Solving Puzzles - Get Solutions Crossword Chemistry and Improve Your Math Skills

Solving Puzzles - Get Solutions Crossword Chemistry and Improve Your Math SkillsSolutions Crossword Chemistry can be a great way to improve your math skills and boost your overall intelligence. If you want to try out solving puzzles, this is the perfect way to start. There are many different types of crossword puzzles to choose from and one of the most popular choices is the Crossword Chemistry game.The first thing that you should know about crossword puzzles is that there are many different variations. This can make it tough to choose the right crossword puzzle for you. You need to choose a game based on what you are looking for. Will it be a fun game to play or will it be a challenge? That's a decision that only you can make.There are many options available when it comes to solving the puzzles in solution crossword chemistry. There are many different kinds of puzzles to choose from and the right crossword puzzle for you will depend on how you like to enjoy your puzzles. Make sure t hat you read reviews about puzzle puzzles that are available so that you can get an idea of which type of puzzle is right for you.Once you find the right crossword puzzle for you, the next step is to learn how to solve the puzzles in solution crossword chemistry. There are many resources available to help you learn how to solve the puzzles. Some of these include books and videos that can help you improve your skills. This is a good investment because you will also learn something new.The next step is to sign up for the puzzles and answer them as they appear. Keep in mind that puzzles do not have to be solved immediately. It may take several attempts before you finally get it right. You will learn how to increase your overall math skills and find out how to increase your skills in solving puzzles. This will help you in a variety of ways and can help you with any future job you may have.The best way to solve a puzzle is to sit down and think about the question. If you know the answer, you will have an easier time solving the puzzle. This will improve your overall thinking skills and help you to build your overall intelligence.If you find that solving puzzles is a hard thing to do, then you may want to try solving puzzles in solution crossword chemistry. This can help you improve your skills and this will build your general intelligence.

Tutorfair Dyslexia Training Day

Tutorfair Dyslexia Training Day “Great starter. Just leaves you wanting more!” 25 of our top tutors received top-notch training on how to best-serve students with dyslexia. They spent the day with British Dyslexia Association instructor Brenda Ferrie learning about what it’s like to have dyslexia, how students with dyslexia learn, and how to support these students in a one-to-one context. Tutors who attended our first ever dyslexia training day teach everything from English, literacy and foreign languages, to maths and science. They feel more confident and more informed about their students’ needs. One of the key takeaways from the day was the importance of early intervention for students with learning difficulties, and the serious impact that a tutor can have on a child’s future by shaping how they approach learning for life. Our tutors know how to play to the strengths of dyslexia, in addition to addressing weaknesses. For example, while dyslexia is associated with auditory, memory, and speed problems, it is also associated with better than average visualising, lateral thinking, verbal communication and problem solving skills. As such, tutors learned that processes, such as maths, should be taught with visuals rather than oral explanations. Reading and spelling should be taught orthographically, not just phonologically. The black text helps us understand how difficult reading can be if you had dyslexia. (The red text is the interpretation) Tutors are also familiar with common signs of dyslexia, something they may be in a better position to spot than a classroom teacher. Students with visual troubles may rub their eyes, complain of their eyes being tired, or cover one eye while trying to read. Students may, more generally, struggle to recall instructions, or doing things in order (as sequencing is difficult). To address this sequencing difficulty (trouble putting things in order), tutors were given a very useful planning strategy. By creating a diagram with 6 boxes, and labelling them “start, Next….End”, tutors give students the space to write down ideas as they occur, rather than forcing students to think in order from beginning to end. This allows students to hold on to and use their creative ideas instead of losing a good idea because they didn’t think of it at the ‘right time’. This visual lay-out also allows students to easily see when their plan is complete, or what has yet to be done. Armed with specific strategies and a deep understanding of the causes and processes of dyslexia, our tutors are prepared to give students the support and knowledge they need to make the most of their future and fully access their education today, tomorrow, and for life. “This morning gave me unexpected insight into living and learning with dyslexia. I now have increased awareness and understanding of how it might feel to be coping with learning with dyslexia. For this reason alone the session was rewarding and well worth attending. Thank you for arranging this for us.” “Thank you for organising this; having access to Continued Professional Development through Tutorfair is definitely something that will make me recommend you to parents looking for a tutor/fellow teachers looking for tutoring work.” “A real eye opener for me as I...am coming across it more and more and so this session was invaluable. Thank you.”

Greg Norman and the Science of the Choke

Greg Norman and the Science of the Choke Consider two seemingly unrelated scenarios:1.   A professional golfer in the prime of his career, poised to finally win his first Masters, blows his six-stroke lead. Everything begins to unravel with a bogey on the 9th hole, and he eventually loses the tournament by five strokes.2.   A 17 year old high school student takes the SAT for the first time in March. She feels totally comfortable with the test. Her reaction afterwards: I was really happy that I did tutoring when I was sitting there with the test in front of me. I could just start answering questions instead of thinking really hard and wasting time. [an actual quote from an AJ Tutoring student who took the March 2016 SAT]If you followed golf in the 1990s, you may have recognized Greg Norman’s epic 1996 Masters choke in the first scenario. Johnette Howard recently profiled Norman’s collapse for ESPN, applying 20 years of cognitive and sports psychology to explain what happened on the course that day.Norman after narrowly m issing the 15th hole with a chip shotOn the surface, our high school student and the Great White Shark may not appear all that similar. Not so! Both are competing in intense, pressure-cooker situations where the psychology of the competitor is just as important as his knowledge or skill.Norman turned pro in 1976, so by the time of the 1996 Masters, he had logged countless hours of practice and tournament time. He knew the ins and outs of the course and which shot to take when. But sometimes head knowledge and skill just isn’t enough to go the distance.As Howard notes in her article, the choke often begins when people become anxious about their performance. Anxiety causes them to think too closely about actions that, at this point in their training, should be automatic. Emotional and physiological responses cascade from anxiety and overthinking, eventually handicapping the competitor’s motor skills and his ability to think clearly and calmly.Identity threat and a fixed mindset ca n contribute to a collapse as well. Norman’s rival in the 1996 Masters, Nick Faldo, had already won the Masters twice (while Norman had been runner-up twice). Norman later commented that “Masters champions are there for a reasonthey understand all those little crazy quirks of what Augusta National can deliver.” Although Norman was a golf pro, top-ranked in the world, he didn’t see himself as a member of the group that could win the Masters. He assumed there was something inherent or fixed in the persona of the “Masters champion” that allowed them to win the tournament and Norman didn’t think he had what it took.After our extended foray into the world of golf, let’s return to more familiar territory standardized testing and test preparation. Anyone who’s tutored for any length of time is likewise familiar with the choke. We work with a student for several months leading up to test day. She participates in tutoring sessions, does all her homework and completes four timed practice SAT tests at our office. Her practice test scores are improving and we’re excited! All signs point to a great performance on the real SAT.Then scores come back, and there’s not much improvement. Obviously this is a disappointing outcome for everyone the student who was hoping for a great score, the tutor who feels personally invested in the student’s performance, and the parent who invested resources into the preparation. So what happened?Often when this situation happens (which is fortunately rare!) and we talk with the family afterwards, it comes out that the student experienced severe anxiety on test day. The student will comment that she was so anxious that she “just couldn’t think”, “didn’t recognize the problems”, or couldn’t finish sections on time. Her test scores don’t accurately reflect her true knowledge and ability, much like Greg Norman’s performance at Augusta back in 1996.A fixed mindset person believes, Im either good at this or not. They say, If I fail, its because theres something missing from my total package here. But the trouble is, its not a growth mindset. Having that fixed attitude limits your ability to cope with the things that are happening to you.-Fran Pirozzolo, neuroscientist and sports psychologistBy contrast, consider the student in our second scenario above. Although we don’t have her scores yet, she felt calm, confident, and prepared. Most students with that attitude achieve great score improvements on the SAT. Notably, she commented that she “could just start answering questions” on the SAT “instead of thinking really hard and wasting time”. Our SAT student experienced the flow that occurs when actions become automatic and overthinking is absent.And this is the million-dollar question: how do we convert our anxiety-ridden student into the calm and confident test-day superstar? How do you turn Greg Norman into a Masters champion?While it’s true that some people are more anxi ous by nature and others are cool and collected under pressure, it’s possible for anyone to take a few steps to improve their mental state on game day. Here are a few proven suggestions:Prepare. Nothing reduces anxiety like the knowledge that you’ve seen this golf course, this SAT question, this math problem a hundred times before. You automatically know the steps to solve the problem, so you can “turn off your brain” and run on autopilot. How do you prepare? Tutor with an expert (we’ll show you the questions that show up again and again). Do your homework so you know how to do the work yourself. Take timed, proctored practice tests so you’re used to the timing of the test and the pressure.Sleep/eat/exercise. It seems like every high school student has an ultra-intense schedule these days. While we don’t advocate neglecting assignments or skipping school leading up to the SAT, you should make sure that you’re getting as much rest and nutrition as you can in the week before test day. All the preparation in the world won’t be much help if you’re tired or hungry. And try to get some exercise, even if it’s just a short walk. Getting the endorphins flowing helps brain function on test day.Warm up. This doesn’t help everyone, but many students benefit from knocking out a few practice SAT problems over breakfast on test day. The point of this is not to learn new material it’s to warm up your brain and establish your confidence the morning of the big test. Don’t even check your answers remember, the point of this exercise is not to learn something new!Breathe. Sounds goofy, but when your cortisol and adrenaline kick in and you’re in full “fight or flight” response, your heart rate increases dramatically and breathing becomes shallow. These physiological responses hamper performance in athletic and intellectual competitions. On test day, keep a few simple breathing exercises or relaxation techniques handy to calm down and refocus you r brain. Try closing your eyes and breathing in for 10 counts, then out for 10 counts.Bring a lucky pencil or chew gum (quietly!). Use the same pencil to take your practice tests, then bring it to test day. Chew gum while you’re taking your practice tests, then chew gum when you’re taking the actual SAT. Creating a physical link between your practice performances and test day will help lower your anxiety and remind you that you’ve done this before.Visualize your success. To combat identity threat, picture yourself confidently completing every section of the SAT on time. You’re reading passages and understanding them, and you’re acing all the math problems. You’re in a state of flow. Rest confidently in the knowledge that you’ve done the work to prepare for the test, so there’s nothing standing between you and a great performance.Turn the page and leave each section behind. This is a tough one, but the ability to compartmentalize while you’re taking the SAT (or golf ing) is a valuable skill. What do you do when you know you bombed a section or bogeyed on the 9th hole? Leave it behind. Your performance on that section doesn’t have to affect your performance on the rest of the test. Students are remarkably bad judges of how many questions they actually missed, and they tend towards catastrophic thinking. If you think you had a bad section, try your breathing exercises, stretch, pull out that lucky pencil and get going on the next section.Maintain perspective. Even if you don’t get the score that you want, chances are you’ll be able to retake the test. We recommend that students plan on taking the SAT or ACT two or three times in order to work out the kinks and maximize their score. Very few students achieve their goal score on the first test, and every actual test you take gives you valuable test-day experience, helping you stay calm and confident the next time. And if you never get that perfect 1600 or 36? Life goes on. You’ll still get into a good college and the SAT and ACT will be a distant memory, just another learning experience along the way to becoming an adult.While the merits of the SAT and the ACT continue to be debated in national media, it’s indisputable that these tests provide a valuable training ground for how to thrive in high-pressure situations. Rather than shrinking away from the challenge, we encourage students to seize this opportunity to practice their “game day” skills, which will surely serve them in good stead later in life.

10 Common Mistakes to Avoid During a Job Interview

10 Common Mistakes to Avoid During a Job Interview via Pixabay 1. Show up late The minute you show up late to a job interview is the minute the interviewer will not take you seriously. If you’re on time, you’re late. Try to show up about 10 minutes early to show that you are eager to have this job interview and are excited about the position. This also gives you a chance to sit in a waiting area and to get a little bit of a feel for the environment of the office and how it operates, at least on the surface. via Pixabay 2. Dress inappropriately Dress for success! To show your interviewer that you take the chance to interview for the position seriously, make sure to dress professionally. You are never too overdressed for an interview. Keep it simple, yet add a touch of yourself to the outfit. It can be difficult to decide what is business professional and what is business casual and it doesn’t help that there are different expectations for both men and women. So make sure to do some research before going to your interview. via Pixabay 3. Sit before being offered a seat Keep in mind that you are a guest in your interviewer’s office. Never be presumptuous and sit down before being offered a seat during a job interview. You don’t know if this is the room you will be staying in, if there are other people coming in to interview you, or if your interviewer has a specific preference on where they like to sit. This is a common mistake interviewees make, so keep it in mind! via Pixabay 4. Avoid eye contact It’s understandable that you may be nervous or intimidated during a job interview, but that doesn’t mean you can avoid making eye contact with your interviewer. Though it may just be nerves, the interviewer may take it as you have something to hide or you are untrustworthy. It can be difficult to control your body language, especially if you are trying to convey something different than what you are feeling. Take a few deep breaths and relax. It’ll make it much easier to keep eye contact. 5. Give one-word answers Come prepared with what you may say during your job interview. Your interviewer is asking questions to get to know you and your experiences better, so if you give just one-word answers, they will not come away with a good feel for you as a person or worker. Before your interview, think of some stories and relevant experiences you can talk about that pertain to the position and its responsibilities. If you’re feeling nervous, practice telling a friend these stories and answers. via Pixabay 6. Give too many details You may be one of those people who doesn’t get nervous for a job interview and is completely comfortable with talking about themselves. If this is the case, be careful not to give too many irrelevant details. Remember, this is a job interview, not a coffee date. Keep your stories and answers concise and to the point without embellishing or giving too much personal opinion. 7. Brag about yourself It’s a fine line between talking about yourself and bragging about yourself. You don’t want to seem arrogant while recalling specific experiences or act like the company needs you more than you need them. It’s important to realize that you are confident that you can do well in this position, but that you still have a lot to learn about the industry and the company. 8. Use your phone If you receive a call or a text during a job interview, ignore it. Do not pull your phone out in the middle of your interview and answer it. All of your attention should be on the job interview and the interviewer. Before entering the building of your interview, it is best to put your phone either on silent or airplane mode and keep it in your pocket or handbag until after your interview. via Pixabay 9. Not shaking hands It’s a common courtesy to shake your interviewer’s hand at the beginning of the interview and at the end. It shows that you are polite and know the etiquette required when attending a job interview. It should happen naturally. If your interviewer doesn’t reach out their hand, make sure you offer yours. via Pixabay 10. Not sending a “thank you” note After an interview, it’s important to make sure you send a “thank you” note or email no more than a day after. Keep in mind that the interviewer is probably very busy and interviewing you is not the most important thing they need to do that day. Sending a note is polite and shows that you are considerate of the time they spent meeting with you. It will definitely put you ahead of other candidates if they do not send one.

3 Steps to a Successful School-Year, Experienced tutor and elementary-school teacher in the Baltimore, MD Area

3 Steps to a Successful School-Year, Experienced tutor and elementary-school teacher in the Baltimore, MD Area Boy, has the summer flown by! Too fast for us educators, and I’m sure not fast enough for a lot of parents! With the approach of another school year, there are some key steps that you should take in order to ensure a successful school year:1. Start Early! With the first day of school quickly approaching please start to get your child back to the “school-year” routine. Begin to reinforce those earlier bed times to ensure that your child is not that kid struggling to stay awake once that first day full of learning appears. As an educator, I know that instruction begins on day 1, and the biggest struggle during the first two weeks of school is keeping all those sleepy-heads awake. 2. Make Your Presence Known From Day 1! Although the first day of school will be hectic for everyone involved (parents, students, and the teacher). You must find a way to introduce yourself to your child’s teacher and begin a working relationship with him or her. A really cool and easy way to do that is by sending a small note with your child the first day of school that introduces yourself, provides your contact information, and maybe a concern and a goal you have for your child this school year. This cuts down on the traffic within the classroom on the first day, but also gives the teacher an opportunity to get to know you and your child. It will also help build that ever important working relationship. 3. Routine, Routine, Routine! Make a routine and stick with it. Being both a parent and a teacher, I understand the importance of structure and routine. Set a morning routine to help prepare for school, this may include dressing themselves for younger kids or walking the dog for older children. Also set an afternoon routine for immediately after school. These activities should include completing homework and any household chores before other activities. Finally, find an evening routine, including activities like making their lunch for the next day, brushing their teeth, and getting to bed on time. Believe it or not children love structure, and by setting routines this will set clear expectations for everyone involved. To hold your child accountable for following those routines, consider creating a simple chart with their daily tasks. Reward them with a sticker or a check mark for each task that is completed. At the end of the week, count up their stickers or check marks and give them a more tangible reward (i.e. an extra snack for 5 stickers or extra TV/Game time for 20 stickers). Modifications can be made to the chart for older children by having them complete a spreadsheet of their daily responsibilities. Have them keep track of their progress in order to help them become self-starters, and provide them with age-appropriate rewards.There are only a few short weeks left before our children are back into the classroom for the next ten months. Follow these three easy steps for children of all ages to ensure a smooth and productive school year!

The beginners guide to teaching abroad in the Middle East

The beginner’s guide to teaching abroad in the Middle East Are you considering teaching in the Middle East? If your answer is yes, then we’ve got some good news for you! There are a wealth of teaching opportunities for teachers at all levels in the Middle East and each country in this fascinating region has something unique to offer. From average teacher salary and benefits, to typical start up costs and the cost of living, as well as the most popular areas to find teaching jobs in each country, we’ve done the research on teaching in the Middle East so you don’t have to! Read on for more information on teaching in the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan. Country Average Teacher Salary Benefits Start up Costs Cost of Living Teaching job hot spots (urban/rural) UAE (United Arab Emirates) $2,400 - 5,500 USD Airfare, health insurance, housing, tuition, end of contract bonus None Housing costs are high Abu Dhabi, Dubai Egypt $2,300 - 4,500 USD Airfare, housing allowance, health insurance None Low Cairo, Alexandria Saudi Arabia $4,500 USD Airfare for teacher, spouse and dependents, housing allowance, relocation allowance, end-of-contract bonus None Medium in urban areas Riyadh Qatar 9,000 - 14,000 QR (approx. $2,400 to 3,700 USD) tax free Airfare, housing allowance, health insurance None High in urban areas Doha and other rural areas Kuwait 792 KWD (approx. $2,600 - 4,000 USD) tax free Airfare, housing allowance, health insurance None High in urban areas Kuwait Jordan $3,000 - 3,800 USD Airfare, housing allowance, health insurance, professional development None High Amman

Take the Wheel 17 Hacks for Designing the Best Online Lessons with Your Language Tutors

Take the Wheel 17 Hacks for Designing the Best Online Lessons with Your Language Tutors 17 Hacks for Designing the Best  Online Lessons  with Your Language Tutors Looking to optimize your time spent in  online language lessons?Ive long been  collecting advice, wisdom and hacks from polyglot podcasts and blogs, from books on the science of language learning  and through my own many years of experience as both a language student and teacherâ€"in the classroom and online.In this post, Ill whittle all that down to  the best of the best.The basic premise is that you get the most out of your one-on-one online sessions when you, the student, take the wheel and design the classes yourself.Youve likely never planned your own lessons before, which is why Ive put together this post of 17 hacks.And just in case anyones still on the fence about online tutoring,  heres  an ultra-quick rundown of the main benefits:Theyre usually one-on-one, so you dont waste time listening to others mangle the language.You also wont be wasting (relatively significant!) time getting to and from class, or paying a teacher to come to you.Online classes are  a relatively cheap w ay to have a native-speaking tutor from anywhere in the world.They  can be individualized to match your goals and learning style.So with so much to  gain, lets get started! 17 Hacks for Designing the Best  Online Lessons  with Your Language TutorsResource Hacks1. Use Verbling, italki or WyzAnt for finding teachersVerbling is  a site that specializes in online language tutoring. You can search based on price, availability and, of course, language. Plus, this site has its own video technology! This means you don’t need Skype or another third-party program, so if you find a tutor on Verbling, you can skip the next step below.italki  is currently one of the most popular options for finding language tutors, and offers a wide variety of tutors for various languages. You can select a language, browse tutors for that language and schedule an online lesson, all right on the site.WyzAnt  helps people find online or in-person tutors for a variety of subjects. Its a great option for finding an online language tutor if you want to get really specific about what youre looking for in terms of payment or schedule, or if youre looking for someone who can fit into a certain timeslot ASAP.2. Connect with the  best tech for video callingSkype is the most  common choice for language classes, so your choice of video calling may be settled by the fact that its what your tutor already has. In my experience, Skype tends to deliver more acceptable  sound quality on slower Internet connections compared to  Google Hangouts, whose image quality is a bit better. Good sound is obviously more important for a language class.Google Hangouts does have  Google Docs (see below) integrated, but theres nothing to keep you from using Google Docs separately at the same time youre on Skype.3. Use Google Docs for correcting texts together in real timeIve compared Google Docs to Microsofts offering, Word Online, and while the latter  may come out on top in terms of some word processing features, Goo gle Docs tends to be better for editing your attempts at written language  together in real time during an online class. Word Online has more frequent lag when saving; Google Docs just works, allowing  you to more instantly see the changes that your teacher is making as you edit a document together.Google Docs also has a chat feature next to the document, so you can use that as scratch space for looking at grammar issues without writing in the document itself.4. Have access to quick translationsThe quickest way to get a decent answer for a puzzling word or phrase in many languages is either Google Translate or WordReference; I keep them both open during classes.A better way to look up words however is with Google or Bings image search feature. If youre having trouble understanding something that your teacher says, and its a concept that could be understood quickly visually, encourage your teacher to share a link to pictures of what theyre  talking about, rather than a translation.Fo r example, my Serbian teacher recently sent me this link to explain the kajle, or blinged-out necklaces worn by certain classless hooligans in her country. A picture is worth5. Use online whiteboardsIf you like to doodle, draw or diagram concepts and  conjugations, a whiteboard can be convenient. There are several sites that allow you to simply pop in and start drawing, and you can get a link to share what you are doing with your teacher and allow them  to contribute too. A Web Whiteboard is one good one.Choosing Your Tutors6. Use more than one tutorTheres no reason you should have just one tutorâ€"youre not planning on speaking your target language with just one person, who has  just one speaking style  and viewpoint on life, are you? Language learning is hardly a monogamous commitment, and no tutor  should expect as much.Im usually working with two or three tutors at any one time on a target language. Aside from giving me  various perspectives and speaking styles, it helps me  cro ss-check things. Even the best teachers get some of their explanations a bit wrong sometimes.Changing things up also keeps the lessons more interesting for me, and even for the tutors. I can repeat the same basic lesson plan with several different tutors if Im having trouble with a subject, without the risk of boring any one of them to death.7. Work with native speakersOf course you should  work with native speakers! You want to be able to speak with them someday, right? One of the principle advantages of online tutoring is that you can work with someone from anywhere in the world for a reasonable price.Also, consider the  target version (dialect/accent) of your language. Dont, for example, learn Senegalese French if youre planning  a move to Montreal! If possible, get someone who was born in and still lives in your target region. Even grammar rules can vary  widely in most languages; the most educated Spaniard  from the south is still going to occasionally use different conjugation s  than someone from the north.Id also recommend only focusing on one dialect  and trying to get only teachers from that region, so that you dont have contradictory inputs about grammar and vocabulary, which can be frustrating. If youre a glutton for punishment, wait to take on other versions of the language until  youre firmly comfortable with one of them.I can think of one counter-example in which youd learn  a language that you intend to actually  speak only with non-native speakers: Business English in many parts of the world functions this way. But even students learning English for purely business purposes in Siberia, for example, tend to prefer to learn with native speakersâ€"from anywhereâ€"for aesthetic reasons. Wed all like to sound like natives, in the end.8. Consider if  you want to learn the academic dialectA related consideration is whether you want to learn the academic (correct) dialect  of the languageâ€"as David Foster Wallace reminds us, it  is  just a dialectâ€"o r the street-y, conversational version youll actually use when speaking.Im not planning on ever writing scientific papers in Italian or business proposals in Serbian, so personally, Im always going to choose the latter in my language adventures. My guess is that many  readers of this blog have similar goals, but most of our tutors are at cross purposes;  they feel  some innate, mysterious responsibility to foist  the academic version of their language on us. It can take some convincing to get them to focus on conversational grammar and vocabulary. If you land with a teacher who absolutely doesnt want to teach you the language as its used in everyday conversation, get another.On a related note, when  I was learning Russian I found it  hard  to get female Russian tutors  to utter or explain even the mildest swear words. So, where there are strong gender and socio-economic divides in how the language is used, you may have to take this  into consideration in choosing a teacher. In the e xample of Russian, if  you need to learn to understand and use swear words (which are a  huge feature of that spoken language), you may need a male teacher.9. Ensure your teacher has a solid Internet connectionIf you frequently have problems connecting, dont hesitate to change tutors.10. Find a tutor who is a pleasure  to talk toHaving a rapport with your tutor is important and underrated. A  funny teacher is always better than a boring teacher with tons of degrees! The lessons will be more memorable if theyre amusing, and if youre motivated to speak with  a great person, youll stick with it for longer.Other qualities that factor in:  Does your tutor speak slowly and clearly? Is your tutor  patient, or does he/she get frustrated?  A big warning sign is a teacher who  insists on explaining things in English rather than the target language. Its better to have a teacher who knows how to use pictures and  words that are simple enough for any level. The best teachers can explain most thi ngs entirely  in the target language for any studentâ€"and know better than to try to explain those few things that are too complicated for the student at that point.11. Look for someone who fits your  learning styleAs the great overview of language learning studies  How Languages Are Learned  points out, students tend to do best when theyre learning from a teacher whose style matches the one that they  believe  is best.This is also a safe excuse to ignore all Internet advice (including mine, dang  it!) on language learning; youre going to be motivated and have better learning and retention when youre learning in a way that seems correct based on your habits and previous educational experiences.12. Sometimes inexperienced tutors can be betterA little tip that I picked up from language-learning addict Judith Meyers interview on episode 12 of  David Mansarays fabulous podcast is that you may sometimes want to have an inexperienced, untrained tutor. Highly trained and seasoned  teacher s are more likely to have firm and antiquated ideas about language learning, and are less likely to be willing to let you plan your own lessons (see the last  section).Even worse are the inexperienced and  highly trained teachers. And many countries produce a surfeit of academics who have studied the intricacies of the grammar of the academic dialect (usually as more commonly used  in a politically powerful region some 50-100 years back), but have not studied how to explain  the language to foreigners, which is quite a different subject.Inexperienced teachers generally charge less and are more flexible about working with you towards  your  goals.Experienced teachers can, however, be lifesavers when you need a grammar point explained and your textbook or Internet references arent making any sense. Experienced (often older) teachers have taught  grammar points to foreigners many times, have honed their explanations and examples, and know the exceptions to watch out for.Meyer suggests that inexperienced tutors are better for experienced language learners, and experienced tutors are better for inexperienced learners. Personally, I tend to work with several inexperienced tutors, but have at least one experienced tutor that I can check in with once a month or so for the more vexing grammar issues.Lesson Planning13. Yes, you should plan your own lessonsIts nice and easy to just show up for your lesson and go through something that your tutor has planned.But if youre an active, self-directed learner youre going to get a  lot more out of your tutoring sessions.Lessons that you plan yourself are going to be perfectly suited to your own grammar issues, interests and language level. In my classes, Ive recently been learning to talk about home repair and modernist  cooking, because these are big interests for me  right now. Doing so  makes the lessons more enjoyable for me, but it also ensures that Im learning vocabulary and constructions that Ill be more likely to use whe n Im having conversations in my target language. On the other hand, Ive never in my life had a competent conversation about sports, even in English, so a class that focused on that subject would probably not be so useful for me in real life.14. Prepare by finding material before your lessonsHopefully you already have a good textbookâ€"I happen to like the Teach Yourself  language books, which are targeted for self-directed learners and available for lots of languages.You can plan your lesson based on a lesson in your book, but you can also use  pop songs, real-world videos from  FluentU, short stories, news articles and any other material from the target language. Ive even planned lessons around my Facebook chats with friends who are native speakers, wherein I try to learn the new slang and expressions, and practice using them myself with my tutor in new contexts.15. Nail your self-planned grammar lessonsId suggest that you dont waste time talking  about grammar during your lesson, at least as much as possible. You can learn about the rules from  your book, which hopefully has excellent explanations. The goal of the lesson should be to practice and apply them. (You certainly should, however, prepare to ask your teacher about any issues that you dont understandâ€"and you may want to email trickier questions to your tutor  ahead of time so that he/she  has a chance to prepare for them.)To prepare most grammar lessons, what you want to do is think up  situations that trigger the specific grammar point in question. One sticking  point for learners of Slavic languages, for example, is verb aspect. But for purposes of not traveling quite so far, lets look at how wed study aspect  if we were learning  African-American English, whose  aspect system is distinct from Standard English.A very polished teacher of the African-American dialect for non-natives (good luck finding that!) might be able to give you an explanation, but you could  find that anyway in your grammar t exts.For your lesson, youre better off  trying out  the aspects youve learned, and discovering which one is most appropriate for a given situation.  When should  you say You makin sense and in what situations should you say You be makin sense? (The answer, if youre curious: The second is the continuous aspect, so say you be makin sense  to compliment someone who is wise; the first sentence is only  a valid response to a one-time sense-maker.) Practicing like this reveals the grammar in a much more concrete way, and, more importantly, ensures that you can then spit that grammar out  correctly in context, when the appropriate situation arises.The same applies to learning prepositions, cases, conjugations, valency, etc. Learn the rules from your book, look at the examples, and then create and use more examples with your teacher. In what situations does this rule work? What are the exceptions?16.  Limit your lessonsLanguages are Pandoras boxes of beauty and complications, and learners c an be tempted to devour them voraciously. A lesson about the simple past tense can quickly devolve into the intricacies of the past subjunctive, and a simple, early lesson in  talking about the weather can wander off into hail, tornadoes and mudslides.But, if you want to remember anything afterwards, youre much better off learning just a few limited words and phrases, and how to employ them in lots of different contexts. Likewise for grammar, if you get just one construction down really well, itll stay with youâ€"save the variations that it can lead to  for your next lesson.17. Have some unstructured conversation lessonsConversation lessons are probably less useful than the more structured lesson ideas presented above, but theyre more fun, and they can also uncover very important  vocabulary and constructions that you can focus on in future lessons.If you do an unstructured lesson (for example, on a day that youve been too tired or  busy to prepare anything more concrete), at least take a minute or two to think of a few areas that you want to discuss. Perhaps there are things that you havent yet tried to talk about in your target language? Or an area that needs more practice?During the lesson, make sure that you or your tutor  notes down the new words and phrases that you discover, so that you can go back to them later. A great way to review after such a lesson is to write up a short text about your opinions, using the new vocabulary, and then submit it for correction either to your teacher or to lang-8.com, a lovely website where native speakers correct each others texts.I hope that these hacks have given you some useful ideas for optimizing your lessons and integrating them  into your total language learning plan. If done right, online tutoring sessions are something that you look forward to during the day, and think about long afterwards.Mose Hayward is a  polyglot  who blogs  about the scientifically proven benefits of (and excuses for) tipsy  language lea rning, among other silliness.