A recent conversation with a relative stranger who is a parent made me realize something: What sort of accountability is there on the part of a tutoring company to ensure results for their clients??

The woman I spoke with had said that she had previously used a tutoring company (which shall remain nameless) and not only were she and her daughter unimpressed with the company, but the materials they gave her daughter to work on were far below what she was able to do, not furthering the girl's skills at all.  Further, the parent was so dissatisfied with the results, that she did not even finish the program (which she had prepaid for in order to receive a discount).

Now, a lack of an improvement on the child's behalf could be attributed to one (or a combination of) several factors, but the fact remains that the company providing the service needs to ensure that they have completed their professional duty in ensuring that they have done everything they can to at least ensure that the child has understood the information.  Otherwise, what good is your service and how do you justify your price tag???

One last point I wish to make on this.  Parents: there should be a conversation with parents, students and the company at the beginning of the transaction regarding the specific expectations of the Program, the tutoring and the follow-up results.  Otherwise, how can one reasonably gage success?

Technology.

Whether you love it or you hate it, it’s here to stay.

Technology has taken our education system by storm, singlehandedly playing a huge part in getting kids interested in learning , exploring and discovering.  Students devour websites with ease and excitement - they did, after all, grow up with the Internet…meanwhile older foggies (um, I mean people who are more “experienced”) like me began learning about MS Excel later in life – (by the way this is when all the kids I teach burst out laughing and call me old). The beauty of it is, not only is technology awesome for the environment, but it’s a great tool to connect with.  For example, I can’t think of another time where students could sit back and enjoy a TED Talk that features an actual professional pianist talking about the trials and tribulations (near death) of remaining feverishly committed to her craft, despite doctor’s warnings.  Nor can I think of anything cooler than actual scientists, physicians, world explorers, computer programmers and the list goes on and on, whom are able to, with the mere click of a few buttons, come into a classroom and transform the lives of students.

The Internet has absolutely revolutionized our ability to find anything we need at anytime, and has changed the face of research assignments forever.  Many teachers are also seeing the benefit of including the internet and social media into their daily lesson plans, activities, and projects.  The fact is that students need to know how to use this (and put it into application) so we aren’t doing them any favours in keeping it from them. People are now able to communicate with friends, family, share photos and blog postings, and to connect with people on the other side of the world…instantly! When my students realized that I was not, as of yet, a Smartboard wiz, they couldn’t believe it, seeing as how they reported to have been using it since grade 4.  Mind you, we also can’t ignore the negative effects of the Internet.  As wonderful as social media is, let’s not forget that we are no longer allowing our eyes to read ink, but instead, we are now reading light.  I’m no doctor but I have to wonder what the effects will be to our eyes in the next decade.  Also, with global access to people of great minds and great messages, we are also opening ourselves up to people of unsound mind, who may wish to hurt children and more.  Parents and guardians often think that by locking the main house door they are keeping intruders out.  Maybe so.  But don’t forget about those intruders whom, with some basic computer savvy, can very easily find your children. Computers and the Internet are great.  They can, do and should serve as incredible tools to further education and on a larger scale, civilization.  We just need to be mindful that with the good, (or I should say great) we are not also letting in the very dangerous.

At any point in the year, skills such as note-taking, active listening and participation, as well as studying efficiently and effectively are some of the most important skills your kid will acquire and use now and over time.  The following are some tried, tested and true study tips and strategies for successful students (and for their parents, who are undoubtedly assisting on this great journey we call learning):
Successful students:

1. Try not to do too much studying at one time.
   
   If you try to do too much studying at one time, you will tire and your studying will not be very effective. Space the work you have to do over shorter periods of time. Taking short breaks will restore your mental energy.
2. Plan specific times for studying.
   
   Study time is any time you are doing something related to schoolwork. It can be completing assigned reading, working on a paper or project, or studying for a test. Schedule specific times throughout the week for your study time.
3. Try to study at the same times each day.
   
   Studying at the same times each day establishes a routine that becomes a regular part of your life, just like sleeping and eating. When a scheduled study time comes up during the day, you will be mentally prepared to begin studying.
4. Set specific goals for their study times.
   
   Goals will help you stay focused and monitor your progress. Simply sitting down to study has little value. You must be very clear about what you want to accomplish during your study times.
5. Start studying when planned.
   
   You may delay starting your studying because you don't like an assignment or think it is too hard. A delay in studying is called "procrastination." If you procrastinate for any reason, you will find it difficult to get everything done when you need to. You may rush to make up the time you wasted getting started, resulting in careless work and errors.
6. Work on the assignment they find most difficult first.
   
   Your most difficult assignment will require the most effort. Start with your most difficult assignment since this is when you have the most mental energy.
7. Review their notes before beginning an assignment.
   
   Reviewing your notes can help you make sure you are doing an assignment correctly. Also, your notes may include information that will help you complete an assignment.
8. Tell their friends not to call them during their study times.
   
   Two study problems can occur if your friends call you during your study times. First, your work is interrupted. It is not that easy to get back to what you were doing. Second, your friends may talk about things that will distract you from what you need to do. Here's a simple idea - turn off your cell phone during your study times.
9. Call another student when they have difficulty with an assignment.
   
   This is a case where "two heads may be better than one."
10. Review their schoolwork over the weekend.
    
    Yes, weekends should be fun time. But there is also time to do some review. This will help you be ready to go on Monday morning when another school week begins.

Have you ever wondered why people are sometimes better at performing certain tasks than others??

Well, I certainly have, and let me tell you, my inquiring mind has led me to a very interesting find:
People have what are called Neurodevelopmental Systems, which are pathways of thinking that, based on the person's specific brain connections, affect those things they are best at (and sometimes don't allow some functions that we consider basic, to work at all).  This will help explain the incredible frustration people feel when they cant get a math problem or they cant get their many ideas together to write that book they've been meaning to write.

Here is a list of all the Neurodevelopmental system pathways that affect different parts of your learning:

1.  Attention Control System - how much focus and attention you can give to any one thing.
2.  Memory System - how much you remember about something and how well.
3.  Language System - how writing and languages come easily to you.
4.  Spatial Ordering System - how we deal with and configure information in a spatial, organized manner.  ex. Whether Jimmy can figure out how to put his left shoe on his left foot.
5.  Sequential Ordering System - how well you remember the sequence of events and/or instructions.

6.  Motor System - how well Alice can ride that 2-wheeler, or whether Julie can write in cursive or play the fiddle.
7.  Higher Thinking System - how you can problem-solve and reason logically, to form and make use of concepts, and to get the point of a complicated idea.
8.  Social Thinking System - ability to speak and interact thoughtfully with others, without saying something off-putting.

I was reading an article about world-renowned and celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking, where he states that Earth may not be habitable after a certain point (that may be sooner to come than we think) and that human survival may depend on humans inhabiting space. 

I found this very interesting and as I kept clicking on link after link, I was taken to a website all about Stephen Hawking and who this incredibly accomplished man is. At the risk of sounding like a giddy little schoolgirl, I think Stephen Hawking's contributions to the field of physics and science are beyond incredible.  Not only has he been perfecting his craft and field of study for around 30-plus years, but he currently occupies the same post at Cambridge University once occupied by Sir Isaac Newton (yes, THE Sir Isaac Newton). 

What is even more fascinating is that this is someone who has been battling Lou Gehrig's disease for decades and only has the use of one muscle in his right cheek which he uses to communicate with a computer.  Regardless, his focus on his work, and his family are so exemplary.  What Stephen teaches us about human behaviour is that at any given time, a person can look at their situation and circumstances in a positive or negative way by what aspect they choose to focus on.  Now, I'm not saying that everything in your life (or mine for that matter) are perfect (not even close), but I  believe there is something to learn from someone who can do great things and have a great disposition in the face of some incredibly trying times. 

On the other hand, there are so many examples of people out there with all the beauty, money, love and riches in the world who killed themselves with drugs and other things.  Elvis Presley, John Belushi and Kurt Cobain to name just a few of the great and amazing artists who were so loved and respected for their work but were clearly battling their own demons. 

As someone who has seen her fair share of unfortunate situations and has been dealt some pretty crappy blows in her time, I find comfort in the fact that I make sure to find something redeeming and a valuable lesson, even in the midst of sometimes devastating situations. 

In the end, whatever has happened to you, you can either allow it to lick you completely or you can learn from it and grow from it.  Sometimes easier said than done but with some distance from the situation, you will hopefully get the lesson out of it.

People sometimes start off by saying "I will try this" or "I will try that" and then when they are in the midst of it and the going gets tough, they just throw in the towel and say forget it!  I definitely recommend kids and people in general to check out and try new things and if you dont like it, leave it alone.  But when what you're looking for is to cultivate your leadership skills in an area, thats not the way a person with passion gets somewhere. 

People who are really sure of themselves and have a vision (doesnt have to be a very clear one at first but they have a vision) really can get around ANY problem.  These are people who are COMMITTED and will DO ANYTHING to achieve their vision.  No matter what field you get into or you are in, there will always be obstacles to overcome and this is one way that the Universe tests you to see whether you are committed to your vision or you have a non-chalant or too much of a relaxed attitude toward it.  Those who are committed are the ones who consistently really get somewhere!

I can guarantee you that all of the greatest leaders and businesspeople in the world today have had many obstacles to overcome, but they used each of those obstacles as stepping stones to learn their industry and their craft and to get that much better at what they do.  Just read up on any of them...if you find one who had everything just handed to them without even having to really work at it or keep it and make it larger, please let me know!

Do what you like, just be decisive in doing it because Henry Ford's quote that I have sitting on my desk at school still rings true: Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right!

Before even setting a goal, make sure that your reasons for setting that particular goal is good and valid before expending all that energy on attaining it.  At the end of the day, if your reasons for doing something aren't strong enough and dont reflect what is important to you, you may take action for some time, but you will not commit to those actions in the long-term (the amount of time necessary for any real changes to occur.) 

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before proceeding:

WHY am I doing this?
WHAT am I aiming to achieve with this goal?
WHAT needs to happen for me to count myself as successful with this?
HOW am I going to measure my progress and level of success with this?
HOW am I going to make absolutely sure that I make this goal a priority in my life (instead of just saying it's important or going through the motions of saying it's important)?

One of the biggest mistakes people make with goal setting is that they say or claim that attainment of this goal is very important to them, but then they dont make it a priority.  You will really only make the attainment of the goal a priority if it is genuinely important to you and fits into your bigger picture of what you ultimately want for yourself.

One of the biggest mistakes parents make, according to Dr. Tsabari, author of The Conscious Parent, and which I found very interesting, is that many parents want their kids to just be little mini-me's and parents can often times impose their will too heavily on their children.  To continue that thought, some parents dont allow their child to truly blossom into the kind of person their children wants to grow up to be because they keep thinking that their child should just be little extensions of who they are.  Please dont misunderstand, It is so important for a parent to guide and provide an example for their child; it is the overpowering and not acknowledging of their own identity that is not healthy.

This is more so about the parents' issues than anything else.  Before becoming a parent, Dr. Tsabari states that new want-to-be-parents need to remember that they need to deal with any of their own outstanding childhood issues, traumas and hang-ups before they have their own children.  Without doing this, you're simply transferring your issues over to your kid(s) and trying to get them to be who you think they should be (or who you always wanted to be) without acknowledging their own tastes.

As a teacher, I can see first-hand everyday how kids can try to talk to their parents about issues and things that are bothering them because YES, children WILL look to their parents for advice, guidance, help and a sound head.  If you're not listening to them and just imposing what you want, how can you expect to have happy and fulfilled children as they are growing?  Dont we want to get desirable, authentic, long-lasting results, not to mention the respect of your child for allowing them to be their authentic selves??  Also, listening to their wants and taking those into consideration will help ensure that they come to you for help and advice the next time around as well.

People are always looking for things to make their lives better because people genuinely want to be genuinely happy!  So when I'm asked (fairly regularly) what are the best ways to figure out what it is that you actually want, I would probably say to think about what interests you already have and think about turning one of those into your ideal job or career.

See, often times people think that in order to make a living, they need to be doing something different from what their current passions are.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  As Donald Trump (yes, The Donald) once said, figure out what you love to do.  You can always find ways to make money doing it.

I'd like to give you my example: I had three great loves: Education, Entertainment, Entrepreneurship.  For the longest time, I didnt understand how these three things could (or should) work together, but after ALOT (and I mean, alot) of soul-searching and trail-and-error, I discovered that I could bring my experience as a teacher and my love for music, movies, and fashion to an educational and entrepreneurial endeavour.  Hence, the birth of this business.

So while I dont love his hair, The Donald is right, find ways to make money doing what you love to do!

When I'm first asked how I help people, the first thing I say is that I help you figure out what it is you REALLY want.  I like to make people shed their "should" selves (thats the part that says that I want 'this' because everyone around them thinks they should want it).  I ALWAYS remind my clients that one day they too will be on their deathbed (pretty morbid, I know, sorry) and that this is their opportunity to do what they want to, say what they need to, and treat people well, because even a person who is for example, in a perpetually bad mood is that way for a reason and probably has some things in their lives that they need to work out. 

When I first started off as a coach, I was wondering how I was going to help people start things off and work on writing out their goals.  What I came to find is that people usually have a pretty good idea of what they want...they're just not entirely sure of how to go after it or who to turn to for help.  Your family and your friends are great resources and sources of support, but kids, parents and people in general need help in STAYING ON TRACK to achieving their goals.

In all my years of teaching and coaching, the 2 single greatest tools for success in goal-setting and to achieving your goals for absolutely anyone:

1.   COMMIT to the process
2.  CONSISTENT and STRATEGIC ACTION to the ends you want to achieve