Benefits of Continuing Your Education When You’re Older

Humans never stop learning and growing. For this reason, it is important for everyone to continue their education as they get older. The following are some of the key benefits of continuing education into older adulthood.

Career Benefits 
Continuing education is important, or even necessary, for most careers. The best professionals are constantly improving their skills and learning more about their trade. Some fields, such as law and healthcare, actively require ongoing education courses for someone to continue working in that profession. Skills and knowledge become outdated, and it’s imperative to remain competitive in the job market.

Continuing education can also provide advancement opportunities for a stagnated career as well as result in a higher paycheck. Individuals who continue their education when they’re older often enjoy a more successful career than people who are not as concerned with learning more once they leave school.

Cognitive Benefits 
Exercising the brain keeps mental facilities sharp and memory strong. It can even help guard against serious cognitive conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. No one wants to have their mind slip away, so it is worthwhile to do everything possible to help prevent cognitive decline in older adults. Learning new things also opens the mind to new possibilities and points of view, which can be invaluable in life at any age.

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How to Find the Best Tutor for Your Child

Watch the video based on this blog.

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Whether a child is struggling with their homework or a parent wants their child to stand out academically, there are resources available to help improve a child’s academic performance. Regardless of the reason, tutoring is a method used to support a child’s learning and help them excel. Below are some ways to choose the best tutor in order to achieve the optimal results for the child’s academic experience.

The child’s school should be the first place to look. A lot of times the school will offer free tutoring to students so this is often the best and most convenient option, especially if you’re cost-conscious. Depending on the school, there may be different programs in place to offer proper support for children such as after-school volunteer programs or group study sessions. If the school lacks the programs or the child still needs additional support, a tutoring agency may be the method of choice.

Tutoring agencies are companies that specialize specifically in tutoring and can be either in person or online. Students generally perform better with face-to-face tutoring; this is because a tutor can hold the child accountable for their work whereas online, the student may be more prone to distraction. Tutoring agencies can be more costly, but they will provide results as they put their tutors through a probationary period to weed out unqualified individuals and ensure quality tutors. When asking about prices, make sure to inquire about payment and cancellation policies.

If a tutoring agency is not an option, either due to budgetary constraints or other reasons, then another method could be to reach out to friends and family to see who is available. It may be surprising to find a retiree, a sibling, or even a friend of the child who is well versed in the particular subject and willing to provide the support and commitment needed. Depending on the arrangement, the tutor may or may not be paid, but the keys to success with this option are scheduling, commitment, and respecting each others’ roles as tutor and student.

When a tutor is finally chosen for a child, it is important to monitor results to ensure that the child is getting the most from the experience, especially if money is going into it. It takes effort not only from the child but from the parent to make sure that the child is being held accountable and getting the support that they need.

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Originally posted on JosephPurpura.org

A Teacher’s Plan For Struggling Students

As an educator, it is unfortunate that not every child receives a high standard of education. Upon leaving high school, students around the country are a mixed bag, and professors are often the ones in charge of finding a solution. Although we cannot get through to every student that passes through our doors, we can try. These are the steps I suggest every educator take to give their students the best chance at succeeding in a failing system.

Respect

Many students did not achieve to their greatest potential in high school, because they did not feel respected. Often, a lack of respect comes from family or peers, but it can also come from teachers themselves. If you give respect to all of your students, no matter their situation, you will get through, even to a small extent. Keep in mind that giving respect does not mean giving everyone an A, but rather, it’s speaking to someone as though they are your peer, not your inferior.

Identify

Once your students open up, either through discussion or assignments, you should easily identify where each student struggles. Some weak points may be more pronounced than others, but I suggest taking some notes, so you have an idea of what should be covered. Tracking trends in students over time can also identify potential disabilities that could prevent a student from succeeding.

Connect

It is unfortunate that some students, when offered help, will not accept it. Still, many students are open to help, but are apprehensive to ask for it. Provide a private, non-confrontational way for students to reach out for help. Doing so will allow students to feel safe and comfortable, rather than weak or stupid. You also can reach out to students if you have a good rapport with them, and they may appreciate the sentiment.

Plan

Once you have a student who is ready for help, come up with a plan to tackle the issues you identified. Ask for their point of view and see what part of the process was difficult for them. Then, come up with some exercises, or an alternate explanation of the material. You could suggest pairing them up with a student who excels, but many will not take to this. It does not matter what you do, as long as your student is able to improve.

While professors teaching remedial or general education courses can most utilize this strategy to undo prior improper education, any professor can follow these steps to help tutor a student in new material. It is important to remember that you will not get through to everyone, but helping even one student makes a difference in the future. As an educator, this is what I strive to do, and I believe most educators want the same.

From JosephPurpura.org