Cars, and many other famous musicians who were  kids in the 50s and early 60s). Buddy Holly’s music shows that a great lyric, melody, and chord progression will last forever.  Not only were his melodies  well-crafted and infectious, but his punctuated singing style was unique at the time and set him apart from other singers. Bound for Glory (1976) “Bound for Glory” describes the events surrounding the life and times of folk legend, Woody Guthrie. When the harrowing Dust Bowl hit Oklahoma in the 1930s, Guthrie left his wife to migrate to Southern California. From there, his music career began. Click here to watch the trailer Guthrie was one of the most influential figures surrounding the folk movement of the 1960s. Even if you haven’t heard of him, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, or Simon and Garfunkel; they were all heavily influenced by Woody Guthrie. Guthrie’s simple melodies, such as “This Land Is Your Land,” captured a generation of singers who loved to perform his tunes. His rambling lifestyle gave him a great amount of material to write about, as well as  reflect on a tumultuous period of American History, prior to World War II. Woody Guthrie’s life and music demonstrates the importance of the songwriter as a historical record-keeper. The Benny Goodman Story (1956) “The Benny Goodman Story” is not supposed to be the most accurate version of the big band  leader’s life, but it does capture the great music that Benny Goodman produced. The actual details seemed to have been adjusted by Goodman, who was still alive while the movie was being made (and who played most of the clarinet solos that were recorded for the movie). Most of the movie centers around his romance with his wife, Alice Hammond, sister of John Hammond, the guy who discovered Bob Dylan years later. Click here to watch the trailer This movie  is inspirational to young musicians because it shows that you should continue to strive to develop your art and bring your gift to the world, despite the  obstacles that might get in your way. Benny Goodman was wise in his choice of side musicians one of his sidemen was the great jazz drummer, Gene Krupa. Picking great musicians to work with will challenge any musician to strive for greatness. Honorable Mentions Here are some other movies about musicians that are worth checking out too. Click them to watch the trailers: Cadillac Records (2008) Gene Krupa Story (1959) Jersey Boys (2014) Great Balls of Fire (1989) What are your favorite movies about musicians? Comment below with your thoughts! Post Author:  Willy M. Willy M. teaches guitar, ukulele, and mandolin lessons in Winston Salem, NC. Hes the author of the Dead Mans Tuning series of mandolin songbooks, and is a former member of the American Federation of Musicians. Willy has been teaching for 20 years, and his students have ranged in age from young children to folks in their 80s.  Learn more about Willy here! Movie photos courtesy of IMDB 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

Help your Child Deal with Exam Stress

Help your Child Deal with Exam Stress As the exam period approaches, parents can often notice their children getting more uptight, especially if they are sitting the all-important GCSEs, AS or A-Levels. Super-tutor Mark Maclaine provides his top tips for parents to alleviate exam stress.   1. Permission to fail When  children are stressed it is usually because they’re thinking more about the consequences of the exam than the actual exam itself. Sadly, I’m afraid just telling them not to think about the outcome will just make them think about it more! Many of the most successful and happiest students I’ve ever worked with have one thing in common. Their parents are focussed on hard work over grades. I often hear them saying things like “If you can honestly say that you have worked hard and tried your best, then we don’t care what the results are”. Giving a child permission to fail, whilst emphasising the need for putting in the work, is one of the most powerful tools parents have in helping their children. This is also powerful in tutoring. When I’m training tutors I will tell them to congratulate students not for getting a question right, but for showing their working and trying their best. This lifts the focus away from getting questions right, and helps the student learn a valuable lesson - that making mistakes is a good way to learn and hard work pays off in the end. 2. Subconscious stress Many of the students I work with who suffer from extreme exam stress are reacting to the, often unconscious, stress of their own parents. Many parents worry that if their son/daughter isn’t doing well at school then maybe the parents aren’t doing their job properly. Children are extremely good at picking up on this anxiety, no matter how well we think we are hiding it. Be honest with your children. Let them know that although you do want them to do well, you will love them no matter what. Parents often assume their children know this, but when you listen to the stressed children this is may not be the case. 3. Don’t add to the stress Find ways to reduce the amount of things children have to think about before exams, and don’t add to them by making threats. The last thing you want your child thinking about during an exam is losing the XBox, rather than  focusing  on the questions in the paper. 4. See stress as positive Help your children understand what they are likely to be feeling just before an exam. Let them know that their heart rate will often rise and they may feel jittery. This is their body getting them ready for a challenge, and with increased heart rate their brain will be receiving more oxygen - which is a good thing. Recent scientific studies have shown that reframing stress in this way leads to dramatically more positive physiological effects on the body, and can actually help performance. Blood vessels open up and instead of being a hindrance, the stress children feel can be channelled positively. 5. Listen to your child Let your child know that it’s normal to be worried, and that you yourself have been in this position too. Listening to concerns and genuinely empathising, putting yourself in the child’s position, serves to release some of the anxiety. This then allows the child to start opening up to new possibilities. Simply telling children not to stress can often make things worse as it can seem as if you are invalidating their feelings. Ask them if they think there is a lot of pressure on them, and be prepared for them to say yes. Find out what they think will happen if they fail the exam. Listen to their concerns and work together to find ways to combat this together. 6. Use tools such as tutoring and exam preparation sensibly Many children will be reassured by speaking to a tutor who has specialist knowledge of the exam they are about to sit. Just speaking to someone who can tell them exactly what challenges they are likely to face removes the fear of the unknown. But: the last thing you want to do is exhaust your child with too much preparation! A good tutor will tell you when the child is overloaded, and further lessons might actually be detrimental to performance. If you or your child would like a tutor then why not book a tutor to come to your house from the Tutorfair website.

Implementing Differentiated Instruction Into Your Lesson Plan

Implementing Differentiated Instruction Into Your Lesson Plan Implementing Differentiated Instruction Into Your Lesson Plan In order to truly implement the philosophy of differentiated instruction, it is important to get a grasp on the theory and to understand why some teachers and tutors deem it necessary.Differentiated instruction bases your lessons around the very idea that each student is different and as such, they retain and learn information in different ways.Rather than have each lesson exactly the same, which can cause some children to fall further and further behind, differentiated instruction works to meet each of them on some level of their own learning abilities.Many tutors in math, English, and other subjects use differentiated instruction in their teaching process. Whether you're a tutor, teacher, or parent, using various aspects from this method can help you teach a variety of different students. Pre-Assessment and Assessment As said, differentiated instruction puts a focus on the differences in abilities and learning styles of your students.This can sometimes be a little more taxing on the teacher when it comes to evaluating student progress and gearing each lesson to a students sensibilities.For pre-assessment, youre tasked, as an instructor, to see the prior knowledge that your students are going into a lesson with. This can help you decide where to begin and where to focus most on.During the assessment process, you will be able to monitor your students progress through each lesson through a variety of means, whether they be quizzes, projects, group activities, or reading assignments. Content in a Differentiated Instruction Class The key aspect of differentiated instruction is how it affects what kind of content you teach in class. Similar to balanced literacy, another teaching theory, differentiated instruction looks to vary the types of mediums that relay information to your students.For example, while your standard classroom may have the students learn directly from a textbook, differentiated instruction may have your students read passages from a novel, poems, or simply watch a relevant movie or film strip.The idea is that effective teaching stimulates a variety of senses and the children will have an easier time absorbing things if given a variety of applications. Product in a Differentiated Instruction Class When it comes to differentiated instruction, the product is where your students can truly express what they learn in a variety of interesting ways. Rather than a simple exam or report to show what theyve learned, students are given the opportunity to express themselves in clever ways.For example, they may choose to write songs on the subject that they just learned or create their own magazine with a variety of articles on the subject at hand. In this way, differentiated instruction allows the students to showcase their knowledge in a way that appeals to them. This is a bit more useful than a simple exam, as it makes the students go a step further and apply their knowledge into a useful and everyday application.

Ready to Start Reading 3 Tips for Choosing Easy Target-language Books

Ready to Start Reading 3 Tips for Choosing Easy Target-language Books Ready to Start Reading? 3 Tips for Choosing Easy Target-language Books Reading in your target language is one of the most fulfilling things about learning it.There’s nothing in this world like reading a page of your target language and understanding it.Not to mention the benefits of carrying around a foreign language book  and impressing your friends!But getting started with native materials can seem like a Herculean task at first. What if you don’t know all the words yet? What if you cant understand what the writing is trying to convey?Then theres the question of what you should read.  Novels are so long, and the classics seem way out of reach. Even picture books can be tougher than they seem at first glance.Don’t let any of this stop you! If youre a fast-progressing beginner, an average intermediate learner or an advanced learner whos ready for a reading review, I’m here to help you ease your way into reading native-level material. Tear yourself away from the safe mooring of learners’ materials and textbooks, because we’re about to dive in to the deep end of native-level material.Well, maybe we’ll keep a floating device around. Ready to Start Reading? 3 Tips for Choosing Easy Target-language Books1. Take Advantage of Readers with Simultaneous TranslationsWhy Use Readers?Readers occupy the area between beginner-level textbooks and true native materials.This one’s for the folks out there who havent yet laid eyes upon a native-level text. (That said, some readers use non-native learners’ textsâ€"make sure you pick one up that has native material!)They provide the structure you crave, along with glossaries, vocabulary sections and sometimes even grammar notes. And some readers are graded so that you can really pinpoint where you want to go. Sure, the texts are mostly classics, but all of that support makes them totally accessible.Simultaneous translationsâ€"where one page is in your target language and the opposite page is written in your native languageâ€"though, really seal the deal. Simultaneous translations ar e the literary equivalent of having a friend guide you along. They allow the easiest transition into reading native material. Even the rawest of beginners can match up a sentence from one side of a page to a sentence on the other!Where to Find Readers?Never fearâ€"readers for major languages are easily found on the websites of  most major booksellers and on Amazon. They’re common learning tools, and you’ll likely be able to choose from many.Penguin has awesome parallel text readers in French, Spanish, German, Chinese  and Japanese.Also for Japanese, I’ve personally used Breaking into Japanese Literature,  which is of excellent quality, and the online store White Rabbit Japan has lots of options for graded readers, bilingual texts and level-specific reading material in general.There are several e-readers by Routledge and others available on VitalSource for rental (at a cheaper price than what it would normally cost to buy the book), so this is a great option if youre already us ing VitalSource for other language learning e-books or if the idea of learning primarily with digital texts sounds appealing. They have readers (and other books) for Greek, Chinese, Hindi, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Japanese, Russian and more.The publisher Dover also has a variety of readers for these languages, so get hunting!How to Make the Most of ReadersTry to Crack the CodeTake advantage of those simultaneous translations! As stated above, they’re awesome for piecing together a half-learned language. Find a word or phrase that you know and match it up to the translation. Start with short sentences and move on from there. Try to match up the other words with their translations as well as you can, and double-check with the book’s glossary or your dictionary. Think of it like cracking a code!Add the Language to SRS FlashcardsAt the same time, keep in mind that the simultaneous translations are indeed translations, which  means that they arent perfect glossaries o r word-for-word literal translations. So, they’re not the best things to include in your SRS flashcards. Rather, use any vocabulary lists or glossaries included in the reader to SRS all the new words you’re using.In addition to using readers, you can also take advantage of the selected reading material, SRS and flashcards on the web version of MosaLingua, which is available for Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese. You can read e-books in the MosaLingua library, for example, easily look up words and phrases you dont understand and then make them into flashcards to review later.Set a Specific Time to Read Each DayWhen youre first starting to wade into the world of native-level text, exposure is absolutely key. Sure, that block of text is scary at first. That’s absolutely why you need to commit to some reading time in every study sessionsâ€"five to ten minutes of looking at native text. Emphasis is on the word looking. You don’t have to understand, you don’t have to look anything up, but make sure youre taking in some of those words. Make sure you’re getting used to reading in your target language!Break  the RulesAnd finally, books don’t have to be read in the order in which theyre printed, especially if youre using them as learning tools. Khatzumoto from All Japanese All The Time spells this out brilliantly in this series of postsâ€"we don’t have to read in order because books serve us, not the other way around.Skip around!Flip the page!Skim through the whole tome until you find a sentence you understand!It’s totally fine, and much better for your studies than you getting bored and frustrated by sticking to a passage thats too difficult.2. Read Stuff You Already KnowWhy Read Stuff You’ve Already Read?If you’re an English speaker (which I’m guessing you are), then congratulations, English books are the most frequently translated in the world. That means, if you have a favorite book in English, chances are you can find it in the language of your choice. These are great for intermediate and upper-intermediate learners, but beginners can totally take a stab at reading them, too!Reading books you already know well gives you that valuable context.Context allows you to decode a new language without you having to look up every word in a dictionaryâ€"which isn’t all that much fun for anyone. Personally, I love using Harry Potter and Roald Dahl’s children’s books for this. All of these I’ve read about a million times in total, so I know what’s going to happen very intimately. It’s like a simultaneous translationâ€"but in your head!This allows me to pick up a translated Harry Potter book and dive right into the first chapterâ€"I already know what it’s going to say. I find words I know in the language and I guess at the meaning of the surrounding words.Guessing? Don’t be so alarmed. It’s not so bad to guessâ€"if you’re wrong, your studies and exposure to native media will correct it. And it keeps you actively reading!Where to Find Translated Books?Native-level books can be harder to track down if you don’t live in a  country where the target language is spoken, but there’s still hope!Amazon third-party sellers are greatâ€"just search the translated title of the book youre looking for. Keep an eye out when you’re in used bookstoresâ€"I’ve found Japanese and German Harry Potter books in Pittsburgh, Hebrew and Hungarian books in Boston and Korean books in rural Pennsylvania.You can purchase Kindle/e-book translations on Amazon in languages like Spanish, French  and German.Finally, for languages that have a presence in your country, you might have luck finding books in online stores that sell within your country, like YesAsia for Japanese and Chinese.How to Make the Most of Translations!First off, I would recommend using  children’s or young adult literature you know wellâ€"these work best for beginner and intermediate learners just starting to read native material. T hese books have easier language and easier content, and that allows you to focus on learning and practicing the language. That being said, always go for what you like. Mainstream fiction novels are often pretty close in reading level to young adult books. And if classics are what you love, go for it!When you have your book, dive in and start reading. Like with readers, feel free to skip around, skip hard paragraphs, go straight for the dialogue. Find what you recognize and read from there. You could even start with chapter titles or the table of contents! Description tends to have harder vocab, and dialogue tends to have simpler, more colloquial languageâ€"keep that in mind while you’re skipping around.Next up, don’t always use a dictionary. Refrain from trying to look everything up! Relaxâ€"you’ll definitely pick things up from context. Kató Lomb, the famous Hungarian polyglot, learned her languages primarily through novels, and she advocated for using dictionaries only spar ingly, when absolutely necessary. If you can guess, then guess!To remember all of this new information, SRS choice sentences when you have time. Don’t make SRS the sole goal of readingâ€"skimming and looking up words should be a separate activity in and of itself. SRS is an active mode of learning that you can fit in when you’re sitting down to study. When you do start with SRS, simply choose sentences where there are one or two words you don’t know. Plug in the L2 sentence on the front of the card, and the definitions of the vocab on the back. And there you go! Easy!3. Devour Comics and Picture BooksWhy Read Comics and Picture Books?Like with reading translations, the visuals here provide you with context, and that context speeds up learning! If you can’t get a translation of a book you know and love, getting your context through visuals is the next best thing, even if youre working with  a new book that you know nothing about.It’s best to find either comics or picture bo oks aimed at young readers. Comics will probably be easier to understand, since they’re aimed at younger readers. Picture books can actually be harder. Why? Because they’re often written for parents to read to their kids!Where to Find Comics and Picture Books?This will pretty much be the same as for translations. While Amazon is pretty good for Spanish if youre buying from the US, your best bet is to hunt them down through online stores that sell L2 books in the language you want; here are some examples for French, Spanish, German, Japanese  and Chinese.If youre just starting out in your target language and feel that you could use more support, Language Lizard, a site that specializes in bilingual childrens products,  offers bilingual picture books in over 40 languages. They have all of your major world languages like French, Spanish, Chinese, etc., as well as others you might not expect, like Haitian-Creole and Scottish Gaelic.How to Make the Most of Comics and Picture Books!Th ese are especially great for browsing. Embrace your inner child and look at the pictures. Pick out words you know like with anything else you read, and guess at the meaningsâ€"but this time, do so by using the pictures. Try to notice repeating words and see if you can associate them with the illustrations. Make it a game and have fun with it!Again, don’t be glued to your dictionaryâ€"especially with comics, the pictures tell half the story. Words you figure out on your own with context will stick with you longer, and that only means more proficiency for you in the long run. Be honestâ€"how often do you remember the scores of words you mechanically look up in dictionaries? Make it memorable by puzzling it out, just like a kid does when theyre learning their first language.So, youre all set to develop your own personal, target-language library.Get out there and hunt down some reading material for your shelves!Even with native-level materials, there are always ways to ease yourself i nto reading works by native speakers and for native speakers. This way, you’ll be able to read anything in no time at all!