TakeLessons Honors our February 2011 Teachers of the Week

TakeLessons Honors our February 2011 Teachers of the Week ksurmacewicz Each week we recognize a TakeLessons teacher on our Facebook page that has shown outstanding commitment and dedication to our program.   If you missed any of our recent posts, take a minute to learn more about each one of the phenomenal teachers that we honored this month! ___________________________________________ Jim P. from Wheaton, IL Jim has been teaching guitar lessons in the Chicago area for over a year, and in that time has worked with eight students. Jim is proficient in a variety of styles (everything from rock to jazz to blues) which his students absolutely love check out his profile videos to see him show off his skills! His students have also found that he is very patient and is a pro leading them in the direction they wish to go with their lessons, which keeps them excited about coming back for more. ___________________________________________ Dena C. from Horsham, PA Dena teaches music lessons in the Philadelphia area and has worked with over 30 guitar, piano voice students in the nearly two years she has been with us. In addition to teaching with TakeLessons, she also has experience performing professionally and working as a music therapist.   We love working with Dena because she is committed to providing a First Class Experience for every student we send her way! Her students say they have learned more from her than they ever imagined they would when they began lessons â€" which is music to our ears! ___________________________________________ Jackie R. from Elkridge, MD Jackie teaches piano and singing lessons at several of our Best Buy stores in Maryland, and has worked with a total of 16 students since the program launched last fall.   Jackies students love her because she is so positive and encouraging.   She even calls and emails her students throughout the week to remind them to practice and see what kind of progress they are making between lessons talk about dedication!   We applaud her for her positivity and commitment to excellence. ___________________________________________ Steven B. from Las Vegas, NV Steven is a piano, bass and guitar teacher in Las Vegas.   He is incredibly proactive, responsible and genuinely committed to providing a stellar experience for each of the students he teaches. His students describe him as charismatic and praise his ability to cater lessons toward their individual needs.   Hes an expert at developing not only their skills, but improving their confidence as well. ___________________________________________ Congratulations to all of our outstanding Teachers of the Week for the month of February!

Online Tutoring - Five Steps to Become an Effective Tutor

Online Tutoring - Five Steps to Become an Effective Tutor 0SHARESShare Like traditional teaching, the ultimate goal of online tutoring is to deliver and transfer knowledge. However, the big difference is the mode of tutoring. An online tutor needs to be more responsible enough to handle their changed role and deliver more effective tutoring. Understand your role as Online Tutor: Online tutoring is basically one-to-one tutoring where tutor delivers interactive session from remote location. Still, the challenge for tutor is to work in close proximity with the student giving an experience of face-to-face private tutoring. The approaches, relationship and techniques employed by online tutors are different. The students should get opportunity to speak and ask questions. The session designed to deliver live online tutoring should be more effective. Meet Your Students Needs: Determine the student’s need of tutoring and gaps that stop them to succeed. Assess the student’s understanding of the subject by asking questions. Get an idea to deliver session towards positive way of correcting students, problem solving and good questioning techniques. Design Tutoring Session Strategically: It is essential to design tutoring session that includes effective transfer of knowledge. Each session should have specific goals delivering topic/subject, identify potential practice work and review expectations of the students towards potential problems. Intellectual and Emotional Guide: Nurture your student’s interest and boost up self confidence through learning process. Mentor them through their difficulties. Spend more time in mentoring students as individuals. Take tutoring sessions in the areas where they need additional help. Ending the Tutoring Session: Positively review and assess the work done during the session. Reschedule for another session if required. Do necessary paperwork. [starbox id=admin]

Teacher Led Schools

Teacher Led Schools Schools across the country are giving authority back to the teachers by throwing out the administrative grips. At these schools, teachers are solely making all the administrative decisions and teaching. Palmer Park Predatory Academy (P3A) will open in Detroit in the fall of 2010 with no principal or other administrators. This school will replace the Barbara Jordan Elementary school, which was recently labeled as a low-performing school, according to an article in The District Administration. The Detroit public school system realized that a dramatic turnaround was necessary to enhance its public schools. The conclusion was to create teacher-led schools, allowing teacher and not principals or other administrators to decide how the school should operate. This is a growing trend, and schools in Boston, Milwaukee, Denver and Los Angeles have already made their schools teacher-led. Many teachers are welcoming the new tasks, and they fully believe they can handle all the responsibilities of teaching and administrating schools. Some teachers were so sure that this new program would be successful that they were willing to bet their tenure on it, Ann Crowley, DPS teacher and co-founder of the group Detroit Children First, an organization that had been vying for an all-teacher school for several years told The District Administration. Many excellent teachers felt they could get more for their children if they had a greater voice in the decisions that are made in their schools, Crowley told The District Administration. The set up of the Detroit school is not complete yet; however, the basic structure is that certain teachers will be working and researching specific issues that are important to the school. Then, those teachers will make recommendations with a shared-decision making process. This process is similar to that in other already existing teacher-led schools. Also, there will be an executive director for most of these schools who organizes the teachers focus and lesson plans to some extent. Officials who helped other cities set up teacher-led schools said they believe that a clear system of autonomy needs to be in place for these schools succeed. They also said that they believe this system will be more efficient and enhance students learning.

Mastering the Five Tibetan Rites

Mastering the Five Tibetan Rites How Can You Master the Five Tibetan Rites? ChaptersLearn the Five Tibetan Rites Off by HeartGet Better at Yoga by Practising RegularlyFinding a Yoga Poses Guide or SpecialistSome Advice for Organising a Yoga Session“Happiness is not at the end of the way. It is in the way.”The advantage of the Five Tibetan Rites is that you can practise them on your own or in a group. There are places all over the UK where you can do yoga. You don’t need to have studied for 200 hours to put together a yoga session, you can do it yourself.So how do you plan a yoga session around the Five Tibetan Rites? What are the key points to remember?In this article, we’ve got some advice for you on how to get the most out of the Five Tibetan Rites. CarleyYoga Teacher 5.00 (5) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GenYoga Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JulieYoga Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LynnYoga Teacher 4.89 (9) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AliceYoga Teacher £20/h1st l esson free!Discover all our tutors LauraYoga Teacher 5.00 (6) £70/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors UndramYoga Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LottieYoga Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsLearn the Five Tibetan Rites Off by HeartBefore you can do a session with the Five Tibetan Rites, you need to learn what they are. As you may have guessed, there are five of them! You need to master the poses if you want to master the rites. (Source: StockSnap)Tibetan SpinProne To Upward Staff PoseRabbit To Camel PoseStaff To Upward Plank PoseUpward Dog To Downward DogEach of these poses works on your chakras, which are responsible for your internal balance. There are 7 main chakras around our body. By practising a Tibetan Rite, you can activate these chakras which influence your body, mind, and spirit.The first Tibetan Rite focuses on equilibrium and balancing your energy through magnetism.The Prone to Upward Staff Pose allows you to focus on your solar plexus chakra and strengthen your muscles.The Rabbit to Camel Pose moves the energy towards your heart.The Fourth Tibetan Rite stimulates several parts of the body, including the neck and bottom of the torso. This can wake up your entire body.The last Tibetan Rite, Upward Dog to Downward Dog, involves flexibility and breathing and helps the energy circulate around your body. This isn’t an easy one to master at first.Each of the poses involves controlled breathing.You should know that when practising these poses independently they won’t have the same effect as doing them all together in the proper order. This is why you also need to learn the order of them in addition to learning what each of them is.Mastering these poses will allow you to better plan your yoga session.Get Better at Yoga by Practising RegularlyThe Five Tibetan Rites aren’t particularly intense poses but rather gentle gymnastic poses that work on your entire body. Regularly doing all five parts of the ritual will help you to get more familiar with them and understand how they affect your mindfulness.Check out these yoga classes near me. Regularity is key to benefiting from the Five Tibetan Rites. (Source: lograstudio)You should put together a plan for your yoga session focusing on the Five Tibetan Rites. More precisely, each one of your sessions needs to make the Five Tibetan Rites the centre point of them.Do you really need to do a yoga session alongside the Five Tibetan Rites? Not really. You can always do the Five Tibetan Rites on their several times throughout the day. On the other hand, when you’re not doing them, you can always go back to a more traditional yoga session.Remember that regularly doing the Five Tibetan Rites is important and that you should:Do the Five Tibetan Rites regularly throughout the week.Repeat the five rites between 3 and 21 times each session.Make it either part of your morning or evening routine.Focus on your breathing during each pose.A yoga session based around the Five Tibetan Rites will have one thing in mind: progressing. You need to think about progressing gradually; start gent ly and gradually increase the difficulty. For example, 85% of beginners won’t be able to do the Upward Dog to Downward Dog or the Rabbit to Camel Pose but after several sessions, they’ll get there.You need to be patient and plan your sessions around your objectives and what you’re capable of. Plan on doing 3 sets, then 5 sets, then 7, 11, etc. until you reach 21 sets. Don’t run before you can walk.Think about putting together a calendar to keep track of your progression so you can better plan your sessions around the Five Tibetan Rites.So how can you plan a session around the Five Tibetan Rites?By getting advice from professionals, of course!Find out more about how to do the Five Tibetan Rites.Finding a Yoga Poses Guide or SpecialistYoga isn’t easy, but everyone can do it. It takes a lot of concentration and personal investment. But it’s worth it because it’s good your body, mind, and spirit. Controlling your movement, mastering the Five Tibetan Rites, breathing correc tly, etc. can all be a challenge, especially for beginners. In this case, you might need to get help from a professional. Getting help from someone else is always useful when it comes to yoga. (Source: NicoBorie)There are professionals with hundreds of hours of training, workshops abroad, and hours of personal development. You can’t make up yoga as you go along and the same is true for your life force energy and the Five Tibetan Rites.So who can give you advice on yoga poses? Before you look for a spirit guide or join a yoga club, ask yourself the following questions:Do I know enough about the Five Tibetan Rites?Have I already tried to teach myself about them?Do I know what my strengths and weaknesses are?What type of support am I looking for?Once you’ve done this, you’ll know what types of resources you’ll need to look for:Online yoga websites by yogis or personal trainers.Yoga learning resources.Yoga teachers on social media websites like Instagram.Look at different sources of information and you’ll soon see that you can plan your session involving the Five Tibetan Rites. But before that, yo u can always attend a group yoga session!For more personalised advice, you might want to get in touch with a private yoga tutor on Superprof.Discover the benefits of the Five Tibetan Rites.Some Advice for Organising a Yoga SessionThere are several types of yoga and the Five Tibetan Rites don’t belong to any of them. This means you’re free to organise your yoga session as you see fit. If you want to do the Five Tibetan Rites as part of a class, planning is essential. (Source: janeb13)Finally, to get the most out of your yoga session, don’t forget to split your session into three main parts.The introduction, where you will focus on mindfulness.The poses, where you’ll focus on breathing.The meditation and conclusion, where you’ll benefit from the earlier parts of the session.The meditation part can take different forms: stretches, deep breathing, reflection. It depends on how you feel. That’s the magic of yoga!If you decide to meditate, you should opt for yoga poses that work well with it:The Corpse PoseThe Lotus PoseThe Half Lotus PoseThe Burmese PositionThe Egyptian PoseKeep in the mind the objective of the Five Tibetan Rites; to improve the flow of your life force energy. To do this, you need to be fully invested in achieving mindfulness.Whether you do yoga at home, work, or a leisure centre, the journey is within yourself. You don’t need to go very far to feel more energetic. However, it is recommended that you do the ritual either in the morning or evening since it’s easier to achieve mindfulness then than in the middle of the day.So when is your next yoga session?If you need more help with balancing your body and mind, you could always get in touch with a yoga teacher on Superprof. While there aren't plenty of Tibetan monks are the platform, you can always find a yoga teacher who can put together a personalised yoga class for you and talk you through the Five Tibetan Rites. With hatha yoga, kundalini yoga, vinyasa yoga, Tibetan yoga, etc. there are yoga styles for everyone and your tutor can work out which is best for you.There are three main types of tutorial available: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.Face-to-face tutorials are personalised sessions with a single student and the most cost-effective type of tutorial available. However, they tend to be the most expensive, too.Online tutorials take place over webcam using video conferencing software and allow you to get tutorials from anywhere with a decent internet connection at any time of the day. With fewer overheads, these tend to be cheaper per hour than the face-to-face tutorials.Finally, group tutorials include several students and are useful for those needing to share the cost of private tutorials. If you and some friends are interested in yoga, you should consider giving it a go! Of course, you won't get as much one-on-one time with the tutor.

The Top Ten Japanese Food Recipes

The Top Ten Japanese Food Recipes A Taste of Japan: The Best Recipes ChaptersHow to Prepare SushiTeriyakiFried RiceHow to Prepare Yaki UdonSoba SaladBaked TonkatsuGyudon â€" the Ultimate Beef BowlHoney Soy Sauce ChickenOmurice Tops the Easy Japanese Recipes Kids LoveFundamental Japanese Cuisine: Miso SoupLet us start with the disclaimer that anything proclaimed to be the best must be subjective.After all, a Japanese food involving Kobe beef would not be on any vegetarian’s ‘top 10’ list of recipes to try.Likewise, somebody allergic to seafood would not be tempted to follow any recipe that calls for prawns, no matter how many food critics sing its praises.And then, there are ethical concerns: would anyone truly lust for a meal of whale meat in the face of the current global outrage over whale hunting?Well, obviously Japanese people would, even if only a small slice of the population.Nevertheless, these examples serve well to illustrate how one’s best Japanese meal could be distasteful or downright lethal to their dining companion.In light of th at, your Superprof now dons an apron to prepare a sampling of Japanese foods; some iconic and some renown... and maybe even some you’ve never heard of, to compile a 10-long list of dishes in high demand.Cleavers ready? Let’s chop!two-bite taste explosions that are often enhanced with a dab of wasabi.As you might imagine, there are many types of sushi rolls; here we provide only general guidelines. It will be up to you how you present your sushi.Ingredients:2/3 cup of short-grain rice, (uncooked)4 sheets of nori seaweedcucumber, peeled and cut lengthwise into thin strips1 avocado1/2 pound of your fav fish, thinly choppedCondiments:3 tablespoons each of rice vinegar and white sugar1 1/2 teaspoons of salt2 tablespoons pickled ginger.Directions:In a pan, boil 1/13 cups of water; stir in rice; allow to steam. This step is made easier if you have a rice steamer.In a bowl, mix the rice vinegar, salt and sugar. One the rice is cooked, blend this mixture into it.Now it is time to get the seaweed ready for rolling.In a warm oven (heated to 190 degrees), allow the nori sheets to warm for a minute or two... not any longer lest they become too brittle!Place one sheet on your sushi mat â€" a bamboo mat that makes rolling sushi easy, and plane rice into an even layer on the sheet.You will have to press down on it with your hands and this is easier done when your hands are wet.Once you have achieved an even layer, place cucumber, avocado, ginger and meat in a row in the centre of the rice.Remember that you will have four such rolls to make, so only use 1/4 of your ingredients at a time!Now that you have everything laid out just so, it is time to roll the sushi. You do this by picking up one edge of the mat and rolling it up as you would a yoga mat, pressing gently all the while.Once you have a fairly firm roll, it is time to slice it (with a wet knife!), or you may wait until you have made all four rolls.Either way, we are certain you know what to do from there: serve it with a side of soy sauce... don’t forget to put grated ginger in it!Are the Japanese as crazy for sushi as we are? Find out what constitutes traditional Japanese food...TeriyakiMost of us know teriyaki as a type of Japanese meat dish, perhaps pork, chicken or beef.Neither our understanding of teriyaki nor the ingredients used are true to the Japanese art of cooking in this manner.Teriyaki is a technique for grilling or broiling meat covered in a glaze made of soy sauce, sugar and a rice wine called mirin, meant especially for cooking.Furthermore, authentic Japanese teriyaki generally calls for fish.Now that we know that the secret is in the sauce â€" not the meat, let’s have a recipe.Ingredients:1 cup of water1/4 cup of soy sauce1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger1/4 teaspoon garlic powder5 packed tablespoons of brown sugar1 to 2 tablespoons honey (according to your tastes)You will also need: 2/3 of a cup of cold water and 2 tablespoons of cornstarchMix all of the ingredients save the last 2 in a pan; warm them over low heat. As it is heating, stir the cornstarch into the cold water, mixing until dissolved.Once the ingredients in the pan start simmering, add the water/cornstarch mix, whisking until the mixture has reached the desired thickness.Allow it to cool for about 20 minutes and then pour it over your choice of meat and grill away!Fried rice is the ultimate convenience food and it makes use of leftovers! Image by VIT DUCKEN from PixabayFried RiceIf ever there were a fan fav, this simple dish would have to be it. Easy to make and perfect for dinner after a hard day’s work, it only takes a few ingredients to make a tasty bowl...If you are so lucky as to have a rice steamer, you are already ahead of the game. If not, you can pre-cook your rice the night before so that it will be ready for frying when you get home.Additionally, you should consider what you want in your rice. Do you have any leftover chicken, pork or beef? Those would do nicely; if not you co uld use tinned ham... or no meat at all.For a bit of colour and to add to the taste, a spring onion works well. Besides that, carrot slivers or cubes, soybeans and corn help to add a bit of texture. And you will need at least one egg.Ideally, you should fry your beaten egg(s) in about a centimetre of oil and cook them first, so that they remain fluffy and do not make your rice soggy.After removing the eggs, toss your rice into your wok, adding soy sauce, salt, ginger powder and pepper.Next, come the meat and veg; whichever ones you had decided on. Finally, as the rice turns a delicate gold colour, add the egg, stirring vigorously to break it up.Are you hungry yet?Fried rice is very popular the world over... but is it authentically Japanese? Learn how those foods have been adapted to suit the world's tastes.How to Prepare Yaki UdonWith all of the hoopla about food waste today, finding ways to use up leftovers is an excellent idea and Japanese foods lend themselves very well to that c oncept... to wit, the fried rice recipe above.Not everyone is a fan of rice and, even if they are, sometimes noodles would be nice!This dish is best when using packaged noodles you can find in the refrigerated or frozen section, perhaps at an Asian food store.Besides noodles, you would need vegetables and some sort of protein, either meat or tofu.For seasonings: black pepper, a soup base and, of course, soy sauce.First, stir fry your meat in vegetable oil, then add your vegetables, cooking them till they are soft. Recommended are cabbage, carrots, onion and shiitake mushroom tops.These selections can be anything you have left over from previous meals.Now is the time to add your noodles. As they should already be cooked, you only need to rinse them before mixing them in.Season this mixture with salt and soy sauce and top it all off with your soup base. Allow to simmer together for about 5 minutes and serve.Note: a similar dish, Yakisoba, is prepared much the same way except it calls for Chinese-style noodles; the kind you would find in ramen dishes.Make these yourself thanks to the best cooking courses London on Superprof.Beware that these noodles cook faster than spaghetti noodles so, after only a few minutes in hot water, you should drain them and flood them with cold water so that your salad will be the cooling treat you want it to be.To make it, you will need green onion, cilantro and roasted sesame seeds.For the dressing, use oil with a neutral flavour, add a little sesame oil, a couple of tablespoons of honey, some crushed red pepper (if you like things spicy) and, naturally, soy sauce.All of these ingredients should be whisked together as they heat, on the stovetop or in the microwave.Once your noodles and dressing have cooled, it is simply a matter of putting it all together: mix the cilantro and green onion in, drizzle dressing over the top and grab your chopsticks!Tonkatsu is generally served with rice and stir-fried veg Image by takedahrs from Pixaba yBaked TonkatsuAuthentic Japanese cuisine calls for this dish to be deep-fried; this recipe bakes rather than fries for a healthier result that is just as tasty.Tonkatsu is a pork cutlet, crispy on the outside and savoury-soft on the inside. The secret to that crispy outer crust is panko, what Japanese chefs use instead of breadcrumbs.A key step is to cook the panko  before breading the cutlets.This involves heating oil in a pan and adding panko till the bottom is covered. Allow it to sizzle until the panko is golden brown; remove from the heat and pour it into a glass dish to cool.Next, prepare your cutlets by trimming excess fat and cutting small slits into connective tissues to prevent the meat from buckling or bowing under heat. Once they are all trimmed, pound them flat.The thinner the meat, the more evenly they will cook. Your cutlets should end up about one centimetre thick.Now, dash them with salt and pepper, coat them in regular flour (shaking off excess), and then in egg a nd finally into the panko. Place on a baking rack in an oven heated to 200 degrees.The 20 minutes or so they take to bake will give you time to set your table... be sure to have tonkatsu dipping sauce handy!Gyudon â€" the Ultimate Beef BowlThis dish is considered comfort food to the Japanese palate and, just like our comfort dishes, it is quick and easy to make. All you need is:Thinly sliced beefsliced onion (and scallions for garnish)(3) eggsriceFor the sauce, you will need:2 tsp sugar2 tbsp sake2 tbsp mirin1 tsp soy sauceThis version does not call for dashi broth, however, you could add some in the winter time to make it extra warming.First, saute the sliced onions until they are golden and then, add the meat. As it is browning, sprinkle on the sugar, stirring all the while and, once the meat is no longer red, add the sake, mirin and soy sauce.Lower the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes, after which you pour on the beaten eggs. Allow them to cook thoroughly, and then serve o ver rice, garnishing with green onion.Discover also the diversity of regional Japanese cuisine...Honey Soy Sauce ChickenChildren are notoriously picky eaters; serving them anything out of the norm is liable to cause outright rebellion.Fortunately, traditional Japanese cuisine takes fussy appetites into account; a hands-down favourite is this next recipe.All you need is 1.5 pounds of chicken drumlets, salt and black pepper.For their glaze, have 4 tbsp honey and an equal amount of soy sauce on hand, and 2 tbsp sake (or cooking sherry). Mix those ingredients in a food storage bag â€" Ziploc would be a good brand to use.While waiting for the last of the honey to drip out of the measuring spoon, prick the chicken with a fork and rub salt and pepper on it.Add the chicken to the glaze mixture; make sure every part is covered. Allow them to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.Arrange them in your baking pan, skin-side up. Pour the leftover marinade over the chicken, and then bake at 220 degr ees for 20-30 minutes.Voila! Instant fussy eater favourite!Mini drumsticks , shown here fried in tempura, are a national favourite all over Japan Image by Robert-Owen-Wahl from PixabayOmurice Tops the Easy Japanese Recipes Kids LoveWhile all of the recipes we’ve featured so far can be found on any Japanese restaurant menu, this next one is traditional in the extreme even though it is not usually served in restaurants across Japan.Nevertheless, it is a kid fav and, reasoning there are readers with kids out there, we wanted to include this one on our ‘top ten’ list  because kids love it.It too makes use of leftover rice and whatever meat you happen to have on hand; it also features a kid’s dietary staple: ketchup.Of course, not only kids enjoy this thin egg shell stuffed with fried rice (and ketchup!) and its complexity can vary with the tastes of the chef and diner. Here is the basic recipe:Filling ingredients: ¼  onionham1 tbsp vegetable oil3 tbsp green peas and minced mushr oomssalt and peppercooked short grain rice2 tbsp unsalted butter(divided)Naturally, you can omit (or add) any ingredient you wish; if you suspect peas and mushrooms will turn your child off, you can leave them off... or mince them smaller. Additionally, you will need:3 tbsp ketchup3 tbsp tomato paste2 tbsp waterThese ingredients should be mixed and set aside before cooking anything.Finally, beat 4 large eggs with a tablespoon of milk (to make them extra-frothy).After prepping all of the ingredients, start by frying the onions until they are golden brown. Add your veg and meat (or tofu); season it all with salt and pepper.As that mixture sizzles along, add the cooked rice, breaking up large chunks. Once it is thoroughly mixed in, add your sauce â€" don’t forget to save some to pour on top of the omelettes.Now it is time to cook the eggs. In a clean pan, use one tsp of butter to cook half of the egg mixture (this recipe should yield 2 omelettes).Once the eggs start to harden, add ha lf of your rice mixture. Now, for the tricky part: ‘cradling' the rice mixture within the eggs. It should look like a boat by the time you’re done with it; the rice floating in a border of yellow egg.Slide this creation to a plate and use your hands to pull the egg over any visible filling and shape the omurice into an oval.Drizzle the remaining ketchup sauce on them and dig in!Fundamental Japanese Cuisine: Miso SoupNo list of Japanese food recipes would be complete without miso.It is eaten virtually every day in Japan. There are endless varieties and ingredients, depending on the region and the season, on personal preference, and so on.It all starts with dashi broth. It could start with chicken or beef stock but some feel that it takes away from the taste.If you have an Asian shop nearby, you may find dashi powder or dashi packets; either one will give you a ready-made soup base.Miso is fermented soybean paste, a key ingredient that you could also find at the Asian shop.You wil l need 3 tbsp of this bean paste, along with 2 cups of dashi broth and whichever ingredients you choose to make your soup.Cabbage, eggplant, mushrooms and yuba make particularly good choices; you can consult this recipe page for more suggestions, along with how to make dashi from scratch.Granted, nobody is in the mood for soup when the pavement is buckling from the heat but, for its health benefits alone, miso is well worth incorporating into your diet.Are you feeling inspired now? Ready to dust off your Benihana grill and give some of these recipes a go?  Your taste buds will surely thank for it!Now discover more Japanese food specialities...

4 Shortcuts to Remember Spanish Grammar

4 Shortcuts to Remember Spanish Grammar Sign up successful 1. Ser vs. Estar Many English speakers struggle with the Spanish verb to be. In Spanish, different situations call for different versions of the verb. Check out this video for a quick overview of the difference between ser and estar. To remember when to use ser vs. estar,  you can also use the acronym TODO LOCO. TODO refers to ser, and will help you remember when to use this from of the verb: Traits: Ella es inteligente Occupation: soy doctora Date and time: Es la una y media Origin: El es de Perú LOCO helps you remember when to use estar: LOcation: Estoy en la tienda COndition: Ellos están felices 2. Verb Endings Verbs are essential in any language, but the different conjugations can be confusing when youre learning Spanish. This trick will help you learn to conjugate Spanish verbs in the present tense. Once you memorize the endings for any -ar verb, you can apply the same endings to any verbs ending in â€"er and -ir by substituting the a  for an e. Heres an example of the conjugations for the verb hablar: Yo hablo (ending: o) Tú hablas (ending: as) El/ella/Ud. habla (ending: a) Nosotros hablamos (ending: amos) Vosotros habláis (ending: áis) Ellos/Uds. hablan (ending: an) Once you know these endings, you can figure out the conjugation for any regular â€"er or â€"ir verb by substituting the a for an e or i. For example, heres how to conjugate comer: Yo como (ending: o) Tú comes (ending: es) El/ella/Ud. come (ending: e) Nosotros comemos (ending: emos) Vosotros coméis (ending: éis) Ellos/Uds. comen (ending: en) Finally, here’s how to conjugate vivir: Yo vivo (ending: o) Tú vives (ending: es El/ella/Ud. vive (ending: e) Nosotros vivimos (ending: imos) Vosotros vivís (ending: Ellos/Uds. viven Related Video: Spanish Pronouns Explained 3. Demonstratives English demonstratives are words like this, these, that, and those. Spanish demonstratives include este, estos, esta, estas, ese, esos, esa and esas. Since Spanish demonstratives only vary by a letter, it can be hard to remember which one to use. One way to differentiate between the various demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, is to simply remember that this and these (este, estos, and esta, estas) are the ones with a t! 4. Commands This shortcut will help you understand when to use pronouns with Spanish commands. Affirmative: attach pronoun escríbelo Negative: don’t attach pronoun No lo escribas! See Also: Using Spanish Direct Object Pronouns Language shortcuts can help you learn Spanish grammar. These four shortcuts will come in handy on a Spanish test or in a conversation with a Spanish speaker. Continue to challenge yourself to learn grammar, it will elevate your Spanish comprehension, fluency, and communication skills. Using proper grammar also conveys respect for the language and Spanish speakers. Joan B. lives in Carmichael, CA and has been teaching high school Spanish for more than 18 years. A lover of language, shes studied French, Arabic, and Italian and spent time living in Spain. Joan aims to help students improve on tests and increase their conversational ability when traveling to Spanish-speaking countries. Learn more about Joan here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by University of Denver

LOI English Teachers Mark Zuniga

LOI English Teachers Mark Zuniga The ones who choose to explore the world, travelling and living in different places, are often passionate about new cultures and experiences. Some of the LOI English teachers are like that, like Mark Zuniga the LOI English teacher with whom I spoke this week.Mark is from Southern California, but is currently living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after living in Chile and Mexico. He told me that, while he was living in L.A., he often sought out multicultural experiences and activities.  While living in California,  Mark worked for  STAR Education, a non-profit organization  which provides grant-funded Art, Science and Ecology education to children in low income public schools.In 2007 Mark began working for a firm located in Santiago, Chile, which enabled him to gain professional experience in other Latin American cities, such as Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Montevideo and Buenos Aires. These experiences, in addition to living in Santiago, Chile, further immersed him in the region and soli dified his decision to reside in Argentina. He is currently completing a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning at the University of Buenos Aires.Mark is used to having students from many different countries, like Brazil, Russia, Japan, Italy and China. He also has the same opinion as others LOI English teachers when it comes to common issues to those who are learning English:  pronunciation difficulties, which depend on one’s native language, do present common patterns and mistakes.   However, he mentioned it would be unfair to approach English learners from the same culture as a homogeneous group, instead of unique individuals.He also mentioned that he has an interactive teaching approach.   He stressed that he believes that a key component to learning any language is being able to feel comfortable and at ease.  That is why  he told me that he sees his sessions as conversation classes with an easygoing environment where he works with the students the way that best suits them, taki ng in consideration their interests, learning style, and strengths/weaknesses.  He added that he knows “first hand” how challenging it is to learn a new language, based on his experience learning Spanish.He recommends listening to news podcasts, talk programs, and music to reinforce the classes, but he did not feel comfortable giving more general advice to anyone who is learning English, because of his vision that every student must be seen as an individual. According to him, each person has different challenges and/or goals and presents a unique situation that he enjoys helping with.

Volunteer With Heart Ryan Hong - Heart Math Tutoring

Volunteer With Heart Ryan Hong - Heart Math Tutoring Volunteer With Heart: Ryan Hong Volunteer With Heart: Ryan Hong April 22, 2015 Ryan Hong, a Market Growth Development Consultant at Wells Fargo, believes that a foundation in math is essential for all children. He learned about Heart through Wells Fargo’s Volunteer Chapter and became a tutor after hearing how engaging and effective the sessions can be. Ryan works with two second graders at Winterfield Elementary in east Charlotte, where Heart volunteers tutor 50 students across grades 1â€"5. Why did you become a volunteer? “It was an opportunity that I’ve not come across: tutoring math to at-risk students that is flexible with my work schedule and with a creative curriculum that makes learning fun.” What are some of your favorite moments from working with the students? “When the student plays a timed math game and gets all the answers correct, you can hear the confidence and excitement in their voice. It is rewarding when you see their confidence building, their mind in full-throttle, and their motivation in learning new math strategies. When we finish our tutoring sessions, the students are rewarded with a sticker for a job well done. It’s at this time when you can see how proud they are of what they have learned. They save the stickers on their progress folder to share with their family and friends.” What would you tell someone who is thinking about becoming a volunteer? “Having fun teaching math + being flexible with work schedule = a rewarding feeling, knowing you’re making a positive impact in the future of these children. When I get each student from class, the first thing I start with is a smile and a high five. They get excited to come to tutoring because they know it’s fun! You don’t have to be a math wiz to tutor because the curriculum is extremely easy to follow!” You work full time at Wells Fargo. How can you also commit to weekly tutoring? “I tutor from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. on Wednesdays and arrive to work by around 9:15 to 9:30 a.m. Most days, I have to be at work at 8:30 a.m. I have appreciated flexibility and encouragement from Wells Fargo to be able to take time out of the day to do this meaningful work.” Ryan is one of 16 tutors across Heart’s five partner schools who work for Wells Fargo â€" a valuable partner to Heart both in employee volunteer engagement and in funding. Want to become a tutor? Heart Math Tutoring will need more volunteers for the 2015/2016 school year! With a commitment of one hour per week, any community member can help a struggling student gain the skills and confidence he/she needs for long-term success. Click here to express your interest!