Tag Archive for: schoolwork

5 Reasons to Love Studying

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Life is one continuous lesson! You will always be learning something – whether it’s in the classroom, in the sports arena or in a social environment. As humans, we are perpetual students, constantly learning, with school and university being just another part of the learning curve of life. It is a privilege to be able to attend school, university or college to study. Accept and embrace this phase of your life, and studying will become a satisfying portion of your student life.

Of course, there will be times when studying will become overwhelming and stressful or you may have to endure a boring subject or teacher; but this is all part of the journey. And learning to love studying will help you overcome these obstacles.

I have always loved studying and acquiring knowledge, but it wasn’t always easy. I was always stressed and overwhelmed by the amount of work. But through it all I was hopeful and focused on studies. I have learnt many valuable lessons over the years and these lessons are important reasons to love studying.

love studying

1) Studying Gives You Purpose

Find your WHY (am I doing this?)– Go on a journey of discovery – look at what subjects, hobbies or sport interests you the most and find out what career paths you can take – use Google as your guide. 

Finding your purpose will give you hope and the motivation to endure the anxiety and stress. It will also help motivate you to study for those boring subjects or work through those projects you don’t enjoy. Making a positive association between the studying or schoolwork that you’re not enjoying, and the impact it can have on your life or how it’s helping you to understand music, sports or your friendships better will quickly change your relationship with studying.

Don’t wait for inspiration – create your own!

2) Studying Develops Your Character

Achievement generates self-confidence! 

Set yourself goals for the year, and then break them down into termly, monthly, weekly and even small daily goals, that you know you can accomplish. This will grow your confidence in your own abilities and inspire you to working harder toward achieving your goals. 

Track your progress towards meeting your goals. Always celebrate your small victories – they are the stepping-stones to greater victories! 

Find which study method works for you – more effective studying will be more enjoyable for you, and will help you to reach your goals faster. If you’re not sure how to study, or what your learning style is, BrightSparkz’ Study Skills Crash Course can help.

3) Studying Always Rewards

Persistent hard work will always pay off! Make sure you study consistently, assigning time each day to go over work you’re not sure about, to study for upcoming tests, or prepare questions for the following day. This will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed by only starting to study a few days or weeks before exams.

If you are struggling to study for a particular subject – make it fun! Form a study group with your friends who have different strengths. Or create a reward system for yourself; and treat yourself to your favourite snack for small achievements or a movie for achieving those big goals. Listen to music you enjoy while studying, or bring out your creativity with colourful study notes, diagrams and images.

If you are a parent with smaller children who are struggling to enjoy studying or homework – turn it into a game – children learn best when playing games and if it’s fun they will ask you to repeat it over and over until you get bored of it! 

Use studying as me-time, dedicating the time and energy towards improving yourself or your future. Or use your study group as a great time to socialize with friends, while achieving something!

4) Studying Broadens Your Horizons

Keep your future in mind! Studying toward a career will open many doors for you – if you just know where to look. Find yourself a mentor in the field you are interested in and gain knowledge from their years of experience and mistakes. Create a collage or mindmap of your goal, and put it up where you study. When you start to feel discouraged, remind yourself why you’re studying, and what your end goal is. 

By planning your studying effectively, you will have time to work part time, building up your skill set and references for your CV. This will make your intro into the working world so much easier, as you’ll already have had a few part time jobs!

5) Studying Gives You Options

Studying while you’re in high school, or even at university, might not seem that important all the time. But your good grades, and the study skills you build up, will only give you more options for your future. Working hard in every subject, even those you think you’ll never need, may open you up to university courses or careers that you’d never dreamed possible. Good grades will also allow you access to more courses, and your Matric 80% for a subject might just be the differentiating factor between you and another applicant for a job! Studying now allows you to become a better version of yourself in your future.

Take-Away Message

Embrace studying whole-heartedly and you will become a resilient and independent person. Studying will create future opportunities for you, and one day you will make positive changes to your field of choice – no matter how great or small the impact you make – your input will have a ripple effect and be felt throughout.

So strive to be a better version of yourself each day through your studies. If you need help studying, why not contact us to get a BrightSparkz tutor?

 

Written by Sarita Downing, BrightSparkz Tutor & Blog Contributor

5 Helpful Responses To Your Child’s Report Card

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How to respond to your child’s report

Report card

It’s that time of year – the much anticipated (or dreaded) school report card will be coming home soon. As a parent, it’s often difficult to know how to respond to poor results, and how you do may impact your child more than you realize. Here are 5 helpful responses to your child’s report card: 

1. Talk to your child’s teacher 

If your child performed poorly in a certain subject, and you aren’t sure why, contact their teacher to ascertain whether this is due to not understanding the concepts, or some other aspect. You could also ask for an idea of how their peers performed, and where they rank on this scale. 

Social issues, learning problems or even something as simple as needing glasses could be affecting your child’s grades, and their teacher should be able to provide insight into this. 

2. Talk to your child Talk to your child about their report

Maybe they hate the subject, or don’t understand the teacher. Maybe they are being bullied, or don’t like their school or classmates. You will gain far more from talking to your child to understand what is going on in their lives and minds. Above all, do not disregard their feelings. Talk to them about how you could work together to improve their grades. 

 

3. Re-evaluate your own expectations 

If your child has one B on an otherwise straight-A report card, this may not be the issue you think it is. Are you being too hard on your child? You want the best for them, and for their future, which is why you push them, but be sure you don’t push them to the point of burnout. 

4. Reward your child Reward your child

Your child worked hard, and deserves praise for their achievements. Highlight areas where you are proud of their achievements, and celebrate with them in some small way – this could be taking them for an ice cream, or to see a movie, or just some quality time. Children want you to be proud of them, and will work hard for this, so make sure they know that you are. 

5. Arrange extra support 

BrightSparkz can help!

If your child is facing any kind of academic difficulties, they may need extra support. Contact BrightSparkz Tutors to arrange for a private, personalized tutor, or to arrange a session with our Edu-Coach to better understand why your child is struggling. Your child may need assistance in writing exams, such as a reader/scribe, or they may be lacking study skills that could be resulting in poor exam results. Whatever the reason, BrightSparkz offers a range of services that will help your child succeed. Contact us today! 

 

 

Written by: Tessa Cooper, BrightSparkz Contributor

The Brains Behind BrightSparkz

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“Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights your way.” 

It’s been 10 years since the humble beginnings of a few flyer handouts and informal tutor recruitment. As we celebrate our decade milestone, the brains behind BrightSparkz get personal – sharing some insights into running a business, their various challenges and achievements, as well as a snippet of what we can expect from BrightSparkz in the future. 

Amy Stockwell (Johannesburg)
“I completed a BSc. Physiotherapy degree before moving from Cape Town to Johannesburg at the end of 2006 to do my year of community service, while also planning the expansion of our Cape Town tutoring business to Gauteng. In 2009 I completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management through the Wits Business School, and quickly realised that business was my passion. In 2011, I stopped practicing physiotherapy, got married and started dedicating all my time to BrightSparkz Tutors. Our family grew in May 2015 when we were blessed with our baby boy, so my time is currently best spent on being a mom and supportive wife to my husband, who is a competitive cyclist and mountain biker. When I get time of my own, I enjoy running 10km and 21km races.”

Dominique Oebell (Cape Town)
“I completed a BSc. Physiotherapy at UCT in 2006, and worked part-time as a physiotherapist while we were establishing BrightSparkz Tutors. In 2013, I obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration at the UCT Graduate School of Business, and while it was initially Physiotherapy that developed a lot of empathy in me and a passion to make a difference, I believe that its entrepreneurship and education that can really improve people’s lives. In my free time I love spending time at the beach, walking my dogs, and reading books that inspire me to be a better person. My faith life is also really important to me, and that keeps me centered when things get stressful!”

Q1: Where did you get the idea from to start a tutoring company and what took it from an idea to an actual business? (What was your greatest motivation to get started?)

I started tutoring in primary school and continued into my university years. In third year I was unable to take on more learners, but still tried to help to find suitable tutors for parents who contacted me. This is where the idea was born. After some research, we realised that there wasn’t much out there in terms of home based one-on-one tutoring, and that parents really needed this type of service.  AS

Q2: What would you say to people who aren’t fired up about what they’re doing or studying?

I would advise them to not settle on that career (although sometimes it is wise to learn what you can from a field and to use it to your advantage in a transition period), and to keep exposing themselves to different job environments or fields, to discover what makes them tick. Once they have discovered this, to start meeting people and growing their network of individuals who operate in these fields or environments. This is a great way to learn more about a field, but also to be made aware of new job or business opportunities that arise within those fields.  DO

Q3: What advice would you give people who have or are thinking about starting a business?

Starting a business is the easy part. Maintaining it and “finishing” well is the hard part! Knowing why you want to start a business is key. Many experts in a field assume the logical next step is to start their own company but what they don’t realise is that the skills that make them a great employee are not the same skills that will make them a great entrepreneur. They start with great enthusiasm, with ideas of being their own boss and having their own time, only to realise that often the initial investment of time and energy (and money) can be much greater than expected.

Knowing what your customers needs are, as well as how many players are already in the market, is also critical. It doesn’t matter how well you bake bread – if no one is needing home-baked bread, or there are already 5 people baking bread in your community, your business will fail (unless you can provide something that no one else is, that your customers are needing, of course!).  DO

Q4: The world has changed a lot in the last 10 years, particularly in the area of technology. What is BS doing to leverage the technology we have available to us to better serve and educate learners?

It definitely has! BrightSparkz started using a very manual system until we knew exactly what our needs were, and had our first custom system built in 2011. This is something we are in the process of upgrading, and have also been developing a mobile responsive system that we are currently rolling out with our tutors, and will extend to clients later in the year.

We also introduced BrightSparkz Mobile Maths and Science in 2014, which is a platform that allows learners to access user friendly resources via their PC, tablet, or smartphone. The program caters for both CAPS and IEB learners, by dividing the Maths, Physical Science, and Natural Sciences curricula into comprehensive sections. It’s a great tool to help children and their tutor work through and consolidate the Maths and / or Science syllabus for the year, especially in preparation for tests and exams.

One of our missions is to automate as much as we can without taking away the personal touch from our service, as this is something that is still extremely important to us.  AS

Q5: Do you think the gradual move to online education and self-education is a positive one? Is BS responding to this transition is any way?

There are pro’s and con’s to every change in society, but we have never before had access to so much information as we do in the digital era, and that opens up opportunities for learning to many more people. One can learn anything without traditional limitations of space, time, and money. That said, there is still incredible value in face-to-face time with a tutor/teacher/facilitator, and there seems to be a higher level of accountability in face-to-face or blending learning environments. I think the challenge for online education service providers still lies in how to motivate individuals effectively, specifically children and teenagers. 

We are currently positioning ourselves in such a way that we are able to grow with the changes that are changing the landscape of extra-curricular educational services. Online tutoring via Skype is something we already offer, as well as additional tools such as online whiteboards and learning platforms are just a few of our tech plans for future. However, we believe strongly in a blended learning approach, and will always incorporate the human element into our service offerings regardless of how the tech landscape changes, as we believe this is still what our customers are wanting.  DO

Q6: What have been some of the greatest challenges, and greatest achievements over the past 10 years?

Persevering with this business has probably been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life! There have been so many times when I’ve wanted to throw in the towel and trade it in for a job! But after a good cry and a pep-talk from my family, I determine what needs to change and I keep at it. Being able to celebrate our 10-year anniversary is a huge milestone for us! We have learnt many lessons and have experienced many setbacks, yet I’m proud of the excellent service standards we maintain and of our current team of staff who work really hard to attain this. We’ve had many challenges in the areas of staffing, navigating company restructuring, and in getting our business processes up to speed with competitors who use more sophisticated technology. In some areas, we’ve had to work really hard to catch up and although we have not yet “arrived”, our hard work is paying off and we’ve been able to secure contracts with larger educational institutions, publishers and even film production companies.  DO

Q7: How is BS trying to intentionally deal with the challenges faced by South African learners?

One of our primary goals is to eventually make tutoring accessible to as many South African learners as possible, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds. Part of our planning this year is to officially launch our corporate sponsorship program, in order to extend our reach in this regard. We have previously worked with numerous foundations who assist in identifying learners showing potential and who would otherwise not be able to afford assistance. This is something we are extremely excited and passionate about, and look forward to partnering with organizations who value education as the key to the future, as much as we do.  AS

 

“No one can be sure of what changes, big or small, lie ahead. One thing is certain, our journey is not over.”

 

Interested in one-on-one tutoring in the comfort of your own home? We can make that happen for you! Feel free to get in touch with us here.

 

Written By: Ashleigh de Jager, BrightSparkz Blog Writer

Managing the New School Term

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“What I learn today doesn’t make yesterday wrong, it makes tomorrow better”.

Just as the stress of the exam season has subsided, the stress and anxiety that comes with a new school term starts to arise. We understand that a new school term can be daunting for both children and their parents, and while it cannot be avoided, there are those unnecessary stresses that can be combated.

 

How to combat unnecessary stress and make the most of the home-stretch:

  1. Keep a routine

Keeping a routine is one of the most promoted yet underestimated and underused pieces of advice. Having a routine makes many of the things in our lives that would otherwise be unpredictable, completely predictable – which then puts them in our control and minimizes the stress potentially attached to them. We also often underestimate how much time we waste during a day that can quite easily be spent on a productive and beneficial activity, had we had a thought out schedule and anticipated it. For example, packing a book and reading in the car in early morning traffic or on the way home is a great time to get your reading done when you would otherwise be doing nothing anyway. This also frees up the time you would have spent reading, and can now be spent on other things – allowing you to achieve a lot more, in less time. Where are you wasting time that could possibly be better spent if you had a schedule and planned for it?

  1. Set goals and daily tasks

How would you like to finish this year? What would you like your report to look like when you hand it to your parents? If you aren’t proud of where you are academically, then it’s time to start deciding where you would like to be, and what you need to do in order to get there. Set some long-term goals for yourself, and then determine what steps need to be taken each day that will get you closer towards your long-terms goals. This requires discipline, and sometimes saying no to other activities that a probably way more fun, but I can promise that you won’t regret it when you receive that report card at the end of the term.

  1. Prepare in advance

If you are anything like I was at school, you probably wait until the very last minute to do everything: to get out of bed in the morning, to do your homework, to start assignments. And as I’m sure you’ve already discovered, this inevitably always ends in a last minute rush that sends your stress levels through the roof! Let’s try getting out of procrastination station this term and start preparing for what will be coming, and keep coming, whether we prepare for it or not. Something as simple as packing your bag the night before can do wonders for a good start to the day, and will even help you to sleep better.

  1. Don’t fall behind

Having to catch-up a day or two’s work may sound like no big deal, but what happens when a day or two rolls over into a week or two? We understand that getting home after a full day of school to sit down and spend more hours on homework can be exhausting, and quite frankly, entirely unnecessary. But homework is here to stay whether we like it or not, and fortunately, has not killed anyone yet. The best way to avoid homework stress is to get it out of the way as soon as possible. After you’ve arrived home from school and had something to eat, dedicate the next hour or two (depending on your Grade and workload), to complete that day’s homework. If you’re able to, you can even move ahead with certain tasks or exercises if you know there will be some days where you might have less time to do homework due to sports etc. This leaves the evening free to do things that you enjoy, without having the guilt and anxiety of what’s still waiting for you in your school bag hanging over your head.

  1. Go over your work each day

One of the best ways to ensure that you’re able to keep up with your workload is by spending some time each day (+- 30 minutes) becoming familiar with what is new. This allows everything you learnt during the day to be processed and reinforced in your brain, which not only increases your ability to recall the information (memory), but also helps you to identify parts of your work you don’t fully understand. You can then spend some time making sense of the work you don’t understand, or make a note to have your teacher or tutor explain it to you. Making sure you understand your work daily also helps ensure that you don’t fall behind as previously mentioned.

  1. Still make time for the things you enjoys most

Have you ever heard that saying: “Too much of anything is a bad thing”? You may assume that cutting out sports and any other extra curricular activities will give you more time for academics, and therefore improve your marks, but truthfully, it’s going to end up costing you far more than is necessary. Creating a balance in your life is very important and cutting out the things you enjoy most will most likely result in resenting what’s left – school and homework. While academics are incredibly important, so is your health and fitness, and it has actually been proven that keeping active and making time for the things you enjoy will positively impact other areas of your life as you develop increased energy and better concentration. But remember, in order to make time for the things you enjoy, you’ll have to have a routine to determine what amount of free time you do and don’t have.

 

How BrightSparkz can help:

  • Private tutoring

BrightSparkz Tutors offers one-on-one, subject specific tutoring that takes place in the comfort of your own home or a venue of your choice. Tutors aim to identify the gaps in knowledge, while simultaneously facilitating learning through lots of practice, revision of theory, and interactive discussion of the subject matter.

Our tutors are unique individuals, who are selected carefully based on their specific strengths in their chosen subjects.  They not only have excellent knowledge of the subjects they tutor, but also a passion for tutoring and helping learners reach their potential.

  • Study Skills Crash Course

BrightSparkz Tutors has partnered with an outstanding Educational Psychologist who offers a fantastic Study Skills Crash Course, designed to benefit Grades 4 – 12 in particular, in order to help your child make the most of their education and tutoring. Find out more or book a Study Skills Crash Course here. 

 

It’s never too late for your child to start combating stressful habits and taking control of their education. But neither you nor your child have to do it alone – BrightSparkz Tutors are ready to help. Just click here, provide us with your details, and we’ll get right onto looking for the most suitable tutor for your learner’s needs.

 

Written By: Ashleigh de Jager, BrightSparkz Blog Writer

Why should you choose BrightSparkz?

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There are many companies with very professional and helpful tutors. So why should you choose BrightSparkz?

Many learners struggle to find a method of studying that works for them. This is one reason why it is important to find the most suitable tutor for each learner’s individual needs. Our tutors take each learner’s unique background, personality, and goals into consideration, in order to structure effective tutoring sessions. Some of our key methods include identifying the ‘gaps’ and filling in the basics of the subject that may have been missed in earlier years whilst still taking a fun and purposeful approach to the subject in order to promote a positive attitude towards it. Maths and Science tutor, Hloni, says her secret weapon is to “make lessons fun so that you and the learner are enjoying the content you are covering.”

Katleho admits he “wasn’t particularly thrilled with the idea” of getting a tutor but that it is “way better than I thought.” He says, “I don’t know where BrightSparkz are getting their tutors, but they are somehow able to make schoolwork enjoyable”.

Through years of experience in home tuition, we have discovered that one-on-one lessons with a passionate, knowledgeable, and patient tutor, brings back new interest into ‘boring’ subjects, creates opportunities to ask questions freely, and positively changes attitudes towards learning. As English, Afrikaans and Xhosa tutor, Ulricke, says, “Every problem or challenge will always be accompanied with a learning opportunity.”