ELF Tutors

Hobbies on a Budget

Mary Mackay — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:22:14 +0000

It goes without saying that not every family can afford thousands of dollars to support a healthy, yet expensive hobby for their children. Yet, it also goes without saying that every child needs something to be good at, something to keep them motivated and out of trouble, and something to help them define themselves. Believe it or not, there are many inexpensive hobbies in which you and your child can become involved. We have put together a brief list for your child to consider, and to help you find even more productive hobbies for your children. We encourage you to leave a comment at the end of this post describing your success at picking up a new hobby, or with any additional suggestions you may have for other families! (more…)

Quick and Healthy Snacks

Mary Mackay — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:49:38 +0000

It’s 5:00 pm. You’re home from school, lunch was five hours ago, dinner is not for another two and a half hours, and you are hungry! Before you grab the bag of Doritos, and before you open up a can of Coke, consider that there might be better options for you to snack on!

1. A tuna fish sandwich. Tuna should never be underestimated! Slather on some no-fat mayonnaise, grab a couple of slices of high-fiber bread, and a fresh fruit, and you’re good to go! (more…)

Top 9 Worst Homework Mistakes

Mary Mackay — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:06:26 +0000

Any successful student will tell you that much of their educational success was due to homework. But the benefits of doing your homework go beyond just grades.

Study after study has shown that students who dedicate quality time to doing homework have higher confidence, stay out of trouble, have more positive relationships with family and friends, and more. Of course, everyone knows that confidence, a solid foundation of knowledge, and healthy relationships are the keys to being successful. So, let’s recap: doing well on homework equals a fancy future!

With homework being so important to life as a whole, your teacher shouldn’t be the only one wanting you to do it! Read below to learn about some of the most common mistakes students make, and how to easily avoid them!

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Mary Mackay — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:23:05 +0000

In this document, information about the student’s needs, and his or her progress can be easily tracked. Directors input information about the needs of the student, and arrangements discussed with the parents. This information is gathered during the initial meeting session with the parents, and prevents the parents from having to repeat themselves. The tutor then inputs information about each tutoring session. This information serves to help the parents keep track of the progress of their child, and understand what is being done to help them. Information may include: progress, observations, extra work assigned by the tutor, grades the tutor is aware of, any information obtained by the tutor from the teacher, etc.

The family, tutor and directors are the only ones who can view this information for each student! Parents may also leave comments on each post for the tutor and directors.

The posts start chronologically at the bottom, so that the most recent post is at the top for the parent.

Working to improve test grades!

Paul Bunyan — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 05:21:18 +0000

Session length: 1 hour. Today, Johnny received back the test that he had taken on Thursday, and the grade was satisfactory (though could be better). He received a 78 on it, which is a definite improvement from the failing grades he had received before. However, I believe he can do much better on the next test. We reviewed through the problems on the test, and all but 1 were problems that he was fully capable of solving. As he looked more closely at the problems, he too realized that he could have worked through them, and gave up to quickly when they started to seem complicated to him. He agreed that on the next test, he would not give up so easily. The one problem that he was not prepared to solve was the extra credit problem which involved factoring (which is the next topic they will cover). We also worked through some of the homework problems that he was assigned today which cover factoring. The material seemed familiar to Johnny from the last time he took the class, and he began to be much braver about answering them by the end of today’s session. He will finish the homework over the weekend, and we’ll review it on Monday so it’s ready to be turned in on the due date on Tuesday.

Preparation for the test!

Paul Bunyan — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 05:20:14 +0000

Session length: 1.5 hour. Today we reviewed through the study guide that the teacher had given the class for their first test tomorrow. Johnny seemed enthusiastic about the test, and stated that no teacher had ever been so interested in his hobbies, and that he was finally seeing some obscure reason for needing to know Algebra. :) As we worked through the Study Guide, Johnny needed very little assistance with the problems. As I anticipated, Johnny has the intelligence to do this work, he just never had the confidence to work through the problems unless the answer was immediately apparent. Assuming the test is similar to the study guide, I believe that Johnny will do very well tomorrow.

Session 4, a tired day

Paul Bunyan — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 05:19:24 +0000

Session length: 50 minutes. Today, Johnny seemed tired, and not excited about doing his work. He graphed a few functions using the table method (pick a number for x, plug it in, calculate y, and plot it), but was detached. After graphing a couple of graphs, we talked about a formula I had prepared for a farming example. The equation was to relate a profit to how much wheat is grown. In general, the more wheat that is grown, the more money they earn, however, after a certain point, they begin to lose profit because the more wheat they process, the more it costs them, and eventually they begin to lose money altogether. Johnny learned that the name of this behavior is a “parabola,” and seemed interested in it. Though it was something he may have innately been familiar with, it was not something he had every really thought about, and he agreed that this could be something very important to ensure that he made a profit in his future business. He agreed that an educated business-man was a much richer business man. At the end of the session, Johnny was definitely more enthusiastic about learning Algebra than at the end.

Session 3, working on confidence!

Paul Bunyan — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 05:17:27 +0000

Session length: 1 hour. Johnny did not complete all of the homework problems as I anticipated, but I could see that he tried. As we went through the problems, we discovered that Johnny knew how to do the problems, but convinced himself he was not capable and did not finish them. After 5 or 6 problems, Johnny started to do the problems unaided, and became much more confident about his answers. Until previously, his answers ended in a questioning tone, but by the end of the homework assignment he was stating the answers. On Monday, we will begin to work on graphing the different functions so that Johnny can have more of a visual understanding of what the function does. We will also relate the graphs to some of the farming that he has done.

Session 2 a good day!

Paul Bunyan — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 05:16:56 +0000

Session length: 1 hour. Today we reviewed what the definition of a function is, and how the ‘y’ term always depends on ‘x.’ We looked at some real-world examples of functions that would depend on a variable value. For example, Johnny told me about how the amount of antibiotic given to a sick cow depends on how big the cow is. Johnny usually has a table with him that relates the weight to the dosage, but occasionally is unprepared and must guess at the dosage, rather than having to go all the way back to his house to get the table. Johnny and I worked together to make a formula (function) where all he has to do is plug in the weight of the cow (which is marked on the ear tag), and he can then calculate the dosage. The equation is simple and linear, so Johnny doesn’t need a calculator to do it in the field. We wrote the formula on the bottle, and now Johnny never has to worry about carrying around the table with him. Johnny expressed interest in this new tool, and seemed much peppier throughout the tutoring session than he did on Monday. We also worked through some of the assigned homework problems, and Johnny still seems annoyed by having to do the work, but willing. Johnny will finish working through the problems tonight, and on Friday we will check over them.

Meeting with the family.

Paul Bunyan — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:10:52 +0000

Session length: 1 hour. Today was our Introductory Meeting. We discussed problems that Johnny is having with his Algebra, and his mother discussed what she thought might be the problem. Photocopies were made of the syllabus for the class as well as the first test on which Johnny performed so poorly. I will approach his teacher from the previous semester to obtain photocopies of his tests from last semester. Johnny seems apprehensive about having to focus more on Algebra now, and seemed to have been content with not doing well in the past. The Algebra does not excite him, and he doesn’t understand why it is important to learn it. We will relate his assignments to his interests as listed above throughout the tutoring sessions. We have agreed to meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Johnny’s house at 6:00.

Johnny has struggled with Math since he was little, and now needs to pass Algebra I in order to progress towards graduation. He has difficulty focusing on the teacher during class, and disciplining himself to do his homework when he is at home. Consequently, Johnny performs poorly on exams. This is his second attempt at this class, and has already failed the first exam. Johnny’s mother believes that his difficulties with Math stem from having unmotivated teachers when he was young, and from having parents who are not comfortable with Math either. Johnny performs well in his other subjects with the exception of Science, as his lack of Mathematical ability holds him back.

Tests indicate that Johnny is a visual learner, and does not do well with lectures. Johnny needs more opportunities to see Math in action, and also needs help to raise his confidence. Tests also indicate that Johnny is intelligent, and excels in abstract thinking, and so we believe that one-on-one assistance with more focus to a hands-on approach and recognizing his abilities will give Johnny the edge he needs to not just pass, but to excel at Math.

Johnny plays on the football team for his school, and hopes to go to college to become a researcher for the nutritional needs of cattle in the Texas area. He is also very interested in farming, and music.