HEATING UP!

The thermometer says it's already summer , but school's not out yet...just one more month, though, and the students will be free! Our calendar for this summer, however, is already heating up! Students and their parents have these goals:  

• prepare for the July or September Algebra and Geometry EOC
• maintain the knowledge gained in the past year
• fill in gaps in knowledge to avoid being "lost" next year
• prepare for the following year and/or next level of education
• get a handle on test anxiety before high-stakes testing begins again

GIVE US A CALL! Get a free thirty-minute consultation, and consider investing in your students during the summer!

BLIBBER BLABBER!

One of our favorite young men recently related an incident that occurred while he was working on a computer program in a classroom setting.  He needed assistance, but the two people who were designated to help him were standing by, talking. He described their behavior as "Blibber Blabber." His choice of words and the way he expressed himself were rather comical, but the truth is that his needs were not being met while the two adults were blabbing.

We couldn't help but wonder how often this occurs both in and out of the classroom.  Are we listening to each other?  Are we attending to each other's needs when we should?  As educators, of course, we think of how this relates to the students we tutor.  We make a point of checking in while we're working with our students, of checking whether the student is "with us" or if we've "lost" her/him. We encourage our students to ask questions, to stop us if we're moving too quickly or glossing over something that needs more explanation and practice, or if we're "blibber blabbering"!  

TAKE A BREATH!

It's not uncommon for people to hold their breath at times -- due to surprise, fright, anticipation, or stress.  In tutoring, we often see students holding their breath when they are solving a problem, or trying to find the best way to express their ideas....and we always gently remind them to BREATHE!! Holding the breath not only stresses the nervous system, but it can increase anxiety and actually impair our academic abilities.  If you catch yourself not breathing, exhale....and then gently begin breathing in out through your nose. You'll not only become calmer - you'll increase your chances for academic success.                                                                                                                                               

FREE THIRTY-MINUTE CONSULTATION!!

                                                                                                              

If you've been telling yourself that you're a "bad test-taker" or think that you just can't do well on a test, STOP IT!  Every test is a chance to show what you know -- no more, no less.  If you don't know the material while you are in class, ask questions...ask for help.  Join a study group.  Get a tutor. DON'T SUFFER IN SILENCE!  It doesn't matter if your parents, siblings, or friends had or have a hard time with tests.  You are your own person; you have your own strengths and weaknesses and, so long as you can read, you have the ability to learn and do well on tests.  

Top Flight Tutor has lots of information and suggestions for taking tests...  And if you have test anxiety, we can help with that, too.  Call us for a complimentary thirty-minute consultation, and find out how we can help you!

SPRING HAS (ALMOST) SPRUNG!

In my first year of teaching, a colleague's favorite spring poem was, "Spring has sprung, grass has ris, wonder where the birdies is?" The poor grammar grated on me, but this little ditty was amusing.  I think of it every year when our Florida temperatures start reaching the 80s and, as tutors, we know that the end of school  isn't far behind.

Our students and their parents start thinking about grades, End-of-Course exams, FSA exams, next year's courses, graduation....  As tutors, we're concerned, too.  We know the phone will be ringing off the hook...people will sound desperate ("My daughter is struggling with writing..."  "My son is failing his math class...")  If we wait 'til our students have dug themselves into a hole, it becomes doubly hard to help them climb out and finish the year with a passing grade.

We're into the third quarter of the school year.  If your student is having a hard time, call us.  We can schedule one-on-one customized tutoring or arrange small-group tutoring in Math and English.  We offer packages and discounts.  Our website is full of information about us and our services.

                                               TOP FLIGHT TUTOR -- 407-590-4054

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES... GAGA....

Lines from tutoring sessions:

Tutor:     "What happened on the back page of this test?"  (twice as many wrong as the front side)
Student:  "Incorrectmania!"

Tutor:      "This math is really hard!"
Student:   "I know -- they don't have any of my answers!"

We love our students!  If you want "mania" and "hard math" to go away -- GAGA...it's gone!

MOVING BOLDLY FORWARD WITH PERT & CAST EXAMS

Did you know that....

• For students who are interested in Dual Enrollment (at a college while attending high school), the state mandates that they take and pass the PERT exam to determine college readiness.

• For prospective employees interested in working for electric companies (like Duke Energy or OUC) in outside line positions, the CAST test is required.

Top Flight Tutor offers test preparation for both of these tests.  Check us out at www.topflighttutor.com or call 407-590-4054 for information.

MY ANXIETY HAS ANXIETY!

Taking a test often causes nervousness for students who often feel as if their brains have frozen, and everything they know has flown out of their heads.  What a miserable experience!  Brain-based learning has taught us how to "wake up" the brain, and specific breathing techniques are beneficial for reducing - even eliminating -  test anxiety.  Top Flight Tutor provides tutoring for test anxiety in a one-on-one setting as well as in small group workshops.