How You Can Use Valence Electrons to Boost Your Education

How You Can Use Valence Electrons to Boost Your EducationOne of the latest student activities conducted by many schools across America is the identification of Valence Electrons. These 'dots' are all over the face of the periodic table as well as throughout the universe. But what exactly is a Valence electron? This will become clear if you take the time to understand this particular component, which was discovered by a brilliant scientist by the name of Dr. J. Fresnel.Electrons are essentially the most important component in nature. They are vital to life on this planet and if an element cannot contain electrons then the entire composition of the element will be void. They are the building blocks of the most fundamental building blocks of life. And it was Dr. Fresnel who discovered the truth about these vital constituents and showed that they are important.It is a very powerful tool to identify elements and their properties. The problem is that most students are unaware of how this v ital scientific discovery can be used to the advantage of their education. In this article I hope to outline some of the benefits of using this kind of activity to supplement the student's schoolwork.If you have recently graduated from college or university then your first step is to try and secure a job. It may be an IT industry-related job, or even a teaching position within a school. But a job such as this will be without the luxury of a college degree. So, even if you do get that job you will not be able to teach. You need to know something about chemistry in order to go about your job search in the right way.If you want to know what it takes to go about your actual job search then you need to know the importance of having the ability to identify metals and minerals. These are all found in the periodic table and there are only three types of metals and minerals.Your job will then be to identify and classify them all based on the information contained in the Valence Electrons. Yo u will need to go into more detail on each element to get the details. This will give you a good starting point for your actual job search.One of the benefits of this is that you will get a fresh insight into the field of study that you have chosen. It is a useful way to improve your understanding of the subject and to move forward with your career. All good students understand that their career success is directly linked to their ability to recognise and use their education in the best possible way. So this really is a very valuable tool to your education.

Maths Help Understanding Maths Equations

Maths Help Understanding Maths Equations Learn Maths: How to Solving Equations ChaptersWhat is an Equation?Skills Needed to Solve Maths EquationsWhen do we Learn about Maths Equations?Solving a Linear EquationSolving a Factorised EquationMaths Equations with FractionsCreating Equations to Solve ProblemsMaths is often represented as a tricky topic â€" by both students and adults alike! However, this little loved subject forms a fundamental part of your education, and if you can master it, you’re well on your way to succeeding academically!For as long as you’re studying for qualifications (maths revision GCSE, A levels, degrees…) you won’t escape having to solve maths problems: starting from the basics of arithmetic, and then moving onto solving equations, algebra, geometry, and fractions problems!Later in your studies, your maths skills will let you adopt a problem-solving mindset and improve your mental faculties, helping you succeed at the task you’re completing, regardless of whether or not it’s directly related to maths!With all of this in mind, it’s time to revisit one of the key areas in maths that you’ll encounter time and time again: solving equations!With your calculator to hand and a little determination, you will make it to the end of this article on how to solve an equation. By the time we’re finished, amongst other things, you’ll be able to tackle your next maths problem with ease, whether it involves polynomials, linear equations, factoring or anything in between!Your maths teacher at school (or your private maths tutor) will give you the skills that will serve you every day, for the rest of your life.Here are some aspects that are key to adopting this problem-solving attitude:Being thoroughYou must be thorough and follow through with all the key steps when tackling a mathematical problem: particularly one including equations. When you find yourself faced with maths problems, or an exam, you must be precise, and act methodically and logically.Have a good memoryImprove your skills with maths worksheets! Pra ctise makes perfect! (Source: Pixabay)Mathematicians have to work with their memory! If you practise regularly, you’ll be able to make the link between the topics you’ve studied in class, and their application in solving a problem given to you. Tackling a variety of problems means something like a problem you’ve seen before is more likely to come up, and with your prior experience, it’ll be much easier to solve.Be organised!To solve an equation, you need to follow a set of stages. Being organised in your work environment, and your approach to problems, will allow you to overcome each maths problem put in front of you without panicking.When do we Learn about Maths Equations?During primary school, we learn how to count, and familiarise ourselves with mental maths. We start to add numbers, subtract them, and multiply them: the basics of arithmetic. We may even learn the basics of graphing - these teachings provide us with a foundation in mathematics, and the skills we will need to begin solving equations later on.Some exponential and quadratic equations can be solved by graphing (Source: Pexels)It’s usually in secondary school that linear equations slowly start to creep into the curriculum. In year 7, we learn to solve simple equations, normally with one unknown. Here’s an example of an equation you might tackle around this time: Here, you must find the unknown: ‘x’.By the time you get to year 8 and 9, fractions and negative numbers start appearing in equations: preparing you for GCSEs and A levels. The equations can now look something like this: At GCSE and A level, the calibre of maths problems increases, and you have to solve more complex equations, including systems of equations, by using a variety of techniques: completing the square, factoring, substitution, and finding the intercept on graphs - to name but a few! If you do some further study in maths at A level, you will also encounter topics like complex numbers.The types of problem don’ t stop there, though: if you decide to study a maths or science degree at university, you’ll meet even more difficult problems!Sometimes you will encounter one step equations, and you might be able to solve some of the equations below like this, but you’ll often encounter trickier multi-step equations which will test your knowledge of several mathematical areas: perhaps your graphing calculator knowledge, your knowledge of slopes, or how to solve simultaneous equations by elimination or substitution! MyriamMaths Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £200/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Dr parikhMaths Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KamalMaths Teacher 5.00 (9) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PetarMaths Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GowsikaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RubenMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ConorMaths Teacher 4.75 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsSolving a Linear EquationLinear equations are likely the first type of equation you’ll encounter during your studies, and are usually the easiest to solve.Essentially, solving a linear equation only requires the four kinds of calculation we’ve been familiar with since primary school: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.If you want to solve a linear equation with one unknown, your goal is simple: you must find the value of ‘x’. This is usually called “solving for 'x'” in maths lingo.For a simple equation, you can take the following steps: • Isolate the unknown (usually ‘x’) on one side of the equation • Group any common terms together • Divide through so that any coefficients of ‘x’ are removed • State your solutionTo give you an example, here are the steps you would take for the equation... Moving 'x' onto one side of the equation: ‘x’ has been isolated on one side of the equationWe’ve grouped common terms together - this is known as collecting like termsWe’ve removed the coefficient of ‘x’ by dividing both sides by 4.Congratulations! You now have the skills required to solve one of the most famous linear equations in the history of mathematics: the epitaph of the mathematician Diophantus of Alexandria.The epitaph gives an equation, and the solution to this equation is the age of Diophantus when he died. The tomb dates from the 3rd century!Being able to solve linear equations is the cornerstone of your equations knowledge, and you must practise it again and again until you’re completely sound on the subject. Better get started!Solving a Factorised EquationFactorised equations are a form of polynomial equations. and you will often see them as quadratic equations (at least up to AS level!).Essentially, the equation takes the form:‘x’ is always the unknown variable, while a,b,c, and d are numbers given in the problem. During your maths lessons, your teacher has probably told you something like this:A product of factors is zero if, and only if, at least one of the factors is zero.To check this is true, you must solve every equation with a factor of ‘x’ in it!We can’t repeat this enough: the best way of learning to solve equations is to practise!Here’s an example of a factorised equation, with its solution:The two factors correspond to the two expressions in parentheses. Just so we’re clear on the terminology, the “coefficients of 'x'” that we spoke about earlier are 3 and 2, in this example. To solve it, we must consider both sets of parentheses. We’ll go left to right, and once again we’ll solve for our unknown ‘x’:(because our equation must be equal to 0 for the product of the factors to equal 0) And the other set of parentheses... (because our equation must be equal to 0 for the product of the factors to equal 0)And removing coefficients of 'x'... Since there are two factors, that means there are two solutions for ‘x’ - this is sometimes called a solution set. We just found them both! ‘x’ can either be -4/3 or 5/2.Being able to solve quadratic equations is essential as you progress. If you can’t solve quadratic equations, you will struggle with higher order equations. Maybe you need to refresh your knowledge on how to solve linear equations first?Maths Equations with FractionsStruggle with equations? Perhaps some maths tutoring could help! (Source: Pixabay)We have a rule for equations with fractions in, too! Here’s the rule:A fraction is zero if, and only if, its numerator is zero and its denominator is not zero.You could be faced with an equation in the following form: To solve an equation like this with a fraction in, you should: • Exclude forbidden values: this means values which cancel out the denominator • Simplify everything so it’s over the same denominator • Put everything onto one side of the equation, so the other side is equal to zero • Solve the equation • Verify that the values you have aren’t forbidden valuesHere’s an example of solving an equation with fractions in. We’ll be using a technique called cross products to remove the fractions altogether. We start with this equation: Let's start by removing the fractions:Just like in our linear equation example, I multiplied  both sides by (x+1). This means that on the left hand side, I now multiply by (x+1) and then immediately divide by (x+1). And just like in our previous example, that means they cancel each other out, and I can remove them from the equation altogether: So, it's starting to look a lot nicer already: I've now got a single 'x' on one side, removed one fraction, and we're well on our way to solving this problem. Let's also get rid of the fraction on the right hand side, using the same method: Removing the fraction on the right hand side means this all simplifes to something much nicer: Now, we need to set our equation equal to zero. We could divide through by (x-1)(x+1), but then we'd end up with a fraction again! Instead, we can expand out the contents of each set of parentheses. To do this, we multiply everything inside the parentheses by everything immediately outside of it. This is easy for the left hand side, as we only have to multiply by x: becomes... Because both of these expressions are equivalent (as equalities, they are equal), we don't need to change the right hand side, as we've just rewritten the left hand side: it still  means the same thing. See our GCSE Maths Revision article for more help with this.The right hand side is a little trickier, but follows the same principle. The contents of each set of parentheses needs to be multiplied by the contents of the the other set of parentheses. Here's a diagram: The red lines show us multiplying 'x' in from the first parentheses, and the blue lines show us multiplying '-1' from the first parentheses.This l eaves us with the following expressions, starting with the 'x' in the first bracket: And now multiplying '-1' in the first bracket: So those are all the terms of the brackets on the right hand side, once they've been expanded. Now we can combine those into one expression, which represents the right hand side of the original equation: Let's put these two expressions back into our original equation: Again, this is exactly the same as what we started with, we've just removed the factored parentheses. Next, we'll put anything with an x or x^2 onto the left hand side of the equation: And collect like terms. In the equation above, I've done the same to the left hand side as the right hand side of the equation, so we'll tidy everything up: So the last step should be pretty easy. We need to remove our coefficient of 'x': -1/2 isn’t a forbidden value, so the solution is x = -1/2. Notice how despite this starting as a quadratic equation (because there’s an exponent of two on some of the ‘x’ terms), they cancel each other out, so we only have one solution.It is possible to have an equation with no solution!A fractional equation problem can include all of the same concepts as we’ve mentioned before, including: quadratic equations, exponents, rational and irrational numbers.Creating Equations to Solve ProblemsSometimes, you might be asked to form an equation for a given problem. Don’t worry, this isn’t as bad as it sounds, you’re essentially making your own word problems!The method is simple, and you only need to make sure you’re thorough to ensure you get the correct answer:Read the problem several times to make sure you understand itDetermine the unknown (or unknowns) which correspond to a number asked for by the questionTry and rewrite the problem in mathematical terms, removing any superfluous informationSolve the equation you just foundCheck the solution is correctState your equation as a solution to the problemSometimes you’ll be asked a questio n like this in the context of a geometry problem â€" don’t worry, the steps are the same, just make sure to brush up on your geometry lessons beforehand!Here’s an example of a question you might be asked, where you have to form an equation from the given scenario:“Three cousins, John, Tim and Sally, have a combined age of 60. What is the age of each person, knowing that Sally is three times as old as Tim, and that John is 10 years younger than Sally?”In this problem, the unknowns to find are the ages of the three cousins, and this can be done with the help of some equations. See if you can solve it!There are several options available to you if you want to improve, or perfect, your maths skills: whether that be brushing up on your equations knowledge, or learning something new about geometry!All of the examples we looked at today dealt with rational numbers, and did not feature inequalities. However, inequalities are solved in the same way, simply replacing the equals sign wi th the equality sign of your choice. Why are equations and inequalities important? They serve as the building blocks of your maths knowledge, and are essential when you begin studying calculus, and maybe even matrices! Knowing that you can effectively deal with problems involving integers, decimals, rational numbers, and different types of equation: whether they’re exponential equations, solving quadratics, or systems of linear equations will be invaluable as you progress further into the world of maths!Private tuition with a home maths tutor will allow you to progress. They can explain tricky topics like equations at your own pace, using methods tailored to your learning style.Revising regularly and producing revision materials, or following maths lessons online and on YouTube, in tandem with private maths tuition will help you achieve your best in maths!Learn how to graph functions or discover the list of  unsolved maths equations.

Violin Teacher Jobs How to Give Violin Lessons

Violin Teacher Jobs How to Give Violin Lessons How Do You Become a Violin Tutor? ChaptersTeaching Violin without QualificationsThe Rates for Teaching Violin PositionsTeaching Violin: Which is the Job for You?Being able to play the violin (either as a soloist or part of an ensemble) is quite the achievement. The violin, which is often thought of as an instrument for the elite, has a bit of an image problem.Being a violin teacher is quite different to being a science teacher or an English teacher since you have several jobs to do. Firstly, you’ll need to have the violin and teaching skills in order to help your students learn to play the instrument. Secondly, you’ll need to work towards changing the violin’s stuffy image and encourage students of all ages that it's the instrument for everyone.Most people in the world can learn the violin just like they would the guitar or any other instrument without any kind of special education. They just need to be methodical, motivated, and enthusiastic. They need to walk before they learn to run.This is where a teacher i s really important. Regardless of whether a student's a beginner, intermediate, or expert, they need a teacher who's invested in their learning, passionate about it, and can inspire them. The same is true whether they're teaching them the piano, flute, cello, saxophone, clarinet, etc.So how can you start teaching violin or music lessons? How do you start your job search? Teacher recruitment might seem like a minefield, but over the course of this article, you’ll learn the ropes (or should that be strings?).someone who actually teaches their students.Despite how important one recruiter might consider certain music qualifications, they don't necessarily give an indication of your teaching skills.Here are some of the key profiles that people are looking to recruit. If any of them sound like you, you're on the right path to teaching music classes yourself or finding education jobs in schools or music centres.A violin tutor may have to teach an individual or several students at once. ( Source: pixabay.com)A Self-Taught ViolinistLearning to play the violin by yourself might seem risky but there are several advantages. You can learn about music for yourself, however you want to, at your own speed.You can study exactly what you need to know, not waste time on techniques you’ll never use, and put together your own repertoire. You'll retain knowledge you’ve worked out yourself better than information you’ve been told since your brain is more active and information therefore goes in more easily.Becoming a violin tutor without qualifications can help you better understand the process your students are going through. This will help you better address any problems they encounter as well as foreseeing any problems they might encounter further down the line.The problem is that even if you've been playing violin since childhood, without being able to prove your grade, finding new jobs without the help of word of mouth can be tricky.Being an Excellent TeacherTeaching ski lls and adaptability are essential. Each student is different and you’ll need to keep this in mind. A good tutor will understand their students and adapt their teaching methods to help them.You can’t stick to just one method or the same exercises all the time. You need to work with the student’s learning style and speed. There’s no sure-fire way to teach any given lesson. There’s one method that works for some and other methods that work for others.Giving Private Violin Lessons OnlineIf you want to teach but don’t have qualifications, there’s never been a better time to be alive. There are online teaching jobs available to you. You could start your own website or blog and build a community.In order to earn your keep, you could offer tutorials that students have to pay for. These will help cover your costs, too. Be careful though, don’t overcharge your students or you’ll lose them.What about violin private tutorials?They’re quite trendy at the moment. Regardless o f whether you have a degree or diploma, you can still teach private violin tutorials and look for tutoring jobs London and indeed nationwide. While all the profiles are different, a passion for teaching is the thing they all have in common.With a good amount of experience and the necessary level, you have everything you need to become a quality private violin tutor. Make the most of that!Teaching Violin in Small Music CentresIf you’ve got the passion and the teaching skills, you can still teach outside of conservatoires (who ask for academic music qualifications) at music centres who’ll be happy to give you a chance.You’ll be free to teach violin in your own style be it music theory, reading music, and practising how to play the instrument, of course! Whether it’s a classical or electric violin, you can help your students to improve their skills and learn more about music.The Rates for Teaching Violin PositionsYou can’t deny that the violin is a complex instrument. Learnin g to play the violin needs a particular set of skills including a knowledge of music theory, for example. This knowledge comes at a price, regardless of how you learn. So what are the going rates for a violin tutor?A violin is an instrument that requires a good knowledge of music theory. (Source: Ylanite Koppens)Violin Lesson Prices by CityWhen it comes to prices, London tends to come out as the most expensive place to learn in the UK. In the capital, the average cost of violin tutorials is £32. Of course, this will vary depending on where you are in London, too.If you want violin tutorials in somewhere like Edinburgh, Manchester, or Cardiff, you can expect to pay around £10 less per hour. This is definitely an advantage of living outside of London. You should also work out your own budget.CityAverage CostLondon £32Manchester £23Birmingham £24Leeds £22Glasgow £18Violin Lessons in a ConservatoireThere are plenty of music schools in the country and, as you can imagine, they’re not free. Getting a degree in music can be a costly endeavour. You’re paying for the title from a reputable school of music, after all.You’re also paying for expert teachers, quality teaching resources, and structured courses. There’s at least one big music school in almost every big city in the UK and abroad. You’ll be spoilt for choice.The Price of Violin Tutorials in Person or OnlineThese two are quite similar. In both cases, you’ll have to trust someone that you’ll first meet online. Then you’ll have to choose whether or not you prefer tutorials over webcam or face-to-face with your tutor.At the end of the day, you get to make the call. Choose how you like to work, how you manage your time, and your passion for music.Teaching Violin: Which is the Job for You?Having a passion for music is great. Making a living from it is even better. Here’s how you can teach violin! Before you start applying to every job alert you get to your inbox, you should keep in mind that each type of vacancy is different, some recruitment processes are more complicated than others, and, in terms of salary, some places pay far better than others.Teaching Violin in a ConservatoireIn these reputable establishments, being the best is the goal. To teach violin lessons here, you’ll be expected to have at least completed an academic degree and they'll often ask for transcripts.You’ll also be expected to know the history of your instrument and be familiar with a whole range of techniques and music theory, for example. The degrees offered by the conservatoires are often the music qualification par excellence.Admission in these places is really competitive, for those wanting to be e a student, expect to complete an audition.A good violin tutor will tell you how to improve your posture. (Source: negativespace.co)If you're searching for a teaching job in a conservatoire, you should know that the vacancies are often few and far between and being on the faculty at one of these in stitutions means that you're a certified teacher and sometimes a seasoned concert performer. The personnel at these places are the crème de la crème.Your best quality, in addition to your teaching skills, is your experience with the violin. This is how you’re going to teach your students, after all.Become a Violin Teacher at a SchoolYou can also teach music in a school under the jurisdiction of the department of education. While the recorder is taught in most primary schools around the country, there are teaching positions for those trained in other instruments.In fact, secondary school students can do music GCSEs and A Levels with almost any instrument or singing. With 5 years of obligatory schooling and 2 of sixth form, students have plenty of time to master their instrument. While keyboard and piano lessons are some of the most common in the national school system, there are still job openings for violinists.If you want to teach in a national secondary school, you’ll need t o be a qualified teacher. This means you'll need have a degree in or related to your given subject as well as the PGCE. You can also opt for a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree which while usually for primary school teacher, is available for secondary teachers in certain universities.Every candidate also has to pass police criminal record checks (the DBS). Of course, teaching in state schools is famous for the outrageous amount of administrative work that you'll be expected to complete. You could also decide to work in a school as a teaching assistant or substitute teacher helping students prep for concerts, for example.Teach Violin as a Member of an AssociationTeaching as a member of an association comes with a lot of benefits. Firstly, in the absence of qualifications or a violin certification, it can prove to potential students thinking about hiring you that you’re a quality teacher. They also have instructional resources for teachers, provide insurance in some cases, and can help you contact a talented instructor or musician if you need help.Of course, this isn’t a one-way street and you’ll be expected to provide lessons of a certain level and pay them. The costs of joining these associations can vary and are generally between £50 and £100 per year and there are even qualifications available from the associations that would be useful for any job seeker not willing to pay for a degree.In addition to their violin technique, a good tutor should have a communication skills, too. (Source: Clem Onojeghuo)What about Private Violin Tutorials?Private tutorials are great for those who have busy schedules or aren’t yet sure about studying a degree in music. With Superprof, you can find students seeking a tutor.As a private tutor, you can really help students who are struggling or need to progress quickly. Whether you’re teaching them to improvise, play jazz, classical, or any other style of music, your knowledge will be a of huge benefit to your students .Furthermore, as a tutor, you can choose the rates for your private lessons. Our tutors get to choose the rates that work for them. How you teach your students and what you focus on (positioning, fingering, reading music, etc.) is up to you, too.For students, on the other hand, they can find a teacher they like and who works well with their learning style.  If you provide quality lessons at the right price and are an outstanding teacher, most students will be happy to hire you and you can choose to be a tutor on a permanent or temporary basis.You should also look for education job fairs or music fairs where you can also apply to jobs, take part in workshops or listen to presentations, meet people, and learn about job postings before they're made public.

4 Ways to Work Ahead in School

4 Ways to Work Ahead in School Although its tempting to spend winter break and any other bits of downtime you might have throughout the school year relaxing and not worrying about academics, working ahead on some classwork would benefit you in the long-run. This doesnt imply by any means that you need to devote every bit of free time to these activities, but implementing just a few strategies here and there to ensure you are always prepared could put you in a solid position for success later on. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Complete reading assignments in advance Certain instructors prefer that you read about a topic prior to the associated lecture, while others request that you complete such assignments after the topic has been introduced in class. For courses in which you are provided a list of readings in advance, it is advantageous to complete the assignments before the corresponding class. Doing so will allow you to familiarize yourself with the subject, increase your comfort level in lecture, and foresee which aspects of the topic will be most challenging for you. If you have finished the reading beforehand, you will be able to focus your efforts on comprehending the most difficult parts of the topic the day it is examined in class. You will also know which questions you should ask the teacher. Never underestimate the benefits of having extra time to think about these readings. Here are some great tips on how to interpret a reading assignmentthat you may find useful. 2. Re-read and re-write course notes Class notes are often recorded in a frenzied manner. You may find that the notes you wrote during lecture seemed perfectly logical at the time, but outside the context of the lesson, you discover they no longer make sense to you. Your notes may even be illegible because you had insufficient time to jot them down. For these reasons, it is very wise to review class notes the same day you take them. Do not wait until the evening before a test to look them over! By this point, you will have probably forgotten many details of the lectures, and you will not have adequate time to decipher what you recorded. You may also want to take a look at this study tip on how to organize your notes. If necessary, re-write your notes within 24 hours of the class. Copying your notes in a more understandable manner will save you valuable study time later. The other benefit is that you will be reviewing the subject matter during the process of re-writing. When you must study the same topic for your midterm and final, you will be very pleased with yourself for ensuring your notes are simple to understand the first time. 3. Reach out to teachers and take advantage of extra assistance Additional help is perhaps the most underrated form of test preparation. Reviewing for an exam can be overwhelming you dont always realize the bulk of information youve covered. Extra help sessions are frequently held and typically focus on the most important aspects of the topics involved on upcoming tests. These opportunities are a fantastic method to concentrate on the most difficult and/or significant content of a unit. Look at upcoming schedules and determine when and where you will attend one of these gatherings. Your attendance could mean the difference between two whole letter grades on an exam! A teacher wont usually devote a great deal of time to discussing a topic that you will not eventually be tested on, so you should be able to gauge what the assessments will contain. Attending an extra help session is hardly ever an experience that a student regrets. You may even want to consider consulting a tutorto help you as well, or even just sending the teacher an email or atten ding their office hours is a step in the right direction as well. 4. Pose multiple questions Asking questions is a superlative learning style. You should never feel embarrassed about asking for clarification in or outside of class, whether its because you truly dont understand or because you enjoy a subject and wish to discover more about it. Make sure you return to school ready to inquire about any concept you feel necessary! Asking questions demonstrates that you can think critically and have a desire to learn. It also increases your participation grade. While you may not remember every word an instructor utters during lecture, youre very likely to recall the questions that you asked and the answers that you received. Teachers love to see their students speak up and inquire; it encourages other students to participate, and it creates an atmosphere conducive to learning.

How to Sing and Play Ukulele in 4 Easy Steps

How to Sing and Play Ukulele in 4 Easy Steps Megan L. Learning to play an instrument is difficult enough, but what about trying to sing at the same time? Its really not as hard as it sounds! Here, teacher Willy M. takes you  through the steps to play the ukulele while singing It doesn’t matter what instrument I teach (piano, guitar, harmonica, drums, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and voice), every student I ever have, with the exception of those playing harmonica, asks, “How do I sing and play my instrument at the same time?” The ukulele is certainly no exception. Learning how to sing and play ukulele  simultaneously  is a lot like learning how to pat your stomach and rub your head at the same time. Or is it pat your head and rub your stomach? I don’t know, but you get the idea it can be hard! So here are four easy steps to help you learn how to sing and play the  ukulele at the same time. 1. Practice singing  the entire song with  one chord and a simple strumming pattern First of all, your left brain controls your right hand. So if you are right-handed like most people and are approaching the ukulele, youll  handle strumming fairly well. But when you start forming ukulele chords with the left hand, your right brain kicks in  and suddenly you’re plunged into a chaotic world of trying to keep up while both sides of your brain are firing off stimuli and building synapses. And then you want to try to sing. What part of the brain controls that, the middle part? Suddenly, playing the ukulele becomes more like juggling than just strumming and playing. To make this process simpler, break it down into bite-sized chunks. All you have to do is hold down your first chord and sing along while strumming the main pattern of the song. You see little kids doing this all the time. They get an instrument and strum away, singing whatever song their little hearts desire. This really is the first step to learning how to play and sing. Its so simple that just about anyone can do it. Let’s look at a really simple song to help you get the picture. Below are the lyrics and chords for  â€œFroggie Went A-Courtin’.” I would suggest you check out Bob Dylan’s version of the song. Its a very simple tune with just three chords. This song is in the key of D. Try playing through the song and just play the D chord. Froggie Went a-Courtin’ D Froggie went a-courtin and he did ride, ah hah A7 Froggie went a-courtin and he did ride, ah hah D Froggie went a-courtin and he did ride, G                                                                   D             A7           D With a sword and a pistol by his side, ah hah, ah hah, ah hah 2. Practice singing the entire song  with two chords and a simple strumming pattern The second step to mastering playing and singing at the same time is to add in the second most popular chord in the song. If you are playing a song in G, and D is the second most popular chord, then the only chord change you need to worry about at this point is going from the G to the D chord. Practice the change several times until you feel comfortable with it, and then go for singing the song. When you play through the song this way, you give little thought to the strumming pattern or the G chord because you already practiced it (and you don’t really think much about the singing either because you practiced that too). You will find that lyrics you are unfamiliar with might throw you off a little, but the more you sing the song, the easier itll be to memorize the lyrics. If you need to take a moment and read through the lyrics, it should  help you when you sing. Now the only thing to worry about is changing chords from the G to the D. Once you learn the essential ukulele chords, youll be set to handle most songs. In the above song, the next chord that is popular is the A7 chord. Play though the song and add the change to the A7. 3. Practice singing the entire song with three chords  and a simple strumming pattern Now that you’ve mastered going from the first chord to the second chord, adding the third chord shouldn’t be too much of a struggle. If it is, just keep at it and go slowly over the parts that are hard for you. Repeat them several times until you have it down. Before you know it, you will be singing and playing most of the song with ease. I recommend learning various strum patterns, that way youre equipped for learning more songs. In “Froggie,” the last chord is a G chord. Practice through the song again and add the G chord while you sing and play. 4. If there are other playing techniques, follow the above practice routine Last but not least, there are often other elements of a song that are tricky. Does the song switch rhythm for a certain portion, perhaps the bridge or the chorus? Does the song require some complicated finger-picking patterns on a certain part of it? Are there other more complicated chords that give you some grief? Don’t worry, we all experience these things in our learning process. The key is to just keep working at the hard parts, adding a part at a time until you’ve mastered both playing the song and singing it. In the final run-through of the song, try adding all of the chords and maybe add some finger-picking to give yourself an extra workout! So there you have it four easy steps to help you play your ukulele (or any instrument, actually) and sing at the same time. I hope you find this helpful. What will really help you is having a qualified teacher walk you through how to break down the harder portions into smaller bite-sized chunks, and TakeLessons is the perfect place to get a teacher who can help you become the best ukulele player you can be! Once you have it down, try to sing and play some pirate songs on the ukulele! Post Author:  Willy M. Willy M. teaches guitar, ukulele, and mandolin lessons in Winston, NC. He is the author of the Dead Man’s Tuning series of mandolin songbooks, and is a former member of the American Federation of Musicians. Willy has been teaching for 20 years, and his students have ranged in age from young children to folks in their 80s.  Learn more about Willy here! Photo by Dorret 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

How to Structure Your Childs Guitar Practice

How to Structure Your Childs Guitar Practice Megan L. Playing an instrument offers a lifetime of fun and learning! Children benefit greatly from musical education in both cognition and reasoning. These benefits carry over to school and achieving greater success in all areas, especially math. However, sometimes with children, getting them to do what is best for them is difficult. Here well offer some advice on the best approach to practicing guitar with your child to reduce potential stress and keep your child motivated. Start With the Basics To start with, its important to choose the right guitar for your child. There are many guitar sizes available to fit smaller bodies: 1/4 size, 1/2 size, and 3/4 size guitars are great for children four to eleven years, or full size for ages twelve and up. Its crucial to find an appropriate size, as playing a guitar which is too large can be painful for childrens hands and arms, leading to significant frustration. You also need the right guitar teacher   someone who will understand that children learn differently than adults, and that the lessons need to remain interesting and fun over time, and not just for the first lesson. A teacher who can consistently choose interesting yet challenging guitar songs for kids will motivate your child to love the guitar. A highly motivated child will be likely to succeed in the face of a less than wonderful teacher, but no one can be highly motivated all the time, so its important for the teacher to be engaged and consistent even when your child isnt. Motivate Your Child The largest hurdle you and your child will likely need to overcome is how to remain motivated in the face of sustained practice. There are ways you can support your child more effectively, and avoid the power struggles and stress that can easily take over. Avoid bribing your child by rewarding practices with other activities- such as TV- or with gifts, which can lead the child to believe that learning is only a means to an end, lacking its own inherent value. Also refrain from punishing a child who refuses to practice, as this leads to conflating practice with chores and duties. If  practicing  isnt interesting to your child its very important to understand why. Perhaps the materials need to change. For example, finding more suitable guitar songs for kids. Or, perhaps support is needed for difficulties, or your child is not getting enough feedback about the successes and progress they have made. Make efforts to understand and adapt, and you will surely find your child more willing to practice guitar. Timing and Length Children are typically less likely to be aware of the long term gains they reap from their efforts in any area. When the dream of becoming a famous guitarist falls away, more abstract benefits may fail to motivate a child who is struggling. Focus on validating and supporting your childs short term goals, while ensuring that the material your child is learning is appropriate. It is far less important to have  practiced  for a certain length of time than it is to have learned something in a certain amount of time. When your child is given homework from their teacher, focus on helping them achieve excellence in a small portion of that material at a time. For example, ask them to practice until they can play eight bars of a song perfectly three times. This method encourages the child to feel good about playing well, and not feel burdened by learning too much at once, or having to play long after they are bored. A practice session which begins with learning and ends with success is highly valuable. Shorter, more focused practices lead to a more confident child, and less struggle for parents. If your child practices a specific portion of their homework each day until you and they can see some progress, skill building will become natural and require far less struggle to achieve. Finding Great Guitar Songs for Kids Times have changed! Most children learning instruments today are going to be put off by having to blunder through Mary Had a Little Lamb before they can move on to modern popular songs. A teacher who can gear material to your childs interests and age is necessary if you want your child to be invested in their own learning. An instructors ability to find guitar songs for kids which are both relevant to your child and at the appropriate skill level is invaluable. Keeping a child focused over the years it takes to master an instrument can be challenging. Remember to begin well with the proper sized guitar and a compatible teacher. Keeping practices low-stress and focusing on achievements instead of time are solid ways to ensure success. Ready to start your childs musical journey? Find a great guitar teacher for your child today!   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  Gianni Sarti

Dont Go Breaking My Heart Cardiology on the MCAT

Don't Go Breaking My Heart Cardiology on the MCAT MCAT Medical School Admissions Cardiology is typically a favorite topic for most students. The heart is one of the most revered organs and the majority of students are taught baseline information about the heart during their primary school education. The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) also loves the cardiovascular system and often tests students’ knowledge of it in the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Additionally, this cardio knowledge will serve you well as a future medical student since cardiology tends to be one of the most difficult courses. This article will discuss the cardiology content on the MCAT, interdisciplinary connections for this content, as well as some tricks and tips on how to maximize cardiology questions in the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section on the MCAT. Tackle Basic Cardiac Anatomy First and foremost, a knowledge and understanding of basic cardiac anatomyis essential to doing well on these questions. While primary school may have taught you the four chambers of the heart, it is essential that you understand the flow of blood through the heart, systemic circulation, and the pulmonary circulation. Knowing where blood is oxygenated and deoxygenated and how it flows will serve you well in getting at least one cardiovascular question correct. It is also important to understand where valves are located, the fundamental differences between arteries and veins, and the layers found in the blood vessels. Additionally, understanding which sets of valves are associated with different heart sounds is a great way to build a foundation of your understanding for medical school.Khan Academyhas great introductory videos on the circulatory system. Integrate the Endocrine System The cardiovascular system ties very well into the endocrine system; the link between these systems is often tested on the MCAT and is vital to your foundation of knowledge in medical school. Atrial Natriuretic peptide is often examined since it has a direct link to heart activity, however the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAS) from your nephrology knowledge is also fair game since the renal system and cardiovascular system directly and indirectly impact each other. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and their hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine are high yield concepts to study and understand thoroughly. Erythropoietin, while classified under nephrology information is also an important hormone to understand since it directly impacts the number of red blood cells in the cardiovascular system and manifests itself in pathologies such as polycythemia vera and anemia. Hormones are often presented as retrieval questions or very simply tes ted since most students have limited exposure to endocrinology prior to medical school. Because of this, these are concepts that can prove to impact your MCAT score significantly. Check out MD Herofor a basic review of the endocrine hormones tested on the MCAT. Know Your Physics Another way the MCAT will examine your cardiovascular knowledge is throughlinking it to physics concepts. The cardiovascular system physiology has a strong basis in fluid mechanics and electrical circuits. This enables the AAMC to test these concepts in a way that is integrative, similar to how you will learn during your medical education. An understanding of Bernoulli’s equation and how it would apply to the arteries and veins as they change pressures and velocities throughout the body is remarkably helpful in retaining physics concepts and understanding why the circulatory system form and function change. For example, flow (Q) is equal to area (A) times velocity (v) is another commonly utilized equation when discussing cardiac physiology. This means that because the capillaries have the largest overall area in the body, they have a slower velocity allowing them to promote gas exchange in the lungs and the tissues. Whereas the larger arteries have a smaller area compared to the ca pillaries, so their velocity would be greater. Additionally, the MCAT often tests on the electrical physiology of the cardiovascular system and how it links to circuits, which will be covered in my next blog post. Grappling with these cardiology concepts early on in your medical education will serve you well as they are some of the most integrative and difficult concepts you will encounter during medical school. Spending the time to learn them now will serve to improve your MCAT score and give you a strong foundation of knowledge for your future patients. One of our professors always gently reminds us that no matter what your patient’s problem is, their cardiac health is almost always a consideration or factor in their care. Keep this in mind as motivation during your difficult days of studying; before you know it you’ll be in medical school studying these concepts at length and seeing patients with these conditions in real life. About the Author Jordan S. is a current medical student, and one of our most experienced MCAT tutors. Click here for more information.