$10 First Session Deal

February 28, 2022/in News/by Hodis Learning & Music

$10 First Session Deal

Schedule your first $10 session now! Hodis Learning & Music offers many advantages:

Expert tutors and teachers:

We conduct a thorough interview process that includes mock sessions to guarantee that our students receive only the best educators.

One-on-one sessions

Students enjoy individualized instruction to promote success.

In-person and online sessions

All HLM tutors and teachers are vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear masks at all times.

10% of all profits are donated to SPEF.

We believe in giving back to the community, and our donations are one of many ways we show our support.

Our availability is limited. Reserve your spot today!
626-227-1149 | www.hodislearning.com/contact

5 Tips for Talking with Your Teacher

February 24, 2022/in Academic Tutoring, Educational Wellness/by Rachel Hodis

5 Tips for Talking with Your Teacher

A resource we believe should be utilized more is talking with your teachers, especially the one who teaches the subject you are trying to improve in.

Your teacher is likely familiar with the subject they are teaching. They also have been trained in school how to identify and share the most important information in effective ways. While some teachers are better at making school fun and exciting, all teachers assign homework and tests which means they know what information is important for you to know and how you can do well on assignments.

Your teacher also sees you more frequently than a tutor does, meaning they know what aspects of their class you are struggling in- perhaps you are doing well participating in class, but your test scores aren’t very high.

Many students find the idea of talking with their teacher intimidating, or unhelpful, but we’ll share tips below for how you can talk with your teacher and get more out of class.

Tip 1: Your Teacher is There to Help You Learn

Remember a teacher’s job is, well… to teach! They are supposed to help you learn. So instead of thinking of your teacher as someone who is out to get you, make you look bad, or fail, think of them as a resource. Many teachers choose their profession because they like working with students and enjoy seeing their students succeed.

Tip 2: Start by Asking for Clarification or Advice

When you get a test or assignment back and your teacher has included feedback, ask them to clarify or explain. This can give you a better idea of how you can improve on the next assignment. You can ask questions like, “What can I do to improve on the next test?” or “What did you mean by this comment on my paper?”

Tip 3: Be Honest If You’re Not Understanding Something

Perhaps you just can’t understand Romeo and Juliet, no matter how many times you reread the passages. Tell your teacher that you aren’t understanding it. Tell them what you’ve been doing so far, and they should offer alternative suggestions.

They might say instead of rereading a passage several times, you should take notes, or try to summarize the paragraph then reference your summary with an online Shakespeare translation guide. Once your teacher knows you are struggling in a specific area, they can offer advice for how to improve or learn in a different way.

Tip 4: Ask If You Can Review Your Last Test

Not all teachers will allow you to take your test home, so ask if you can review your test with them after class. You can see the specific questions you missed and ask your teacher to show you how you could have gotten the right answer.

Tip 5: Be Proactive; Don’t Wait Until the Final Exam to Ask for Help

Some students make the mistake of falling behind in class and then attempt to cram for the final in order to get a decent grade. This very rarely results in a great outcome. Not to mention, you won’t retain the information as well if you cram it.

Your teacher will likely be very busy before the final exam with other students asking for help, and the teacher’s own responsibilities to finalize grades before the end of term.

Your teacher will appreciate your motivation if you contact them earlier for help, and you are much more likely to retain information and set a strong foundation so your final isn’t your last chance to get a good grade.

And consider getting a tutor to boost your grade. Hodis Learning & Music has expert tutors on staff who can help with all subjects K-12 and college. Call us at 626-227-1149 or email us here.

Building Strong Study Skills Series: Study Habits You Should Knock Part I

February 21, 2022/in Academic Tutoring, Study Skills/by Drew M. Hodis

Building Strong Study Skills Series:
Study Habits You Should Knock Part I

Note: This series details how to study *smarter**, not* harder, to help students succeed in their academics. All information in this series draws upon principles from psychological research on learning and memory.

Do you or your student study hard but still underperform on tests? Before you can begin studying smarter, you must first understand what you’re doing wrong. Today we begin with understanding some study habits that provide little to no benefit.

Rote Memorization

Have you ever found yourself repeatedly reading something to get it into your long-term memory? Effective studying involves developing a deep understanding of concepts and relating them to other knowledge you possess. Rote memorization does not promote understanding. Even worse, the information acquired through rote repetition typically does not stay in long term memory for very long.

Highlighting

Highlighting is another go-to study skill for many students. Highlighting is not very effective, if at all, in helping students encode information into their long term memory. And re-reading your highlights is a passive study technique with very little benefits, if any.

Re-Reading

Always aim to read the texts assigned in class just once. Reading is time consuming and re-reading should be avoided at all costs! Obviously, if you didn’t take good notes on a section or are having trouble wrapping your head around a particular concept, then re-reading may be necessary and helpful. But if you take great notes and interact with the text while reading the first time around, you will have the opportunity to explore better study techniques in that time spared from re-reading your text. We will go over how to actively read texts and take notes later in our series.

Summary

Rote memorization, highlighting, and re-reading are very ineffective study habits and should be the very first study habits you knock.

Stay up to date with our weekly Building Strong Study Skills series to learn the most effective study strategies and succeed in your academics. Schedule a session with one of our expert tutors today to receive all the information and guidance you need to gain a deeper understanding of your academics and perform better on your tests! Building effective study habits takes time, so the sooner you get help, the better prepared you will be by the time finals roll around.

Read Other Articles in The Building Strong Study Skills Series

Sources:

Terry, W.S. (2018). Learning and Memory: Basic Principles, Processes, and Procedures, Fifth Edition. New York, Routledge, a Taylor and Francis Group. ISBN 978-1-13-864591-2.

Rhodes, M.G., Cleary, A.M. and DeLosh, E.L. (2020). A Guide to Effective Studying and Learning: Practical Strategies from the Science of Learning. New York, Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-021447-0 (pbk).

Art Lessons For Every Age

February 18, 2022/in Art Lessons/by Rachel Hodis

Art For Every Age

Do you remember when you were a kid and the freedom you felt sticking your hands in cold paint and slapping them all over paper. How fun was it to see the mix of colors you’d create or the imprint of your hand?

Art is an incredibly fun, freeing way to create and express yourself at any age! In a world where we spend so much time looking at what other people are doing– constantly observing and absorbing– we can actually create something tangible and meaningful through art.

Whether you are an experienced student seeking to build your art portfolio for college admissions, or a beginner trying something new, Hodis Learning and Music has talented educators who can support your artistic endeavors. Some of the art lessons you can take with an HLM educator include:

Drawing
Ceramics
Photography
Sculpture
Painting with acrylics, oil, or watercolor

Check out our awesome art educators and their interests and see what they enjoy doing in their free time here!

Why You Should Take Music Lessons

February 7, 2022/in Music Lessons/by Rachel Hodis

Why You Should Take Music Lessons

Music is an integral part of our business practice at HLM– after all, we are Hodis Learning & Music. If you think music lessons seem out of reach or unrelated to you, you might want to reconsider. Music lessons aren’t just for kids, they aren’t just for people who are already musically talented, and learning to play an instrument can provide lots of benefits that you might not think of. Read on to discover why you should take music lessons!

Music Lessons Offer Valuable Time Away from Your Screens

We all know that with virtual classes and work, we’re spending more time than ever looking at a computer, tablet or phone screen. It doesn’t help that our leisure time is often spent staring at those same screens to binge episodes of a show or scroll through social media. Learning a musical instrument gives our eyes and head a break from the screen staring.

They Challenge You to Learn in a New Way

Along those same lines, we spend so much of our time learning and gaining information passively through listening, watching, reading (often through a screen). Learning kinesthetically through touching, moving, strumming challenges our brain for the better.

They Can Be a Source of Confidence

Learning how to play an instrument or improving your skills on an instrument can be a tremendous source of confidence. Think about it: you’re committing to regularly practicing, challenging yourself, paying with your money and your time, to learn a new skill. When you look at where you are after a month, three months, or a year of practicing, you’ll be at a completely different level than when you started, which is an exciting and satisfying feeling! That feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment can carry into other areas of your life and help you feel more confident all around.

Music Can Be a Way to Connect Socially:

Even if it’s just through the one-on-one interaction you have with your music educator, music lessons can lead to great social opportunities. You might find yourself interested in discovering new genres, which might lead to new friends or attending new concerts. Maybe you join a music group or you just find friends who you can jam with at home. Music is sure to bring people together in a fun way!

Whatever your reason is for considering music lessons, we want you to have the best education possible. That’s why we have expert music teachers on staff who can teach students of all ages and skill levels! Seriously, check out our awesome guitar, bass, drum, and voice instructors and you’ll see the talent on our staff! And sign up for your first music lesson at Hodis Learning & Music here!

Ben is a drums teacher at Hodis Learning & Music

Give a Warm Welcome to Our New Drum Teacher!

February 3, 2022/in Music Lessons/by Hodis Learning & Music

Please Give a Warm Welcome to Our New Drum Teacher!

Ben P. is our new expert drum educator! He received his Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Texas at Arlington. Ben also teaches beginning piano and guitar. Ben has 20 years of experience performing drums. He toured with the Nightowls and performed at the Hollywood Bowl with Burna Boy. Ben also toured Internationally with Postmodern Jukebox on Deck. Whether you are a beginner or looking to finetune your skills to prepare for a career in music, Ben is the teacher you need!