During this holiday season, it is important to remember to be thankful for what we have. Our lives are stressful and overwhelming. Sometimes it is hard to see the end of a rainbow. But remembering where we came from and have overcome can make us happier just thinking about it. This blog post is all about being thankful for what I have and what I have accomplished in the last year. As I look over the last year, I realize that much has happened for me to be thankful for. Here are 10 of them: 1. My education and ability to learn 2. Family, friends, and supporters 3. Clients: Past, Present, and Future 4. Accomplishments so far 5. Curriculum I use 6. Ultimate Support Group for Online Tutors 7. Blogging Mastermind Group 8. Hobbies-cross stitching, sewing 9. Faith in God 10. Good Health My education and ability to learn I am thankful for my education and ability to learn. In the last year, I have learned more than I ever thought I would about blogging, email list series, interacting with websites, and search engine optimization. When I was growing up, I wanted to teach in a school. Learning about how to reach students online has taken my tutoring business to a new level. I have also learned how to tutor online instead of in person. Students seem more at ease when they are on the computer than in person especially when we meet in public where their friends can see them. Family, Friends, and supporters I want to thank my family, friends, and supporters as I teach students how to ACE the ACT. Without their support, I would never be able to transition from teaching in a classroom to online. My husband is my biggest supporter as I have made many changes over the last year to make tutoring online work with our family. My friend Caroline and her family have been great supporters of my tutoring online. She has given me many tips to make my business better. Clients Past, Present, and Future I would like to thank my clients that I have had in the past, have now and will have in the future. Without you, I wouldn't have a reason to teach. Each of you has taught me something that I can use for future clients. For example, one of my students taught me that 9th grade is a great year to learn how to take the ACT. Accomplishments so Far I am thankful for my accomplishments so far. I started tutoring on my own over three years ago. Since I started tutoring, I have gone from teaching only in the summer to teaching all year round. I have changed from tutoring elementary and middle school students to teaching ACT test prep. I went from blogging once in a while to 1x weekly. I never knew what a tweet was to having following. Curriculum I use I am thankful for the curriculum that I use. With this curriculum, I am able to reach most of my students that I tutor ACT prep. These books are comprehensive and teach students how to apply the ACT strategies to their everyday homework. They come with tests that analyze where each student's strengths and weaknesses are so I can create personalized programs. If you would like more information about these books, check out my review of materials I use. Ultimate Support Group for Online Tutors I am thankful for the Ultimate Support Group for Online Tutors. This is a group I belong to that comprises of many people who tutor students all over the world in many areas of education from math to reading to science to managing money. I am thankful for this group because they support me and help me with my journey to move to the online world. When you are an entrepreneur it is hard to get started and keep going especially in hard times. This group gives me inspiration when I need it and helps me move in the right direction. Every time I meet with them, I become inspired to do more than I thought was possible. Blogging Mastermind Group I am thankful for the online group that I created called the Blogging Mastermind Group. This is a group of online tutors who are trying to figure out ideas to blog about. This group is a small group that has a range of abilities in blogging. We get together to help each other come up with ideas to blog about and how to promote our blogs to tell the public. Hobbies I am thankful for my hobbies of cross stitching and sewing. Last year I decided to cross stitch Christmas towels for gifts for my family. After that, a neighbor had a baby, so I decided to cross stitch baby bibs. I work for a homeschool assistance program in Iowa and we taught the students how to make pillows. I decided to take it a step further and make throw pillows that were unique for my living room. Faith in God I am thankful for my faith in God. Without my faith, I think it would have been hard to keep hoping for something better. Believing in something higher than myself helps me keep working hard at being better by learning something new every day.
Good Health I am thankful for good health. I have a thyroid condition, so sometimes it is hard to concentrate on things in general. My doctor listens to how I feel and works with me in trying new things. Right now I am on a great medication that helps me focus 95% of the time. If you would like to know more about how I overcame my illness this year visit my website I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. If you are feeling down, think about what you have accomplished so far this 2017. Even a little progress is still better than nothing. What are you thankful for this year? Let me know in a comment below.
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Can you study for the ACT? Many parents and grandparents ask me this question when I talk about my job as an ACT tutor. I wanted to take a moment not only to discuss this question but give you a resource for how to study for the ACT. Past Generations Since becoming an ACT tutor, I have found that many people in my generation or my parents' generation never really studied for the ACT. They took it once and that was it. The ACT is not an IQ test or blood test, so you can study for it. In fact, students who study for the ACT do better than those who do not. You are not only preparing for the ACT but also reviewing for college courses. I was lucky I was lucky because my high school offered after school courses that covered the ACT subjects. I was able to attend the math part a week before I took the ACT. I wasn't able to take the other courses though. I did better on the math part than on all the other tests. Free Offer I am offering you a free learning plan that will help you study for the ACT. With this plan, you not only will be able to do better on the ACT but in your everyday studies as well. I believe that as you apply the ACT strategies to your everyday school work the more prepared you are for college. What you will get With this study plan, you will learn how to use note cards to learn new skills in reading, English, math, and science. Reading will become easier as you learn how to interact with the reading by asking yourself basic questions along with higher level thinking questions. Writing will become error-free as you learn common errors in English and how to fix them. Math will become easier as you learn how to conquer Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry. Science will become fun again as you learn to pick out the necessary information and apply it to the questions. Please get your free offer now!! If you like what you see, fill out the form below to get your free study plan. It will come in a series of emails over the next few days. Before you know it, the ACT will be easier and your test anxiety will go away. So you want to sign up for the ACT, but you have several concerns first. Are you worried that you are not ready for the ACT and if you sign up now, you won't have enough time to prepare completely? Can I afford the ACT fees? I don't have internet service, how do I sign up? 1. When to sign up for the ACT You might want to give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the ACT prior to taking it. I suggest that you take a practice test first. You can get yourself a study guide with tests, or use one of the practice tests found on act.org website. Then figure out how long you will want to study prior to signing up for the ACT. 2. Sign up using a packet These are perfectly normal questions when signing up for the ACT. If you don't have internet, don't worry, you can still sign up for the ACT. If you go to a high school, you can go to your high school guidance counselor and request a packet. If you are home schooled and want to get a packet without going through the local high school, request a packet using the information above. 3. Use the Internet If you decide to use the internet go to www.actstudent.org for more information. Here is what you will need in order to sign up online:
4. Need Accommodations? Do you have an IEP or need special accommodations for the test to work for you? You must think about these issues prior to signing up for the ACT. You can either call 319-337-1332 or act.org for more information. Here's how to sign up for accommodations on the ACT:
5. Cost There are several costs in addition to the test cost that you might want to think about.
6. When is the ACT covered in 2017-2018 school year? The ACT is offered seven times this year which is more than it has been offered in the past. You can go to act.org for more information about late registration.
7. How often can I take the ACT? You can take the ACT 12 times at most. However most students take the ACT 1-2 times. Colleges used to not encourage students to take it more than 1x but colleges have realized that students who take the ACT more often are more dedicated to working hard and earning a good score instead of those that don't. Final Thoughts Once you have figured out how long you need to study and signed up for the ACT, you can set up a study plan that will help you focus your studying and keep you on track. This can be done with the same study guide you used for a practice test or by getting yourself a tutor. If you like this article and would like more information about how to set up a study plan visit my website at saintstrainingandtutoring.weebly.com. Hello all!
I wanted take a moment to talk about why I chose to highlight this infographic. I teach students how to ACE the ACT all the time. Some students know how to study but the students who struggle don't. This infographic summarizes everything that I try to tell them all wrapped up into one nice fit package. If you would like more information on how I can help your student with the ACT, please visit my website at saintstrainingandtutoring.weebly.com or contact me directly at 641-257-9530 or [email protected].
If you have been following my blog, you may have noticed that I have been MIA. I wanted to write and tell you a bunch of excuses that explain why I have been MIA, but really it is due to fear.
I tell my students that they shouldn't let fear to study for the ACT get in the way, but I didn't follow my own advice in not letting fear take control of running my own business. It has been slow awhile as I change my focus from teaching reading and math to ACT test prep . Moving from teaching in a school district to running my own business is a scary and unknown territory. I am working with a mentor to help refocus my teacher brain to an entrepreneurial brain, but it is hard to change. Refocusing is hard This is no different than a student who struggles in high school but wants to go to college and get a decent job. In fact last year, I was tutoring an eighth grade student who didn't think she could succeed because she struggled with reading and math. However, she loved to cook. Once I told her that she could go to culinary school and become a chef, her eyes lit up and she started working harder on her subjects. Learn from mistakes I just read a chapter from "The Growth Mindset Coach: A Teacher's Month by Month Guide" by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley. It talked about a student named Deb who has always struggled with math but excelled in reading. She can always remember taking more reading and English classes but avoiding math classes. We tend to run away from our struggles instead of embracing it to conquer it by learning from mistakes and moving on. I have a current math student who loves to dance and sing but she struggles with math. I ask her if she studies as hard for math as she does with dance and singing. She doesn't. If we work as hard on our struggles as do with our passions, we can and will get better at what we struggle with. We all struggle I recently did the same thing. I have a medical issue that affects how I feel and approach life. It needs to be monitored periodically and is affected by stress. I found out about 2 weeks ago that my levels were way off and needed readjusting. It coincided with issues that I was having with growing the tutoring business. I let that scare me into believing that I wasn't good at running my own business due to the stress it contains and almost stopped what progress I am making. In three years, I have helped over 36 people with my services. Today I am making a pledge to not let my issue with fear take over any more. I challenge you to do the same thing. Don't let fear and your mistakes stop you from going after what you really want in your life. If you are a high school student and want to go to college, you can and will succeed on the ACT if you learn from your mistakes that you make through your studies. If you want a free consultation about where you on your ACT test prep journey, contact, me Stena Schmitt at 641-257-9530 or [email protected]. Do you worry about succeeding on the ACT? Do you dread even starting the process of studying? Any successful person will tell you that starting something new is a scary process. I am here to help. Hi this is Stena Schmitt from Saints Training and Tutoring. I want to help you be successful with the ACT by showing you step by step how to study. I received the inspiration for these steps from Stephen Covey's book, "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." Studying like a Millionaire Millionaires like Steve Jobs, Stephen Covey, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett, and Mark Zuckerberg will tell you they all have a process when starting something new and scary. Just because they are successful now doesn't mean they don't worry about new things in the future. They just don't let fear stop them, so it shouldn't stop you. If you follow my steps and stay consistent, you can and will succeed on the ACT. I am including an info graphic to help you follow along. Let's get started. Begin with the end in mind Before you start studying for the ACT, you must believe in yourself. If you don't have confidence in yourself, you'll never win at anything. Imagine you already took the test. What did that look like, feel like, sound like, or smell like? If you have never taken a large test like this before, I will help you. Close your eyes. You are sitting at your home computer taking deeps breaths because you are nervous. Your parents and family members are anxiously waiting with you. You took the ACT about three weeks ago and now you are checking your results in your email. You have looked at the same inbox at the message from the ACT company for 20 minutes now. You open the email and it says "Congratulations! Your score is 36" You got a perfect score! Your studying paid off. You are so excited and start applying for colleges and scholarships. You get the college you want along with the scholarships you need to pay for it. Put first things first Now that you have confidence to start studying for the ACT, it's time for the next step. You need to take a practice test to see how much studying you need. You haven't even signed up for the ACT yet. Get yourself a comprehensive study guide with lots of practice tests to help you. If you need help check out this post on my website: "Want a $10,000 Scholarship? One Teacher's Opinion on ACT Materials." Make sure the study guide you use will analyze your right and wrong answers. This will help you focus your area of study. Be Proactive As you come up with your study plan, allow enough time before scheduling the real ACT test. According toPrepScholar.com you need to study 10 hours for every point that you want to increase. Don't freak out if you have a lot of points to increase. The earlier you start, the better off you will be. As you plan, be mindful of your activities such as schoolwork, job, friends and family. Plan to study around these activities. Seek first to Understand Using a study guide, find your strengths and weaknesses. You will not use the study guide for all of your ACT test prep. Instead, figure out ways to use the knowledge from it daily including your schoolwork. The more you study for the ACT, the easier the test becomes. The ACT is all about problem solving and using some of what you already know. Practice, Practice, Practice As you study, check on your progress by taking full length practice ACT tests. The study guide you use should have several tests. But you can also find tests on the ACT.org website as well. I recommend that you take at least three full length ACTs before the real test. As you take each full length test, analyze your results. Find your strengths and weaknesses. Ask yourself questions as you analyze your such as:
Since you are reading this, you are already ahead of the game. When preparing to write this article, I talked with several educated adults about the ACT and what I do. Many of them didn't realize studying for the ACT was a thing. They took it once and prayed they did ok. The more you know how to attack the ACT the more relaxed you can be. You are able to take it more than 1x and colleges encourage you to do just that. If you would like more tips or help with the ACT, please contact me, Stena Schmitt at saintstrainingandtutoring.weebly.com, @tchr121 on Twitter, email me at [email protected], or by phone at 641-257-9530. Are you a teenager thinking about going to college and now you are standing in the bookstore wondering what to study to ACE the ACT? I can relate. As a tutor, I have to figure out what works for my students and what doesn't. I have an education degree and I still struggle with finding good, updated materials.
Below is a review of the materials that I use and why I chose them. This way you can decide if studying alone or with a tutor is the best option for you. Studying for the ACT If you decide to study for the ACT, you are farther ahead than a lot of your peers. Any studying will help as long as you find reputable materials. One way to find the right materials is by reading reviews of workbooks, so you are already on the right track. I recommend finding materials that have sample full length tests so you can practice pacing yourself for the actual test. At the Beginning When I first started tutoring ACT test prep, I stood where you are in test section of Barnes and Noble. A prospective student wanted help with the ACT and I needed materials to help them. There in the test aisle was several bookcases filled with workbooks for different tests. I had done some research so I knew the ACT was being updated and I wanted to get the latest workbook that I could find. A College Perspective I wanted a college point of view, so that is why I chose the Kaplan book. I use the Kaplan ACT 2016 Strategies, Practice and Review guide. The test company just changed the ACT, so I had to make sure I had the most updated version. I wanted a comprehensive book with lots of examples and practice tests that would help prepare students for the test, relieving test anxiety in the process. The Kaplan book does just that. Comprehensive program It covers all subjects on the ACT including the optional writing test and gives up to 6 full length tests. It even analyzes scores by breaking down each question into categories so students can figure out their strengths and weaknesses. I use one of the tests as a baseline assessment so I can create a study plan for students. A Drawback It is written at an ACT writing level so students can practice actual testing conditions. One thing that I don't like about it is that the passages are not high school friendly. Many of my students are not interested in the material and therefore, get bored easily. Also it is written in black and white with little to no pictures. A need to change When one of my students decided to take my course twice, I decided I needed to change my class up a bit. I went looking for a different program. Instead I found two. These two programs are Barron's ACT Math and Science Workbook(found at Barnes and Noble) and Complete Fun ACT Prep Bundle(found on Teacher Pay Teacher's website). $10,000 Scholarship After working with this student, he took the ACT in June after he graduated high school and earned a $10,000 scholarship to college. Complete Fun ACT Prep Bundle I really like the Complete Fun ACT Prep Bundle because it uses topics that the students are interested in. It is a downloadable program that comes with colorful posters, Power Points, and workbooks. One of the passages talks about the Chicago Cubs curse which they broke in 2016. These topics gets students excited about studying for the ACT. They interact with the reading and create great discussions which helps with learning. It also gives key words to use in question types like the Kaplan book. This way students can write their own test questions using their own materials. Draw Back This bundle only covers reading and English. Another drawback is that it might not be written at an ACT level of writing, so if that bugs you, this program is not for you. Barron's ACT Math and Science Workbook: Second Edition Since the Fun Bundle didn't cover science and math, I had to find something else. I liked the Barron's book because it also explained each subject in detail and gave extra examples to practice. It is in black and white without any pictures, but the print is larger. I was also able to find flashcards that covered each subject. The flashcards had sample questions for students to answer which makes for a quick review. I found this book to be a little more fun than the Kaplan book, but still comprehensive in nature. Draw back It is not updated to the 2016 standards and not endorse by the ACT. Neither are the other programs I have discussed today. It is a lot of reading and analyzing, so if you struggle with reading, this could be a problem for you. Some students are perfectly capable of studying for the ACT on their own by using study guides and or other resources. However, there are other options such as hiring a tutor. When I tutor, I give a baseline ACT and analyze the results for you. Then I take those results and create a study plan for each student. I create lessons and discussions to help you master the skills necessary to succeed. What have you done to study for the ACT? I would love to hear from you so comment below. The ACT was designed to evaluate problem solving skills. Colleges wanted a way to evaluate students' ability to see any challenge and solve it strategically. That is why the ACT is unlike any test students have seen throughout their schooling. There is no memorizing facts, figures, or dates. There is no spelling mistakes.
When studying for the ACT there are two ways to look at it. You can take a growth mindset view and tell yourself that you are going to try your best. Or you can take a fixed mindset view and tell yourself this is a hard test and I can't get better at it. Which view do you think will do better on the test? Hi, this is Stena Schmitt of Saints Training and Tutoring again. Once I was a long term substitute, and the staff was reading "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck. I decided, even though it wasn't required of me, that I would read the book, too. My Experience with Mindset I have taught several students how to ACE the ACT, but not every student is an easy one. Students realize the ACT can be hard, but how they react to the difficulty varies significantly. After reading this book, I can put my students into two categories: growth mindset and fix mindset. Students with a fixed mindset get frustrated with the material. I have to be extra diligent by how I show students the benefits of completing the activities I give them. For example, one of my students can speed read material, but doesn't comprehend a word of it. I showed her a different way of looking at reading by making her ask questions as she read. Instead of asking herself "What happened?" after she has already read, I make her think about those questions beforehand. Then, as she reads, she can answer those questions. I taught her that it was ok to mark up books or use post-its to take notes as she read. Students with the growth mindset, on the other hand, try everything I give them and go above and beyond what I ask of them. I don't have to persuade these students to complete the activities. My first student with a growth mindset started with a score of 14 and ended up earning a $10,000 scholarship to college. Let me show you an example of what each student looks like. Do you watch your child struggle in school? Maybe he or she doesn't understand the deeper meaning of conversations? Is your child's overall comprehension of situations just not there?
I can relate. I have worked with many students who struggle with comprehension for several years now and it is hard to figure out what exactly the problem is. When comprehension is a problem, it is usually a vocabulary issue. But where do you start with vocabulary instruction especially when you don't know where the student has been in his or her instruction already? Hi this is Stena Schmitt from Saints Training and Tutoring again. There are many vocabulary instruction programs that teach a set of words in a variety of ways such as definitions, word games, sentences, etc. A student works on these words for a week and then takes a test over the words in order to spit out the definition. After the test the student no longer uses the words and doesn't gain a deeper meaning of the world around them. Nope, doesn't work. While in school students are given vocabulary based on the subject matter at hand. The words are based on the chapter material, learned for the chapter test, and forgotten. Nope, doesn't work. There has to be a better way for students who struggle with comprehension to learn vocabulary without having to take a test and forget the words they just learned. I think I have one. Teaching foundational vocabulary When teaching students vocabulary, one must teach foundational vocabulary words. That is, words that are crucial for learning which varies based on subject matter. For example vocabulary words that are crucial for math are add, subtract, sum, difference, multiply, product, etc. These words are important because it's used more than on just one test. Have students pick out vocabulary Instead of teaching students vocabulary they have to know for a test, have students come up with their own words they need to work on. Give each student a notebook to write in that has their vocabulary in it. Encourage students to pick out vocabulary words that they come to in the reading as they read. This will be challenging for all levels of learners because they will pick out words that fit them instead of what is given by their teachers. For example, a science student is learning about astronomy and doesn't know the word astrological. As a parent or teacher, encourage your child to find definitions of the word but not to take that definition at face value. Instead come up with examples of what the word is and what it isn't. Based on that information, the student should come up with a definition for the word she or he is learning. Using Note Cards Put these words on note cards and attach it to a key chain or ring. Have students take these words with them and encourage them to use the words in their conversations with parents, family members and friends. The more a person uses new vocabulary, the better he or she understands and is able to take it to the next level. Applying is mastery How do you know when students have mastered the vocabulary and are not just spitting out the information? As students apply what they have learned and are able to take it to the next level, they have mastered the information. For example, mastering math vocabulary happens when students are able to apply their knowledge to word problems and find the correct answer. Continued success is also needed to show mastery, so students can't start to apply the information and then stop. We're not in subject matter, anymore Toto! Vocabulary doesn't just have to happen in school but in life too. Sometimes parents forget that students could be learning this information for the first time. Instead parents assume students should already have learned the material and be able to understand it. When parents are introducing a new skill to their children, they need to approach it just like a teacher or tutor would from the beginning. Parents need to figure out what their children already know and teach them everything else. Parents teach everyday life skills and some of the vocabulary that comes with each life skill and children can come up with their own vocabulary based on where they are at ability-wise. Parents can help children pick out new words. As children start applying their knowledge of skills, they can build on it with more complicated skills. How do you teach vocabulary? After reading several books and articles about how to teach vocabulary, Comment on how you teach vocabulary to students in the comment section below. I would love to hear your thoughts. I love this infographic because it explains exactly why I teach my students to use their own materials when studying for the ACT.
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