5 Tips For Getting Back Into School Mode

The time has come to get back to school or back to work, for those in education. After a 2-3 week break it is not the easiest. Depending on how amazing or depressing your break was you may be anxious to get back to co-workers and studies, or dreading the idea of going back to work and class. Weather your outlook is positive or negative, we have some advice for excelling in this new year.

1. Self Care- Be sure you’re are healthy. Go back to drinking those 8 glasses of water a day and eating vegetables. Don’t forget 7-8 hours of sleep are optimal for health and brain function.                                                                                                                                                            
2. Planning- Getting back into full stride may require some extra lifting. That means being prepared. Write a list of goals to accomplish for the week then break them down by day. Make a checklist of the tasks you did accomplish for the day so as you plan in the future, your checklist will become more accurate.                                                                                          
3. Routine- This is essential. Not all routines have to be daily. You can simply exercise every other day, cook three times a week, study 2-3 hours a day, and read a leisure book 15 minutes daily. That could be useful to be sure you are covering your basics.                                                        
4. Time Management- Pay attention to how you manage your time. Its imperative to be sure you have an idea time range of the amount of time you want to spend on tasks. That way you can get more tasks done, and you record what tasks need more time.                                                   
5. Be Grateful– Its a new year. Be grateful you made it hear and have more opportunity to complete the goals you see yourself achieving and the status of your situation. Weather it is ideal or you are in a bind, appreciate the journey.

Algebra Workshop Review

The algebra workshop reviewed basic concepts that often lead to lack of understanding of in depth algebra. A interesting note was the lack of elementary math that is missing from the students. Time had to be spent reviewing multiplication before reviewing fractions. Be it that the students were in a grade level to learn algebra, they had a hard time understanding 4th grade mathematical concepts.

It was evident that some students were able to move on in a subject category in spite of lack of foundational skills such as multiplication and division. The workshop identified areas of struggle which and addressed them. This is always the goal of any tutoring lesson and it served its purpose.

Below are some activities done at the workshop.

Above the curator of the African American Museum of beginnings in Pomona is giving a tour of the museum.

Here our young scholar is using skittles as visual aides to comprehend fraction word problems.

Above we have a adult who is using the free workshop as a starter point to sharpen his mathematical skills to enter into the field of education. The student is using playing cards to develop PEMDAS equations which were solved by him then taught to the group. Implying the idea that if you teach it then you know it.

 

 

Algebra Workshop

We will be hosting an algebra workshop covering the basics of algebra. Our goal of this workshop series is to increase the college readiness of minority students in the subject of Algebra and to raise standardized test scores. We will not simply be lecturing but providing small group activities and study skills that students can take into all course work.

We find algebra imperative to understand because of the vast job opportunities within STEM subjects. Algebra provides critical thinking and analyzation skills that can be applied to many different areas of ones daily life.

The workshop is free and we do hope that you can show up. It is for all people of all different backgrounds.

Importance of Teenagers Working

Importance of Teenagers Working

Everyone has the story of their first job. Many being from major coroporations such as Macy’s, McDonalds, or chain movie theaters. The idea of having an entry level job is a screeching one to many adults after evolving into the professional realm. But those humble beginnings develop a character than can not be forgotten.

Working during high school or college give a since of responsibility. Learning to be on time, to have excellent customer service skills, and to work in submission to rules that you may not completely agree with. On top of the character building is money management and the ability to spend on bills and leisure activities, and having a healthy balance of them both.

The idea of working in high school or college has dropped since 2000 as stated in the article link above. This could be due to the lack or jobs, or the lack of willingness to work a service job that is not often “ideal” to many. However, the lessons learned through the responsibility make it essential to work young. Building a stronger network and branding oneself as efficiently as possible, this can never be done to early.

The writer of this time magazine article gives some statistics and insight on the importance of working in high school and college.

Importance of Teenager Working, Time Magazine

 

Focus February

There are many strategies to focusing in the classroom. A major point being that of attentiveness. It is common for students to tune out during a teachers lecture of important not so exciting topics. Below is  a list of purposeful ideas to assist with learning in the classroom.

1.  Key or “signal” words. Key words (or “signal words”) such as “causes,” “purposes,” “effects,” “ways,” “advantages,” “characteristics,” and “types” can be used as “headings” to indicate that the speaker is introducing a major portion of the lecture (e.g. “Now, I am going to discuss the top five ways that…”).

2 . Main ideas. Topic sentences indicate the main points or ideas that the speaker is trying to communicate. These are often indicated by such words as “First…” “Second…” “Third…” and “Finally…”.

3. Definitions and key terms. If the instructor is taking the time to define a term, it is almost certainly a critical concept that’s central to your understanding of the topic. If the speaker says something like “[the term] means…” or “[term], also known as…”, you’re hearing a definition. Wong recommends writing “DEF” or “=” in your notes to indicate that you’ve copied down a term defined in class.

4. Supporting details. Examples, dates, statistics, anecdotes, and other details illustrate the key points, provide supporting evidence for the topic under discussion, and help clarify your understanding.

5. The speaker’s verbal clues. Most instructors will use certain key words (as described above) to indicate important concepts. You may also notice that an instructor becomes more enthusiastic at a certain point in the lecture,  or that he or she “punctuates” key points with a louder voice, deeper tone, or particular gestures. The more familiar you become with the instructor’s speaking style, the more readily you’ll come to know his or her method of confirming that a particular point is important. (And of course, if the instructor says “This is important,” it’s important!)

6. The conclusion. The instructor will likely “wrap up” the lecture by summarizing the main points that he or she covered that day. Be sure to capture these points, and write them under the heading “Conclusion” so that you can readily find them when it’s time to review.

• Brandy Williams

 

The Gap Gap Year.

Benefits of a Gap Year

After high school life feels rushed. You are now an adult with8 the obligation to pay bills, work, and go to school. But what are you going to school for? What should you major in? And are you sure that you are going to major in the field you would like to spend your life in. These are questions many young adults struggle with, the article in the link above gives great examples of what to do in a gap year. A gap year will allow time for you to analyze life and gain experience in the work field. You can spend this time volunteering or working, all with the intentions in mind that you will seek what it is you will fill fulfilled doing.

The gap year can be a trap, causing complacency and allowing time for negative self reflections. But with a goal in mind to be seeking building your professional resume and character, only benefits can be gained from such time. Working into management, while taking writing and basic math courses is a step toward excellence. Or possibly joining a trade school to learn a trade that allows you to have a skill set and make your brand worthy.

The gap year is an alternative that allows time for pondering, traveling, and networking. And if done strategically can begin to develop your personal brand a strong foundation.

7-25-15 Professional Development Workshop

Please come join iBrand.Me as we will be hosting a professional development workshop for part one of our workshop series in partnership with the African American Museum of Beginnings in Pomona. INForm the teenagers you know ages 14-18 to discuss topics of :

– Putting Your Best Foot Forward

– Interview Skills

– Time Management

– Guest Speaker

Refreshments will be served and prizes for attentive listeners

Young Women’s Professional Development Workshop

Come join iBrand.Me as we will be discussing women’s professional development for young women ages 15-22. The workshop will be hosted by:

African American Museum of Beginnings

1460 E Holt Avenue

Building 3

Click to View Flyer: Womens Development Flyer

Hot Topic Discussion

 

Come Join iBrand.Me January 18th at Dripp Coffee in Chino Hills at 5pm

Participate in innovative discussion and tell the youth