Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Why Learn Intermediate English Online?

Why Learn Intermediate English Online?I wanted to talk to you about the next best thing to earning a decent living online... being able to learn Intermediate English! If you are like me and you have been trying to learn English for some time, then there is no doubt that you have realized that it can be incredibly difficult.However, with the Internet, we have the opportunity to travel all over the world, so let us take a step back and learn from some of the best language learning resources out there. By now, we should all know that the more ways you can learn a language, the better off you will be.So, if you want to take the next step in your language learning journey, than take a look at the many resources available to you for Intermediate English. For example, if you go to Google, you will find a plethora of learning tools that are available to you.To start, you will find all the options, and although some are free, many are paid. As you can imagine, the paid ones are much more effe ctive, but then again, many of them come with a learning bonus. So do some research and decide what method is right for you.Now, Google is probably the biggest of all the learning sites out there, and there are many tools that you can use there to learn. However, I personally recommend the free online course; it's really very easy to understand, and you will see how you get the hang of it rather quickly.However, even with a free online course, it is important to remember that the more resources you have, the better off you will be. You do not want to go to a class and be nervous because you do not understand anything, and you do not want to be frustrated because you cannot use a tool because you have a bad connection.So if you are serious about learning Intermediate English, then make sure you make use of a learning tool, so that you do not get discouraged, and it is not so hard to understand. At the end of the day, if you stay focused, you will make the most of your opportunity and have the best learning experience.

Friday, March 6, 2020

3 Lessons to Take Away from Your First Year of Teaching

3 Lessons to Take Away from Your First Year of Teaching You did ityouve experienced all the joys and tribulations that come with your first year of teaching. There is no doubt that youve learned a plethora of lessons this past school year, such as how to schedule your time and how to successfully work with others in your school. Now, take time to acknowledge these lessons and to find ways to learn from them as you go into your next year of teaching. Here are three lessons to take away from your first year of teaching: Teaching lesson #1: how to manage your time As you well know, there is a seemingly infinite amount of time that you spend on schoolwork. The list of tasks includes, but is not limited to: Lesson planning Grading papers and tests Sending emails to parents Professional development opportunities Finding new technology to incorporate into your classroom. During your first year, it can seem like everything needs to be done in that moment and that everything takes a long time. This summer, take stock of whats most important to get donein other words, what needs immediate attentionand plan your weeks accordingly. You can also try scheduling time to complete specific tasks. Lastly, decide on an approximate end-time in your day or week where you stop schoolwork and relax or focus on other tasks. This doesnt need to be a strict time, but its important to maintain a healthy work/life balance. [RELATED: 4 Ways Personalized Learning Positively Impacts Students] Teaching lesson #2: understanding your schools culture By now youve figured out that your school is one in a million; your administration, staff, students, and even the location of your school add up to something distinctive and uniquewhich, of course, has both positives and negatives. Getting to know the cultural norms of your school and your administration is helpful for figuring out how to merge your vision of your classroom with your principals. Where do your values overlap? What can you offer your classroom and your school that is unique to your abilities? Additionally, learn about what your administration offers in terms of funding and professional development opportunities. These may not be advertised outright. Ask your principal directly, or connect with a veteran teacher in your school. Your administration will be happy to know you are taking initiative to improve both your teaching and your school. [RELATED: 3 Emerging EdTech Tools That Can Spark an Interest in Learning] Teaching lesson #3: how to invest in your community Schools are huge parts of the community-at-large, as you likely know. With that said, let your community be a part of your classroom. First, think in terms of your school itself. What are some ways you can develop and deepen relationships with fellow teachers and your administration? This can be as simple as prioritizing positive interactions with them on a daily basis, or as elaborate as collaborating together on integrated units or asking a veteran teacher to be your mentor. Secondly, think about how you can involve the community in your classroom teaching and vice versa. What kind of field trips might help you and your class network with relevant organizations and important issues? Are there any community members that youd like to bring in to your classroom (with your administrations approval, of course) to do an interactive lesson or job talk? Activities like this will help build your students sense of being part of a larger community, and will help you take advantage of the skil ls and knowledge of others. [RELATED: 3 Ways Teachers Can Encourage Passion for Learning This Semester] The summer after your first year of teaching is a great time to destress and to reflect on what youve learned. Considering what went well and what didnt will help you improve as an educator and help you serve your students needs more effectively. This is a great time to communicate with other first-year teachers and swap experiences, too! 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.

GCSE poem analysis Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

GCSE poem analysis Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley What is it about? Shelley's poem imagines a meeting between the narrator and a 'traveller' who describes a ruined statue he - or she - saw in the middle of a desert somewhere. The description of the statue is a meditation on the fragility of human power and on the effects of time. Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half-sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed; And on the pedestal these words appear: 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. Form The poem is a sonnet - a fourteen-line single stanza form that originated in Italian love poetry and that was popularised in England by Shakespeare. Most sonnets break into two parts: an 'octet' (the first eight lines) and a 'sextet' (the last six lines), with the second part commenting on the first. In this sonnet, the first part sets up the frame narrative and then describes the statue and the second part ironically relates the king's words and adds the final description of the desert setting. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, but there are several variations in the pattern, including reversed first feet ('Nothing beside remains' and 'Tell that its sculptor…'). Language Ozymandias calls himself 'king of kings' - a phrase taken from Biblical language - which smacks somewhat of arrogant pride. It could imply that his subsequent obscurity was a punishment from God - a subject that Shelley considered in several of his other poems. Shelley coined several other powerful phrases in this poem and the final lines have entered the language and have been used for the titles of several books and games. Both 'boundless and bare' and 'the lone and level sands' use alliteration to remain memorable - as does the sneer of 'cold command'. The 'colossal wreck' simply refers to the statue again; 'colossal' means 'giant', with a particular reference to giant statues like the Colossus of Rhodes and 'wreck' means anything that has been broken or ruined. Caesurae A caesura is a break of meaning and rhythm within a line. Shelley uses several within the poem and each one has significant effects. The first falls after 'Who said:' in the second line. The pause here mimics the traveller's intake of breath before telling his story, dramatising the moment as well as creating distance between the description of the statue and the poet's retelling, almost as if recalling from memory. The second caesura comes after 'Stands in the desert.' The very final full stop and ending of the sentence reinforces the sense of isolation surrounding these strange, ruined legs. The final caesura repeats this effective trick, following 'Nothing beside remains.' This short, grammatically complete and isolated sentence stands within the poem like the statue in the desert. By contrast, much of the rest of the poem is formed of long, complicated sentences that stretch on and on, like the desert or time itself. Context Ozymandias is the greek name for the Egyptian Pharoah Ramesses II. Interest in Ancient Egpytian history was fashionable in the period and the importation of statues to British and French museums was beginning in earnest. It isn't clear whether Shelley would have seen statues himself and whether he was inspired by a real piece of sculpture. Irony The statue is of course ruined - the legs remain but the body has fallen. The face ('visage') lies on the sand, 'half-sunk' and 'shattered', making it hard to recognise. According to the inscription, which has survived, the king Ozymandias set up the statue to draw attention to his 'works' - but his own face has not survived, let alone the empire he may have once ruled. The stretching of the 'lone and level sands' in every direction cover any buildings or rich farmland that may have flourished here. However, one survivor beside Ozymandias' words is the sculptor's skill: it is witnessed by the success of the statue in capturing 'those passions' of the king, even when partly ruined. Nameless, it is the sculptor whose works are still valued, just as Shelley's poem survives from his own day. frame narrative - a story within which the main story happens: in Ozymandias the narrator claims to have met a traveller (story 1 or 'frame narrative') who tells of his own experience in a distant desert. caesura - a break in the middle of a line of poetry, when both grammar and rhythm stop. For extra support with poetry analysis, why not book a lesson with one of our experienced  GCSE English tutor?  With Tutorfair you can browse through a selection of great tutors to find the right one for you. For More GCSE poem analyses similar to Love's Philosophy:  The Farmer's Bride, Love's Philosophy,  Neutral Tones, Kamikaze,  Medusa, and When We Two Parted.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

How Parents Can Best Assess the Mid-Year Report Card

How Parents Can Best Assess the Mid-Year Report Card It is report card timesomething many parents and students dread. But they shouldnt, says Eileen Huntington, co-founder of Huntington Learning Center. Every parent would love to see a report card full of As and glowing remarks about their childs love of learning and work ethic, but remind yourself that the report card is a valuable tool, says Huntington. Think of it as an opportunity to help your child, to address and overcome any issues together.What should parents look for when reviewing the report card? Huntington suggests evaluating your childs report card for these five things:Study skills What does your childs report card indicate about his or her ability to focus, take initiative and manage his or her time? says Huntington. Developing good study skills is an important part of becoming an effective student. That involves staying organized at home and at school, keeping track of assignments and projects, and learning to prioritize.Good effort Being involved in homework will giv e you a good sense of your childs effort level, but pay attention to marks and comments on the report card that address this, too. Talk with the teacher about it. Trying hard is important, but if your childs grades dont reflect his or her effort, there may be a deeper problem.Red flags Red flags are warning signs of potential issues. We suggest looking beyond the grades, because your childs attitude about and commitment to learning are just as important, says Huntington. Do the teachers remarks indicate your child is unmotivated or has difficulty listening and staying focused? Does he or she talk too much in class or avoid school work?Behavioral issues Is your childs teacher reporting indifference or apathy on your childs part? Or is he or she acting out? Often, struggling students feel worthless and stupid, says Huntington. When your child is beyond frustration, beyond trying or caring, his or her behavior may worsenespecially at school.Strengths Often, theres so much focus on t he bad parts of the report card that we forget to pay attention to the areas where students excel, Huntington says. One of the best ways to build childrens self-esteem is to help them find the thing that makes them feel successful. Remember to notice and celebrate your childs strengths.

5 online resources for Business Studies tutors

5 online resources for Business Studies tutors It may be one of the most recent subjects on the curriculum, but Business Studies is - well - serious business! With the economy as it is, it's never been more important for young people to get on top of the subject. Here are some great resources to help out all of those budding entrepreneurs, whether they're studying at GCSE, A-level or University level. 1. Business Studies Online is an absolute must-visit for students of all levels, bringing together exercises, a dictionary and links to BBC Business and other websites. http://www.businessstudiesonline.co.uk/live/ 2. The Times 100 is a list of the best businesses in the UK. Brilliantly, there's an engaging student and teacher section on the Times 100 website which uses the companies it lists for case studies and exercises. http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/ 3. Dineshbakshi.com brings together teachers of business studies and related subjects; here, they post up their resources, exercises and revision guides for students everywhere to share. http://www.dineshbakshi.com/ 4. This GCSE revision sheet helps you to see where your knowledge gaps are and is helpfully provided by Portland Place School in central London. http://www.portland-place.co.uk/upload/documents/%7Be9d1b5c6-4119-4b8e-bf0f-48cb49e37c9d%7D/Business%20Studies%20revision%20list.pdf 5. At First Tutors, we recommend some excellent revision guides and books designed to help business studies students. https://www.firsttutors.com/uk/resources.php

Emojis help children understand shakespeare - Tutor Hunt Blog

Emojis help children understand shakespeare Emojis help children understand shakespeare Emojis help children understand shakespeareSecondary SchoolsTeachers are turning to Emojis to help children understand Shakespeare A growing number of teachers are using emojis as a tool to help their pupils understand Shakespeare. There are many reports that the icons can help children engage with the great playwright`s work. Charlotte Hodgson, an English teacher at the Avonbourne College in Dorset is enthusiastic in her support of this new teaching aid, and countered the view that it is `dumbing down` the text: `The emojis are not used by themselves - there is always some kind of verbal or written explanation that then allows you to check the pupils` literacy, writing skills or speech skills.` It would of course be a concern if emojis were over used in the classroom, but Ms Hodgson was emphatic that they are only utilised to help pupils understand specific points in the text. `The emojis just give them a starting point that they understand.` When I first heard about this story my initial reaction was one of opposition - is there nothing so sacrosanct that these modern maniacal yellow faces can`t intrude upon? - for they certainly seem to be everywhere! What next - sacred texts translated wholesale into the newspeak of smiles and frowns? Marriage proposals composed entirely out of jaundiced decapitated heads? With a little consideration I have revised my opinion however - teaching aids of various kinds are used in a variety of subjects - and the reason for this is that they are effective. I can recall how the image of a see saw`s was used during my own school days in maths lessons, in order to help us learn how to balance equations. This simple tool, which was nothing more than a line and a triangle drawn on the blackboard, was extremely effective in helping us understand the seemingly intractable problem of algebra. If emoji`s can be helpful, then they should certainly be used in the classroom to help pupils understand Shakespeare. Great literature can often be difficult - and literature from 400 years ago can pose specific problems. Good teaching often entails presenting the difficulty in a slightly different light - and if the use of emoji`s can help in the teaching process, then why shouldn`t they be used? Of course an over reliance on teaching aids can be detrimental to the learning process. If my maths teacher had spent the whole year drawing see saws on the blackboard, attempting to use them to help overcome problems to which they were not applicable, this would have been a misuse of the teaching aid. Though ideally suited to balancing equations, the tool would have been less effective in the domain of trigonometry. In the same way emojis will have application to some areas of literature, but not others. A study of the play Hamlet may lend itself particularly well to an interoperation aided by emoji`s. The eponymous character certainly goes through the whole gamut of emotions - elation, mental confusion, rage, despair - and the use of emoji`s to delineate his turbulent and mercurial state of mind could well be helpful for pupils. Not everyone has full support for this teaching aid however. Clare Sealy, the headteacher of St Matthias School in east London, is against very much against using emojis to teach. `As educators, we have not a single minute to waste teaching trivia, such as emojis. How will such learning help bridge the word gap? How can we help disadvantaged children gain the sorts of powerful knowledge that children in, say, the top public schools have? Not by devoting precious curriculum time to the detritus of youth sub-culture. That would be fiddling while Rome burns.` Of course images have been used as a way to assist understanding and explanation throughout the history of mankind. Maps have been used for centuries as tools for navigation, as they assist the mind in understanding terrain at different scales. A map can provide spacial representation of a building, a country, or even the planet as a whole - each different scale of rendering providing useful graphical information. Construction blueprints are helpful in all areas of engineering; while anatomical diagrams have a wide variety of uses in medicine. Rebus books have images in the actual text of the story - usually emoji like pictures - and are used to help children learning to read. Sometimes the picture will be used in place of a word, and the child will be encouraged to read out the names of the images, while the adult reads the actual text. Some teachers encourage their students to construct emoji summaries of a book they have read. The beginning middle and end will be expressed concisely with just a few images - in this way the book can be seen as a whole, and its meaning clearly understood. The enduring appeal of Shakespeare is that his that his message is universal - it reaches across cultures, across hostory. Betrayal, ambition, jealousy - these are global, timeless concerns, intrinsic to the human condition. Since he has travelled this far down the ages, enduring all the fickle changes of fashion, the bard will have no difficulty surviving these disembodied little yellow heads. 21 months ago0Add a Comment

6 Questions That Will Make You Stand Out at Your Internship

6 Questions That Will Make You Stand Out at Your Internship via Pixabay #1 How Would You Evaluate My Performance So Far? Rather than wondering how you are doing at your internship, get the courage to ask your supervisor how they think you are doing. This question shows your supervisor that you are self-aware and concerned about how you are performing in your role at the company. It shows that you show interest in succeeding and leaving a mark at the company when your internship is over. You may also learn that you aren’t performing as well as you thought you were. This gives you a great opportunity to change your behavior and work ethic to really stand out at your internship in a positive way. #2 Are There Any Skills That I Should Improve? Supervisors and managers appreciate an employee or intern who is always looking to better themselves in their role. This question opens the window for feedback and constructive criticism that can be extremely beneficial to you both during your internship and later down the road when you start your career. Follow this question by asking how you should improve these skills. This will give you some direction about how to go about improving yourself at your internship. #3 Where Do You See This Company/Industry Going? There aren’t too many students who like to think about the future or the bigger picture. This question will make you stand out at your internship because it shows that you are interested in the future of the company and the industry. You will show your internship supervisor that you like to plan ahead and want to adapt and stay relevant within the industry or company. This also gives you the opportunity to offer your own thoughts about the company. #4 Am I a Good Fit for this Career Path? Not everyone is cut out for every career. Internships are a great way to determine if you would like to pursue a career in a certain industry. However, if you are unsure if you would be successful in that career path, don’t hesitate to ask your supervisor. Since they have been working in the industry much longer, they can honestly tell you if you have what it takes to succeed. While as a college student you may not succeed automatically, your supervisor can offer suggestions on what you can work on and skills you should acquire that will help you succeed in that career path after graduation. #5 How Should I Network in this Industry?   Networking is one skill every college student should master. You never know who you are going to meet and how they can help you advance your career later on in life. The best place to start networking is at your internship. Talk to different employees and make connections with the other interns while working there. If you are nervous or hesitant about networking, ask your supervisor for some tips on how to network with people in your industry. They may offer you some topics to talk about or even networking events to attend in the area. #6 What’s the Difference Between a Good and a Great Intern? Always go above and beyond when it comes to a job. You never want to complete a job and have people think it was only half completed or rushed. When you ask this question, it will make you stand out at your internship because it shows that you don’t want to just be a “good” intern, but a “great” one! You want to exceed expectations and go the extra mile when it comes to getting the job done. There is no better skill in the workplace than striving to succeed. Stand Out at Your Internship There are many ways to stand out at your internship. One way to stand out is by asking your supervisor questions. These questions will separate you from other interns because they show that you are interested in succeeding in your internship and what you think about the bigger picture. They show that you are self-aware and looking to make changes if needed. These qualities all make up a great employee, which can ultimately land you a job with the company after graduation.