Painting Classes Glasgow

Painting Classes Glasgow Where to Find a Painting Class in Glasgow ChaptersChoosing the Painting Class that's Right for YouThe Most Common Painting TechniquesWhat Art Supplies Do You Need?Art Classes and Workshops in GlasgowArtistic expression has been evolving ever since the earliest cave paintings were drawn and continues to do so today. Thanks to social media, we can have even more access to artwork and galleries we do not, or would never be able to, access otherwise. These outlets have also given way to artistic expression itself in the form of videos, photography and more.If you’re interested in learning how to paint, you’ve probably already subscribed various art Instagram accounts or have found a couple of blogs that post content for aspiring painters. What most of these outlets don’t really mention, however, is how exactly you can start painting in your city â€" specifically, Glasgow.Whether you’re looking for art instruction for beginners, or looking for some basic drawing and painting workshops, it can be useful to start by underst anding the kinds of mediums you are likely to encounter in painting class.Learn to paint by starting to take art classes FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StefaniaPainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsChoosing the Painting Class that's Right for YouOil PaintingIf you know a bit about the development of painting, you’ll know that oil paints have, since the Renaissance, been one of the most dominant forms of painting. The reasons can be var ious and argued, but one of the most important ones is because of what its made of.Oil paint consists of pigment mixed with oil, which not only gives oil paintings their vibrancy but also allows artists to pile layer on top of layer, sometimes without even letting the bottom layers dry fully â€" a technique discussed later.While using oil paints can be extremely rewarding, the medium is taught normally in more advanced courses. Because it tends to be more expensive than its counterparts, and because it uses turpentine as a solvent, it can be a bit more difficult to use or less accessible. If you’d like to start to learn to paint with oil paints, however, just make sure that you keep these factors in mind.Look for art classes in Manchester.Acrylic PaintingAcrylic is a relatively new type of paint, having only been created in the mid-1900s. Since its introduction to the mass market, however, acrylic paint has become a popular medium amongst both beginners and professional painters. The reason why can be found both in its affordability as well as its fast learning curve.While this type of paint might not sound familiar to you, some of the most famous contemporary works have been painted in acrylic. In the UK alone, it has been used by the likes of David Hockney and Eduardo Paolozzi in the notorious pop art movement. Because of its popularity, if you’re looking for some art education involving acrylic around Glasgow, you’re in luck.Finding painting classes in Cardiff and painting workshops in Belfast!Watercolor PaintingPainting with watercolors can, at first, seem to be a pastime of only beginner artists or older folks. However, watercolor is not only the world’s oldest medium, but it has also evolved into one of the most dynamic mediums in the field of art.The best thing about watercolor, besides is portability, is the fact that the materials geared towards beginners are normally cheaper than most alternatives. If you’re looking for some inspiration in contemporary watercolor artists, check out paintings by Mary Whyte or Jose Apaza.Artistic technique is a skill that should be acquired earlyThe Most Common Painting TechniquesOnce you’re done understanding the different mediums you are likely to encounter in painting classes around Glasgow, you might be left wondering: but how do you actually paint?It can be overwhelming to try an navigate through the slew of terms, techniques and methods associated with painting, color theory and basic shading and sketching. Complicating this further is the fact that sometimes, the same techniques can be called something completely different in different mediums. Here’s some of the most common techniques you’ll find yourself utilizing in every class and how, exactly, they’re performed.Try a painting class in Edinburgh too!Acrylic PaintingWhether you’re painting a still life or working on depicting a human figure, knowing a variety of methods to employ while painting can go a long way. One method that can also be found in both watercolor and oil painting is known as wet on dry.This technique involves thinning the paint with water and applying it to a dry canvas. This is one of the most common ways of using acrylic and will probably a technique you utilize often. Taking this a step further is a technique known as washing.Washing involves thinning acrylic paint out to the point where its application resembles that of watercolor. Painting in this manner can be extremely useful if you’re looking for a watercolor effect with fast drying paint.WatercolorsSpeaking of watercolor, this highly versatile paint can be applied in a variety of different ways. One of the most important, besides the wet on dry already mentioned, is a technique called wet on wet. While the names of these techniques seem a bit uninspired, the process itself is actually quite amazing.Wet on wet involves mixing your watercolor paint with water and applying it to a canvas that is already wet. In order to prepare the canvas, simply apply a layer of water over the sections onto which you would like to paint. The effects of utilizing this method can often lead to some of the more intense color mixing apparent in portraits and scenes like those of Cheng Kee-Chee’s.Oil PaintingThe wet on wet version of oil painting, other than having a different name, is also slightly different than its watercolor counterpart. Known as alla prima, this technique involves painting on top of layers that have not completely dried. Doing this doesn’t just allow color to mix in interesting ways, as with watercolor, but it also allows for textures to build up.Underpainting and glazing are equally as important techniques to get familiar with that happen at the beginning and the end of the painting process, respectively. Underpainting is the process of painting a layer of a neutral color onto the entirety of the canvas before painting your subject on it. In some instances, you can also sketch your initial painting in a monochrome of that same base color before applying the colors you will eventually use.Glazing, on the other hand, is utilized at the end of the painting process and can be seen as a sealing layer on top of the finished product. The technique involves nothing more than applying a coat of transparent paint on top of your painting as both a protective measure and to enhance the effect of the colors.Find painting classes in Leeds.Learning to paint can even lead to careers in artWhat Art Supplies Do You Need?Deciding what painting materials you will be needing for self-practice, art school or workshops can sometimes be more difficult than finding the creativity and inspiration to paint a subject. This can be exacerbated if you’re dealing with a tighter budget â€" however, there’s no need to stress. Anyone involved in artistic endeavors is no stranger to financial difficulty.The best way to start is first by picking the medium you would like to work with. This will enab le you to not only pick amongst the vast variety of watercolor, oil and acrylic paint, but it will also help you arrive to the art supply store with an estimate of what you’ll be spending.When buying paint, its always good to ask the instructor for advice on which paints are necessary and which are optional. However, as a general rule of thumb, a variety of five different colors, including white and black, is a good place for a beginner to start.Find painting classes in London.Canvases and brushes are a bit more difficult to shop for, as this will also depend on what your medium will be and what exactly you’ll be painting. We recommend getting a variety of three or four brushes all of different widths. Start with a small tipped detailing brush and make sure to include a flat, wide headed brush for the times you’ll want to paint on large swaths of paint.Canvas will be different if you’re painting with watercolor, acrylic or oil paint. The three most common canvases you’ll l ikely encounter are either sketchbooks, watercolor paper, or linen and cotton canvases. The canvas you’ll be using for practicing and sketching in paint will likely take the form of a sketchbook while producing bigger, more detailed pieces will necessitate larger canvases. Make sure to get whatever you think you’ll need in your class or workshop.Art Classes and Workshops in GlasgowStudying art in Glasgow can be a rich, and sometimes interactive experience. If you're on of the many young artists interested in pursuing an art degree, some of the top art universities in the world can be found in the UK.If you're simply looking for kids art workshops or adult art lessons, starting by looking online can facilitate finding an experienced instructor. Signing up for courses online with the Botanics Glasgow art center or sites like Superprof can help you find the right class or setting.Whether you're learning studio art or life drawing, plein air painting can be an option for people who can't pay for painting classes or simply prefer to self-learn at their own pace. While this usually requires a stroke of good weather, it can be a great way to learn to paint.

How to Study for the Quantitative Reasoning Section of the GRE

How to Study for the Quantitative Reasoning Section of the GRE When you first begin preparing for this portion of the exam, the seemingly endless variety in math problems may overwhelm you. Such a wide array of mathematical concepts are covered, making it seem impossible to digest them all. That is why committing a substantial amount of time to them is key. In fact, the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GRE may be the most time-consuming in terms of studying. But dont freak out just yet not all of these problems are going to be foreign to you. In fact, youre likely to remember a lot of them, or at least recall the processes relatively quickly. This is because the math on this exam represents a very lengthy time span in the your academic history. Problems you will face will range from recognizing prime numbers to identifying permutations to solving for x in complex equations.Although you wont be able to predetermine which of the many possible problems youll need to solve on the exam, you can adequately prepare yourself for what ways these pr oblems will be presented to you. This wont be like past math tests youve taken; there are very specific forms that these questions will take that if you make yourself familiar with, the exam will go far more smoothly for you.One question type you will see will ask you to compare two quantities. These two quantities wont be given bluntly, however. One or both of them will be some sort of equation that youll need to solve, i.e. 3x/4y. There will often be a side note of given information necessary for you to know in order to solve the problems, i.e. x y, or something along those lines. Every problem has different circumstances, but you will always have the same set of answers to choose from for this question type. You will either choose that one of the quantities is greater than the other one, that they are equal, or that it can't be determined with the given information. So when it all comes down to it, the definitiveness in the answers of this question type is quite simple. Study up on the tricks to determine just enough to figure them out.Once youve made yourself familiar with the comparison of unknown quantities, all you have left to worry about is prepping yourself for direct problem solving and data interpretation. The remaining questions will range from word problems to breaking down equations to comprehending various graphs and charts. The tricky part is re-learning all of these things. If you majored in something that kept you studying these concepts every semester, then you probably wont have as much intense reviewing to do. However, if math hasnt been kept as an integral part of your curriculum, youll really need to sit down and vigorously go through a lot of material so giving yourself plenty of time to study before test day is absolutely crucial. A lot of these things will probably come back to you easily, such as concepts like y-intercepts and the Pythagorean Theorem (a^2 + b^2 = c^2). But there will inevitably be a ton of equations and methods yo u havent thought about in a long time that will definitely require some work to comprehend once again. You will face complex geometry, large ratios, percentage-fraction conversions, and much more. The best thing to do is practice the problems extensively. More importantly, determine right away what sorts of things the on-screen calculator will allow you to do this calculator wont be able to do everything. Look into the details about this specific calculator so you will know which concepts it can help you with and which ones it cant so you will not be dependent on it for the wrong things. Additionally, youll know which concepts you dont have to waste time figuring out how to solve by hand.Get yourself well acquainted with these ideas and this section should be yours to work through like a champion!

5 Ways To Manage The Bosses Expectations - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Ways To Manage The Bosses Expectations - Introvert Whisperer 5 Ways To Manage The Bosses Expectations 5 Ways To Manage Your Bosses Expectations Most of us dream of the perfect career where we are performing acts of genius, admired by our peers and praised by the boss. The reality is often just short of that and made worse if the boss is making demands of you that are unrealistic. When the boss is expecting something from you which is out of alignment to either your skills, work load or job scope; you have a problem. It can be a recipe for failure. It can turn the dream into a nightmare of getting fired or working until after midnight. Either way, this is not in your best interest to let it be a chronic occurrence. Lets look at this issue from both an offensive (prevention) and defensive (mitigation) perspective. 1. Job expectations â€" Any time you get a new job or assigned a new job, you need to ensure you and the boss have documented not only the scope of your work but your performance expectations. You need to understand how you will be measured and what results are expected. From that point, you need to seek feedback on how you are doing to those expectations. This is your career; you need to be responsible for this most vital element. By setting performance expectations right up front, you can mitigate problems in the future. 2. Provide updates  â€" Don’t expect the boss to go out of their way to discover how well your work is going. They will have some exposure to it but not all and not enough. You need to fill in the gaps without drowning them in too much detail. Also, look at your ongoing communication as a way of training your boss on understanding your job. They will have a better appreciation for demands they may make of you if they know the flow of the work to and from you. 3. Proactively raise flags  â€" At the first sign of a problem of delivering to the expectations of your job, you need to let the boss know. It’s not enough to simply tell them of a potential problem, you need to let them know what you are doing to reduce or eliminate the issue. You need to engage them in the solutions, as they will have access to more resources for solutions. The flag raising may actually need to occur when they assign you a project. If you think you can’t deliver to their expectations, for any reason, you need to let them know immediately. Again, you should offer up both the problem you see and solutions. It could be as simple as a different due date or delaying the work of something else. By engaging in a professional discussion at the time of a project assignment, you demonstrate a willingness to work with the boss for a positive outcome. Waiting to inform them about issues, especially any that you knew of to start with, will cause them to lose trust in you. 4. Seek guidance  â€" If the boss doesn’t agree with your assessment that their expectations of you should present a problem, you need an objective opinion. You may be inadvertently misinterpreting the direction the boss has given. Perhaps you don’t fully grasp the direction or the extent of the work involved in a given task. Don’t seek out your work BFF, as they may not have the perspective or experience unless you know they understand your work and have a good working history with the boss. You need to seek counsel with someone that can help you to see the task in a new way, or to help refine the direction the boss has given. You might discover a better way of doing your work. 5. Renegotiate a new wayâ€" If you are barely treading water, get through the crisis and go back to the boss to negotiate a different situation for the future. An example: If they make last minute demands, see if you can get agreement on a longer lead time. If they can’t, then get agreement on lower priority items you can delay without reviewing each time. In other words, be the mature professional and solve the problem with the only person you can solve it with. You were hired to solve problems and this is just one of many. Managing the expectations of your boss is something you should do with each and every boss you will have. By being proactive with your approach, you will reduce or eliminate the likelihood of demands being made of you that will cause you to fail. Notice I didn’t say you will completely do away with inappropriate expectations but when those to arise, take the approach you are solving a problem. Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!  Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

A Guide To Being Safe Online

A Guide To Being Safe Online A Guide To Being Safe Online ChaptersSafeguard Personal InformationPrivacy Settings and PrecautionsCyber BullyingDangers of the Digital AgeThere’s no denying the internet is an excellent resource. A go-to source for entertainment, education, socialising amongst many other things. In fact, it’s actually easier to list the things you can’t find on the internet!However, as the late great Stan Lee once wrote for a Spiderman comic ‘with great power comes great responsibility’. With all the power at your fingertips to surf the internet as if it were a never ending wave, it’s important to understand the potential risks associated with it.While common sense will keep you safe for the majority of the time you spend on the internet, there are some things that you might not be aware of that could put you at risk.  Having your personal address compromised, your bank details stolen, or being hacked are just some of the unfortunate things that can happen if you don’t follow some basic rules for the internet.In t his guide we will address the most important things to consider to stay safe online, what internet safety is, and touch upon some of the smaller things that you may not have even thought of yet. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!D iscover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsSafeguard Personal Information Think carefully the next time you create a password.A hot topic these days, your digital footprint will follow you around until the day you die, which means you should be discerning when it comes to offering up your personal information to different websites.Let alone the potential risks to your personal safety if your address were to become common knowledge, giving your personal information out to every website you sign up for will ensure your name pops up on hundreds of databases, which is a concerning thought.It’s important to clarify that giving personal information such as your name, age, and e-mail address is in most cases fine, so you needn’t worry about every e-mail list you’ve signed up to. Where it gets potentially dangerous, is with things such as credit card information, insurance information, and social security numbers.As a rule of thumb, never give out your bank info unless you are 100% sure it is a trusted source, such as a trading website like Amazon. If you ca n’t verify that it's a legitimate source, then it's worth digging deeper to find out or steering clear altogether.There are some key steps to ensure your personal information and data is as secure as possible.Use Strong PasswordsIf there was one thing you could do right now to feel more comfortable about your online security, it would be to create new, strong passwords.A strong password is deemed to be one which contains a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols - as I’m sure you’ll have seen on countless websites sign-up screen - and is considered to be the most secure as a result.Creating strong passwords, especially for important accounts like your personal e-mail is incredibly important since hackers love an easy target.You’d be surprised how quickly hackers can figure out a basic password, so your best bet is to create one so long and complex they don’t stand a chance of getting their hands on your personal data.Don’t OvershareAnother, perhaps obvious, but certainly im portant step: don’t overshare on social media. Social media safety is also a very important thing to consider in this digital age we live in.One of the best and worst aspects of the internet is the permanence of anything you post on it. Text, photos, and videos aren’t just deleted from the internet after a while, they could be there your whole lifetime.With that in mind, take a moment before posting that controversial tweet, or that risqué photo, if you don’t want it to come back to haunt you a few years down the line!Especially if you have aspirations of seeking future employment, it’s best to keep your cards close to your chest and only post what you would be happy with a potential employer or family member to see.Encrypt Personal DataThis last step to having more secure personal data is an interesting one. Perhaps something not a lot of people consider doing, you can encrypt your data to significantly reduce the risk of it being compromised by hackers.But what exactly is data encryption?Maybe you’ve heard the term but never really understood what it meant (like me!), or you think that it’s something that only the highly technologically literate can pull off.Data encryption is actually accessible to everyone, and simply refers to the process of translating data into a code or another form, meaning the only way to access it is through the use of a decryption key.This useful article from Lifehacker will get you up to speed with data encryption, and how you can use it to protect your personal information.Privacy Settings and Precautions You ever know who might be watching.Another great way to safeguard yourself against those looking to steal your personal data is to take a look at your privacy settings, and make sure you all squared away once you log out for the day.First things first, check out your computer or smartphone’s privacy settings. You can usually find these setting in the tools menu of your preferred internet browser.Periodically you might want to clear your cache to eliminate cookies, since although they may sound innocent, they can be used by companies to keep track of your personal information which isn’t ideal.You should also consider unticking the option that allows apps you’ve downloaded to share data, since this means your information can go far and wide.Geo-taggingA fancy way of saying location sharing, geo-tagging is a feature you might consider switching off.Geo-tagging will find the source of your photos, videos, and social media posts, and link them to that location. While this is a fun feature, and a nice way to organise your holiday photos, it can also give away your location when you take a snap of your pet while relaxing at home.Always log outIt goes without saying, but a great way to ensure nobody gets a hold of sensitive data is to log out every time you are done using a website.This applies mostly to those using a computer in a shared space, but it shouldn’t surprise you to know that hackers will have a much easier time breaking into your account if you left the door unlocked.Cyber BullyingCyber bullying has unfortunately become far more prevalent in this increasingly digital age, where you can reach anyone at anytime.If you know someone who is being cyber bullied, find out here the steps you can take to help them out.A concerning statistic from Do Something reveals that around 37% of young people between 12 and 17 have suffered from this online form of bullying.As a result, it’s important to consider cyber safety, and how you can avoid being on the rec eiving end of online bullying, or make it so that your child doesn’t have to go through it.Cyber bullying is largely a result of the ease with which we can contact anyone, and the anonymity we can retain while we do so. Essentially there are no consequences if you can conceal your identity through the internet, making it a very dangerous platform if used to this end.Dangers of the Digital Age Smartphones can take over our lives if we’re not careful.The rise of the internet and social media have presented us with new challenges, and dangers to confront. The biggest danger perhaps coming in the form of phones, making phone safety a critical issue.Whether it's the potentially harmful effect on children’s development, or the ongoing dissatisfaction brought on by comparing our lives with those around us, there are plenty of things to be worried about in the digital age.Digital LivesWhile it perhaps isn’t the biggest threat to your online safety, social media can have some very detrimental effects on your wellbeing.In this day and age, it’s more common to see mobile phones on the table than newspapers, and that says a lot about how as a society we look to screens and the internet for much of our entertainment.Living such a digital life certainly has its perks, but if we consistently choose the phone or computer over activity such as reading or doing exercise, then how r ich is the life we are leading?This is especially true of children. Often once they are introduced to the internet - be it the tablet or mobile phone - they are instantly sucked into it. If we don’t set limits, kids could suffer academically and developmentally, so it’s important to stay on top of their internet use.Not to mention the dangers of giving kids free rein to roam the internet and its dark corners.Social Media JealousySocial media is one of those things that most of us these days couldn’t imagine living without. It has become so much a part of our daily lives that we can develop unhealthy routines such as scrolling through feeds first thing in the morning due to its addictive nature.The instant feedback of social media is something which really plays on our human nature, and is designed to get us hooked. I’ve definitely found myself scrolling through my Instagram feed before without even paying attention to the photos, which is a scary thought.One of the biggest p roblems social media presence is that of social media jealousy. The notion that reading about other people’s lives and seeing their ‘perfect’ lives through photos and videos can create a strong sense of jealousy in us and a feeling that our lives pale in comparison.To avoid this harmful phenomenon we should try our best to limit ourselves when it comes to social media, and try not to put too much stock into our friends’ amazing holiday photos. At the end of the day, the reality is that most people have quite ordinary lives, yet portray the best moments or highlights through social media.

Tutor of the Month - Dino H

Tutor of the Month - Dino H We have a lot of amazing tutors on Tutorfair, but some of them really stand out. When we decided to show off  one tutor each month, our pick for October  was unanimous: Dino H! Dino is an extraordinary tutor: from Business Studies to Science to English and History, with  a considerable collection of languages too (Croatian, anyone?) - Dino really covers it all. Check out his amazing list of subjects, from Biology and Physics to 11+  admissions! Anyone can claim to cover most of the subjects on the planet: but a quick look at Dino's reviews  shows you his clients certainly agree that he  really is an expert in them all. He's a pretty interesting chap too; when he's not tutoring, you might find Dino  translating for the Italian embassy,  offering social media consulting, or running a company's digital marketing campaigns. But the reason we really love Dino here at the Tutorfair office? He's the most wonderfully helpful tutor we've dealt with; no matter how busy he is, Dino always makes time to help, and he has always managed to fit in a new client, no matter how much juggling he has to do! If your or your child would like private tuition, feel free to check out Dino's profile today!

In Defense of the Thesis Statement

In Defense of the Thesis Statement If your student has had a hard time writing essays, whether for history or English class, the difficulty often comes from one single sentence: the thesis statement. A lot is riding on the thesis statement. Most teachers (and AP exam graders) expect the thesis statement to do many things well: summarize the argument, outline evidence, and inform the reader while at the same time leave them wanting more. It’s no wonder students buckle under the pressure of the thesis statement and sit staring at the glowing screen, fully writer’s blocked.In his most recent work, quirky though critically acclaimed novelist Nicholson Baker spent a year as a substitute teacher. Straddling the line between fiction and non, Substitute showcases Baker’s attempts to make sense of the contemporary education landscape. Of the both serious and light-hearted reflections that Baker presents, his offbeat take on thesis statements highlights one of the most commonly echoed complaints of a “typical” English student, namely: “More injury is done to high-school essays by the imposition of the thesis statement requirement than by any other means. The trick, kids are sometimes told, is to begin with a word like ‘although.’ No.”The last word says it all: No. And yet, the thesis statement requirement isn’t going anywhere. A Google search will provide thousands of resources about how to write a thesis and how to fix a bad one, but what you won’t find anywhere is an impassioned defense of thesis statements.Though students find the emphasis on thesis statements tedious, teachers have not hesitated to shine a spotlight on the importance of them. In some classes, students cannot even begin to write their papers until the thesis has been approved. As much as teachers tend to emphasize theses, they don’t always offer effective instruction on how to construct them, which in turn leads many frustrated students to tutoring.Tutors work diligently with students to help them craft their th esis statements. Known effective processes to improve thesis statements and to minimize the stress of composing them include brainstorming, foregrounding the search for evidence, and finding ways to visualize the argument that is to come.Our PhilosophyAJ Tutoring’s English department has worked hard to change the focus surrounding thesis statements. We know how important they are to the English classroom, and we want the student to experience writing as a process, an ongoing craft, and an opportunity to experience the possibilities of language and creativity. Our English department truly believes in the working thesisâ€"an evolving controlling idea that adapts to evidence and responds to new ideas as the student experiences them. We work with students who write in different ways, with different levels of confidence, and with different purposes in mind. To reach these varied students, we recommend multiple thesis writing strategies. In some cases, we encourage the student to compos e a working thesis first and then find supporting evidence before returning the thesis for a round of revision.Other students may respond better if they find textual evidence first, analyze the trends and patterns of those textual resources, and then begin crafting a working thesis. That working thesis may then adapt and change over the course of the writing of the paper.Though students craft theses differently and with varying degrees of enthusiasm, we know that the explicit thesis statement isn’t going anywhere. Teachers are going to continue to assign them and demand that they appear in their usual spot, bringing up the rear of the opening paragraph of the essay. We also know that thesis statements serve an invaluable purpose.Nicholson Baker calls the thesis statement, along with ethos and the unreliable narrator, “fluff knowledge, meta- ­knowledge.” Baker’s premise is predicated on utility; he compares the relative usefulness of basic math to the useless pedantry of the thesis statement. Baker’s criticism lies in the focus of these teachers. By privileging the thesis statement at the expense of nurturing a kind of wide-eyed curiosity toward reading and writing, Baker thinks teachers are missing the mark. Baker worries that “beyond these basics,” students are missing the “vast, beautiful, glittering midden of applied and miscellaneous knowledge.”It’s dangerous to take Baker too much at his word. He is a tongue-in-cheek prankster, and yet, his denigration of the thesis statement misses an important pedagogical point. Students need organization, visualization, and conceptual understanding in order to structure their writing and produce a strong finished product. The thesis statement, as controlling idea, is not “fluff knowledge.”By treating a thesis statement less as an outcome and more as a process, it becomes a quiet metaphor for the writing process itself. It is never quite finished, but always evolving. In its earlier forms, it is supple enough to adapt to new ideas, fresh feedback, and rigorous revising, but strong enough to guide the student through hesitations, false starts, and doubts. Like Baker, we want to treat the thesis statement not as an end, but as a path toward one possible end. Unlike Baker, we would like to rehabilitate the thesis statement from torturous, academic busy work and refocus what it can do for students’ writing and thinking: provide clarity, structure, and unity.If your student needs help crafting thesis statements and developing their voice for essay writing, you can read more about our English tutoring program  or give us a call at (650) 331-3251 to discuss how our English tutors can help.

10 Questions You Hope Your Family Doesnt Ask Over Winter Break

10 Questions You Hope Your Family Doesn't Ask Over Winter Break Photo Via: http://origin.funniestmemes.com As fun as this question is, I think it’s safe to say we are all tired of hearing it. While we can appreciate the fact that our family is convinced we’re going to grow old with seven to eight cats (at least two named Mittens), the constant reminder that we’re single isn’t necessary. Trust us, we know. Suggested Response: No, but don’t worry, I passed the pet store the other day and there’s still an abundance of cats waiting to be adopted. So my backup plan is solid. 2. How’s school?: Photo Via: https://pbs.twimg.com When you know the only response you’re going to get is “fine” or maybe “good,” why do you even bother asking? I think we can all just assume from now until the end of time that school is a necessary, extremely boring part of our lives that we’d rather not talk about when we finally get the chance to leave it. Suggested Response: School’s probably about as fun for me as work is for you. 3. So you’ve been busy, huh?: Photo Via: http://www.quickmeme.com We know that when you ask this you really mean why haven’t you called? Yes we’ve been busy; no we don’t always have time to call. Trust us, if we could choose, we’d be talking on the phone with relatives instead of writing yet another 12 page paper. Suggested Response: List everything that you’ve done over the past week. Then follow up with: so just a little busy. 4. How were your finals?: Photo Via: http://www.quickmeme.com Again, can we just please assume that finals are always terrible? We probably did fine on them, but that doesn’t make them any less draining. Three hours spent in an uncomfortable seat filling in answers on something far too small to be considered a desk: not exactly my idea of a good time. Suggested Response: Eh, not so bad. Alcohol can help you through anything, am I right? 5. Did you make any new friends?: Photo Via: http://makeameme.org If you could just come out and say you don’t like the friends we currently have or that you don’t think we have enough friends, that would be great. Yet every year, we get called out as the Netflix-loving, friendless losers that we are. Suggested Response: Well, I re-watched the tenth season of “Friends,” if that’s what you mean. And trust me, Chandler and I have never been closer. 6. Do you have any plans for break?: Photo Via: http://littlepaperlane.com For the first time since school started in August, you have no plans whatsoever. But for some reason, your family would prefer that you did. Every year we answer “nope” and every year that answer isn’t good enough. There’s no winning. Suggested Response: Actually, yes. I have a few movie dates with Netflix, several sleepovers with my dog and I know my butt and the couch have been dying to get together, so hopefully I’ll have time for that as well. 7. So what do you want to do again?: Photo Via: http://m.memegen.com/peet8x.jpg Every family gathering we have to explain what our career plans are. How interesting can hearing “I want to be a teacher” over and over again be? We even get bored talking about our career paths, so why you want to hear about them several times is beyond us. Suggested Response: I aspire to be a stay at home son/daughter. 8. So when do you go back?: Photo Via: http://www.quickmeme.com I’ll tell you now, the last thing we want to think about when we’re home is having to go back in January. We’re finally done with school, and I promise we won’t be thinking about it again until the first day of classes of the spring semester. Suggested Response: Hopefully I don’t have to. 9. Do you go to the gym?: Photo Via: http://torontogirlwest.com You might as well ask if we’ve gained weight, because we can pretty much promise the last time we saw the gym was the first day of school. So until a superpower develops where you can gain health benefits by watching someone else work out, it’s safe to assume that we don’t go to the gym. Suggested Response: I walk to class once a week … that counts right? 10. Do you eat enough?: Photo Via: http://weknowmemes.com For the perpetually skinny, this question comes up at every family party. I don’t know what it is about being skinny that worries family members, but it’s always a question of whether or not you are capable of feeding yourself. Suggested Response: I mean, I have an entire box of macaroni and cheese, 2 bags of hot Cheetos and a case of pop a day, so really it’s a matter of what I eat rather than how much I eat. So hopefully these answers supply you with some entertainment at your family holiday parties, despite the continuous flow of questions you hoped wouldn’t come up. Good luck!

Toolkit Launched to Help Fight Meningococcal Disease on College Campuses

Toolkit Launched to Help Fight Meningococcal Disease on College Campuses Photo Credit: Pixabay Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection that usually leads to extreme swelling of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) or infection of the bloodstream (meningococcemia). Even with antibiotic treatment, 10 to 15 out of 100 people infected with meningococcal disease will die; about 11 to 19 out of every 100 survivors will have long-term disabilities, such as loss of limb(s), deafness, nervous system problems, or brain damage. The toolkit that was launched offers many materials that may aid student organizations in advocating for campus vaccine policies as well as educational information to help fellow students learn about meningococcal disease and how to prevent it. It also contains materials like fliers, a poster, an FAQ, and sample petition that can be used by college students to educate their peers and help advocate for change and better campus health policies to combat meningococcal disease from occurring in the student population. The outbreaks that occurred recently at U.S. colleges include the University of Wisconsin Madison, Santa Clara University, and Rutgers University. The fact that there have been such outbreaks demonstrates how imperative it is to vaccinate against this disease. Most recent cases of meningococcal disease on college campuses, including the ones at the above universities, primarily involve cases of serogroup B disease, and the toolkit stresses that students should obtain both the MenACWY and the MenB vaccines in order to be fully protected. As part of their campaign, NMA included the stories of two advocates: Kolton Kreston, who survived serogroup B disease when he was a junior in college, and Claudette Lewis, who lost her daughter Cherice to the disease when she was a sophomore. “Fighting meningitis was the biggest obstacle I ever faced. The pain was so intense at times I didn’t want to live. I urge every student to learn more about meningitis and get both vaccines,” said Kolton, who now coaches wrestling at Northwestern College in Iowa. Besides the stories of Kreston and Lewis, the toolkit also includes a video with more advocate stories and urges young adults and adolescents to talk to their doctors about both types of vaccines against meningococcal disease. Two vaccines, MenACWY and the MenB vaccines, offer protection against all five of the major strains of the disease: A, C, W, Y and B. To access the NMAs Pledge2Prevent toolkit, go to http://www.nmaus.org/educational-resources/pledge-2-prevent/.