The Nurturing Wisdom Blog

Dreaming of Summer...

2012-02-27T13:59:00.002-08:00

We know it’s cold outside…

but we’re already thinking about summer!

As you’re planning for summer camps, activities, and vacations, save a little time for skill building! In just a few weeks, we can help students catch up on last year’s skills or get ahead for next year. We have a variety of in-home tutoring available!

Does your child need help
with reading or writing? Try:

Comprehension through Composition.

Endlessly adaptable and one of our most popular programs among students, “comp comp” helps students of all ages refine their reading and writing skills. We’ll help students learn to think critically, respond to text meaningfully, and read actively.

Depending on your child’s grade, we’ll work on skills such as:

Note-taking
Annotation
Writing complete paragraphs
Organization and structure
Writing responses to literature
Synthesizing information from different texts

Is your child behind in Math?
Take a look at Math Bridges!

In a busy classroom, few students master every skill that is taught. If the gaps in a student’s math knowledge include skills that are building blocks for future math, those small gaps can become big problems. With a summer math bridge, we address these issues by taking a dual focus approach.

Here’s how it works:

A diagnostic test pinpoints strengths and weaknesses.
We create a customized tutoring plan focusing on the gaps in current math knowledge.
We simultaneously work on both those gaps and on previewing content for the coming school year.

Summer is the perfect time to patch up holes in knowledge without the added pressure of the school year!

How is Tutoring Like Coaching?

2012-02-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

We were inspired by a recent article in The New Yorker, in which Atul Gawande, a surgeon, decides to improve his performance in the operating room. He enlists the help of a colleague to observe him during surgery and act as a coach. I asked some of our tutors: How is tutoring like coaching?

I feel like tutoring is a combination of coaching and teaching. When you're tutoring a student, you begin by teaching content: you either teach the student a new concept, or review something they might have already covered at school.

Then coaching comes in. You will give the student problems they struggle with, but as the coach you have to sit back and allow them to struggle so they can learn the concept. Think about athletic coaches, like Andy Roddick's tennis coach. Do you think when Andy is at practice and struggles or makes a mistake, his coach jumps in and shows him how to do it? No. He might verbally give him tips, but he never jumps in, takes the racket, and shows him exactly how to do it.

Tutoring is the same. We need to give students a chance before we jump in and help. They need to learn independence and build confidence because when they sit down to take a test and struggle with a problem, we won't be there to jump in and help them. They need to show confidence in themselves and their knowledge so they can tackle the challenging problems they come across.

-Lauren F.

After a tutoring session, I want my student to feel like they learned something new, useful and relevant. I want them to feel energized and excited about what they learned. If they get frustrated, I want them to know that if they keep working at it, they WILL eventually "get" it and succeed. I don't want to give the student all the answers or be their crutch. I want to teach them strategies and ways to approach their work that will ultimately help them be successful when I'm not there.

Similarly, as a coach, you want to give your players the strategies, practice and skills to be strong players. You want your players to love the game, but you also don't want them to give up when things get tough. You know you can't play a game for a player - you need to teach them how to successfully play the game on their own.

-Alyssa D.

A coach is a fundamental to the success of a sports team. They help organize the team, encourage and motivate the players, and create systems and strategies to help them succeed. An academic tutor is very similar. Instead of helping with a sport, a tutor helps students succeed in school. An outside person providing students with strategies, encouragement, and organization when necessary can really help them succeed! When you think about sports coaches, there isn't a question in your mind about how much they help. Why would it be any different for academics?

-Marianne C.

Paying for College

2012-02-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

A Wall Street Journal article, The College-Aid Shuffle by Jessica Silver-Greenberg, was recommended to us by our friends at Barrington Wealth Management. For those families who are going to be thinking about paying for college in the coming years, take a look:

It is the height of financial-aid season, that time of year when families scramble to grab grants, scholarships and loans to offset the rising cost of a college education. Many will find themselves in a classic quagmire: They are considered too wealthy to qualify for help, but not wealthy enough to pay full freight.

Fortunately, there are a number of strategies that can help maximize the amount of financial aid families receive.

Keep reading ...

Process vs. Outcome: A Technique for Managing Anxiety

2012-02-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Standardized tests. Job Interviews. Auditions. What do these situations have in common? Despite your best efforts and all the preparation that you do, you can't control the result. This can cause a great deal of anxiety. You might be an excellent candidate for a given job - but the hiring manager will decide to hire the candidate who was in his college fraternity. Though you can't control the outcome, what you can control is your approach to and attitude about these situations. You can create your own personal, measurable goals which will make the experiences valuable and productive - regardless of whether you get the job, the part, or a 36 on your ACT.

Let's look closer at the example of an ACT student. Rather than fixating on the score she ultimately receives, the student can instead focus on what she can control. She can say to herself, "Okay. I'm going to focus on using my elimination strategy, on percent and proportion word problems, and on not getting distracted during the reading section." These are measurable, achievable goals the student can set for herself, and most importantly, can hold herself accountable for achieving.

Rather than focusing on an unpredictable outcome, it's empowering to focus on your own personal goals instead. This will allow you to be introspective and evaluate your own performance. You'll be able to develop your own standards and values by which to measure yourself. That way, no matter what happens, it will be a positive learning experience.

Seeking Academy Students!

2012-01-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

The Nurturing Wisdom Academy is opening in just seven months!

We could not be more excited! Our goal right now is to spread the word. Do you know any potential students, anyone else who might know a potential student, or anyone who might be interested in our mission? This includes parents, counselors or teachers at a school, a parent's group, or even potential teachers.

Contact Amanda at 312-260-7945 ex. 5 with ideas or for more info! Help us spread the word to potential students - our plans are moving forward beautifully - all we need now are students to help!

Tutor Spotlight: Brandon Glover

2012-01-23T14:05:00.001-08:00

CarolDweck’s book Mindset lays out someinteresting ideas about the way we perceive success and failure. She says thatwe can have either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. In a fixed mindset, whenwe fail at something, it means that we ourselves are failures. Clearly thisidea is not conducive to learning and performing at a high level. In a growthmindset, however, failure is simply an opportunity to learn, grow, and bebetter in the future.

I’mtutoring a 9^th grader right now in executive functioning,incorporating Dweck’s Mindset principles. Since beginning work on the Mindset curriculum, my student has made great strides inpreparing for tests, advocating for himself and asking for help from teachersand other students. He now knows that when he succeeds, he should celebrate hissuccess and move on to the next challenge. When he fails, he knows now todissociate himself from the failure so that he may objectively examine hismistakes and correct them in the future. After all, did Michael Jordanmake every shot he took? Of course not! He had to fail in order to learn fromhis mistakes and correct them.

Basketballhas been a really great access point for my student to absorb the Mindset principles. He loves basketball,and his favorite team is the North Carolina Tar Heels. I asked if he thought hecould get there, and though he replied yes, I could sense some doubt on hispart. We then proceeded to draw a sort of goal tree. At the top of the tree wasthe goal of making the team at North Carolina. We then drew branches to showwhat he would need to do to get there: which skills and sub-skills he wouldhave to develop both academically and athletically. Completing that exercisehelped him break down a larger goal into more manageable tasks. It’s no longera matter of being good enough to make the team – it’s about working as hard aspossible to achieve a goal.

The Mindset curriculum is anexcellent tool for students because it shows them that what they do wrong doesnot define them. They can change their opinions and propel themselves forwardin school and in life if they equip themselves with the proper mindset.

Comprehension through Composition

2012-01-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

Does your child's feedback from teachers sound anything like this?

Needs to provide more detail in writing.
Work on essay structure.
Take more organized notes!
Should write more coherent or complex sentences.
Must work on staying focused and engaged while reading.

We work with many students who constantly get this type of feedback, but have no idea how to implement it. That's understandable! In a busy class with 25+ students, most students don’t get the one-on-one attention they need to become stronger readers and writers.

These skills are ideal to learn in a one-on-one setting. Sentence structure, for example, is a skill that may seem rather abstract. We know, however, that sentence structure can be systematically broken down and taught like a series of formulas. In fact, when writing is presented more like a pattern or a math equation, some students find it much easier to do.

In our popular Comprehension through Composition tutoring program, we help students develop a firm grasp on the toughest skills to learn in a classroom setting, such as organizing writing, developing advanced sentence structures, reading actively, and responding thoroughly to text. Comprehension through composition can be customized for students in grades three through twelve, and is available during the school year and in the summer. During the school year, we can incorporate a student's school writing assignments into tutoring.

Comp comp is one of the programs that our students love most. We've had students who have seen siblings working on comp comp with their tutor and requested it for themselves! Whether your child could use some supplemental enrichment or needs real skill-building, we would love to help. Contact us to learn more!

January Proctored Tests are coming up!

2012-01-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

Join us for our next proctored test event! These tests are a fantastic opportunity for students to take a practice test in a real test environment. New students can take a diagnostic pre-test, and students currently working on a test prep program with us can take their mid- or post-teset.

Register Online Now!

pre-registration is required.

Winnetka & Hinsdale

Sat. January 28^th

8:45am

All the tests that we tutor are available. It's an especially good time of year for:

ACT

SAT

SAT Subject Tests

Contact Lauren at 312-260-7945 ex. 112 with any questions.

"Why Gifted Students can be so Challenging," from The Washington Post

2012-01-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

Gifted children are not always the kids who sit nicely in classrooms, study diligently for tests, and succeed easily in school. Gifted kids often struggle with the structure of a typical school.

We love this article from the Washington Post - Mark Philips discusses many of the symptoms of gifted children who are bored in school. At the NW Academy, opening next year, we hope to address many of the issues he discusses.

While talking with these students I realized that each of them could be described as creative dissident intellectuals, students with high intellectual and creative abilities who were difficult for teachers to handle.

The trouble they caused was not criminal but disruptive. This usually took one of two forms. One was active, such as sabotaging a class with sarcastic comments, or talking back continually to the teacher. Some, however, did it through relatively passive means, via sullen non-participation and/or other forms of quiet defiance. Not infrequently these students also were a challenge to their parents.

If they had lacked anything it was: (a) a supportive environment that engaged, encouraged and rewarded their spirits and their minds and (b) the skills to know how to effectively assert themselves. In schools and/or homes that they found discouraging, they didn’t know how to respond in an effective way to improve their situation.

Read the whole article here.

Tutor Spotlight: Katherine Jacob

2011-12-16T14:56:00.000-08:00

The first thing I do whenI sit down with my students is make a to-do list for the session. Do they need to come up with a studyplan for finals? Are there anylong-term projects we should start working on? Is there homework due tomorrow that’s confusing? We decide together which tasks are toppriority and then get to work.

This exercise was always alittle interesting with one of my students whenever she had a test or quizcoming up. She was perfectlycontent to study by glancing at the material during her drive to school the dayof the test. Every time shementioned a test and I suggested studying for it, she would only grudginglyagree. Even when she finallyaccepted that studying could be done in advance, she would insist that she didjust fine on tests by re-reading the material rather than being quizzed onit. For the first two months ofthe school year, we had the same discussion every time there was a test or quiz—andeach time she got one of those tests or quizzes back, I was sure to point outthat she did much better when she was quizzed on material. Nevertheless, she didn’t seem swayed.

In one session last month,I sat down to make my to-do list with her as usual.

“Do you have any tests orquizzes in the next week?”

“I have a French quiztomorrow.”

“How do you feel about thematerial?” Oh boy, I figured. Here comes the same old discussion.

“Can you quiz me on it?”

Could I? Wasshe serious? I decided not to dance around the room, but I saidenthusiastically, “Of course I can quiz you on it! I’m so glad you asked!”

These small successes intutoring are often the most memorable moments. My student’s question could’ve been completely insignificantto anyone who didn’t know her. However, not only did this question show me that she had started torethink her ideas about studying, simply asking it showed me that she wastaking the initiative with her own education!

NW Academy Application Available

2011-12-12T10:57:00.001-08:00

We’re excited to announce that the application for Nurturing Wisdom Academy is now available! If you’d like to apply or pass the application along, simply follow or forward this link:

www.nurturingwisdom.com/nw-academy-application

Once the application is complete, our process involves a "match meeting," which is a chance for us to get to know each applicant, for the interested family to learn more about our school, and for everyone to decide if Nurturing Wisdom Academy is the best fit.

Our school has space for only 36 students, so we do encourage interested families to apply now! As always, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions about our school or ideas for us to consider!

Why I Started To Teach

2011-12-09T12:10:00.001-08:00

I think a lot of us have a difficult time imagining exactly what we will be like as adults when we’re young. When I think about my younger self, I was pretty unimaginative about what I thought the future could hold. Perhaps it was because I was on the timid side and felt intimidated by a lot of things. If you had told me as a kid that I would one day be a classroom teacher or work with students, I’m not sure I would have believed you.

I was the kid in 7th grade who struggled like crazy in math and had to go in after school to see the teacher (a lot). Sometimes I felt bad for my teacher because I was in there so often. I also couldn’t help but feel that surely there was something wrong with me if I needed this much help until one day my teacher said to me, “I hope my daughter is just like you” (she was expecting a baby girl at the time). That short statement made such an impression on me and gave me a lot to think about. Fast forward to high school and I was asked to help out with grade school students at my church’s summer camp. It was so much fun - I was hooked and starting helping out the following summers. In college, I was asked by one of my instructors if I would consider tutoring other students. I gave it a try and ended up really enjoying it. These are just some of the events that fostered my love of education at an early age.

The bottom line is, I had some really great people in my life who saw something in me and gave me the opportunity to try things I wouldn’t have thought of doing on my own. I needed a major confidence booster and outlets to see what I was capable of as a young person. At Nurturing Wisdom, we focused on one of our values in October: “Pursue Growth and Learning.” I’m convinced that we all grow stagnant and lose excitement if we’re not stretching ourselves. I also think that part of pursuing growth and learning is about helping others through this process. Is there a young person in your life who could really flourish from some of the things I was fortunate enough to have experienced through the adults in my life? While you’re pursuing your own growth and learning, is there anyone in your life whom you can encourage to do the same?

December Proctored Tests...coming right up!!

2011-12-05T15:36:00.001-08:00

Our December proctored tests are right around the corner. Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for your children to take a diagnostic practice test in a real test environment!

Register Online Now!

pre-registration is required.

Chicago:

Sun.December 18^th

8:45am

Loyola University’s Water Tower Campus

Corboy Law School

25 E. Pearson

Hinsdale:

Sat. December 17th

8:45am

Zion Lutheran School

Corner of 2nd & Vine

Hinsdale, IL

Everystandardized test that we tutor will be available, including:

· ISAT, TerraNova, SAT10, Iowa

· ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Test

· HSPT/ISEE post-tests, for students currently working with us

Managing Technological Distractions

2011-11-22T14:25:00.001-08:00

In today’s digital age, we are all constantly faced with technological distractions, such as Facebook, YouTube, and text messages from friends. These distractions are a big challenge, especially when students are trying to focus on homework, but they’re not going anywhere and are only proliferating. Learning to manage these distractions so we can get our work done is an important life skill!

How do you address the problem of technological distractions? On the one hand, you can take a restrictive approach and not allow any Internet access during homework time. On the other hand, you can take a permissive approach and allow your child to find his or her own way, learning to handle distractions as they become problematic.

Both of these options have their drawbacks. The permissive approach results in the loss of too much valuable homework time, or homework that is poorly completed. The overly restrictive boundaries don’t teach kids the long-term skills needed to manage distractions. After all, once they reach college and the job world there will be no one looking over their shoulder, reminding them to turn off Facebook until their work is done.

Let’s look behind door number three for a better solution. We recommend that the Internet and other media distractions become a common topic during regular family meetings. In the context of a family meeting, children are given some overall clear boundaries, or “non-negotiables,” but they are also brought into the ongoing conversation about what is working and what is not. Their opinions are valued, they are allowed to make some mistakes, and they are given the option to make choices within realistic limits. If your child is included in coming up with a solution, he or she will then be invested in the problem-solving process. Instead of parent vs. child, you've changed the dynamic – you are now on the same team, working together to solve a problem.

Keep Reading to learn how a productive, solutions-oriented family discussion about managing distractions might proceed...

Words that make us smile!

2011-11-18T13:30:00.001-08:00

It's almost to Thanksgiving and what are we thankful for? These sweet words from parents that make us smile! We know we have a truly wonderful group of tutors, and it's nice to hear that parents agree!

Here's what a parent has to say about her son's recent work with Michael D.:

"I can't thank you enough for working with our son -- but, perhaps more importantly, for inspiring him to work to reach his goals. He never once complained about the work -- and I credit that to your establishing a good relationship with him right from the start. Your working sessions have given him much more than test taking skills -- they gave him confidence and a way to approach a difficult task. These are life skills that everyone hopes their child will obtain. We thank you for the assist!"

Another parent had an equally positive reaction to Michael M.:

"We have been extremely happy with Michael's work with our son. Our goal was to get him through the end of last year and into his high school schedule. I feel Michael's work and encouragement have been invaluable in bridging that transition both in academics and executive functioning skills. I'm happy to say that our son is doing very well and has really settled into his classes/studies easily, currently maintaining a 4.0! We are so glad we discovered your group and that it could really meet the specific needs of our son. Every student has different struggles and we are grateful that the focus was really on what he needed and not just a set tutoring curriculum. We have already recommended your group to some friends and will continue to do so if we hear of other students who need help. Thanks so much for your help in all of this and for Michael's warm, encouraging style which has helped our son grow in his self-confidence as well as his academic abilities!"

Here's what a happy mom had to say about her son's work with Lauren F.:

"I just wanted to tell you that I am so very grateful for everything that Lauren has done with and for our son. She has been incredibly patient, caring, persistent and very enthusiastic the entire time he worked with her. Who would have ever guessed that he would increase his composite score by 8 points from his first practice test? She is a wonderful employee and a great representative of your company and its ideals/practices. I have told you this before, but I would be happy to be a reference for Lauren and for Nurturing Wisdom ANYTIME."

Why do we practice?

2011-11-14T13:14:00.001-08:00

We encourage our tutors to be broken records with their students, especiallywhen it comes to attitudes about homework. We want tutors to help theirstudents define the right attitude and create a mantra to help their studentsbelieve in its purpose and significance. An effective homework mantra andresulting attitude adjustment can have real long-term benefits when it comes tohomework completion.

While students are told that homework matters, they tend not tobelieve it. I’m sure you’ve heard about teachers who quickly check homeworkjust to see that it’s done – the “effort” grade. So students rush through theassignment to have something to show, but they’re not really using homework asan opportunity to practice and master skills. Their attitude is that homeworkdoesn’t really matter. We want their attitude to be that doing homeworkthoroughly will help them truly understand concepts and processes, that it willhelp them do well on the test, and that it will help them down the road whenthey use that foundation to learn a new skill. So a mantra to reinforce thisattitude might be “Trying really matters.” Homework is a great place to learnfrom mistakes, so another mantra may be “Mistakes are good.”

When I meet with students who are ready to start ACT prep, I talk withthem about the importance of homework. I tell them that in the beginninghomework is important so they can practice using new skills and strategiesindependently. Once they get the hang of it, they must continue to do thehomework so the processes become automatic and they can open up space in theirbrains for doing the trickier work. With some students, I make a sportsanalogy: Tom Brady doesn’t quit going to practice because he’s a really goodquarterback; he’s a really good quarterback because he keeps going to practice.Think about what analogies you may use with your students or children to help themunderstand that effort and practice will lead to improved performance. And thenremind them of that analogy often!

-Erin Doyle

November Practice Tests

2011-11-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

Our next proctored tests are coming up in Hinsdale and Winnetka in November!

These opportunities are the perfect chance for your child to take a practice test in a real test environment. We offer every single standardized test that we tutor, including the ACT, HSPT, SAT, ISEE and more.

Learn more:

www.nurturingwisdom.com/proctored-tests/

Register Now:

www.nurturingwisdom.com/practice-test/

NW Academy: We've Chosen a Location!

2011-11-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we've selected a location for our first Chicagoland NW Academy!!

We will be opening in Hinsdale for the 2012-2013 school year. We're still working on finding a space in the Hinsdale area, so if you have any ideas on facilities we should check out or people we should connect with, please let us know. We are still planning to open an NW academy in the city of Chicago in the future, but we'll be focusing our efforts in Hinsdale for the Fall of 2012.

Amanda Vogel is currently meeting with families who are interested in learning more about our school, so pelase don't hesitate to pass this message along to anyone else who might be interested in learning even more about a unique school for students in grades 5-8!

academy.nurturingwisdom.com

What If the Secret to Success is Failure?

2011-10-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

We were fascinated by this New York Times article, written by Paul Tough. He profiles Dominic Randolph, the headmaster at The Riverdale School in New York City. The article discusses character and how it's possible to teach it.

For the headmaster of an intensely competitive school, Randolph, who is 49, is surprisingly skeptical about many of the basic elements of a contemporary high-stakes American education. He did away with Advanced Placement classes in the high school soon after he arrived at Riverdale; he encourages his teachers to limit the homework they assign; and he says that the standardized tests that Riverdale and other private schools require for admission to kindergarten and to middle school are “a patently unfair system” because they evaluate students almost entirely by I.Q. “This push on tests,” he told me, “is missing out on some serious parts of what it means to be a successful human.”

Read the rest of the article here!

What does "Pursue Growth and Learning" mean to you?

2011-10-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

One of thethings "pursue growth and learning" means to me is going outside of mycomfort zone to try something new or difficult once in awhile. This ishard to do but when I do, I find that the thing I initially thought would bereally impossible isn't as scary as it seemed.

-Christian

To "pursue growth and learning" to me means to reflecton the areas where you excel or have an interest and try to learn more aboutthose areas. Doing this helps me to find areas where I can enhance mystrength, learn more about a topic that interests me, and find new ideasrelated to this area. I've always had an interest in music. Thisyear, I started learning how to play the piano. I was able to build on aninterest of mine and find a new creative outlet that has also helped me designorientation materials for our music program.

On the flip side, to "pursue growth and learning"also means to reflect on areas where I can further improve. Reading moreabout these areas can help me find fresh ideas for making myself better inthose areas. For example, when I wanted to work on my communicationskills, I read a chapter about candor in Jack Welch's book Winning. This chapter really opened my eyes to theimportance of open, honest communication. I had no idea how much I neededto improve in this area until I started reading more about it.

-Heather

Ithink the key part of “pursue growth and learning” is the word “pursue.” Topursue something is to make the effort to go out and actively seek it, rather than waiting for growth or learning to happen magically. It's so important to stretch yourself – even ifyou’re scared, even if you might fail. It’s about having a curious and open mind,wondering what’s possible, and then taking action to achieve it. With riskcomes reward. You may not be able to predict what the reward will look like,but if you’re self-reflective, patient, and allow yourself the opportunity totry and to fail, some measure of wisdom and experience can be gained from everyexperience. Growth isn’t always comfortable – in fact, attimes it can feel distinctly uncomfortable – but that does not mean that it's bad.

-Sonja

"Pursue growth & learning" has two equally importantmeanings for me:

First, it means not taking the easy way out or the easy route. It meansaccepting the challenge, being adventurous and taking risks because that's howyou uncover the most information about a situation and about yourself and yourown potential. It means putting yourself in situations where you will have tobring out your best and continually make your best better. I think challenging yourself tolearn and grow also puts you in situations that are more interesting andengaging, so you are in a position to make your best contribution as well asrealize your full potential.

Second, it is an outlookthat allows you to see the value of any experience, even if it was difficult orupsetting. It means pursuing a growth mindset; realizing what was gained(learned) from the experience and putting that new knowledge it into practicemoving forward.

-Bryce

The "Successful" Child: NW's second event with NPN!

2011-10-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Amanda Vogel recently joined up with the Neighborhood Parents Network to give a free talk to parents: Establishing Homework Habits in Young Learners. She spoke about how to set up routines for academic success, how to foster indpendence, and how to strike a balance between being supportive and "over-helping." It was a very successful event, and a wonderful time was had by all!

Bernadette Pawlik, of NPN, put many of Amanda's techniques into practice. Read what she has to say a month later:

I can't truthfully say that homework is our son's favorite activity---but it has ceased to be his least favorite. In addition to reinforcing his academic skills, my sense is he is developing life skills he can use whatever the work might be throughout his life.

Our next event with NPN is right around the corner: The "Successful" Child: Developing Persistence and Independence, coming up on Oct. 22nd.

RSVP with NPN at the link above - we would love to see you there!

Read for your Life!

2011-10-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

It can be hard to decide what to read. There are so many options! I asked for recommendations from our tutors and got a wealth of suggestions for learners of all types and ages.

The "Uglies" series by Scott Westerfeld. For students who liked The Hunger Games (or, for students who aren't quite ready for the intensity and violence of The Hunger Games), Uglies is a similar type of story, about a dystopian future in which teenagers challenge a broken system and fight for a better world.
-Laura K.

Do Over by Robin Hemley was by far one of the best books I've read this year. Hemley is at once insightful, funny, honest, confused, humble, and open in his approach to learn from his past "mistakes." I respect the courage it takes for someone to address the "goofs" they've made in their lives, especially when it takes the form of doing a task over, which is what Hemley attempts - over and over again. In each "do over," Hemley articulates the difficulty in identifying the "right thing to do" as he plays the role of both child and adult (often at the same time). This book helped me see how my students can struggle to impress adults, and I think many adults who read it may gain perspective on the value of second chances.
-Kristi H.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers-- because it's a beautiful memoir, and is an honest story of true humanity. It is full of emotion, and reminds the reader to spend time in gratitude and to enjoy the little things in life.
-Michelle W.

The Taqwacores. It's similar to The Catcher in the Rye but from the perspective of individuals in the Muslim punk rock movement.
-Chandani J.

The Secret Life of Pronouns is a fascinating non-fiction book. It's about how our use of the simplest, most boring words in the English lanugage reveals so much about our personalities - without us even realizing it! In the Woods by Tana French is a gorgeously written and suspenseful mystery that takes place in Ireland. If you like Law and Order and luscious prose, you should definitely pick it up.
-Sonja F.

For ages 12 - 15: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by AVI or Fallen by Lauren Kate
These books both have the drama of the Kardashians, but would challenge a student in one of two ways. Confessions deals with more complex relationships and societal conflicts, but is told as a historical fiction. Fallen deals with all of the common teenage emotions, but from a different viewpoint of the world. It could be related to Twilight, I suppose, but the main character is stronger. This story is about fallen angels, the war of good and evil, and (probably most importantly to a teenaged girl) the beauty, power, and strength of eternal love.

For ages 16 & up: Identical by Ellen Hopkins or Sula by Toni Morrison
These books both deal with the complex relationships of women who love each other and hate each other at the same time. I think that they would be great for a more mature student who wants all the drama of gossipy women, while also challenging their reading skills. Identical is the story of twin sisters and how they separately deal with their parents' messed up relationship told entirely in the form of poetry, which is unique and impressive. Sula is about the lifelong relationship of two frenemies as told by the amazing Toni Morrison, so of course the writing style is unique, beautiful, and ambitious. I would, however, be careful with these books because they both do deal with some adult issues, such as confusing sexual relationships, drugs, and abuse.
-Jessica S.

Peeling the Onion by Gunter Grass is an artful memoir of the Nobel Laureate, which recounts his childhood up through the writing of his first novel. He grew up in Germany as the Nazi party was taking hold. He was a member of the Hitler Youth and fought in the last year of the war for Germany. He discusses the accountability and guilt associated with these events, even though he was only 17 when the War ended. It's a very good read and gives a good background for understanding his novels, such as The Tin Drum and The Flounder.

I would also strongly recommend The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman. It's a loose biography of the prolific mathematician Paul Erdos, an infamous eccentric in the mathematical community, who contributed greatly to the fields of number theory, combinatorics, probability theory, etc. Even though it deals with mathematics, this is a very playful biography and discusses mathematical puzzles in a very intriguing and refreshing way. It is very informative and fun!

-Meagan D.

Anything by Ayn Rand will make someone think. Anthem for younger students. We the Living if they're into historical fiction and The Fountainhead for older students. I wouldn't recommend Atlas Shrugged until someone is in college. For high school students, Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451 is also an excellent and thought provoking work.
-Pari S.

I'd suggest Moloka'i. It's about lepers and Hawaii and was really interesting. I would also recommend The Help or The Hunger Games trilogy (even though it's geared towards high school aged kids I think, I found them to be interesting and thought provoking - like Harry Potter meets V for Vendetta).
-Gretchen S.

102 Minutes: The Unforgettable Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers and Miracle on the Hudson. Both books made me think about how people react in high stress situations and made me wonder if I could have done some of the things those people did on that day.
-Jackie D.

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman discusses the events leading up to WWI, all the government secrets, paranoia and treaties that resulted. Not a Good Day to Die by Sean Naylor is a great non-fiction about the failings of those in command (micromanaging, withholding critical intelligence, refusal to provide needed support), but how those on the ground prevailed regardless.
-Peter K.

Right now I'm reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave about a Nigerian refugee and her friendship with a British widower. It's really good!
-Gabrielle S.

Did we miss your favorite book? Let us know in the comments!

NW Values: Pursue Growth and Learning

2011-10-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

What does "Pursue Growth and Learning" mean to you?

To me, to pursue growth and learning means toseek out resources, to consult the experts as well as those in the trenches, toquestion and to listen and to attempt and to reflect. It means to be open tomaking mistakes and learning from them. Pursuing growth and learning meansavoiding complacency and embracing change.

-ErinDoyle

I believe thismeans to make yourself better. People should want to better themselvesand learn- like in Mindset :) It is way of thinking. I think forcing yourselfto pursue or look to change for improvement will not only make a person feelbetter, but also be a team player. Kids should not be theonly people who need to grow and change, adults should too. Learning isnever ending as long as you let it.

-Jeanne

Pursue Growthand Learning means that you never have all the answers and there is always moreto learn. It is important to always be interested in learning newthings that might be out of your comfort zone or something you have always beeninterested in but never had the time to devote to it. It is important to alwaysface a challenge head on and realize that no matter what happens, you will comeout of it a better person. Being open to change and new things is an importanttrait to have.

-Lauren

Pursue Growth and Learning in October!

2011-10-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it goes withoutsaying, but here at Nurturing Wisdom, we’re a bunch of school nerds. We lovelearning!! There’s such a sense of satisfaction that comes from mastering adifficult skill, figuring out the solution to a complex problem, or learninghow two seemingly unrelated concepts are connected. As much as we try to enrich and engage our students, we alsotry to constantly challenge and improve ourselves.

That's why we've made October the official “Pursue Growth & Learning” month here at Nurturing Wisdom. To lead us off, here are some words from Pari on what that value means to her:

I bet "Pursue growth and learning" fora lot of people brings up images of taking classes, maybe going back tograduate school, or reading as many books as possible.

To me, "Pursue growth and learning" isa mindset. I am a person who loves to grow, improve, and challenge myself. Yes,I read books and enjoy taking classes, but there is so much more to it thanthat! On a daily basis, I take the time to reflect on my day. Did I havea good day? Why? Why not? What do I wish went differently today? What did Ilearn today?

Taking the time each day to do this hasaccelerated my learning, but most importantly, it's accelerated my happiness inlife. By constantly reflecting and learning from my own experiences, I've beenable to grow as a person and enjoy my life. Every year of my life is betterthan the year before. So for me, "Pursue growth and learning"= "Pursue happiness."

-Pari Schacht

Changes to the 2012 Prairie State ACT

2011-09-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Every April, students in Illinois public schools take the Prairie State ACT and submit the scores to their colleges of choice. We at Nurturing Wisdom love the Prairie State ACT – since students take it at school during the day, they traditionally do very well! However, due to recent changes, submitting these scores to colleges just became a lot harder. How will this affect your child?

What is the Prairie State ACT?

The Prairie State ACT is a real ACT taken by all Illinois public school students in late April. It is funded by the state of Illinois and taken as part of the state’s achievement testing. Students at private schools do not take this ACT.

How is it changing?

Due to funding cuts, the state of Illinois has eliminated the writing portion of the Prairie State ACT.

Why does this matter? Isn’t the writing section of the ACT optional?

Although the writing portion of the test is considered optional by the ACT, many colleges require this section for admissions. These colleges will not accept a student’s ACT scores unless the student took that particular ACT with the writing portion.

Other colleges don’t require the writing portion, but will accept it in lieu of SAT subject tests.

So does this mean my child can’t use their Prairie State ACT scores for university admissions?

Possibly. Check with the individual colleges your child is applying to, to see if they will accept the ACT without writing.

Can I opt to pay for the writing portion of the Prairie State ACT myself?

No, currently individual students and schools are not allowed to pay for the writing portion on their own. This means that no high school in Illinois will be offering the writing portion of the Prairie State ACT.

This is frustrating! What can I do?

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do to change the state’s decision. However, we’d recommend that you register your son or daughter for the national ACT test date on April 14^th, which is taken a few weeks before the Prairie State ACT.

That sounds like a lot of testing. Isn’t that overwhelming for students?

It can be, but many of our students have found the repetition of taking two tests so close together to be helpful. Also, keep in mind that the Prairie State ACT is taken during the school day, and doesn’t require any additional time commitment.

Is there any possibility that the state will reinstate funding for the writing portion?

There is a remote possibility that the state will decide to reinstate funding, but given the state’s financial situation, it is unlikely. We recommend that parents assume that the writing section will not be included on the test unless you hear otherwise.

Do you have any additional questions?

Feel free to contact us at 312.260.7945. We’d be happy to help!

-Alyssa DeCesari

Cultivating Homework Attitudes

2011-09-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

Your child may have one of the following attitudes about homework:

Homework is work: It's challenging, frustrating, and time consuming. Children with this attitude often have to be forced to do homework, which can lead to tears or even yelling.

Homework is a learning experience: It's an opportunity to showcase hard work, to refine skills, and to learn new things.Children with this attitude realize that homework may be hard, but they see value in the work.

These are two distinctly different attitudes with very different consequences. The first focuses on difficulty. The second focuses on opportunity and growth. Which of these do you want to be the "tone" of homework in your household? And why is it important to consciously cultivate a productive and positive attitude?

Choosing your attitudes.

Children develop attitudes about homework that play over and over in their heads like tapes. If we, as parents, don't make a conscious effort to convey productive and positive attitudes, children will absorb the negative beliefs of those around them.

So how do you counteract negative ideas about homework? Decide on two to four "homework mantras" to consistently convey to your kids. Every household can have their own set of mantras. Here are some examples:

Homework is your opportunity to learn.
Mistakes are good!
Effort matters most.

Be a Broken Record.

Once you've chosen your homework attitudes, you need to say them out loud. Over and over. It's easy to feel like you're just a walking cliché, but kids need to hear these messages loud and clear. They need to trust that you believe them, and they need time to internalize them.

It's just as important to engage your kids in conversations about these messages. When something goes wrong on a math assignment, try to remember to ask, "Is it okay that you made a mistake? Tell me why." Encouraging children to say the mantras for themselves is much more powerful than simply listening to you say them.

Modeling Matters.

Actions really do speak louder than words. It's so important for us to model the attitudes we want our children to adopt. When our children earn a poor grade, getting upset or disappointed doesn't show them that mistakes are learning opportunities. Similarly, when dinner is overcooked or you get lost driving to a new destination, getting angry and berating yourself or your spouse won't communicate the positive sides of mistakes.

Homework time can be stressful for children, but it doesn't have to be. Reinforcing positive attitudes about homework early on can set the tone for a successful school year ahead!

Motivation, Action, Reflection

2011-09-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

How do you help an unmotivated student?

First, it can help to unpack the label of "unmotivated." Most of us feel unmotivated or reluctant toward a task at one time or another. Instead of overt labeling, it's usually helpful to talk with students directly about the specific times they feel least motivated. When given the chance, most students can articulate reasons why they don't want to do a particular task, which can help them address a roadblock to performance.

Second, my personal understanding of motivation is stolen directly from Nike: Just Do It. Many of us believe that motivation comes from thinking or feeling a certain way toward a task ("I'll do it just as soon as I feel eager to do it"), but that's not how motivation works. Motivation is fueled by action. In the context of tutoring, getting a student working on something right away and then reflecting on that action can help him or her understand this concept. That self-reflection after action is key to reinforcing both the student's behavior and his/her confidence in the task.

-Kristi Harreld

"The Trouble with Homework" by Anne M. Paul

2011-09-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

There was a fascinating article this week in the New York Times, exploring the functions and pitfalls of homework.

"WHEN you think of America’s students, do you picture overworked, stressed-out children bent under backpacks stuffed with textbooks and worksheets? Or do you call to mind glassy-eyed, empty-headed teenagers sitting before computer screens, consumed by video games and social networking sites, even as their counterparts in China prepare to ace yet another round of academic exams? The first view dominates a series of recent books and movies, including the much-discussed film 'Race to Nowhere.' The second image has been put forth by other books, with titles like 'The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future.'

Divergent though they are, these characterizations share a common emphasis: homework."

Check out the rest of the article here!

How do you engage a shy student?

2011-09-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

We encounter all kinds of students at Nurturing Wisdom, and we do our very best to fulfill the needs of each one. As tutors, we love to see our students engaged, having fun and learning. Sometimes, when a student is very shy, we have to work a bit harder to break them out of their shell. We need to know that they're comfortable enough with us to ask questions, and that they're having fun too! I asked a few of our experienced tutors the following question:

How to you engage a very shy student?

"With a shy student, making a personal connection is key. In the first session, I probably spend more time getting to know a shy student than I would for an outgoing student, because they are less likely to offer information on their own. Usually, after chatting for a few minutes, they will tell you something personal about their lives - their favorite hobby, what they do after school, what they like to read, etc. Then I can respond to that ("I also love those books!" or "I didn't play that sport, but I played...") and we can go on from there. It is worth spending the extra few minutes to make that connection, because forming a bond with a shy student is key to their ultimate ability to open up and work with you."
-Laura Kurtycz

"Working with a shy student can be challenging at first. I am a very bubbly, outgoing person, so I have to make sure my personality isn't overwhelming. What I do is find out what they are interested in. Talk to them about sports, shopping, vacations, etc. I also like to make myself look like a fool. I tell stupid jokes to try to make them laugh, and really just show them that I am a person too. I have also talked about how I was shy in grade school and the beginning of high school. Then, I decided that I should just be myself and I wasn't trying to impress anyone. This is a very difficult task, but hearing it from someone who went through it seems to help."
-Lauren Feldmann

"I try to find out what the student is passionate about or knowledgeable on, and I ask him/her questions about that. (I also try to avoid yes/no questions!) It's usually easier for people to open up and talk about things that they love, and these little conversations are part of how the all-important rapport is built between me and my students.

This is why I really value the initial meetings that directors have with students and families before they start tutoring. Not only is the information helpful for the directors to match students, but it's also wonderful as a tutor to have an idea of how to connect with a student and how to teach them effectively, all before I walk into the first session."

-Sara McGuinn

"Changing Education Paradigms," by Sir Ken Robinson

2011-09-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

If you haven't yet seen Ken Robinson's enlightening talk, "Changing Education Paradigms," I'd highly recommend it - it's fascinating!

On Pressure

2011-09-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

I like a bit of pressure, even when it comes from myself, to help me do my best work! I always find it helpful to analyze when I get nervous or feel the need to perform. It helps me keep things in perspective and really evaluate what my goals are. I like the right amount of nervous anticipation, when my desire to do a good job makes me hyper-focused on the task at hand. We've all had experiences where our nerves got the better of us, but if we treat those awful, anxiety-ridden moments as learning experiences, they can be a useful tool for growth!

-Sarah Bracken

Check out Seth Godin's blog post on pressure.

Factory Education?

2011-08-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

by Amanda Vogel

As Ken Robinson implores in his talk Changing Education Paradgims, “If you are interested in the model of education, you don’t start from a production line mentality.” His talk elicits powerful images of children sorted in batches, moving down an assembly line. He brings up some tough questions we need to ask as parents and educators:

Are our schools focused on “conformity” and “standardization?”
Do our schools treat children like items being produced in a factory?

Unfortunately, the answers to these questions may be yes.

An article in the July issue of Wired,“How Khan Academy is Changing the Rules of Education” outlines how students can learn math for free at their own pace through the website Khan Academy. A motivated student can do some pretty amazing things on this site. The article tells stories of 5th graders independently learning advanced high school trigonometry!

But some teachers don't like the idea of students making this much progress: “Khan’s programmer, Ben Kamens, has heard from teachers who’ve seen Khan Academy presentations and loved the idea, but wondered whether they could modify it 'to stop students from becoming this advanced'.”

It’s hard to react to this statement with anything less than fury. Aren’t teachers supposed to help students reach the fullest potential they possibly can? Shouldn't teachers embrace any means by which they can individualize to students?

We know that students learn at their own pace, and that they have different strengths and interests. It's hard to imagine that, when presented with an option like Khan, some teachers are pushing against it. The last thing we want is to teach students to reach for mediocrity, or to sentence them to boredom day after day in the classroom.

As an educator, the idea of my students advancing quickly and going beyond what they or others ever thought was possible is exhilarating! In fact, the concept of individualization is the foundation of the Nurturing Wisdom Academy. Classes like math, reading, and writing will be self-paced and taught in very small groups. Students will also have independent time each day to pursue their goals and passions. Above all, our goal is not to keep every student on the same page. We don't want to treat them like cogs along an assembly line. We want to encourage them to continually grow. We believe that there are no limits to what students can achieve!

Visit us online:

academy.nurturingwisdom.com

Tutor Spotlight: Brian Pyle

2011-08-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Brian has been tutoring with Nurturing Wisdom for over a year. He has a degree in psychology from Purdue and is currently finishing his master's in secondary education at DePaul. He is energetic, engaging and eager to help his students succeed!

The summer before high school, my parents decided that I needed tutoring for my organizational skills, or lack thereof. I had always been a decent student, but my lack of organization and study skills kept me from attaining the level of scholarship that I was capable of. Of course now I fully realize this, but back then I didn’t want to hear it. I remember being angry with my parents about tutoring, and not having the best attitude walking into my first session. When I actually met my tutor, it turned out that we had a lot of the same interests: sports, guitar, sketching and video games, just to name a few. I realized that my tutor was actually a cool guy, as opposed to the image I had built up in my head. I had never had a favorite teacher, or even one that I would approach before or after class, but in 5 minutes my tutor shattered my view of educators. He definitely had a hand in helping me decide that I wanted to pursue education as a career.

When I look back at how and why this tutor had such an impact on me, I realize that while the content he was teaching me was valuable, it was his attitude and openness that made him so memorable. Having that conversation with me let me know that this experience would be different. It showed me that I would be the focal point, and that my tutor genuinely cared about how I performed and whether I fully understood something.

Fast forward to today. I have been with Nurturing Wisdom for just over a year, and by far my favorite part of my journey with any student is the first session. I love breaking the ice with a student and letting them know that I am interested in their interests. I think that letting my students see me as a person instead of a just a tutor helps, which is why I take a vested interest in what they are doing outside of tutoring as well. Whether it’s a Boy Scout trip, football game, family vacation or a job, letting a student know that you are invested in them helps to build that student/tutor relationship. This approach led me to a career in education, and I look forward to continuing to have these rewarding experiences.

Why Doesn't My Smart Child Try Harder?

2011-08-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

By Amanda Vogel

“Bright.” “Gifted.” “Quick learner.” “Exceptional.” “Smart.” What parents wouldn’t want to hear these words about their child? When your child is described this way, the elementary years cruise by easily. In the blink of an eye, picture books are replaced with chapter books, grades are strong, and there’s plenty of time for life outside of school.

Show us a child who was like this in elementary school and we'll show you a student who has likely become a “specialist” by junior high. These students do well on tests and bring home great grades, but not everything is rosy: they have begun to shy away from certain subjects. You’ll hear things like “I’m not good at math,” or “I don’t really like science,” or “Mr. Davis just doesn’t like me.”

For parents this is beyond puzzling. You may find yourself wondering, how did my bright, exceptional kid just decide that she couldn’t learn geometry or chemistry? You may even toy with the idea that your child really isn’t a “math person” and should instead focus on her amazing strengths in writing.

The Consequences of “Smart”
With the best intentions, parents, teachers, and loved ones are quick to give children positive labels. But these labels produce unexpected consequences. Carol Dweck, a researcher in cognitive science, has shown that we may damage our children’s motivation towards schoolwork by sticking them with positive labels. Her book, Mindset, is one that we strongly recommend.

In Mindset, Dweck explains that when we label children as “smart” or “exceptional” early on, these same children will later feel that they’re “just bad at math” or “klutzy at sports.” These children place themselves into categories: Smart vs. Not Smart. Talented vs. Hopeless.

They learn that being smart means being able to do things without effort. They actually become afraid of taking on challenges and exerting effort for fear that they will no longer look smart. Over time, these children focus more on areas where they feel “talented,” and shy away from areas where they feel that they do not have an natural gift. Even worse, these kids start to see mistakes as something to hide rather than an opportunity to learn: they come to see learning as an outcome, not a process.

What to do about it:
1) Read Mindset. This book is worth it. You’ll be amazed at how much the phenomenon of labeling affects all of us on a daily basis - not just in school but also at work, in sports, and even in relationships.

2) Praise your child for effort. When your son hits a home run, rather than calling him a “natural” at baseball, try, “Wow, your practice is really paying off!” When your daughter brings home a report card full of A’s, say, “I’m so impressed with the effort you’ve been putting into your schoolwork!” rather than praising her for being “smart.” Instead of praising for things that come easily and quickly, focus on your child’s hard work and perseverance towards a goal.

3) Mindset for the New School Year: You can help your child move from a “fixed” mindset to a “growth” mindset. Nurturing Wisdom is offering a short, five session tutoring program to prepare your child for the new school year. In this program, we spend some time helping students get organized and set up routines for the year, but our main emphasis is on reading excerpts from Mindset. We’ll teach students to understand the difference between a “fixed” mindset (you’re either smart or you’re not smart) and a “growth” mindset (if I work hard, I’ll improve). We’ll help students recognize their own mindsets, and help them set goals for the year ahead. Contact us to learn more!

Audrey and Lindsay play "Love Story" by Taylor Swift

2011-08-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Audrey and Lindsay have been working on their duet with High Note. Here they are, ready to share it with you!

Moving from "Meek" to "The Candor Queen"

2011-08-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I was always described as “shy” or “quiet.” I didn’t often contribute to conversations or class discussions. I didn’t speak my mind. I was your typical good student that did what I was told and spoke when spoken to.

Taking on a confrontation? Ha! That rarely happened, even if I was really upset. I was your typical “avoider.” I internalized most of these situations and let them fester. Some would bother me until I finally “burst” and realized I had to do something about it. Often, this led to reacting emotionally as opposed to rationally.

These “quiet” and “anti-confrontational” characteristics continued from my childhood into my early adult years. In my first few jobs out of college, I still had difficulty contributing ideas and dealing with confrontations.

Luckily, my colleagues at Nurturing Wisdom really value helping us grow as individuals and give us resources to help us work on goals, both personal and work-related. My goal last year was to buck these trends that have followed me throughout my life.

When Pari asked us to read a chapter from the book Winning by Jack Welch, the text really spoke to me, and I discovered what my real problem is. I’m not “shy” because I’m afraid of people. In fact, I love people! I thrive being around people! I was actually afraid of being candid.

According to Welch, lack of candor is a pervasive problem in society, particularly in work places. He wrote in Winning, “…too many people—too often—instinctively don’t express themselves with frankness. They don’t communicate straightforwardly or put forth ideas looking to stimulate real debate. They just don’t open up. Instead they withhold comments or criticism.”

Yep, that was me! This quote couldn’t have described me more perfectly. I’m sure it also describes a lot of other people out there. The good news is that it is possible to change. You can move from being “shy” and an “avoider” to being candid. But it’s not going to be easy, just as it wasn’t easy for me.

First, I had to always keep candor in the front of my mind. If I found myself avoiding making a difficult phone call or a conversation I knew I needed to have, I would force myself to do it! I constantly had to tell myself, “just say it!”

For example, I needed to call one of our tutors to talk to him about how he wasn’t scheduling his tutoring appointments effectively. I worried and worried about making the call because I was going to have to convey negative information to him. When I finally picked up the phone, I was surprised to find that it turned out to be a really enjoyable call, all about strategies for improvement and growth. The tutor was actually relieved to be able to use these strategies in the future.

I put the same amount of effort toward contributing ideas at work and giving feedback to coworkers. I didn’t want them to get annoyed with me, but I still wanted to share my ideas. I constantly asked myself what I could contribute. I had to just throw my ideas out there and learn to be ok if they weren’t put into action.

Over time, all of this got easier. I found that my coworkers respected my ideas and encouraged me to contribute even more. Those tough conversations started to come more naturally. In fact I may have created a monster. My coworkers now call me the “candor queen” because they see me just “doing” or “saying” instead of hesitating. I’m also finding myself coaching others on how to be more candid.

It’s encouraging for me to know that characteristics of our personalities can change with enough desire and effort. My next project for personal growth: becoming a more effective leader!

Achieving the Impossible, pt. 2

2011-08-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

In Lauren's last post, she wrote about the amazing effect students can have on tutors' lives. Here, Lauren gives another example of a student whose life she changed, who also changed her.

Every student I encounter teaches me something about myself and life. It is important to erase the stereotype that tutors change students only. This is a two way street. Every situation you encounter will teach you something and it is important to embrace these learning experiences to become a better teacher and person.

Enter Andrew. Andrew was a sophomore who needed tutoring for chemistry. Andrew is this adorable, shy guy who just makes your heart melt. He won’t ask questions in class, and he doesn’t raise his hand to answer questions. He’s that guy who wants to be invisible to teachers. When I started working with Andrew, I knew that I needed to break him out of his shell. I tried to be funny with him; he didn’t laugh at my jokes. I tried to talk about volleyball with him; he gave me one word answers. Over time, I continued with my failing techniques and each week, he would open up a little bit more. I was making progress!

But chemistry was a different story. Andrew had zero confidence when it came to chemistry. Not only did I have to help Andrew understand chemistry concepts, I also had to rebuild his confidence in the class. We worked slowly on this, and again, each week, he became more and more confident. I pushed him and put him in uncomfortable situations where he had to rely only on his brain to solve a problem. And after some time, he got it! He was understanding chemistry! He knew the formulas, he knew what to do with the formulas, he knew how to get the correct answer, and he felt confident going into his tests. YAY! This was a huge hurdle that we had overcome!

The only problem was that Andrew was still not doing well on tests. Where was this disconnect coming from? The second Andrew walked into class, everything he knew seemed to disappear. We started working on ways to overcome this and maintain his confidence in the classroom. At the end of the semester, Andrew’s grade was a 79.4%. 0.1% away from a B! Andrew begged and pleaded with his teacher to just boost him up to the B, but unfortunately his teacher wouldn’t budge.

But at the end of the day, it didn’t matter. Andrew had learned so much that was beyond chemistry. He had learned more about himself, he had become more social and confident! Reflecting on my time with Andrew, it really made me realize that the important things in life are not getting A’s on chemistry tests. Family, friends, and living in the moment are important. Life is too short not to shoot for the impossible and strive to achieve everything! Andrew really made me realize how important it is to focus on the things you can change, and not to worry about the things you can’t. Andrew couldn’t make his teacher give him that B, but what shows character is not to dwell on the letter grade. What shows character is the realization that what you take away from the experience is what really matters.

Some Problems with "New" Math

2011-08-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

We're constantly helping students with math. One trend we're seeing is that some of the "new" math curricula isn't giving students a strong foundation of basic math facts. Math builds on itself over time. As a student advances in math, tackling increasingly complicated problems and skills, undetected holes in their foundational knowledge can cause huge problems later.

What is "new" Math?

Everyday Math is one type of "new math" widely used throughout Chicagoland elementary schools. It has grown in popularity because it's thought to teach "higher level" problem solving skills. Problem-solving skills are important, and the truth is, many students do quite well with Everyday Math. The consistent problem that we see is that foundational, basic math skills are not taught, which really leaves some kids behind.

What is it about this "new" math that leaves some students with gaping holes in their math knowledge? This youtube video, Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth, sheds some light on the problem. It compares the traditional methods for solving a multiplication problem with the new methods. It's not difficult to see why the new methods are confusing for kids learning math for the first time. Watch this if your child's school is using the Everyday Math curriculum.

What do we do about it?

If your child is using a "new" math program, the important thing is to supplement!

Make sure your children learn their basic math facts to mastery. Flash cards, dice games, leap frog toys, and online tools like aleks quick tables are great for learning math facts.
Check out ixl.com or aleks.com if you want to do an online math program at home.
Tutoring is always an option! Feel free to give us a call. We've encountered many of these situations in tutoring, and we're happy to help!

Jumping into the Deep End: moving from surface structure to deep structure

2011-07-29T10:19:00.001-07:00

In previous posts, Sara introduced the concept of surface structure & deep structure when it comes to problem solving. She then went on to describe the ways the surface structure of problems can help students understand certain aspects of those problems or concepts. Now Sara goes into more detail about how, through knowledge transfer, we can help students move beyond the surface structure of problems to understand their underlying deep structure.

Transfer (applying past knowledge to new situations or problems) is an essential part of how we define learning. We can’t say that we’ve really mastered a concept or skill until we can apply our knowledge in different situations. The question is: how can we promote transfer?

As I explained in my last post, students have an easier time recognizing deep structure if the surface structure is familiar. The key point here is that familiar surface structure is not necessary to solve a problem - but it is helpful. I’ve noticed that when working with ACT students over the years, most of them have an easier time tackling percentage word problems when they have a familiar context. Take these examples:

1) Sheila had lunch at a restaurant. Her bill was $20, and she wants to leave a 20% tip. How much is her total?

2) A business purchases its inventory at lower wholesale prices and then sells items to the public at higher retail prices. Sheila, the owner of a shoe store, purchases shoes at $20 per pair, and she sells them for 20% more than she paid. What is the retail price of the shoes?

Even though the calculations are identical, most high school students have an easier time with the first problem because they’ve had experience with leaving a tip at a restaurant. It’s rare that you’ll find a high school student who has experience determining retail prices based on wholesale cost.

In the same vein, if my son had had more experience with track and field, he probably wouldn’t have balked at the ‘laps around the track’ addition problem. He’d probably have more confidence tackling this problem: “If an artist uses 2 cans of paint to make one mural, how many cans of paint would he need to make 2 murals?” than he would this problem: “If there are 2 hydrogen atoms in one molecule of H2O, how many hydrogen atoms are in 2 molecules of H2O?”

What we can take away from this is that the more exposure a student has to different subjects, the easier it will be to transfer knowledge (and the easier it will be to learn new information, period!) Encourage your children to expand their base of knowledge by going to museums, reading books, participating in extracurricular activities, and engaging them in conversation on different topics. This is a case where more is definitely better!

As helpful as a wide base of knowledge is, a student doesn’t need to be familiar with the surface structure of a problem in order to recognize its deep structure. How can we promote knowledge transfer to unfamiliar contexts?

The answer: lots of practice!

This may seem oversimplified, but the truth is that it’s easier said than done. I think most of us know that practice is a necessary part of learning, and that the more practice a student has with different types of problems, the more apparent the deep structure of those problems becomes. After all, when I think of the variety of addition problems that I’ve seen in my lifetime, the amount of exposure my 7-year-old has had seems miniscule. With more practice, the ‘laps around the track’ problem will become as simple to him as it was to me, and the deep structure of addition problems will eventually be unmistakable.

Practice has other benefits in addition to promoting transfer. It helps students retain information for longer periods of time. It also helps basic skills become automatic, which frees up “thinking space” in the brain for performing higher-level problem solving.

The tricky part is keeping students engaged during all that practice! Here are some tips from Willingham in Why Don’t Students Like School?:

Break up practice into small chunks of time over a long period. There’s no need to do two hours of practice in one sitting. Instead, try fifteen or twenty minutes a day for a week or two.
Vary the problems. Different surface structures not only help with transfer, they can help a student stay interested, too.
Mix up the skills in the practice. If a student seems to have a pretty good handle on multiplication word problems but needs more practice, try throwing an occasional addition or subtraction problem into the mix. It’ll keep her actively thinking about the problems.
Practice “old” skills in the context of new ones. If students need continued practice with reading aloud, it isn’t necessary to just have them read story after story. Reading aloud could be involved in a lesson about plot or character, or it could be a natural part of acting out a dramatic work.

At Nurturing Wisdom, our guideline is to provide an immense amount of practice, distributed over time, and across varied contexts. Looping, a technique we use when tutoring math, is one way we’ve managed to apply these guidelines with excellent results. I’ve begun using looping with my son for addition, subtraction, and now multiplication problems, whenever teachable moments arise. As a rising third grader, he’s hardly seen the end of stumping math problems – and I’m sure I’ve hardly scratched the surface of moments that I will be surprised and confused as a parent! – but we’re at least one step further along the path of his growth as a student, and I have a much better understanding of how to guide him along in the future.

Achieving the Impossible!

2011-07-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

Walking in to your first tutoring session, you have so much emotion running through you: nerves, excitement, curiosity, anticipation. You are so excited to meet your new student and you can’t wait to see what the future holds! Walking out of the first session, you know that you can help this student achieve their goals. Not once do you think about how this student is going to affect your life and change you. Well, here’s the truth that I’ve learned: every student will change your life and make you a better person.

Enter Ben. Ben was a junior who needed tutoring for the ACT. Ben was one of my first students and after hearing all about him, I was so excited to work with him! Ben’s mom, however, was a little skeptical. She knew how new I was, and she also knew that Ben needed to do really well on his ACT to get into his top choice schools. My emotions went from excited to extremely nervous. (I mean, no pressure or anything to make sure Ben does really well on his ACT.) Ben and I started working together and it was a perfect match! We worked really well together; he responded well to my teaching techniques and feedback and always did EVERYTHING I asked of him without one ounce of complaining! I was always so excited for Sunday tutoring because I got to work with Ben! To make a long story short: Ben went up 6 points on his first real test, but then went down on his second.

After his second test, Ben, his parents, and I all sat down and had an amazing talk. We knew Ben was capable of surpassing his highest score, and he really needed to get one point higher to be a “shoo-in” to his top choice school. Ben was on board! He said he would do whatever it took to get that extra point. And if he didn’t get it in June, he would try again in September. Ben worked his tail off prepping for the June test, even with the load of finals weighing on him. But again, not one complaint came out of his mouth. A few weeks ago I got a phone call from Ben’s mom. I had been having dreams about Ben’s ACT scores - clearly I couldn’t wait to hear what she said. She told me that Ben had gone up two additional points from his first real test, raising his total score increase to 8 points - above and beyond what he needed to get into his top choice school. Then she started talking about how I have changed Ben’s life. She said that a year ago, she never thought that any of this was possible for Ben, but that we proved her wrong! Hearing her say all these wonderful things brought tears to my eyes. It was nice to hear how I had affected Ben’s life, but what about how he changed mine?

Ben made me realize why I love my job so much! He made me realize that life is all about the hard work you put into it. There’s no such thing as an easy path, and if there were, I wouldn’t want to take it. Ben and I worked so hard to achieve the impossible. The road was tough at times, but man does it feel good to look back and say, “We did that!”

Lauren Feldmann, Staff Development Assistant

The Lightning Round: Tips from our Productivity Maven!

2011-07-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Jeanne Rerucha has a nickname on our staff: we call her "Lightning" because she gets things done so quickly, and so well! Here, she shares some of her productivity secrets.

Have you ever wondered, "how will I get all this done?" or better yet, "how will I get all this done well"? I have found that it is all about technique, strategy, and a little multi-tasking to get through many of my days. As a mom of three girls and a tutoring director who works from home, I used to feel stress just getting through each day. I want to be there for my kids, I want to get my work done well, the laundry is everywhere; you get the picture. It's all about organization and a little flexibility.

Here are a a few tricks that have really helped me:

1. A calendar: this is so important!! I use my calendar religiously. Now, honestly, I haven't gotten into the online google calendars yet because I need to physically be able to see my calendar at any time, and my computer is not in my car. I keep track of all appointments, meetings for work, and playdates in my calendar. Because I am ultimately keeping track of 5 schedules, this is needed.

2. Maximize your help: I have a baby-sitter who comes for a few hours during the week. I know that's the time I need to use for phone calls and items requiring full concentration. Some things can be done at the same time as others, while some things need full attention.

3. Know your multi-tasking limit: Sure, I can be on the phone, wash dishes, and help with homework; but add in one more activity and it is too much. It's important to know how many things you can do while making sure they are still getting done well.

4. Reflect at night: I find it is easiest to do reflection in the evening. For me, the kids are in bed, it is much quieter in the house and I'm not rushing around getting things done. I like to save the items that need some thought or even some idea brainstorming for the end of my day. I also feel this is a good time to chat with co-workers, as they too are not trying to do a bunch of things.

5. Charts: I love my "at a glance" sheets. At work, I do this for my list of students, so that I can keep track of what tests I am expecting, who is tutoring them, etc. I know I can go deeper in the file system to get more information, but this sheet saves me time. I do this for some personal items as well. I have a sheet of phone numbers/addresses that I use most. Of course I have an address book to refer to when needed, but the doctor's number is easily accessible on my fridge for quick reference.

Do you have any productivity tips to share? Every little bit helps!

Tutor Spotlight: Kristi Harreld, "Practicing to Be"

2011-07-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Kristi Harreld has been tutoring for nearly eight years, four of them with Nurturing Wisdom. She holds an M.A. in English from the University of Illinois (Chicago). When she isn’t teaching or tutoring, she enjoys kayaking, riding waterslides, and of course, taking photographs.

Teacher. Tutor. Writer. There are many words I would use to describe myself, but I recently encountered one I wasn’t so comfortable with. After opening the Easter card I’d made for him, my father-in-law exclaimed, “I didn’t know you’re a photographer!” I managed a smile but mentally protested. A photographer? I just took a photo of a lily and pasted it to a white card! I then toyed with the new label. What does or does not make me a photographer?

I often experience such confusion, except I’m usually the “labeler” and my students are the ones who are confused or even sometimes insistent. “I’m not good at writing” turns up frequently in sample paragraphs. “I’ve never liked to write” typically masks a lack of confidence. Many times, though, the self-proclamations run deeper; the worst of them are simple yet profound: “I’m not a writer.” Students usually laugh if I point out that they just turned in a typed something, a thing called a piece of writing, which makes the individual who produced it a writer. Still, the declaration lingers: I’m not a writer. Why not?

I’ve been writing since I could hold a pen. In the third grade, I was “published,” if you count the two slim short stories I bound together using scraps of hideous, discarded wallpaper samples (still good reads, if you ask me). Early on, I identified writing as fun, a task that gave me a sense of myself. And then I practiced. A lot. Hidden inside the polished writings I produced were hundreds of errors, revisions, and newer, better things that grew from those earlier attempts. In short, it’s the act of writing that has made me a writer. The quality of my writing has been described in various ways; nevertheless, I continue to identify myself as a writer because I keep writing. Many theorists believe that if we want students’ writing to improve, we must teach them to value the act of writing by having them do a lot of it. I’ve seen this theory proven many times, but I’d add a little twist: it helps to accept any labels that go with that practice, even if you can only do so temporarily. It may further help to tell students to try on such labels like those red-and-white “Hello my name is” stickers and see what comes of it.

Since the Easter card incident, I’ve applied this theory to myself a little more. A few weeks ago, I cleaned out the flash drive full of photos I’ve taken in the last six months. Several hundred shots were deleted because they didn’t hold value for me anymore. Actually, I realized their value wasn’t in their clarity, focus, or beauty, and it wasn’t meant to be; it was in helping me practice to be something new. Teacher. Tutor. Writer. Photographer. I kind of like the sound of that.

A Closer Look at Surface Structure

2011-07-15T12:44:00.001-07:00

Applying past knowledge to new situations or problems is called transfer.

As many of us teachers and parents have experienced, getting a child to transfer knowledge isn’t always easy. The ‘laps around the track’ problem that I gave my 7-year-old son was a poignant example for me. Students will often focus so much on the unfamiliar surface structure of a problem that they miss the deep structure, and they don’t realize that they actually have the skills to solve the problem.

Why do students put so much emphasis on surface structure? Because it’s the clearest part of the problem. The surface structure is written out and obvious, whereas the deep structure is hidden and unclear. It seems more efficient to work with obvious and concrete information rather than take haphazard stabs at what the deep structure might be.

It is important to remember, however, that paying attention to surface structure – the content of the words, the meaning of the story – is actually a necessary step when we’re learning new information. We learn new information by connecting it to information we already know.

For example, the other day my son was reading a children’s non-fiction book about murals. I know that he already has some background knowledge on the concept of art: painting and sculpture are kinds of art, Picasso and Van Gogh are famous artists, paintings are done on paper or canvas, etc. After reading the book, he hopefully fit the new information about murals into his conceptual understanding of art.

Here’s a simplified idea of how some of that information might be organized in his mind. The left and middle boxes represent what he already knew about art, while the box with dotten lines on the right represents new information.

Since he already had some context of what art is, he was able to fit this new art form into his previous understanding of art. As time goes on and he gains more knowledge and exposure to this topic, this understanding will grow and deepen.

If there’s no background knowledge or context for understanding a new fact or idea, the chances of a student learning is pretty slim.

When a student focuses on the surface structure of a problem (like laps around a track), he’s recalling related background knowledge (laps, tracks, runners) to see if it will help to solve it, or to see if there’s anything new that can be attached to what he already knows. If this is how we learn and understand, we can hardly fault a student for placing so much emphasis on the surface structure. Though surface structure can be helpful for absorbing new conceptual information, it wasn’t enough to help my son solve the “laps around the track” addition problem that I presented to him.

How can we help students recognize deep structure, which is also a very important skill, and promote transfer?

The short answer: lots of practice.

In my next post, I’ll go into more depth about how to help transition from surface structure to deep structure.

-Sara McGuinn, Northshore Tutoring Director

Optimizing for Ownership

2011-07-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

“Optimize for ownership” is a phrase we use often here at Nurturing Wisdom. With ownership comes a sense of control, of investment, and of pride. We believe that optimizing for ownership ultimately results in engaged, high-quality work amongst our team. But we don’t limit this approach to the adults at Nurturing Wisdom; we want all of our students to take ownership, too! How do we accomplish this?

ESTABLISH HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND CLEAR GOALS. When I meet with students, I tell them that the tutor will teach them content and strategies, but it is dedicated and consistent work on the student’s part that will lead to improved grades and scores. Meeting regularly, completing homework, and taking practice tests are some of the major steps students take to achieve their goals. But working with a can-do attitude, asking questions, and learning from mistakes are just as important. Students take an active, rather than passive, role in their learning.

ESTABLISH ROUTINES. We teach students how to effectively use their assignment notebooks, we help them create a system of folders and binders, and we show them how to study a little bit every day. They will learn interactive study strategies, and they will learn how to self-advocate. Working through a process of modeling, guided practice, and finally independent practice, our goal is for students to internalize and apply what they've learned from their tutor. Students get to know their own process of learning, which helps them take charge of their learning.

ESTABLISH A GROWTH MINDSET. We sometimes hear from parents and students that they're disappointed in a score or a grade. At Nurturing Wisdom, we avoid using the dreaded D-word! We encourage families to look beyond that brick wall to figure out what the student needs to work on. A shift in attitude will often reveal what a student has done well.

One example of this happens with ACT tutoring. On the ACT, students may have a lower reading score on their mid-test than their pre-test. But when we look closer at the student's mid-test, we may find that errors are clustered in the final pasage. When errors are evenly distributed throughout the reading section of the pre-test, students show a need for comprehension and test-strategy work. But when errors are clustered at the end of the section, we see that timing is the real issue. Rather than feeling disappointed in a lower score, we will celebrate this shift and focus on timing strategies. Students are armed with a sense of control and optimism when we take this tack.

I love hearing about improved grades and scores as much as anyone, but what is really music to my ears is hearing about a student's increased confidence and ability to transfer skills. By optimizing for ownership, we create lifelong independent learners.

-Erin Doyle, Tutoring Director in the Western Suburbs

Tutor Snapshot: Laura Kurtycz

2011-07-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

Laura Kurtycz (seen here with her pal Gilbert) has been tutoring with Nurturing Wisdom for almost two years. Students love Laura for the energy and enthusiasm that she brings to her sessions, and parents appreciate her skill for building confidence in her students. Laura has her B.A. in Chinese and Anthropology. She spent two years doing Teach for America in Chicago, and received her Master's in Early Childhood Education. To add to Laura's impressively varied background, she has also spent time in Africa volunteering at a baboon sanctuary, and working at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Long tails, dark brown hands, expressive eyes, warm hugs, and peppery breath. These are the sensory images that come to mind when I think back over my experience two summers ago, not long before I joined the Nurturing Wisdom team.

In July of 2009 I volunteered at the Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education (C.A.R.E.), a Chacma baboon sanctuary outside of Phalaborwa, South Africa. As a volunteer, I participated in all parts of running the Centre, including food preparation, enclosure maintenance, observation, and food procurement (which sounds fancy, but really just meant riding all over the countryside in a pick-up truck, or “buggie,” collecting free or heavily discounted vegetables from neighboring farms). The babies at the centre are anywhere from 3 months to a year old, and all of them are orphans. Some of them were kept as pets (until they got older and were not cute anymore), some watched their mothers shot or poisoned, and some were just found by the side of the road. One way or another, they ended up at CARE. In the enclosure, or “hok,” it is the volunteers’ job to observe, mediate, discipline, and provide comfort to the babies, as older sisters and mothers would do in a wild troop. The babies would otherwise lack this type of interaction, which is crucial to optimal development and growth.

Laura is in the middle, feeding Bella. Crosby sits on her lap with his tongue sticking out, while Jude looks on. The baboon in the back is Rita.

The babies spent the days together in an enclosure, goofing around and playing with toys, including balls, dolls, boxes, and a small white plastic bucket. This was a favorite toy - many an hour was punctuated by human giggles as we watched one baboon or another repeatedly and purposefully bounce off of walls with a bucket on his or her head. One of my favorite memories is of Gabby, a seven-month old. One particular afternoon, Gabby picked up the old white bucket and slapped it over her head. Unfortunately, it was about a quarter full of water. Gabby held the bucket in one hand, and stood, astonished and sopping wet. She stared at bucket, dumbfounded, as we laughed until we cried. But afterwards, wiping away the tears, I wondered what Gabby was really thinking. Did she understand what happened? Did she blame the bucket? Was she confused? Would she always look inside buckets from now on?

Watching the baby baboons that summer, I was constantly struck by how much they reminded me of my former kindergarten students. They quarreled, they fought, they played with toys and they wrestled with each other, all within the space of a few minutes. Baby baboons groom each other. Five year old girls braid each others’ hair. What is the difference, really? But the parallels run deeper. The babies were exploring and learning all the time. Gabby learned a valuable lesson that day about water and buckets (and looking before you leap!). All day, every day, some tiny baboon brain is digesting some other lesson, some other truth about baboon life, so that someday she will be able to venture into the world as productive, (dare I say, educated?) member of baboon society.

Fortunately, human children are easier to teach than baboons – I guess being able to speak English to them makes a big difference. (Then again, human children do not have tails to grab onto as they run by, making them harder to catch). Yet I often feel that the experiences are similar. In both cases, all the young ones ask from us is patience, love, guidance, and the willingness to let them learn their own lessons, even if it means getting wet.

A High Note Success Story: Darci plays "Do-Re-Mi"

2011-07-05T11:56:00.001-07:00

Darci and I sat at her keyboard one day in early May for her weekly lesson. We began as always with review. I showed Darci a flashcard with an individual note on the staff, and she told me its letter name. Identifying each note correctly on her first try, she showed that she had memorized her note names, and proudly took the cards from me and shuffled them back into a neat pile on her stand.

“Wait, wait, Darci, now we have to play them!” I protested.

“Why?” she asked.

Why? I considered how best to answer this. Because this is your piano lesson? Darci is six. I decided that this answer probably would not suffice. So we proceeded to learn by doing.

Darci was learning to play the song "Do-Re-Mi," from The Sound of Music. I put the first line of the song in front of her and gave her two options: she could either play the notes, or she could just name them. Darci paused briefly. Then she began to play.

“Do…a…deer…a…fe..male… deer…” I reached for the paper, but she quickly burst out the next words and proceeded to sing the whole song.

After her trademark finale grin and long held vibrato, I asked Darci how she knew those notes. She pointed out where each note resided on the staff, and showed how she used that information to locate the notes on the keyboard.

“Do-Re-Mi has three brand new notes in it,” I told her. “We're going to have to find them on the keyboard before we can play the rest of the song.” Darci agreed, and I pointed out that she already knew what these notes looked like. She found her notecards, and we proceeded to work on the brand new notes.

When it came time for Darci's recital, I was so happy with her progress. Even though she's only six, I really appreciate the fact that Darci asks Why. I hope she continues to do so, because it puts her practice into context, and enriches her understanding of music.

Check out Darci's "Do-Re-Mi" recital:

Tutor Snapshot: Peter Kang

2011-07-01T12:52:00.001-07:00

Peter Kang is one of Nurturing Wisdom's most experienced tutors. Not to mention the busiest - Peter works with more students every week than anyone else! Families rave about his patience, thorough knowledge, and investment in his students. You may not know that before Peter tutored with NW, he was in the Marines. Now you can learn a bit more about Peter's experience in the Marine Corps, and his journey to teaching.

I floated through high school relatively unscathed by its drama. I played three varsity sports: football, wrestling and baseball. I went to all the dances - with dates, might I add. I worked after practice, then hung out with friends. I was in every honors class my school offered. There were not as many AP classes then as there are now, but I was in AP Calculus. I was on the state qualifying math team.

Unfortunately my ACT score projection was…well, let's just say that you could roll three six-sided dice and get a higher number. My guidance counselor said that if I wanted help choosing a college, there was a stack of brochures next to the door. I also took the ASVAB, which is taken by military enlistees to see which jobs they qualify for. I was perfect that day. I could be anything I wanted…in the military anyway. Later, I took the ACT and scored significantly higher, almost double my previous score projection.

As graduation came and went, my father and I locked horns regarding my future. I wanted to join the Marine Corps. He wanted me to attend university. Eventually I relented, as I was still too young to enlist without the blessing of my parents. As fall rolled around, I found myself on the campus of University of Illinois at Chicago.

Early in my first semester as a soon-to-be graduating senior, I received an early morning phone call from my mother. She told me to turn on the news. I stared in silent disbelief for a time. As disbelief turned into anger, I felt as if my mind had been made up for me. My future, at least the next few years of it, had been decided for me on that early Tuesday morning. I joined the masses at the recruiting office. I had my second perfect day of testing, which allowed me my choice of prestigious specialties: intelligence, maintenance, or communications. I didn’t want to practice being interrogated, nor did I want to fix equipment that other people broke. This left me in communications, with a three-foot antenna sticking out over my head (hey, at least I could call for help). Shortly thereafter, I graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, and two weeks later, as the saying goes, I was standing on the yellow foot prints.

I finished boot camp, infantry training, and two electronic communications courses in time to check into a unit that had just received its activation orders. In the four days between checking into my unit and going to war, I picked up a marriage license at city hall, got married, returned the necessary paperwork to city hall, added my wife to all my military papers, and then got packed.

Sooner rather than later, although it didn’t feel like it, we were sent home. Mission Accomplished. Or so said the banner that hung on the aircraft carrier where a former Air National Guard pilot landed. It sure didn’t feel like our mission was accomplished. Sure, I got a half dozen or so medals, but no parade. Men and materials were still being sent overseas and returning spent, if they returned at all. Some Marines that I worked with started taking exams which would grant college credit. Word had gotten around about my background; suddenly, I was very busy helping fellow Marines pass tests.

I reached a crossroad when I returned to civilian life, a life I had yet to experience. My wife and I had bought a home. She had finished her M.S. in Bioengineering while I was away, and was now headed to Toronto to pursue her PhD. At the same time, I was headed to New Orleans to pick up the pieces left behind by Hurricane Katrina. I wanted to go with her, to be supportive, to be there for her. But I needed to stay. I needed to keep things in order here, to make things better for her return. Teaching made sense. I felt good teaching. I could make a career out of teaching. My commitment to teaching took me through the halls of Northwestern University, and finally and into the folds Nurturing Wisdom.

Aha Moments & Mnemonic Devices

2011-06-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

Even well into adulthood, I used to have the hardest time (embarrassingly enough) remembering which direction I had to turn to loosen or tighten things like screws or knobs. This culminated one day when I was trying to get some screws off the license plate of my car and it took me way too long to finish the task. After I complained to a friend, she taught me “Righty tight-y, lefty loose-y” as a way to remember this which worked like a charm! All the years of struggling to keep this straight in my head boiled down to a couple of simple lines and it’s something I won’t ever forget.

I was recently reminded of my “Ah-ha!” learning moment when I received an e-mail from one of our tutors. She was writing to share about an awesome breakthrough experience she had with one of her students who had struggled in the past to memorize the quadratic formula. As the tutor and this student were getting ready to go over the quadratic formula, the student told the tutor that he wasn’t looking forward to having to attempt memorizing it again. The tutor then presented a fun mnemonic for memorizing the quadratic formula to the student and he was able to memorize it in 5 minutes! Here's the formula and the mnemonic:

"Negative b couldn't decide whether he should go to the radical party or be square. He missed out on 4 awesome chicks and the party was over at 2am!"

I love hearing stories like this! We’ve been focusing on “creating the moments when you’ll love learning the most” for our students and the wonderful thing is that our tutors soak in these moments as much as their students do. The excitement that our tutors exude is contagious – it shows students that they have someone by their side cheering them on. It only takes a moment for something to click…even (as in my case) if it’s something you have been unsuccessfully trying to grasp for a long time. Maybe it’s through a fun mnemonic, some catchy lines or an explanation that’s presented in a unique way. Whatever it is, the moment that light bulb goes on for a student can be the beginning of something really great!

-Christian Kang, Tutoring Director Northshore

Looping: Becoming a Believer!

2011-06-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

I started at Nurturing Wisdom before we incorporated looping as a major strategy for our tutoring. Now, I can't imagine doing a session without it, no matter the subject matter!

Looping has transformed me into an even better tutor than I thought possible. Because I'm only giving students one problem at a time, I'm constantly assessing my students as they work. I have to decide if they're showing mastery of a concept and are ready to move on to a harder problem, or if I need to keep repeating that same skill. Now, I'm truly teaching to mastery.

I started using looping with my ACT math students as a way to review a large number of algebra and geometry skills. Thanks to the book Why Don't Students Like School, I'm learning that students need to be exposed to concepts repeatedly in order for those concepts to be stored in long-term memory. I've realized that, when I first started tutoring, I wasn't giving students frequent enough practice.

A breakthrough for me came when I started working with a student who seemed to forget concepts after only one week. I started using looping with her, reviewing the same math concepts each week. Even though she was seeing the same material session after session, she made incredible progress because I was constantly taking these concepts to higher and higher levels. She was able to take her ACT math score from the low teens to a 25 by the time she took her second ACT test!

Before I started using looping, my students' ACT math scores would increase by just a few points. Now I see even bigger jumps! The score increases aren't the most important thing, though. The best part is that I'm seeing students' confidence increase greatly. Looping helps me give my students many chances to be successful with math.

During my three years at Nurturing Wisdom, I've gone from being intrigued by looping, to loving it, to being a true, devoted believer in how powerful of a strategy it can be for tutoring! I'm never going back!

~Heather Roan, Staff Development Coordinator

Making Memorization Fun

2011-06-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

"How did you memorize all those lines?"

Those of us who've done theater are well acquainted with that question. I graduated from a conservatory program where I studied Acting. Over the years, I've been in quite a few plays, all of which involved memorization - sometimes just a few lines, sometimes pages and pages of text.

I think we can all agree that memorization is not the most fun activity. But quite often, especially with vocabulary or basic math facts, it's necessary. Here are a few tried & true tricks for taking the pain out of memorization, and injecting some fun into the process!

1. Give it a little rhythm. It may sound strange, but getting your inner Jay-Z on as you memorize words or definitions can really help. Chant the words as you tap out a rhythm on the table. You can even create a little melody, and sing them.

Get Creative: Take it a little farther by substituting the words of the catchiest pop song you know. Then, when you're studying for your Latin grammar test, you can simply crank up the Katy Perry and belt out, "'Cause baby you're a genitive! You indicate possession!" That will be so stuck in your head, you'll never forget the genitive again.

2. Boogie. That's right, boogie! Okay, you don't have to dance. But memorizing any information as you do a physical activity will lodge the information so deeply into your brain -- into your whole body, in fact, that you'd be hard pressed to forget it.

Get Creative: Do a set of ten crunches. Every time you crunch, yell out "Jugar!" Every time you release, "To Play!" This helpful multi-tasking will simultaneously prepare you for your Spanish quiz, and your next sports game!

3. Say It Out Loud. This is an extremely helpful little trick. The more senses you can use to internalize information, the better. You're using your eyes, as you read the information off the page, you're using your ears, as you hear what the words sound like, and you're using muscle memory, because you're feeling what it's like to form the words with your mouth.

Get Creative: If you're like me and have no shame, say the words out loud in a British accent. The strangeness of the sounds will also help the information stick.

4. Take a trip. Studying in different locations has been proven to help information stay longer. Walk all over the house as you memorize.

Get Creative: Make a game of it: set the timer on your cell phone for two minutes. Every time it beeps, move to a new location. Your family may think you're insane, but you'll do great on that next quiz!

5. Build a Memory Palace. This trick is not for the faint-of-heart. Joshua Foer, a journalist, recently wrote an article in the New York Times about his recent foray into memory competitions. In it, he describes the way he builds an imaginary mansion in his mind, populates it with off-the-wall images and characters, which he then associates with specific nuggets of information to memorize. When it's time to recall the information later, he simply takes a mental stroll through his own imaginary memory palace, and uses the crazy images he himself created to trigger his memory into pulling out the bits of information that he wants. An impressive feat.

Have any memory tricks you'd like to share? Let's hear 'em!

Tutor Snapshot: Julia Wollrab

2011-06-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Julia Wollrab is a tutor in Chicago, with extensive and varied teaching experience. She has a B.A. in Latin American Studies and a minor in Art History from the University of Chicago. Julia also had a career as a professional ballet dancer, working as a soloist with companies all over the world.

When asked to pick my favorite travel story, I find it impossible to isolate a single experience. Was it midnight dining on suspicious yet deliciously spicy goat at a roadside restaurant in Ethiopia? Getting lost in the labyrinthine streets of old Cairo, where one is exposed to a range of human activity that fiction usually only approximates? Coping with the "interesting" toilets in a theater in Hangzhou, China in my "Tarantella" tutu? Surviving the crowds in the Mexico City streets and subway trains without dislocating a shoulder? Scaling the Great Pyramid, or the Great Wall? Successfully navigating enormous potholes at high speeds in a 1986 Ford Escort on the Alaskan highway? Exploring the exoticism of Oak Park, Illinois? Which moment has most thrilled and inspired me? It's hard to say.

I've been extremely fortunate in that my former career as a dancer meshed perfectly with another of my passions: travel. Touring with various professional dance companies over the course of 20 years allowed me to indulge my craving for adventure - on stage and off. Many a paycheck went straight to my plane ticket fund, for trips that supplemented the extensive touring I was already doing.

What is clear to me is that this form of experiential learning - exposure to radically diverse spatial and cultural environments, to both tragic poverty and awesome beauty, and confrontation with the unexpected - has provided me with a sort of "feedback loop" of learning. Eventually it inspired me to engage in formal academic study at the University of Chicago. The more I am able to witness, to actually "be" somewhere and absorb information with my senses, the more I become intellectually curious about how things came to be that way. Conversely, the more I learn through research, the more I want to witness how that reality, or that history, is lived out day-to-day.

It's fun to share my love of travel and culture with my students - especially as we work on their history or social studies texts. And sometimes, the only way to really stave off my obsession with travel as learning and learning as travel is, simply, more travel.

NY Times: "Rethinking Advanced Placement"

2011-05-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

We recently came across this NY Times article, "Rethinking Advanced Placement," which outlines the upcoming changes that College Board is making to AP curricula.

They plan to do a major overhaul of many of their subjects, starting with AP Biology and AP US History. This change is inspired by the sheer amount of content that currently needs to be covered in a year-long class. This has become a major challenge for both students and teachers, and the College Board is seeking to address that.

We think the article does a great job outlining what currently makes these subjects so tough: "What fuels the [students'] panic is that nearly every tongue-twisting term and microscopic fact is fair game for the year-end test that decides who will receive college credit for the course."

This information is particularly useful for students who are thinking of taking the Biology or US History AP tests. If you have any questions or are interested in discussing this with someone, feel free to contact us!

Complaints: Gifts in Disguise!

2011-05-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

Recently I visited the Zappos headquarters in Las Vegas. Zappos is famous for its unparalleled customer service, and while I was there, I got some really fascinating insights into their approach. At NW, we pride ourselves on providing the best tutoring, but we also take a lot of pride in our superb customer service. I was pretty confident in what we were doing. Little did I know I was in for an attitude adjustment...

It all started with a seemingly innocent discussion question posed by Zappos: "How many of us like complaints?" Everyone sitting around me had the same reaction:

"Uh...NONE of us...obviously!"

Well Zappos, being Zappos, had a different take on this matter. The leader of the discussion group smiled sagely at us. "Complaints are GIFTS, people!"

Hm. This was a new idea for me. Please explain how something painful, time-consuming, and draining, like dealing with an unhappy customer, is a gift? As usual with Zappos, the logic was simple and brilliant:

Complaints give us a chance to fix things, and to know what to improve. They help us identify our weak areas, so we can make them stronger. A customer has the choice to voice their concerns, giving you a chance to transform their experience, or to just stop being a customer altogether. In the long run, which would you prefer?

They even took it a step further:

Complaints challenge us to be better. If we look at every complaint as a learning opportunity, and take a moment to step back and evaluate the situation objectively, complaints can make us better people and a better company!

If you're reading this and there's something we can be doing better to help you, please share your complaints. We are eager to help you!

-Pari Schacht

Tutor Snapshot: Elizabeth Guess

2011-05-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Guess is a versatile tutor with Nurturing Wisdom in Chicago. She has her B.A. in English and Spanish from DePauw University, and is currently pursuing her Master's in Education. Elizabeth tutors everything from writing to Spanish, math to the ACT. Though Elizabeth is originally from rural western Kentucky, she has fallen in love with the bustling Windy City streets.

The night Crittenden County High School won the girls basketball regional championship, I had just arrived home for spring break. I walked through the back door to find my parents sitting at the kitchen table, intently listening to the announcer. His fervor was magnetic, and though I hadn’t been home but for a few minutes, I was already rapt in the game. A last second shot, and then—“Rockets win! Rockets win!” His voice was breaking, the crowd's roar from the gym sounded through the fuzzy AM radio, and my parents and I looked to each other in silence, smiling and eyes welling with tears of pride for our tiny county school.

It was the first time my alma mater had ever sent any basketball team to the state tournament, and the excitement ignited the community like wildfire. The next morning, unadorned white banners with plain blue letters hung on the lampposts along Main Street. Despite their crude aesthetic, the banners spelled out a hopeful message: “The Little Town that Could.” Every business along Main Street embellished its windows with similar well-wishes: “Good Luck Lady Rockets!”; “All the Way to State!”; “The Triple Crown: All-A, District, and Region 2011!” Blue balloons, blue streamers, even blue flowers tossed in the March wind of Marion, Kentucky.

Though I live in Chicago now, one year out of college, I cannot ignore the Crittenden County part of myself. It is as if time stops while I’m away from my hometown, for anytime I return, things pick up right where I left them:

there are still just two stoplights;

there are still just three fast food restaurants;

the county newspaper is still published once a week;

the high school still graduates about 100 students each year;

the muddy pick-up trucks still dominate the roads;

the Amish still park their buggies in the grocery store parking lot;

the teens still hang out “up town” in the evenings and go “backroading” for fun;

and the adults still ask me how I’m doing away from home, no matter how many times they’ve asked before.

Crittenden County is a place where the people are “kin” to each other, where you’re “fixin’” to go to the store, and where pulling down someone's pants by surprise is called “shucking,” like shucking corn. And, of course, the typical Crittenden Countian is connected to most other citizens by three or less degrees of separation: I went to prom with my dentist’s nephew; my best friend’s aunt was my swim team coach, her uncle my algebra teacher; and my older brother, Neil Guess, went to homecoming with a girl named Lisa, who ended up marrying Terry Guess (no relation) and subsequently became the stepmother of one of my classmates, T.K. Guess (wait—what?).

Perhaps these quaint simplicities of rural life seem irrelevant to foreigners, but they inevitably constitute my personal mantra as both a student and (future) teacher of writing: from simplicity comes inspiration.

In Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear, Lear famously threatens his daughter Cordelia that “nothing will come of nothing”—she will receive nothing from him if she does nothing to win his love through flattery. Many may think this ideology applies to the simple “nothings” of Marion, Kentucky, but in the case of my hometown and, more importantly, writing overall, there always is something, no matter how seemingly insignificant. The most successful creative pieces I’ve ever written focus on the most ordinary subjects, namely a personal essay entitled “Teeth: A Journey” and “Ole Blue Guess,” the narrative of the 1976 blue Chevrolet I drove during my teenage years: neither grand nor emotionally riveting, these stories simply bring to life common slices of the past that with earn recognition with lively storytelling.

Likewise, academic writing functions in a similar simple-to-inspired manner. When writing a research paper, I read all the material first without having any clue where it will lead, noting every regular moment, every tiny detail, every nothing that could be something. How does it all relate? How do these puzzle pieces connect? What trends, ideas, arguments can I make from these clues? These questions, help me find the inspiration among the simplicities and lead me to my thesis.

This very philosophy manifested itself that day at the Kentucky Sweet Sixteen basketball tournament as I cheered on the Lady Rockets. Throughout the wide sea of blue I spotted moments of my past—old classmates and teachers, family friends and foes, and citizens with whom I simply had that three-degree connection. Just as the subtleties of life inspire creative writing, just as the most minor details enlighten scholarly theses, these individual threads of Crittenden County had joined as a woven tapestry of community pride, reaffirming my mantra: from the simplicities of a rural community came the motivation to support Our Little Town that Could to the very end—and the inspiration to tell the tale another day.

Why I Love Mistakes

2011-05-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever dropped food on your clothes while eating in public? What's the first thing you did? If you're anything like me, you looked around and hoped no one saw you....even before you cleaned it up. After all, if no one saw it, you can act like it didn't even happen.

All my life, I've been that way with mistakes. Not just the foolish little things like dropping food all over myself (which I do with some regularity), but all kinds of mistakes. If I totally goof something up at work, I'd hope I could fix it before anyone noticed. This is only natural, right?

Even now, when I realize I've made a mistake, I get a knot in my stomach, my skin feels almost prickly, and I start to sweat. Why? I'm still worried about who saw my mistake.

Yet, there's a better goal to strive for. There's a small population of people in our society who don't feel this way every time they make a mistake. They honestly view mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. They don't focus on the humiliation of the mistake, but rather on all that they can gain from it.

When babies first start walking, they fall over and over again, every hour of the day, without getting discouraged. We watch them and know that with each fall, they're gaining strength and learning a little bit more about balance. Every fall moves them closer to walking with stability and confidence. It's sad, but we un-learn this method of trial-and-error so quickly. I saw this recently happen with my own daughter.

When she was two, she adored puzzles. She would patiently sit and turn the pieces over and over again until her puzzle was done. It gave me so much joy to watch this! Then, abruptly, she stopped doing puzzles. I couldn't figure it out. Suddenly I realized: she had come to fear failure. She didn't want to attempt something she wasn't sure she could finish. We talked about it, and made a new goal....to "try hard things" and to "stretch our brains" each day, regardless of mistakes. A few weeks later, she suddenly started picking up puzzles again, even if they're hard, and she hasn't stopped since.

Now it's my turn. I want to value my mistakes. The lessons we learn from mistakes do not end when we become adults. I want to focus on each one as an opportunity for growth, not as a flaw in my character.

-Amanda Vogel

Tutor Spotlight!

2011-05-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Megan Mencinsky is a Nurturing Wisdom tutor in the western suburbs, and also an extremely talented special education teacher.

Megan has endless energy for helping her students succeed, and a passion for individualizing to each student.

This past school year, Megan was selected to be part of a team of writers for an ongoing blog for the Council for Exceptional Children. You can check it out here...

Amanda Vogel on "Make It Better"!

2011-05-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

Our VP Amanda Vogel wrote an article a few months ago, titled "Why is my Intelligent and Hardworking Child Struggling in School?"

Her article caught on like wildfire amongst parents -- they were thrilled to see issues that aren't often discussed being addressed in a clear, understandable way.

MakeItBetter.net, a community website for families on the North Shore, loved her article too - so much, that they posted it to their website. Check it out here. We're very excited for Amanda, and we're so happy that her expertise is getting some recognition!

Surface & Deep Structure

2011-05-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

My 7-year-old son and I were watching my older child compete in a track meet. It was a chilly day, and we’d been standing outside, huddled under our coats, for about an hour. As we stood at the fence waiting for the next event to begin, my son sighed, looked up at me and said, “Mom, I’m bored.”

The teacher in me always looks for moments like these to squeeze in some mental activity, so we started talking about the track.

“Do you know how many meters long the track is?” I asked. He shook his head. “It’s 400 meters,” I said. “So when a runner does one lap around the track, he runs 400 meters.”

That seemed to make sense to him, so I figured I’d start off with an easy problem. “All right,” I said, “so if a runner does two laps around the track, how many meters is that?”

I’ll never forget the look of surprise on his expressive face. Shaking his head, his brow knit with genuine confusion, he responded, “What? Mom, I don’t know. We’ve studied meters before in school, but we’ve never studied tracks!”

This time, it was my turn to be surprised. My son was in 2^nd grade, so I knew he had the arithmetic skills necessary to compute 400 + 400. But for some reason, he didn’t recognize that this was just an addition problem. I smiled and crouched down next to him so we could talk through how to get the answer. But in the back of my mind, I was at work on a problem of my own: why was he so baffled by what I thought would be a simple problem?

The answer, I found, lies in the concepts of structure of problems, explained by Willingham in his book Why Don’t Students Like School?

Word problems, such as the one I gave to my son, all have two elements to them: their surface structure and their deep structure. We adults recognize immediately that the ‘laps around the track’ problem is, at its core, an addition problem; that is, its deep structure is an addition problem. The fact that we’re talking about meters on a track does not change what we do to solve the problem. Actually, we could quite easily think of dozens of ways to “disguise” problems with the same deep structure:

If there are 2 gallons in 1 jug, how many gallons are in 2 jugs?
If you need 3 eggs to bake 1 cake, how many eggs do you need for 2 cakes?
If there are 5,280 feet in 1 mile, how many feet are in 2 miles?
If there are 20 ziggiblops in 1 splutzik, how many ziggiblops are in 2 splutziks?
If there are 12 # in 1 ^, how many # are in 2 ^?

The “disguise” is the surface structure of the problem. And, as you probably noticed in the last two examples, the surface structure need not even be familiar (or pronounceable) for you to recognize the deep structure and solve the problem.

The disconnect that arose for my son is that while he had the skills and knowledge necessary to solve the problem, he got hung up on the surface structure of the problem – laps around a track, which he had never formally studied – and failed to recognize the deep structure – addition, something he’s been practicing for months on end.

Being able to apply knowledge to new and unfamiliar problems is called transfer, and it’s something that we teachers and parents try to encourage in our kids. But, as you may have noticed with your own kids, knowledge transfer isn’t easy. There are reasons why it’s tough, and there are things we can do to promote knowledge transfer – but we’ll get into those another time. For now, see what you can do identify the surface and deep structures in problems you encounter – and have patience with your kids (or yourself!) during the countless repetitions of problems that will be necessary for successful transfer of knowledge.

-Sara McGuinn, Northshore Tutoring Director

Our Grand Opening

2011-04-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Nurturing Wisdom Blog!

So much is happening here at NW -- new ventures, new projects, and new cities. This blog is our chance to connect to you! We'll keep you updated on our latest news, event announcements, and helpful tips for students and parents.

As we've grown and developed in Chicago over the years, we've learned so much -- and we have just as much to share! We've had the opportunity to work with some truly amazing people, passionate educators with fascinating stories. We've developed strategies and curricula and have seen some amazing success from our students. We're constantly striving to improve, to grow, and to bring something new and effective to the field.

Thanks for stopping by. We hope to see you again soon!