Spark Tutors

SAT or ACT Tests?

Jessie — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:55:58 +0000

In Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, my SAT tutors often get asked the difference between these tests. The test makers offer free samples so you can take a trial test and judge for yourself. The ACT is shorter but you must work faster. There is no penalty for guessing. The SAT can prove better for kids who easily master testing strategies. Some college guidance officers now insist that their students take both tests TWICE before their senior year. That’s probably overkill considering everything else that’s important in a teenager’s life: grades, activities, social life and some iota of balance!

Chemistry Tutoring for Online Classes

Jessie — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:43:32 +0000

More and more high school students are taking college courses online, and my Santa Barbara chemistry tutors are happy to help. Of course, my Santa Barbara math and physics tutors are also on hand for online classes. Many kids need a tutor to help with pacing and organization – as well as content – when they head to cyberspace for learning. Self-paced online classes can be a blessing or a curse. If a student procrastinates (never!) it can be quite a marathon to complete a course in order to meet a deadline for their school. Those five-hour tutoring sessions are a serious brain twister!

Math Tutoring and Confidence

Jessie — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:33:19 +0000

I’ve posted before on math tutoring and confidence. My Santa Barbara and Goleta math tutors work with students in elementary grades through college. And no age is immune from the clutches of flagging mathematical confidence. What’s great, though, is how quickly kids’ confidence can be turned around with the help of a caring math tutor. One teacher saw noticably more confidence in a timid young mathematician – after just two hours of tutoring! When kids aren’t stumbling over the hurdles of anxiety, avoidance, and self-doubt then learning really accelerates.

Got final exams? Get a tutor!

Jessie — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:20:54 +0000

I thought I’d post today to answer a question I’m getting right now from parents: Yes, Spark Tutors has math and science tutors (Santa Barbara’s best!) to prepare your child for final exams. You don’t need to be a long-term client. Many families call 2 weeks before finals to get that extra boost with a tough class (geometry, calculus, advanced algebra, physics or chemistry most often). So if you’re on the fence, give me a call and get a tutor. The difference between a B+ and an A- in a class matters for college applications, and the final exam can lift your child’s GPA.

Identity and Effort in Math and Science

Jessie — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:01:04 +0000

One of my dazzling Santa Barbara calculus and chemistry tutors – a biochem major at UCSB - told me she always thought of herself as a future scientist. I have math tutors in San Luis Obispo who say the same thing. As girls they envisioned careers in labs. Research has found that when kids self-identify as violinists (or future scientists) or whatever, they perform astoundingly better than less-committed peers – even when both groups practice the same amount of time. That internal idea – “I am a future scientist” leads to deeper practicing and superior outcomes. Great teachers and tutors can inspire kids to imagine careers in their field of study. This may be the single most important factor in improving kids’ performance!

Tutoring and The Talent Code

Jessie — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:09:54 +0000

Daniel Colye dissects the anatomy of talent in his 2009 book, The Talent Code. He argues that breakthrough teaching and practicing grows talent up to 10 times faster than ‘ordinary’ drilling. My Santa Barbara tutors definitely agree: there’s learning and then there’s Learning! Extraordinary teachers work at the edge of their student’s understanding – in the reach zone just beyond their current mastery. They chunk information – breaking down concepts into smaller, discrete parts. And they motivate students to practice, practice, practice. Many teachers love tutoring because the one-on-one format is ideal for teaching in this greatness ‘zone’. The book, by the way, is a super read!

Happy Thanksgiving, San Luiso Obispo Tutoring Clients and Tutors

Jessie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:16:57 +0000

Winter holidays on the central coast most often feature beach walks and weather in the mid 60s. This year looks to be no exception! A very heartfelt thank you to my tutors and tutoring clients in Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Los Osos, Morro Bay, Templeton, Atascadero and Paso Robles. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Happy Thanksgiving, Santa Barbara Tutoring Clients and Tutors

Jessie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:13:40 +0000

I’ll be puttering around Aliva Beach for the holiday so here’s an early heartfelt thank you to my wonderful tutors and tutoring clients in Carpinteria, Montecito, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang and Los Olivos! Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Motivated Learning

Jessie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:52:31 +0000

Learning demands motivation! Some kids are motivated by As and teacher praise, but the best students are kids who view learning as a joy in itself. My math tutors and science tutors from UC Santa Barbara agree: kids who want to learn do better! My physics tutor had a Carpinteria student who went from an F to a B just because he got excited about physics. He began completing all his assignments, studying hard for tests, taking time to quiz himself and then seek out answers where he had knowledge gaps. Clearly, he had the ability to learn physics all along. What he lacked was motivation. Cheers to the best tutors: they are always great motivators!

In Defense of the SAT

Jessie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:28:45 +0000

I shared this story with my Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo SAT tutors: At Harvard’s college counseling program last summer, one prominent dean of college admissions stood up and said, “Look, I know everyone loves to hate the SAT. But listen, every year we accept a few kids on the basis of their SAT scores. If a student’s school is obscure, if their teacher letters are short and vague, if their counselor letter is poorly-written, if their transcript or portfolio is difficult to compare to ordinary academic benchmarks… but they just might be that diamond in the rough — then an outstanding SAT score gives us the evidence we need that the young scholar can succeed here. ”