Blog-Post Archives

Test Day: What If I Have An On-The-Spot Essay Anxiety Attack?

May 7, 2012 Brad Hoffman 1 Comment

I was tutoring two boys the other night, a third-grader and a freshman in high school. Neither had any written homework that needed help with so we decided to do some On-The-Spot prompt drills. To use fitness lingo, I call them the sprints of language arts. These essays require all the skill and technique that students have been honing since they figured out how to hold a pencil or tap a keyboard. They are unlike anything else. There is no time for the quick IM or text to a pal that a research paper can accommodate; there is no time for the seductive meditative space that a creative writing assignment often encourages.

No, the On-The-Spot Essay says to the test-taker: WRITE RIGHT NOW!

And for some students, this call to arms elicits excitement. And it should. It’s fun to accelerate, to push the gas pedal down and go, go, go!

However, for some students, even the idea of writing under the pressure of a ticking clock instills dread. For others, paralysis. A complete cognitive shutdown. Minds that went into the exam room vibrant, full of knowledge and ideas become blank slates and the students with those seemingly empty brains have nothing left to do, but panic.

In few instances, nothing can be done. The I-Have-Nothing-To-Say feeling is too strong to be swayed. But most of the time, a student can write their way out of that paper bag of doom and gloom. Even if a prompt generates not one idea, the 5 paragraph essay can come to the rescue. If a student just jots down three examples of whatever the question asks, tacks on an introduction and conclusion, then, voila!, they’re done. And if the student uses the Category Model, whereby those examples slot into some sort of structure, e.g. Historical Event, Current Event and Popular Culture Event, chances are something will magically pop into the student’s mind that not only addresses the prompt, but is insightful as well.

As with sprinting, practice makes better if not perfect. Both the third-grader and freshman each became almost bored of the On-the-Spot drills by the time we were done. Boredom is ok; test day anxiety attack is not.

By Elizabeth England, Writing Coach

Bringing Up Bebe and Early Lessons In Developing Independence

May 6, 2012 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

I read Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman, an American journalist raising her three children in Paris. In a clever and entertaining way, Druckerman discusses the differences between French and American parenting styles and her acculturation to French social norms. So why do French children seem to be so calm, eat diverse foods, and act “sage”? What Druckerman discovered is that common sense, not hovering too much, believing children can cope, and holding them accountable to high standards are all extremely important. She also emphasizes the French “pause” that helps children to develop their independence and patience early on.

Understanding that babies are rational and capable learners is important to establishing a mindset of lifelong learning from day one. We know that babies develop at different rates and learn to talk, walk, and navigate their world through trial and error. As they learn, they encounter obstacles, challenges, and frustrations, which help them to cultivate patience, coping skills, and perseverance. While it can be difficult to see our children struggle or get frustrated, these opportunities lead to accomplishment and pride through hard work.

In their pursuit of success, children are going to make mistakes, experience frustration, and encounter failure. That’s part of their education. When it happens, teachers and parents should take advantage of these teachable moments in thoughtful and respectful ways. Sometimes this means pausing before acting and giving children the chance to resolve issues for themselves, even it means brief but reasonable discomfort.

Pausing applies at all ages, and it’s something that parents and educators should be reminded of. For parents, as Druckerman explains, this means pausing before comforting a crying baby in order to analyze the situation and avoid jumping in too quickly. For a preschool teacher or parent, this means pausing before getting involved in a sandbox dispute. For elementary teachers or parents, this means letting students wrestle with difficult tasks. When we challenge our children in these ways, we send them important messages about our confidence in their ability to solve problems and cope with reasonable stress. We prepare them to live life with greater ease because they are empowered to make thoughtful choices.

By Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed.
Board Certified Educational Planner and Learning Specialist
My Learning Springboard, Inc.

Taking a Look at Generation Z

May 3, 2012 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

As the saying goes, “children are the future”—but is there a way to predict what that future will look like? The children of today roughly fall under the category of “Generation Z”, those born from around the late 90’s to the early 2000’s (approximately 1994-2004). Educators at the Emerging Leaders Forum in Raleigh, NC this past February noted the shifting academic needs of Generation Z children. Former President of University of North Carolina Thomas Ross explained that because the younger generation has spent so much time in front of TV and computer screens, they are much more visual learners. Furthermore, there becomes greater pressure among educators to be able to keep up with the newest technologies available.

Well-known education blogger Penelope Trunk describes some trends that she predicts of Generation Z. Because parenting is less focused these days, Trunk says quoting Dr. Michael Eades, kids are more prompted to engage in self-discovery at a younger age, leading them to be more self-directed overall. Trunk says that while Generation Y is by far the most educated in US History, Generation Z may be smarter, and more exposure to technology and the Internet will make Generation Z able to process information faster than ever before. In terms of education specifically, Trunk predicts that home schooling will become more widespread as tuition rates rise and people are more comfortable “working outside the system.” This will lead to greater self-direction and self-learning among students. Trunk also predicts that college will become less central, leading more students to opt out of higher education and pursue jobs as entrepreneurs.

To read more about the characteristics of Generation Z, visit the Pew Research Center.

Written by: Editorial Team, My Learning Springboard, Inc.

The Importance of Concrete Materials in Math Instruction

May 1, 2012 Brad Hoffman 2 Comments

We get so creative with concrete math materials when we teach the basics of math to young children. There are blocks to be played with, and apples and oranges to be counted. We put things in baskets and take them out of baskets. We make groupings and then move things around… But then a funny thing happens. As kids grow up and progress along the mathematics trajectory, we remove more and more of those tactile devices from their repertoire, until many students are left with just equations.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good equation – I actually find a lot of beauty in the logic and balance that exists – but it is so abstract! One of the most common problems I’ve seen with classes of math students is that they don’t understand what they’re being taught, because it has no real application to them. They can’t place a logarithmic function in their lives, because they’ve never been shown how.

Most textbooks and schools have gotten much better over the years at including word problems that use every day examples in an attempt to relate to students. Now, upon learning how to calculate the minimum or maximum values of a parabola, students are asked about rockets being launched, or jumping off a diving board. That helps a bit. But what about the tactile element of math? Remember that those first few days of adding and subtracting involved more than just looking at pictures of fruit. Kids were given blocks to hold and move around. Why did we eliminate tactile objects?

A simple piece of string can do wonders in exploring how perimeter is affected by shape. And never underestimate the power of edible math. I once used Twizzlers, Fruit Loops, and M&Ms to demonstrate continuity and discontinuity of a function. I’m not sure if the students were more excited by the lesson, or the fact that they got to eat their materials when we were done, but regardless, they understood the concept. At the end of the lesson, each student had greater ease creating examples of continuity and discontinuity. Seeing them manipulate the materials also showed me where they were struggling and how I could step in with additional instruction. This was something that was much harder to see when they simply filled in an equation they had memorized.

It’s so easy for us to assume that once a foundation is set, students can simply build without needing creativity in the way we teach. There’s a reason we begin learning with concrete math materials, and it would do us all well to remember that. And I don’t know about you, but I was always looking for a legitimate reason to play with my food.

Written by: Editorial Team, My Learning Springboard, Inc.

Tutoring for School Transitions Can Be a Strategic Investment

April 29, 2012 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

On April 13th and April 15th, Anna M. Phillips from the New York Times published two articles about the tutoring scene in New York City: After Number of Gifted Soars, a Fight for Kindergarten Slots and Tutoring Surges With Fight for Middle School Spots. Fueled by competition for limited seats in highly sought after kindergarten programs, middle schools, and high schools, tutoring companies across the city are poised to benefit from this school frenzy and family fear factor. Beyond admissions testing for these types of public school programs, there is similar energy surrounding admissions testing for independent schools at every level from kindergarten through high school. Then begins preparation for the SATs or ACTs or both. In an educational environment with high stakes testing and scarcity of resources, this increase to seek tutors and specialists shouldn’t come as a surprise, and parents will do anything they can to set their children up for success.

As parents prepare for these types of school transitions, it’s really important to be clear about goals and values before reaching out for any supplemental tutoring or test preparation. It’s one thing to familiarize students with a test format, but it’s an entirely different matter to push for admissions into a school where a child may ultimately feel frustrated and unsuccessful. We should not compare preparation for kindergarten or G&T testing (administered by the DOE) with preparation for the SATs. Older students are prepared to sit for extended study periods and to practice the required drills for college entrance exams. They are able to be a part of the strategic thinking and planning that goes into the college admissions process. Preschoolers are just having their first experiences with education, and we send a sad message when we expose them to paper and pencil cramming. Instead there are ways to embed these skills into structured play in order to build stamina for difficult tasks and comfort working one on one with a new person.

This is the approach that our early childhood educators take at My Learning Springboard when working with very young students ranging from ages 3 to 5. Our preschoolers love their tutors and usually ask for sessions more than once a week. For parents who have the resources to support private tutoring, their experience has been hugely positive. Articles about preschool and kindergarten tutoring usually cause readers to imagine some insane scene with helicopter parents on the sidelines and tormented children being drilled on practice questions. Sadly, this scene probably exists in many tutoring circles. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

When tutoring is developmentally appropriate and planned over longer periods of time, we can really get to know a student and enrich his or her learning in a way that follows the child’s rhythms. The experience is positive and creates a joy for learning. Our teachers also provide parent education so that families are empowered to support learning beyond the tutoring sessions. If the intention is thoughtful and genuine, the tutoring experience can be an amazing one.

For parents considering test preparation for their rising kindergartners or sixth graders, I would encourage them to carefully consider the messages they want to send their children and their value set as a family. Have they visited the schools they’re so desperately clamoring to get into? Are they sure the end justifies the means? Do they feel the tutoring company has their child’s best interest at heart or do they feel that they’re being engaged in transactional tutoring?

Just because it feels like everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you have to. I’m all for being honest about the admissions process in New York City, which is indeed intense and overwhelming. But I also believe strongly in the integrity of teaching and learning. There are ways to engage in test preparation that are strategic and reasonable. If done well, test preparation should add to a family’s investment in developing successful, lifelong learners.

By Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed.
Board Certified Educational Planner and Learning Specialist
My Learning Springboard, Inc.

Test Day: What If I Have An On-The-Spot Essay Anxiety Attack?

Bringing Up Bebe and Early Lessons In Developing Independence

Taking a Look at Generation Z

The Importance of Concrete Materials in Math Instruction

Tutoring for School Transitions Can Be a Strategic Investment

Company Overview

School Planning

Private Tutoring

Test Preparation