Why A Strong Leader Must Be at the Core of Any Business - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Why A Strong Leader Must Be at the Core of Any Business - Introvert Whisperer Why A Strong Leader Must Be at the Core of Any Business Even more important than the impact leadership has on your business as it stands today, one must look at the implications that it brings to the table in terms of the future of your organization in particular. The chances are high that even though you founded your business, youre not going to be steering the ship forever. Youre going to want to step aside gracefully at some point and when that day comes, hopefully, there will be a viable candidate to pick up the baton and carry on in the way youve always envisioned. Without prioritizing leadership today, however, there is a very slim chance of that actually happening.  Leadership Will ALWAYS Be the Core of Your Business Consider the fact that according to a recent HRPA study, 63% of millennials in the workplace feel like their leadership skills are just not being developed by the companies that they work for. As a result, a massive 71% of those millennials are looking for opportunities to leave their job within the next two years to help fix this problem as soon as possible. A failure to promote the other strong leaders within your organization besides yourself is a massive problem for many companies these days but thankfully, its also one with an easy fix. You probably already use a tool like Visme (which I founded) to create collateral aimed at bringing your message to the widest possible audience of potential customers. You can use those same tools to focus a leadership-driven message inward, too. Dont just create Infographics to get your customers ready for that upcoming product or service launch create Infographics that will also help you visualize the direction you want your company to go in for the next five, ten and even twenty years. Use it to convey to your employees the leadership skills that matter the most to you the qualities that you will collectively need to make those dreams become a reality. This is a great opportunity to not only get everyone on the same page as far as leadership is concerned, but to also begin developing some of those necessary leadership skills as soon as possible. Any type of collateral that you would create to broadcast an outward message can also be focused inward in these ways including presentations. Start creating presentations that will help you focus on the leadership skills that will align your efforts to further develop your existing employees with your long-term objectives as an organization. Not only will this go a long way towards actually getting everyone on the same page, but it will also be a great way to show the younger generations that work for you that you do value their skills and their place in the future of your business. When these people see that leadership development is actually one of your priorities, it will go a long way towards solving the problem of quality employees jumping ship in search of someone else to work for.  Actions Speak Louder Than Words Another important thing to consider is that sometimes the importance of leadership is best conveyed through action something that is true both in terms of how essential leadership is today and with regards to the types of leadership qualities you want to instill in the future managers of your brand. If you pride yourself on having a forward-thinking company, for example, you should constantly be on the lookout for new ways to put your money where your mouth is, so to speak. Take the type of marketing collateral that you create. Everyone these days is uploading videos to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter or YouTube for their customers. But is there an opportunity to go above and beyond that you may be overlooking? Instead of simply following the rest of the industry, consider forging your own path using a service like Uscreen. Uscreen is a video monetization tool that lets you sell your video content as subscriptions, for a fixed price. Using a tool like this, you have the chance to do things with your content that few others are actually doing you can create a streaming site built around your industry, develop an educational learning site and more. Not only will this pay off in terms of the additional return on investment that youre able to guarantee for your collateral today, but it also sends a number of important messages about leadership to your company. It shows that youre willing to take risks and always look for new opportunities to connect with your audience. It also shows that youre not content to simply reactively chase trends and are instead eager to proactively take advantage of some new ones on your own. Rest assured, these are the types of qualities and actions that people will sit up and pay attention to if you give them a chance.  A Strong Leader is All That Matters The only reason your business was able to get to where it is today is because there was a strong leader at the heart of it all: yourself. Youre more than just the captain of a ship youre the light in the darkness. Youre the person with the vision that people can buy into the one who they want to follow even when they cant necessarily explain why in words. The importance of this is something that cannot be overstated enough. But this need for a strong leader is something that, if all goes well, can and should outlast you a strong leader will always be the core of your organization. The simple acknowledgment of this fact along with the actionable steps that you take today to reinforce those ideas will determine whether or not your business is actually around in another decade or more. About the Author: Payman Taei is the founder of Visme, an easy-to-use online tool to create engaging presentations, infographics,   and other forms of visual content. He is also the founder of HindSite Interactive, an award-winning Maryland digital agency specializing in website design, user experience and web app development. Go to top Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective.  But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will?  If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Chemistry Revision Resources

Chemistry Revision Resources What Resources to Call On for Chemistry Revision ChaptersGeneral Resources for Reviewing ChemistryResources From Across the PondChemistry Review Materials for GCSE-Level StudentsA-Levels Review ResourcesT’is that time of year again, when students start buckling down and really focusing on their upcoming exams... even though they will sit them months from now.As you well know, these exams, whether A-Levels or GCSEs, are life-changing.At the very least, they represent your chance at higher education. At most, they make the difference between satisfying career opportunities and forever being stuck at the low end of the pay scale.Your Superprof is well aware of the significance of your upcoming ordeal and wants to do everything to help you succeed. In that spirit, we present the best review materials for a subject some say is their most difficult: Chemistry.From apps and podcasts to websites and reference materials you can find at your local library, we’ve searched far and wide to bring you the best chemistry revision materials so that you don’t have to scurry from site to site, hoping you’ve found the Holy Grail of exam review.Off we pop now, on a virtual tour of everything you might need to ace your exams.GCSE science review.And their collection of literature is unrivaled!RSC maintains a database of chemistry books, abstracts and journals that are free to all.You may read about catalysts and chemical reaction or simply peruse their blog, which consists of a variety of topics published by members of the Society themselves.We’d be tempted to say that the Royal Society of Chemistry should be your one-stop shop but there is so much more out there!One more feature offered on this site: a link to ChemSpider, a professional chemists’ database that details everything you could ever want to know about any chemical, including its different names and isotope count.Resources From Across the PondGranted, the American school science curriculum is vastly different from ours.Still, chemistry remains the same no mat ter which side of the Atlantic you are and, just because the accent is different, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t explore what resources are available to you that originate over there.The Khan Academy has compiled a generous video library, broken down into Organic Chemistry, Nuclear Chemistry, General Chemistry and AP Chemistry â€" those topics being most similar to our A-Levels subject matter.Through these videos that explain chemistry concepts step by step, you may brush up on:The electronic structure of atomsChemical bonding, including covalent bondingAcids, bases and chemical equilibriumStoichiometry and molecular compositionRedox reactions and electrochemistryAfter watching the video, you may complete the included exercises related to that subject and, afterward, take a quiz to assess your degree of mastery of the topic.This entire collection is free for anyone to partake of, as are the videos on Crash Course Chemistry.Some of them are elementary, such as the ones about lab safet y and the basic explanation of the electron but others are more on target with your studies, such as enthalpy, entropy and calorimetry.Just remember that only the accent is different on these resources; the science is solid... and helpful!Your local library may have science books you could study from Source: Pixabay Credit: Workingham LibrariesChemistry Review Materials for GCSE-Level StudentsNow we get to the meat of the matter: what are the best apps, games, websites, and books that will give you the greatest chance at acing your exam?While most of the ones mentioned so far require you to sift through tons of information for that specific nugget you are looking for, these address topics you can count on seeing, come test time.Here are our favourite Chemistry revision books.The Best Chemistry Review AppsAfter the Royal Society of Chemistry’s super-functional periodic table app, your next-best pick would be Complete Chemistry for Android (it is not yet available for iOS).The basic chemistry topics can help reinforce your knowledge of chemistry fundamentals while the advanced dictionary will give you a handy reference for chemistry nomenclature.The periodic table is built-in, as is a notepad and a quiz bank.You should note that there is a book by the same name, meant for the IGCSE candidate, that might prove helpful to you, as well.The international version of your exam is not so different than the one you anticipate sitting and, in any case, the science stays the same from one exam to the next!You may want to download your free copy of this best-regarded revision manual...Find more chemistry revision apps to hel you study.The Best Chemistry GamesWhile we would never accuse anyone of putting off their studies in favour of fun in the digital realm, we agree with all of the science that says taking a multi-pronged approach to your studies is beneficial.To that end, let Superprof steer you to a couple of award-winning, chemistry-related games.SpaceChem: your mis sion as a Reactor Engineer is to build molecules and place them within a quadrant, building a circuit through which atoms and electrons may flow.Touted as the best Indie game the year of its release, today it is also used as a teaching tool at the college level, in the chemistry department as well as the computer programming department.ChemCaper  is the world’s first chemistry role-play game in which you, as the character Roub, must save your world by collecting elements, brewing potions and overseeing bonding processes.Targeted to teenagers, the chemistry principles are woven into the story in such a way that students internalise them and remember them, even if they’ve not played for a while.Get the best chemistry tuition on Superprof now.The adventure is available for download for both iOS and Android systems.A-Levels Review ResourcesMost likely, your beaker runneth over with review materials and, should that be the case, we’re very happy for your bounty... but is it enough? More specifically: is there enough variety in your study materials that you don’t feel that chemistry revision is the most dreadful facet of your life so far?Let Superprof help you mix things up a little by suggesting a few chemistry websites you might check out if only to assert you have a firm grasp on your subject material.ThoughtCo is a thought-provoking website that comprises of bite-sized information on any given topic, including chemistry.What we love about it is that it is not targeted to any particular group - students or professionals. Every concept is presented in terms that are easy to grasp and easy to build on.Their series of chemistry articles cover everything from chemical laws to chemistry in everyday life.I find this website sometimes hard to turn away from for its sheer wealth of fascinating, well-presented topics!By contrast, ChemSpider is all business.A chemical structures database used by industry and endorsed by the Royal Society of Chemistry, you may tap in to this page’s vast information stores to refresh your memory on any chemical’s properties.If you are looking for resources more in line with the focus of your studies, Study Wise is the page for you.Whether you will sit AQA, OCR or Edexcel, their review materials are organised in such a way that you may concern yourself with only the specifics of the exam you will sit.Past papers and marking schemes, revision notes for inorganic, organic and physical chemistry; videos, mindmaps, quizzes and more...Were it not for the firm belief that students should avail themselves to a wide spectrum of study materials, we might proclaim this site to be the only one you need!That would mean you would miss out on these great blogs, though.Today’s educational philosophy advocates for exposure to multiple sources of information so that students may draw their own conclusions based on their individual learning styles.By reading articles that are more closely aligned with the function of chemistr y in everyday applications, you may get a clearer picture of chemistry fundamentals and how they apply outside of the lab.Compound Interest is a blog that reflects on the history of chemistry and how chemistry impacts our lives today.The Chronicle Flask’s mission is to dispel junk science by presenting factual research pertinent to our daily life.Scholarly Kitchen features guest posts by scientists active in academic research. Their site also hosts a podcast for you to partake of while you’re on the go!Between these review materials and the resources your school or tutor may have presented you with, chances are your diligence in studying chemistry will yield desired results!

Learning Italian The Language of Music

Learning Italian The Language of Music Learn to Speak Italian, the Official Language of Music ChaptersWhy is Italian the Language of Music?Italian Musical TerminologyThe Great Classical Italian ComposersThe Italian Language and OperaItalian in Modern-Day MusicThere are many different ways you can learn Italian. For instance, you may enjoy Italian cinema or have a passion for Italian gastronomy.You may also learn Italian through Italian tutoring.There are thousands of Italian teachers around the world who can help you with your homework, grammar exercises, listening comprehension and your Italian pronunciation regardless of where you live.Superprof is an online platform that helps each learner find their ideal in-home or online tutor for all kinds of subjects and budgets.Another option is taking an  Italian language course at a language school in your spare time.And what about if you’re interested in music?As we’re going to see, the Italian language and music share a long history which spans several centuries.The first traces of the Italian language being used in a musical context are from the Middle Ages:Guido d’Arezzo (992 â€" 1033), inventor of modern musical notationPetrarch (1304 â€" 1374), an Italian poet and initiator of the 14th century renaissanceBut it was during the Renaissance period (from the 14th to the 18th century), which began in Italy and the city of Florence, that the music came anchored to this beautiful country shaped like a boot.This was an exciting period for Italy and the world of music alike, as modern Europe began to develop and make its mark on the rest of the world.Italian Musical TerminologyIt was during the Baroque period in particular that Italy, its composers and its musical language began to spread throughout the rest of Europe.The Baroque period spanned the 17th and 18th centuries and heavily featured the harpsichord, a keyboard instrument from the period.As the decades and centuries passed, Italian continued to dominate the language around music, as it still does in the classical music of today.Everyone is capable of taking part in this musical-linguistic heritage, even without being a native speaker of Italian!Here are a few examples of the Italian vocabulary you would be expected to learn as a classical musician, regardless of your level:A cappella: Without instrumentsAdagio: SlowAllegro: LivelyAndante: At a walking paceConcerto: Solo instrument accompanied by orchestraCrescendo: Increasing in volumeDiminuendo: Becoming softerForte: LoudMezzo forte: Moderately loudPianissimo: Very quietPiano: QuietPoco a poco: Bit by bitPresto: FastTempo: TimingThese are just a few key examples, but the amount of vocabulary used in English music is incredibly extensive.For those learning a musical instrument today or are hoping to take it up, learning music theory does count as knowing some Italian - even if it seems you don't know anything 'useful' such as greetings, the Italian alphabet, days of the week in Italian or common Italian phrases and expressions.If you’d like to take your Italian learning fu rther, why not call on the help of a teacher to help you in your language learning as well as your fluency in Italian as a foreign language?Hiring an Italian teacher or private Italian tutor as you learn about Italian grammar rules, verb conjugation, how to use adjectives, and common Italian words and phrases to use in Italian conversation will mean that you can ditch the phrasebook and get to know Italia for yourself. You find an Italian tutor near you or learn Italian online via Skype or other means of communication.You’ll also be able to go from speaking basic Italian to being fluent in your conversational Italian speaking, working on the melodic Italian pronunciation that makes the language so beautiful along the way. DanielaItalian Teacher 5.00 (9) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuciaItalian Teacher 5.00 (4) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarilùItalian Teacher 5.00 (8) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarcoItalian Teacher £15/h1 st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GiusyItalian Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EnricoItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FedericaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Great Classical Italian ComposersThe Italian language is known around the world for its beauty.It’s hard to find a more beautiful language than the one that is spoken on the other side of the Alps. Portuguese and French often grace our ears with their romantic phonetics, but there’s something about Italian…It’s no wonder then that the search for beauty in music usually finishes with Italian composers!You'll probably realise Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Verdi's Dies Irae from the very first chord ¦ source: Visualhunt - ancasta1901Without needing to be a big fan of classical music and opera, we all know at least one composer of Italian origin who has made their mark on music as well as the history of art.Among these great composers and musicians from history are:Gregorio Allegri,Giovanni Gabrieli,Claudio Monteverdi,Antonio Vivaldi,Antonio Salieri,Francesco Cavalli,Giuseppe Verdi,Cesare NegriVincenzo Bellini,Domenico Scarlatti,Gioachino Rossini,Giacomo Puccini,Bruno Maderma,Gaetano Donizetti,These great names represent the centuries of scores, transpositions, crotchets, and minims which have not only allowed the Italian language to last as a musical language but which have also made Italian the language we most heavily associate with music.There are many ways you can learn about the Italian language and its music. You could go to a music school or even learn at university.During your higher education, you may have the opportunity to take optional classes alongside your degree. Why not choose a module in the history of art or even study Italian for beginners?You could take a trip to Italy for Italian langua ge lessons as part of a language exchange in an Italian city â€" there really is no better way to learn a new language and learn to speak Italian fluently than by immersing yourself in Italian culture.So, knowing how to speak Italian could lead you to a career in music among many other possibilities â€" did you know that speaking Italian is a real asset in the fashion industry?The Italian Language and OperaSo, we know that Italy’s musical history is a force to be reckoned with, but what about its modern music?The incredible talents of the Italians didn’t stop once the composers of the Renaissance died.Italian contemporary music has also been blessed with the emergence of genius composers such as the world famous Ennio Morricone, Luciano Berio and Sylvano Bussotti.Particularly at the time of the so-called ‘democratisation of opera’, which took place all over the world in the 1990’s, Italian opera singers flew the flag for Italian music once again.The Sydney Opera House is a symbol of opera's modern-day success ¦ source: Visualhunt - Alex wongNames such as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Roberto Alagna or even older ones such as Enrico Caruso, Mario Del Monaco and Carlo Bergonzi are all very familiar to us.Every one of these singers spoke Italian, the language of music, and this is a perfect example of how language and culture are often a match made in heaven.Italian in Modern-Day MusicAs you now know, Italian is the official language of music.Of course, being a musician and speaking Italian are two very different things, and Italian musical terminology is used as a part of English vocabulary, for example: ‘singing a capella’, ‘da capo’, ‘going to the opera’, ‘play those notes staccato’.But the influence of the Italian language on music doesn’t stop at classical and opera.Contemporary music is also influenced by modern Italian singers, whose songs are famous around the world:MinaLaura PausiniEros RamazzottiSo, Italian is definitel y a musical language in its sing-song intonation as well as its history and influence.Find a private tutor on Superprof to help you master the Italian language:Italian lessons GlasgowItalian lessons LondonOnline Italian lessonsItalian classes near me

What Are the Principles of Hatha Yoga

What Are the Principles of Hatha Yoga What Is Hatha Yoga? ChaptersThe Origins of Hatha YogaThe Specificities of Hatha YogaThe Effects of Hatha Yoga“Hatha yoga is spirituality of the body; it is the most perfect union of corporeal and incorporeal.” - Terri GuillemetsYoga is an ancient discipline which has become a veritable sporting activity that’s popular all over the world, including in the UK. There are different branches and disciplines of yoga including the popular ashtanga yoga, prenatal yoga, Kundalini yoga, Iyengar yoga, even Vinyasa yoga and Hatha yoga.Today we’ll be focusing on the latter for the simple reason that you could consider it the most “traditional” of the different forms of yoga. For this reason, it’s one of the most common forms of yoga found in the UK.So why is Hatha yoga so popular, what are the common poses, and how can a hatha yoga class help me to strengthen and tone muscles?You’ll find the answers to these questions and more throughout this article. everyone can achieve this and progress in Hatha y oga.Of course, benefits such as inner peace might be good enough to convince some people, but what are the concrete benefits?What about the benefits for the body and mind?You’ll find the answers to these questions as you read on.The Effects of Hatha YogaThere are plenty of benefits to Hatha yoga! The various exercises during a dynamic yoga session can help you get into shape and improve your health in general, which is always worth working on. Yoga doesn’t just focus on one part of your body but your entire wellbeing, which is why you chain together several different poses.Whether you do classes in a group or on your own, Hatha yoga will improve your fitness. (Source: janeb13)Firstly, you can manage stress by carefully controlling your breathing. Breathing is hugely important in Hatha yoga because you need it to hold the different poses as long as you can.Hatha yoga can also make you more aware of yourself because each position will quickly tell you if there are any problems, th erefore making you more familiar with each part of your body, breathing, and any problems you may have.How can we talk about Hatha yoga without mentioning muscle definition and tone?Since you have to hold each pose for a while, you’ll be giving different groups of muscles a good workout. In fact, traditional yoga is great for toning muscles while also taking care of your spirit and mind. It’s good for everything!While this might seem obvious, Hatha yoga is also a great way to become far more flexible. Again, this is thanks to the poses you have to adopt. In fact, in addition to being great for your mind, you’ll also work on various parts of your body while stretching and improving your flexibility.Finally, Hatha yoga can work wonders for your spirit and mind, especially in terms of relaxation. With visualisation and meditative relaxation, beginners will quickly learn to manage their emotions and their actions, improve their concentration, as well as better boost our morale and mood.Hatha yoga is a complete discipline that is halfway between a workout and meditation and you’ll very quickly start to see some progress over the course of a few weeks. The only thing left to do now is to try it for yourself.Let’s all head to our nearest gym or sports centre!Don't forget that if the Hatha yoga practice doesn't take your fancy, you can also get power yoga or Ashtanga yoga classes, do Bikram yoga (or hot yoga) or Vinyasa yoga. While all of these yoga styles are different, they all tend to include breathing techniques (pranayama) and adopting certain yoga postures (asanas). Even if you're not sold on aligning your chakras, the physical benefits of yoga are a good reason to take it up.If you don't feel comfortable attending group classes, don't forget that you can look for a yogi or yoga teacher on sites like Superprof. You can be taught yoga poses and enjoy the restorative benefits of yoga practices with your own personal instructor all while gaining a deeper spiritual understanding of the yoga philosophy.Don't forget to ask your doctor if yoga is right for you if you have pre-existing conditions or have had any injuries that may cause you problems. You don't want to get injured in your first every session!

11 Morning Routines To Keep You Motivated And Productive

Introvert Whisperer / 11 Morning Routines To Keep You Motivated And Productive 11 Morning Routines That Can Make You Motivated And Productive Evelyn Kail August 20, 2017 Self-Promotion, Thought for the Day No responses The morning is possibly one of the most important periods of the day. If you work your morning routine right then you can set your day up for success. However, if you simply roll out of bed and into your workday without taking time out to kick start your day then you will probably have something of a terrible time. Fortunately, there are plenty of things that you can do in the morning to make you motivated and productive for the entire day. These are generally simple, easy routine changes which are easy to implement and which can have a profound impact on your life. Some of the best things to do in the morning include: 1. Take time out to exercise: Exercise is a simple and easy way to quick start your day in just a few minutes. Take time out when you get up to do a few minutes exercise and get your blood running. The easiest and most common way to do this is probably just to go for a walk around the block or around your local park. Alternatively, things push-ups and sit-ups can be completed in just a few minutes and will help you maintain your physical health. 2. Relax and meditate for a few minutes:   Simple relaxation and meditation can help you get your mind in order in the morning, allowing you to start your day off fresh and without stress. This can help you be more productive throughout the workday, and can help reduce downtime and the feeling of being overloaded at work.   3. Take your vitamins and other supplements:   If you are lacking certain vitamins or essential minerals then it can be a good idea to take supplements. Taking these in the morning will allow your body to adjust, and will greatly improve your physical and mental health. This in turn will help to keep you motivated and to make you more productive throughout the day. 4. Substitute your coffee for a more appropriate beverage:   Coffee is not a healthy drink and â€" despite what people think â€" does not help you focus. While it may keep you awake, you will find that your focus levels are dramatically reduced and that you are generally less productive. Substituting your morning coffee for something healthier such as tea will help get you off to a good start. 5.  Read something inspirational:   A bit of inspirational reading in the morning never goes astray. Try and go for things which are interesting and which will motivate you to reach for new heights in your career and personal life. 6.  Put your dinner in the slow cooker before you leave for work:   Healthy eating is an essential part of a decent lifestyle. Cooking your own meals is a great place to start. Take the time to put together a meal and leave it slowly cooking in a slow cooker while you are at work. By the time you get home you will have an amazing meal to look forward to! 7.  Eat a healthy breakfast:   Again, eating is extremely important. Eating a healthy breakfast is one of the key things to include in your morning routine if you are trying to motivate yourself and become more productive. A decent cooked breakfast will help you wake up, will get your blood flowing before you get into the hard part of the day, and will let you relax for a few minutes before work. 8.  Take your dog for a walk:   Exercise is just as important (if not more important) than eating well. Exercising in the morning will get your blood flowing, will help to wake you up, and will help to relieve any stress which you may be feeling. Simply walking around the block can be enough â€" try it today! 9.  Read the newspaper:   Getting in touch with the modern world before starting your day can help you put your problems into perspective. Reading a newspaper is a great way to do this â€" and it can also help you to relieve some stress and to simply forget about the complexities of your own life for a while. 10.  Plan your day:   Having a plan is one of the best ways to ensure that you are successful in your daily life. Start with writing down everything that you need to do during the day, and list things in order of their priorities. This will make you more productive, and should help to reduce procrastination and increase motivation. 11.  Make your bed so that its nice when you get home:   There is nothing better than coming home and jumping into a nicely made bed. Taking a few minutes in the morning to make your bed up nicely will give you something to look forward to during your busy workday, and can create some sort of symbolic ‘order’ in your crazily busy life. Try and implement some of the above morning routine changes to make sure that you are as motivated and productive as possible in your daily life. Go to top PERSONAL BRANDING Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.  I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.  In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression. Get your copy now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Gain College Acceptance The Write Way

Gain College Acceptance The Write Way Gain College Acceptance The Write Way Gaining college admission requires a delicate balance of high school grades, personal history and participation, test scores, and college writing skills. A student works for years to gain the grades and personal history required to stand out in a crowded admissions field. But the SAT exam and the personal statement required by most colleges provide only a brief window for success.College writing skills are unique in that they benefit both the student's SAT scores and the directed personal statement as part of a college admission portfolio. Even if your child has received excellent writing instruction during high school, the professionals at Huntington Learning Centers can help fine tune the writing skills of even the most established writer. The time spent in these tutoring sessions will provide insight on how to write focused pieces of literature carefully crafted for the: SAT Exam.Eachstudent that sits for the SAT exam is required to complete a writtenessay. Students are expected to read a passage or excerpt and develop apoint of view from the presented material. This point of view must bebased on sound reasoning and supported by a student's studies, reading,observations, and experiences. The writing portion of the SAT exam is apowerful opportunity for a student to express their thoughts, communicateeffectively, utilize precise language, and develop ideas. The essay prompts are typically general statements that are applicable to all students regardless of location, race, ethnicity, or gender. The most recently released prompts from the March 2013 administration asked students to consider the importance of paying attention to details, setting goals, or resolving conflict. Students interpreted the reading passages and crafted careful responses to a series of guiding questions. Since the writing portion is timed, students must be able to write efficiently and process ideas quickly. Personal Statement. Eachcollege has a different admissions process and most institutions requirestudents submit a personal statement as part of the admissions portfolio.This statement should contain a balance of spirit and substance and allowthe admissions panel an opportunity to learn something about your child.It should stand out without being contrived and be substantive withoutbeing too serious. When crafting a personal statement a student should: Connect to experiences.Simply listing past experiences isn't effective in a personal statement. Students should include specific examples of past experiences and discuss how these experiences will help them with their future educational endeavors. Showing a clear link between personal history and future college education provides weight to the admissions portfolio. Look to the future.Being admitted into the college isn't enough. A student should find ways in the personal statement to describe and explain how the college can help them achieve future goals and to be successful after the education ends. Avoid clichs.Clear word choice is crucial since most personal statements have a word limit. Don't waste these words on hyperbole, cliches, or vague language. Students need to be clear, concise, and communicate effectively. Be honest.Students should paint themselves in the best light possible while remaining honest. Stretching the truth or offering unsubstantiated evidence doesn't make the personal statement better, these tactics make it false. Huntington Learning Centers are committed to creating high quality individual tutoring sessions aimed at increasing a student's writing skills. We will begin by assessing your child's writing and determining areas of strength and weakness. Based on this assessment data we will carefully craft a series of tutoring sessions that will meet these defined needs. Ongoing assessment and feedback will provide you the assurance you need that the tutoring is a wise investment and will benefit your child's writing skills and future college placement. Consider your child's writing skills. What areas of their writing could use attention? How can tutoring sessions with a Huntington Learning Center writing specialist boost their college writing skills?

Books Every Student Should Read Mindset The New Psychology of Success

Books Every Student Should Read â€" Mindset The New Psychology of Success Improving Academic Performance As many readers of this blog know, MyGuru tries to be much more than a place where parents and students can look for a private tutor. We are trying to build a community of parents, students, tutors, and other experts where ideas about how to be healthier, more productive, and academically successful are exchanged. With that in mind, in this article I’ll discuss a book which offers powerful ideas to help any student be more successful inside and outside of the classroom: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. She helped found a company on the back of her research called “Mindset Works.” This is part of a new series we are launching called “Books Every Student Should Read.” Each book we discuss will be reviewed in the context of a framework we’ve developed called the Academic Performance Pyramid, which says that for any given level of effort, your performance is determined by your: 1. overall health and wellness, 2. Mindset and character, 3. strategies for reaching goals, 4. techniques used when studying and learning new things, and 5. organizational skills. Dweck’s mindset is a cornerstone of the “Mindset” portion of our framework. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Dr. Dweck introduces the reader to a powerful concept called the “growth mindset.” Her research in psychology has revealed that people tend to think about their intelligence and personality in one of two ways. They either a) adopt a “fixed” mindset, and believe their intelligence, sense of humor, communication skills, etc. are “traits” that they inherited at birth and can’t be changed, or b) they adopt a “growth” mindset and believe that their intelligence and various dimensions of their personality can be adjusted with practice and focused effort. The fixed mindset, for example, treats your intelligence like a trait such as your height. You can’t change your height. The growth mindset views intelligence like a muscle that can be strengthened through training and practice. The Transforming Education blog has an excellent infographic on what a growth mindset is and why it matters. In study after study, Dweck has shown that when students either naturally tend to have a growth mindset or receive growth mindset training such that they are exposed to the differences between the two and are provided with ways in which they can cultivate a growth mindset instead of a fixed one, they perform better on tests and earn better grades. Why would this be? Why is a growth mindset so important for students to understand? There are a few reasons. First, most IQ researchers believe personality and intelligence have both some fixed and some “malleable” or “changeable” dimensions to them. For example, IQ tests try to measure your brain’s processing speed (to over simplify the matter quite a bit). These tests are supposed to be measuring your underlying, genetic ability to acquire knowledge, not the amount of knowledge you currently have from studying and learning. Some studies however, show that with focused practice and/or increased education, IQ scores can drift upwards. IQ scores can be improved, a little bit. So that’s one reason the growth mindset leads to better performance. Some things, like underlying IQ, which seem fixed and which the average person believes is truly fixed, really aren’t, so with practice, performance improves. But in fact, the real “secret” to understanding the power of the growth mindset, in my view, is that the concept of “intelligence” is a very complicated and complex one, and many students believe that performance in various subjects in school has a LOT to do with what you might call “genetically determined IQ” when in fact, it has just a little to do with “IQ” and a LOT to do with how much you practice and how much effort you put in. Students would be better served to ignore the concept of “IQ,” and instead focus on a more broadly defined notion of “intelligence” that perhaps acknowledges the existence of IQ scores on some level, but focuses FAR more on how focused practice and hard work help you acquire knowledge and build the skills that, in effect, grow your intelligence steadily over time. Let me try to be clearer and summarize the main theme of Dr. Dweck’s work in the context of a reasonably complex mathematics class like first semester calculus. This is the type of class that seems to many students like it might be very difficult. And yes, it’s a class you might not take until college, depending on your experience with math. But in fact, doing math is much more like a skill you can build through practice than some sort of IQ test. So sure, some percentage of students will just struggle with comprehending the concepts in calculus. But the successful student in first semester calculus is typically successful because they pay attention, work hard, and practice (i.e., do their homework). I would argue that almost all students who find themselves sitting in a first semester calculus course HAVE THE REQUIRED ABILITY to earn an A or a B, IF they put in the work. The student with a “fixed” mindset though, sort of flips that narrative. They believe their math skill is a fixed trait. They’ll either understand the material or they won’t. If you think this way, you really have very limited incentive to pay much attention and work hard. You may be forced to put in the work because the teacher grades homework or your parents have instilled in you a good work ethic, but in your mind, you feel a sense of futility because you just don’t think that you have much control over your performance. As soon as you start thinking this way, you of course are less likely to pay attention and put in the work. This naturally leads to poor performance, which reinforces the idea that you just aren’t very good at math. With a growth mindset, the whole story works in the opposite direction. You assume everyone, including you, has the intelligence to get an A in calculus, they just have to practice and build their math skills. Since you feel in control, you are MUCH more likely to decide to put in that work and get to a good outcome in the class. The implication is that you are in full control of your academic future, and you could probably pursue academic areas that seem almost impossible. This could mean that a person with an average or slightly above average IQ, if he or she decided to, could become a PhD in Physics with the right amount of focused practice and effort. Most people can become experts in almost any academic area if they decide that’s what they’d like to pursue. Now, can anyone win a Nobel prize in physics or earn a tenure position at Harvard teaching physics? IQ may play a role in allowing you to reach the absolute pinnacle of some professions. But most of the time, focused practice and hard work can get you much farther than many students realize. How do you build a growth mindset? Across the many articles that have been written about the growth mindset and within the Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, I see two basic strategies for cultivating growth mindsets instead of fixed ones. First, take the time to explain to yourself and others about the difference between a fixed and growth mindset, and about the complexity behind the notion of “intelligence” or being “smart.” Imagine two people, Bill and Frank. They are both 30 years old. Bill dropped out of college and works in the family business, and has an IQ score that is 15% higher than Frank’s. But Frank has read 25 times more books, and holds a PhD in Political Science and an undergraduate degree in Economics. He’s written several of his own books. He’s spent thousands of hours in classrooms listening to lectures and writing papers about a variety of topics. Who is “smarter?” Second, when you are thinking about your own performance or that of your children, praise effort, not results. That A in the math class was a result of “how hard you worked and how much you practiced” and not “how smart you are at math.”

PISA Ranking - Tutor Hunt Blog

PISA Ranking PISA Ranking PISA RankingNewsMany people will not be familiar with the PISA ranking system. With so many acronyms in the education sector - GCSEs OFCOM, etc - most have probably not encountered the Pisa term. It certainly has nothing to do with that north western costal city in Italy with the leaning tower - nothing quite so glamorous as that. PISA stands for the Programme for International Student Assessment. It was set up by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and intergovernmental economic organization, consisting of more than 70 member countries. Its primary objective is to assess the ability of 15 year olds` academic abilities in mathematics, science and reading. Their assessments began in 2003, and are repeated every three years. In order to fulfil the criteria of the OECD, to participate in the PISA assessment each country must select at least 5000 students. The test itself consists of a two hour written tests, where reading and language comprehension skills are appraised; There is also a multiple choice section, and a specific mathematics part to the assessment material. The whole test in its entirety would last 6 hours, but no one student actually takes the entire exam; instead it is broken up between different students. The result of all this testing is that the competing countries can be ranked against each other, such as in the table below, which may make disconcerting reading for those who believe our education standards are among the best in the world. The UK comes in at a disappointing 27th in Mathematics, falling a place since the last PISA test. In Reading the UK is only ranked 23rd, a large drop from 2006, when it was in the top 20. Mathematics Reading 1 Shanghai (China) Shanghai (China) 2 Singapore Hong Kong (China) 3 Hong Kong (China) Singapore 4 Taiwan Japan 5 South Korea South Korea 6 Macao (China) Finland 7 Japan Ireland 8 Liechtenstein Taiwan 9 Switzerland Canada 10 Netherlands Poland 11 Estonia Estonia 12 Finland Liechtenstein 13 Canada New Zealand 14 Poland Australia 15 Belgium Netherlands 16 Germany Belgium 17 Vietnam Switzerland 18 Austria Macao (China) 19 Australia Vietnam 20 Ireland Germany 21 Slovenia France 22 Denmark Norway 23 New Zealand United Kingdom 24 Czech Republic United States 25 France Denmark 26 United Kingdom Czech Republic The table above shows the latest PISA results, which were published in 2013, and clearly shows the highest performers are the Asian countries, with the UK trailing far behind. What is the reason supremacy of Asian countries over their European counterparts? Have they fashioned a highly effective teaching practice, an academic version of the Suzuki method, a Japanese music teaching philosophy, which has produced some of the greatest performers in the world? The answer may be more prosaic: Asian children usually have a far longer school day than students anywhere else. Lessons in South Korea began at 8:30am, and can finish at 5pm, with many children supplementing their studies with further lessons at a `Hagwon` school from 6:00pm until 9:00pm. This grueling schedule takes place five days a week; and while it may seem draconian to us, it certainly yields results. The PISA results also correlate scores with gender, and what they reveal is that Boys outperformed girls in mathematics in 37 out of the 65 countries; according to the OCED girls `feel less motivated to learn maths and have less confidence in their abilities than boys`.In the sciences the results show that boys and girls generally perform equally. The report clearly showed that the wealthier countries performed higher in the PISA scores. This is to be expected: richer countries have more money to spend on education, while a higher GDP is correlated with greater leisure time for adults, which may enable parents to be able to spend more time helping their children learn at home. The report stated that: The relationship suggests that 21% of the variation in countries` mean scores can be predicted on the basis of their per capita GDP (12% of the variation in OECD countries). Countries with higher national incomes are thus at a relative advantage, even if the chart provides no indications about the causal nature of this relationship. This should be taken into account particularly when interpreting the performance of countries with comparatively low levels of national income, such as Viet Nam and Indonesia (Mexico and Turkey among OECD countries). While the average person in the UK may be unaware of the PISA scoring system, its findings should not go unheeded. While some have claimed that the assessment only displays a narrow range, and omits entirely more subtle attributes, such as artistic, moral and civic development, it is hard to be indifferent to statistics that show the UK falling far behind many other countries in the core academic subjects. 3 years ago0Add a Comment