EXECUTIVE FUNCTION PART 2: PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER WITH EXPERT STRATEGIES

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION PART 2: PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER WITH EXPERT STRATEGIES

Planning, beginning, persevering with, and completing tasks require a set of skills known as Executive Functioning (EF) Skills. These include thinking before we act, accessing working memory, controlling emotions, sustaining attention, task initiation, and planning and prioritizing steps in a task.

MATH IS ALL AROUND US: RESOURCES FOR REAL-LIFE MATH APPLICATIONS

MATH IS ALL AROUND US: RESOURCES FOR REAL-LIFE MATH APPLICATIONS

During my time as a middle school math educator, you would not believe the number of times I was asked, “Why do I have to learn this? How is it going to help me in life?” Not that I could turn every math lesson into a life lesson, but these questions reminded me that math is all around us and that the more I can engage students in real-life situations, the more they will enjoy in the learning process and remember the concepts.

TUTOR SPOTLIGHT: BROOKE WILLIAMS

TUTOR SPOTLIGHT: BROOKE WILLIAMS

Name: Brooke Williams 

Areas of Focus: 
My main focus is with students who struggle in academics and/or behavior.  I have many strategies that are beneficial to students who struggle with reading, math, focus, and social skills.  My background is working with students who have a range of needs such as ADHD, Autism, Gifted, and Dyslexia.  I am also Peak's primary evaluator for Comprehensive Educational Evaluations. 

SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL TRANSITIONS

SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL TRANSITIONS

Transitions can be tough—for both parents and kids. Whether your child is making that huge first step into kindergarten, crossing the bridge to middle school or high school, or moving to a new school, there are ways to ease the anxiety inherent in change and set the stage for a great start.

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TEACHING KIDS TO LOVE SCIENCE

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TEACHING KIDS TO LOVE SCIENCE

I am a scientist and have spent the better part of my adult life working in a laboratory. When people ask about what that actually means, I usually tell them it’s probably what you imagine—white lab coats, strong smells, things that bubble and change color on the bench top, little cells moving around under a microscope.

TUTOR SPOTLIGHT: KERRILEE WING

TUTOR SPOTLIGHT: KERRILEE WING

We are so proud of our amazing team and would like to spotlight one tutor each month to share more about them. This month we are featuring Kerrliee Wing.

Areas of Focus: 

Most of my thirteen years in the classroom have been in elementary and middle school grades. I have supported students in Spalding phonics for the past three years and I love working with my middle school students in lit/comp, grammar, and sentence diagramming! As a special educator, I enjoy helping students to develop strategies in the areas of executive functioning, task completion, and handwriting. My favorite grade levels to teach math are fourth and fifth, where we focus on fractions, geometry, and pre-algebra concepts.

ENCOURAGING KIDS TO MAKE THE 'PERFECT' SNACK

ENCOURAGING KIDS TO MAKE THE 'PERFECT' SNACK

For the majority of my teaching career, I taught science at a private school and was lucky enough to have some flexibility with my curriculum. Exercising that flexibility, I weaved together eighth grade standards on measurement, graphing, and the scientific method into a unit on health.

TEACHING FRACTIONS WITH THE COMMON CORE

TEACHING FRACTIONS WITH THE COMMON CORE

There are several shifts in the way fractions are presented in grades three through six, in the new Common Core Standards. Recently, Education Weekhas published several articles about these changes; however, as long ago as August of 2011 other sources, such as Hung-Hsi Wu, have published related information.

REFLECTIONS ON TEACHING

I am blessed to have a profession that I love.  I get to spend months in Zurich (Switzerland), Maycomb (Alabama), floating down the Mississippi, working the fields in Salinas (California), practicing survival skills on a remote island during World War II, stirring cauldrons with witches on a heath in Scotland, watching fairies dance in the woods, defending the existence of books in the future, chasing a raven from a chamber door, navigating the horrors of Nazi camps, and journeying through the final months of a beloved professor's life.  All that considered, it gets better.  I get to be tour guide, taking along for the ride students whose curiosity and enthusiasm are the glitter on an already bright adventure.

we would love to work with your family!