How Much Do Dutch Lessons Cost

How Much Do Dutch Lessons Cost Is Learning Dutch Expensive? ChaptersSoftware PackagesRosetta StoneDuolingoBabbelInstructor-lead LearningGroup LessonsOnline ClassesImmersive Language LearningPrivate TutoringIf you’ve decided to learn a foreign language, there are a number of helpful resources available. Many people want to know the  best way to learn a new language, but this can be subjective based on a number of criteria.While learning any new skill requires a time commitment, learning a new language is an investment.Cost is a really  important factor in selecting a language program. There are many different ways to learn a language and you can spend a lot of money or none at all.Here is a look at the benefits and the costs of some of the most popular language-learning methods so you can make the best decision based on your budget.While language lessons do require a certain level of commitment, you can find an instructor that fits your price range and your schedule. A language tutor can offer real-time feedback, and adjust the pace of the l essons to accommodate the student.Even if there are not be many language teachers in your area, you can take online lessons and connect with a teacher using platforms like Skype.If you want to learn a foreign language, there are a number of methods to choose from and several things to consider. In some cases, a combination of learning tools, like lessons and a software program for example, may be the best approach.

Easy Chemistry Equations via Online Tutor

Easy Chemistry Equations via Online Tutor 0SHARESShare Chemistry is basically about acids and bases and their actions. It is replete with equations which represent the chemical change or reaction. Learning Chemistry is important for understanding the basic chemical changes in our body and the universe. The subject makes interesting learning. You find it interesting if you are strong in its symbols and in writing equations. Balancing chemical equations is a tough part of doing the subject.   Many students struggle in this area of learning. If students are not clear about the rules for doing equations, they have very many chances of fumbling in the middle. An online tutor can help students with writing and balancing chemical equations via easy steps. Using a net ionic equation calculator For writing the net ionic equation, you need to write the balanced molecular equation. You have to write the balanced complete ionic equation then. You need to cross out the present spectator ions in the next step. What is left is net ionic equation. It is easy to use online calculators for doing net ionic equations. You have to just enter the equation in the online calculator. Then get the balanced equation within a second. Online tutorials have such Chemistry equation solvers for your best use and tutors use them as part of their tutoring to help you write and balance Chemistry equations without struggle. Using net ionic equation calculator with their help is the easiest part of doing homework in Chemistry equations. Role of Tutor Pace in Chemistry online tutoring Tutor Pace has a special role to play in Chemistry tutoring with its tech tools which are extremely modernized. The tutors use while boards which have in-built calculators for solving Chemistry equations. Thus they make it highly feasible for students to use the calculators at an instance while solving Chemistry problems and balancing equations. The tutors make it a point to train students in remembering symbols and the fundamentals of writing equations through easy methods that prove handy for students in any critical situation of subject learning. Tutor Pace uses the cloud based technology to impart education to students and thus provides uninterrupted and best tech support to students in their learning process. Avail the help of the online Chemistry tutors for solving Chemistry equations and use the other sources like calculators and worksheets from Tutor Pace for improving your knowledge in Chemistry and scoring high in the subject. [starbox id=admin]

How Far in Advance Should I Study for the ACT

How Far in Advance Should I Study for the ACT A key factor in many students college applications is their ACT scorebut how far in advance do you need to study for the ACT? Is it really necessary to start preparations a year in advance? Or would you be better off throwing in some studying just a month before the test? If these questions are on your mind, read on to get a better grasp of how soon you need to begin your ACT prep. Determine your ideal ACT score A good starting point in order to clarify your amount of prep time is to figure out your target ACT score. There are quite a few factors you may want to consider when calculating your ideal score: Admissions requirements of schools you want to attend Scholarships you may want to apply for Awards and honors you hope to receive Prestigious groups you may want to join Believe it or not, all of these factors may require a certain ACT score. Knowing the minimum ACT scores for everything you want to accomplish is going to help you understand the score you need to get to achieve your goals. [RELATED: What is an Average ACT Score?] Know your starting point Now that you have an idea of the score you are shooting for, it is important to get a general idea of the score you can expect to get. This step is going to be the biggest factor in how much you need to study in the future, so be sure to take this seriously. The best way to determine the score you would get now, with no test prep, is to take an ACT practice test. Force yourself to take one of these practice exams exactly as you would the real one. I.E. Time yourself, dont reference study materials, and limit distractions so you can really get a good idea of the type of score you can expect to get when you take the real exam. Plan your ACT study schedule Was your actual score close to your target score? Great! You probably do not have to spend too many additional hours on end studying for the exam. Keep in mind, though, that it is always a good idea to sharpen your skills as the test approaches. If your practice score was substantially lower than you expected, however, you should consider making a more detailed study schedule to help you meet your ACT goal. Dont feel discouraged if you didnt score as highly as you had hopedthere is always room for improvement! [RELATED: How to Identify Your Study Style] Consider increasing your overall prep plans study time by 10-15 hours for every couple of points you hope to improve your score. With this in mind, make sure to schedule your official ACT test day with plenty of time to study in advance, depending on how much you want to raise your score. Remember that in order to be honest with yourself and truly succeed, you have to be realistic with your goals. If you want to raise your score by 10 points, for example, you are probably going to need study for quite a few monthsdo not try to cram 130 hours worth of studying into just one week! You dont want to feel too overwhelmed and subsequently see your score take a hit for it. Give yourself an actual chance to excel. Dont forget to utilize powerful prep tools as well, such as the free Varsity Tutors ACT Prep book. Its a good idea to take your first test early on during your junior year of high school so you can have enough time to retake the exam, if necessary, later on in the school year. Good luck, and remember to just relax. You can do this!

Find Sewing Classes In Birmingham

Find Sewing Classes In Birmingham Where Can I Find Sewing Courses In Birmingham ChaptersLearning How To Sew With Sewing LessonsLearn To Sew...Or Choose a General Sewing WorkshopMore Sewing Classes Near MeSewing is not only a craft or hobby, it is a skill.Not only that, it has so  many layers to it and  just keeps on giving  as each  decade or generation passes: from  upcycling a garment to fit in with new  fashions as a teenager to  sewing  toys or  patchwork  quilts for your grandchildren, it is worth learning sewing techniques for all the  rewards they bring over the course of a lifetime.Whether you decide to learn how to thread by hand or you opt for machine sewing, there's a heap of information to learn! is a workshop that was held in March this year at the NEC. The sewing tutorial was designed by experts to allow participants to unleash the creativity within them and to inspire and fill them with ideas to take forward. Dubbed a stitcher's paradise, this course (which covered sewing, knitting, and patchwork as well as embroidery styles) offered hands-on demo nstrations and the possibility to learn from experts within the field.Attendees were wowed by an array of fabrics, yarns patterns, and threads and were taught how to refine their embroidery skills, a very valuable capability in this day and age with embroidered fashion heightened to the max!Embroidered clothes and home decor items are all the rage right now. Photo on VisualHunt.comKids' ToysOn a course like Introduction To Sewing Juniors,  which is designed for children of 6-11 years of age with little or no experience in sewing, you can take steps towards creating an item that appeals to you, such as a soft toy.For children and adults alike, there is nothing better than taking pride in the fact that you made something by yourself, and what's more is that you can take this truly personal item home with you to treasure forever (depending on how well you made it!).Moreover, the skill that you acquired during the process will inspire and enable you to design and make more unique pieces during your lifetime. You never know, a junior course could spark a passion and lead you onto a specific career path that involves sewing!Quilted Or Patchwork ProductsBeginning quilting is not easy, so enrolling on a course is advised if you want to be happy with your homemade quilt. Adult classes held at the Cadet Training Centre in Birmingham focus on traditional patchwork and quilting methods and are led by Joy Edgington of Pastures New Quilting.In a supportive environment, participants learn at their own pace using a step by step approach to ensure that everyone builds on their skills and can demonstrate each new technique learnt. The workshops are adapted for all abilities and you can choose from a range of day classes, short courses or monthly programmes. You can tell that this class is a winner just by the number of return students she has going!Or Choose a General Sewing WorkshopFor absolute beginners who simply want an introduction to sewing so that they can move forward i n any which direction they choose, this entry-level course is great for teaching the basics like how to use a sewing machine.Absolute Beginners : Learn how to use a sewing machineTaking place on Thursday 5th July 2018, this course is limited to six places and is an introductory workshop into using a sewing machine (or a refresh for those who haven't used their sewing machines in a while).During the daytime lesson, you will learn how to set up and thread a sewing machine, recognise the different parts of the machine, change a sewing machine needle, wind the bobbin and set it in the machine, how to change the stitch length, how o guide the fabric when sewing, and much more. During this time, you'll be taught how to make a basic tote bag, which you can take home with you at the end of the day.Since there are only half a dozen spaces available, it is wise to call the organiser and see if any places remain or if you can be placed on their waiting list. Alternatively, enquire as to whethe r they have a newsletter sent out at any time of the month so that you can be kept informed of any future courses that might suit your needs.You can attend courses which show you how to use a sewing machine. Photo on VisualhuntMore Sewing Classes Near MeRemember, however, that I don't necessarily have to find a sewing studio  on my doorstep in order to find sewing classes near me - I can even take one to one lessons with experienced tutors from the comfort of my own home!For example, Superprof counts three suitable tutors on its platform, with prices ranging from £8 and hour to £17 an hour.The least expensive tutor on the records, Sobia, does not hold a qualification in sewing however she is passionate about the craft and is keen to pass on this love for sewing and to help you to improve your abilities. Beverley, who comes in at £15 per hour, is a textiles fashion teacher with almost two decades of experience in this field. Finally, Katherine is an experienced seamstress and cost umer who provides beginner sewing lessons to adults and kids, giving you the expertise and inspiration you need to make your own clothes, costumes, pillowcases and tote bags.Nevertheless, you don't have to restrict yourself to the instructors based in your city.While we are sure you will agree that the three tutors listed display a very good range of experiences and skills and all at reasonable prices, you can open yourself up to hundreds more tutors if you are willing to learn your new skill online via a series of emails, illustrations, live video calls and pre-recorded tutorials.While you can find many of these learning tools online using your own searches, the benefit of having a tutor dedicated to helping you to develop your skills is that they can take control of the learning journey and guide you along the way.Their experience and knowledge in the field will be passed on in a way that is tailored to your own needs and desires and the best thing is that you can ask all the ques tions you want! Unlike watching a YouTube video, you can pause the demonstration and ask for something to be repeated or shown again before you proceed to the next step.So, if you're still wondering whether to sew, or not sew, then remember this: sewing has been proven to be a great way of stitching your worries away!Check out these sewing courses across the UK:Classes in LondonClasses in ManchesterClasses in LeedsClasses in Glasgow

Making a better you How to change your bad habits - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Making a better you How to change your bad habits - Introvert Whisperer Making a better you: How to change your bad habits Every person is like a fingerprint; one entirely different from the other, and so are our habits. Each one of us has at least one bad habit we become so committed to, that we hardly bother to try to get rid of the same. It might be eating unhealthy food, laughing at the wrong moment, biting nails, chewing the gum too loudly, or not to practice your last New Year’s resolution. There is just no limit to acquire these habits. If you will ever speak to a smoker, about 70% of them will say they would like to give up on smoking. Drug and alcohol abusers struggle to give up on addictions once they are into it. Many of us have an unhealthy excess weight that we could lose if only we would eat right and exercise more often. So why don’t we do it? “Habits play an important role in our health,” says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Understanding the biology of how we develop routines that may be harmful to us, and how to break those routines and embrace new ones, could help us change our lifestyles and adopt healthier behaviors.” Habits are a result of repetition. Ohh, wait! I am not saying that repetition is bad, repetition is completely normal, in fact, it is often helpful. We wake up in the morning, brush our teeth, shower, comb, and all this without really being mindful of it. We can even drive on familiar routes without really thinking of the directions and all this only because we have been repeatedly doing the same over the years. So if repetition is completely normal then what is the real problem? Habits are hard to break once they get deeply wired by constant repetition in our brains. For example, feelings you experience after consuming drugs or watching porn. You will hardly think of bathing, but your mind will constantly keep triggering the enjoyable moments, which are different from your day-to-day routine. What can you do to change your bad habits? Just like you need to lift heavy weights to build strong muscles, but you need strong muscles to lift heavy weight. Similarly, you need to practice good habits to get rid of bad ones. Try Replacing rather than Eliminating Habits that you have right now are in your life are for a reason and in some way or the other, they provide a benefit for you. For example, many of us are habitual to biting our nails or tapping our feet when we are stressed. Similarly, many find drinking as a solution to come over an emotional trauma. Because every bad habit provides some kind of benefit in your life, it is very difficult to eliminate them. Thus, we should rather try replacing a bad habit with a good one that provides a similar benefit. For example, if you are habitual to smoking when you are stressed, then it is a bad idea to plan to stop smoking. Instead, you should come up with a different plan to deal with stress and try to insert that into your routine. Bad habits address certain needs in our life, and when fulfilling a need cost just a few bucks (buying a cigarette) then people hardly think of the bad side. Thus, it is very hard to cut out a bad habit without replacing them.   Focus on one habit at a time Just like, you cannot work the whole day or even continuously for 8 hours, similarly, you cannot focus on more than one habit at a time. Our willpower has a limited amount of energy every day, and when it is pushed beyond its limit, it becomes hard to control. If you will try to focus on getting rid of more than one habit at a time, you will more likely get stressed as you will try to control your emotions, practices, and thinking in multiple ways. How does this affect habit development? It is simple.   You will not succeed if you try to change multiple habits at the same time. Each one requires a significant amount of willpower to resist, which leaves you in a glucose-depleted state. Most people do not have the willpower energy to focus on multiple habits.   So when they are in a depleted state, it becomes too easy to give up on all that you started, instead of just one. Thus, try baby steps, which is focusing on one habit at a time. Go into it with a plan To start developing good habits, you have to stick to a plan. The habits you develop while you are young will impact not only your productivity but also health, financial security, happiness, and comfort. How much money you make, how well your body functions years from now, how much time you spend with your friends and family â€" all of these is directly linked with healthy habits you practice today. Thus planning will help you make your today better. Here is what you can do: As simple as that â€" a plan that is neither too easy nor too complicated works the best. Write down your plan â€" writing your plan is a simple way to remind yourself what needs to be done at that moment. What is the Substitute?   invest some time in finding a substitute for your bad habits Give yourself a month or two â€" Changing a habit is not simple. The conventional wisdom is that it takes 28 days to get free of a bad habit thus make sure your plan gives you enough time to change your bad habits for good. Tracking your achievement motivates you The habit of tracking your achievements or downfalls is very helpful in long-term as it encourages you in many ways. For example, if you decide to restrict yourself by a few cigarettes, you need to track their number, like how many, right? It is a great idea to keep track of what is working and what is not. Tracking comes down to checking if you did not engage in your bad habit that day and even if you did they how much more or how much less. Just as if most of us has a habit of counting the number of pushups, we did in the gym each day, similarly, counting days without your addiction helps you build a streak that motivates you to grind further without bowing down. When you are clean for one day, and you have not been in years, that is a bliss. The second day added to a chain feels like an event worth celebrating. Then comes the first week, first month, 100 days in a row, the first year and still counting. Achieving this feat of not embracing a bad habit for over a year is enough to give you a sense of accomplishment. In addition, it also provides priceless data, helping you to identify your pitfalls or how often you avoid triggers of your negative behaviors. Get rid of tempting situations When you are home alone with no friends or family members around, do not take it as an opportunity to have your favorite cookies or donuts left in the jar. Habits are often performed with barely any conscious thought that could be ignored but not stopped. Thus, try to divert your mind by keeping it busy with something else like watching TV or listening to music. If you always stop for a donut on your way to work, try a different route.   If you are trying to avoid checking your cell phone all the time, shut down your cell phone or put it in airplane mode. Try to get rid of tempting situations as much as possible. Outsiders can help Do not feel shy of announcing it to your friends that you are trying to make a change by giving up on this or that habit. Just tell everyone about your new mission. Put it up on your wall or computer desktop with #anewme. Just like I did when I used to work with Thanksforthehelp. How is this beneficial? There are two advantages: In my experience, once we let our friends know that we are trying to give up on a bad habit they work as a reminder. If we try to practice the habit we declared to quit, they will surely poke us, reminding us of our promise to yourself. Thus, you will think twice before practicing the same habit as you may wonder what your friends or family will think of you. Moreover, try finding someone you can call, or an online forum you can tap into when any of your cravings start to kick in, and you are struggling. Let your allies hold you accountable, and that will help you give up on a habit. Love your life No matter what happens, let your life know that you love it. Learn to embrace every situation life throws at you with a positive attitude. Remind yourself that you were born with the ability to make a change in your life. Every moment is an experience and those moments have to have quality. The habits, which you decide to follow need not always, be the one which contributes to your career or health. It can be as simple as start worrying less, drinking more water, etc. When you know that you love something your life in this case it becomes very easy to make efforts for it and efforts will surely bring a change.     Author bio Himanshi Goel has been associated as a Social Media Expert with CDR-Report.comsince its start. She really loves to pen down her thoughts on mental constructs, habits, personal development and anything that pleases her eyes. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Regulating Unpaid Internships

Regulating Unpaid Internships Federal and state regulators are becoming increasingly concerned with employers exploiting college students through unpaid internships, as a means for free labor, according to a New York Times article. There has been a sharp increase in unpaid internships because of the recent economic recession. Many employers have been forced to make cuts. They have been picking up the slack and cutting costs by hiring unpaid interns. Also, there is a strong desire for many college students to pursue unpaid internships to enhance their rsums and gain valuable experience in their field. In 2008, 83% of college graduates held an internship, an increase from 9% in 1992. The federal Labor Department and other regulators are increasing their enforcement by investigating many businesses to determine if their unpaid internships violate a states minimum wage laws or other workforce laws. Some employers have already been fined for having unpaid interns in Oregon and California. Many regulators believe that firms and other companies commit violations across the nation. However, these firms continue to get away with exploiting interns because many college students are very reluctant to report wrongdoings. Students are afraid they will quickly be labeled as a problematic, unprofessional employee, which could deter their chances of landing a job after graduation. If youre a for-profit employer or you want to pursue an internship with a for-profit employer, there arent going to be many circumstances where you can have an internship and not be paid and still be in compliance with the law, Nancy J. Leppink, the acting director of the Labor Departments wage and hour division told The New York Times. Leppink also said that there are several criteria that internships must meet if they are going to be unpaid. Some of these regulations are that an unpaid internships training should be similar to what a student would receive at a college or vocational school, the interns job cannot take the place of another paid position and that the employer derives no immediate advantage from the intern. Also, an unpaid internship is likely to be illegal if it involves only mindless, unskilled, menial work like making copies or stuffing envelopes. Essentially, if an internship is going to be unpaid, the intern must benefit from the experience more than the employer. This will not immediately affect high school students. Nevertheless, it is a positive trend that is likely to benefit them once their college careers begin. Regulators are likely to continue cracking down on employers, forcing them to pay their interns, or change the interns tasks and responsibilities. This will work to many college students advantage. However, there could be a decrease in available internships. Some companies and firms are likely to cut their internship programs entirely, rather than making them paid.

What To Do the Summer Before Your Senior Year of High School

What To Do the Summer Before Your Senior Year of High School The following piece was written by Kofi Kankam. Kofi has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and is a former admissions interviewer for The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the co-founder of Admit Advantage. The summer is finally here. Time to kick back and relax before the final push of your high school career, right? Unfortunately, I think this notion was generated in the same rumor mill that would have you believe that senior year is a time to coast. The reality is that if you are applying to competitive schools, there is much work to be done during your senior summer. Senior summer affords a tremendous opportunity for continuing, extending, creating, or mitigating experiences as needed. Continuing: If you have been a part of an organization consistently throughout your high school summers (or during the school year, for that matter), your senior summer could serve as an opportunity to demonstrate continued involvement. There is often a misconception about what colleges are looking for. In more of a check-off-every-box approach, students build resumes that read as more of a hodgepodge of disconnected experiences. I would challenge this notion, as this sort of resume building is easily discerned by admissions officers and does little to support your candidacy. Certainly, if there are gaping holes or a lack of certain activities that are preventing you from growing as a high school student, then, by all means, use your senior summer to fill in these holes. For example, if youd really like to challenge yourself by taking a certain advanced course during your senior year but you lack the prerequisite requirements to enroll in that course, go ahead and take a summer cours e that will allow you to advance academically. Or if you are particularly light in community service and involvement, you could use your senior summer to engage in such activities. The key here is this: try to pick organizations, activities, and courses in which you have a genuine interest and are in line with past experiences or future plans. This way, you are more likely to stick with the involvement, and your participation in such endeavors will come across as a seamless part of the bigger picture you are trying to paint as an applicant. Extending: This is the step beyond mere continuation. This means that for three summers you have been a camp counselor, and, during your senior summer, you step up to be the lead counselor. Perhaps it means that you challenge yourself athletically and earn a new designation or title during your senior summer for your sports team. It could also mean that you take the initiative to take an advanced course that goes beyond what is offered at your high school. Colleges love to see this! Not only does it demonstrate a sustained commitment to an activity, organization, or interest, it demonstrates initiative, leadership, and passion. More importantly, it also signals to colleges that this is something you will bring to their campus should you be admitted. So, if the opportunity presents itself for you to step up, or if you have to create this opportunity for yourself, without a doubt you should heed the call. Creating: Perhaps the only thing that speaks louder than the extension of an activity is creating new ones. These are the stories that get featured in local and national publications or go viral on YouTube. These are the kind of ventures that dont require you to point out how terrific you are because someone else, usually with a much larger platform, is already doing it for you. Just this week, I watched an internet story about a boy in southern California who didnt just volunteer at a soup kitchen he, along with his father, created a program to feed poor neighborhood residents breakfast every Sunday, complete with corporate sponsors and dozens of volunteers. This level of engagement sends a message to colleges that you arent the kind of person to sit around and complain about things; you are going to institute change. Think about the impact that this sort of proactive person could have on a college campus; it could be game-changing. Look around your community where do you recogniz e a need? Whats lacking? And more importantly, what can you do to spark that change? Alternatively, what industry would you like to learn more about? As the job market continues to struggle, internships abound. Want to learn more about social media? Propose an internship at a local PR firm looking to enhance their social media presence. Just because there isnt a job posting for an opportunity yet doesnt mean there isnt a need; this is where you swoop in to create that opportunity. Just a word of caution here dont force the issue. Again, pick an area that is consistent with your interests or past involvement so that you are more likely to stick with it. Additionally, it should be in line with your values as well as the story you are trying to communicate to the admissions committees. Mitigating: No one likes to admit that they have weaknesses or deficits, but we all do. If your weakness happens to be in the area of test taking, dont allow this to be your Achilles heel. The summer offers the perfect opportunity for test preparation. With so many applicants now taking test prep courses, you are almost certainly at a disadvantage if you do not. Not the best math student? You could use the summer to take a course at a local college to get a jump on the material that will be presented during senior year. Often, a weakness is only as much of a hindrance as you allow it to be. Perhaps youll never grow into a Nobel Prize winning mathematician or get a perfect SAT score, but proactively tackling your weakness may prove to be just the boost you need to at least make it a non-issue. Heres a heads-up for the fall of your senior year: it will likely be overwhelmingly busy. Rather than testing the limits of your time-management skills, use the summer to review and familiarize yourself with the Common Application, and take a stab at responding to the essay questions. Come senior year, you will still find that you are unbelievably busy, but the overwhelming feelings will be turned down just a notch. Remember, you are not alone in this venture. The college guidance office at your school can serve as a tremendous resource for opportunities that may be available during the summer from pre-college programs to summer study abroad and internship opportunities. Additionally, search the websites of local or interesting colleges for programs that they may be offering. Figure out if you need to continue, extend, create, or mitigate and make the most of your senior summer. Then, time permitting, you can kick back, relax, and enjoy the remainder of it. Visit Admit Advantage for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Improving Performance in School through Social-Emotional Learning An Introduction

Improving Performance in School through Social-Emotional Learning An Introduction Improving Academic Performance In the world of education, new fads can sometimes garner swift support but fall fast. As parents, we sometimes look for quick fixes to our children’s learning struggles; but that approach can lead to wasted time spent on strategies that aren’t effective in the long term. Thankfully, some trends do seem to make a lasting, positive impact. SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) is steadily proving itself to be an effective force in a growing number of school districts. WHAT IS SEL? As quoted from an article entitled “The Psychological Approach to Educating Kids” in The Atlantic: “SELâ€"also called whole-child educationâ€"is a systematic, evidence-based approach to teaching kids how to achieve goals, understand and manage emotions, build empathy, forge relationships, and make responsible decisions.” â€"See the full article here. SEL puts emphasis on a human trait, the ability to “be social”, that is often ignored or undervalued in an academic setting: Socialization is necessary to building relationships, managing interactions with others, and learning how to empathize â€" all things that almost certainly aid in the creation of an organized, effective, happy and well-adjusted student and young adult. The main force behind this movement is CASEL, The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. It’s an organization dedicated to ‘the practice of promoting integrated academic, social, and emotional learning for all children in preschool through high school’ (casel.org). CASEL takes the lead on research, practicing SEL in classrooms, homes, and the community, and promoting policy that encourages placing importance on emotional and social health throughout a person’s childhood. WHY IT WORKS Too often we hear the story of the very intelligent young adult who ‘can’t connect with peers’, or ‘just can’t seem to set goals and stick to them’. One may argue that it’s due to a general tendency to focus first on academics and test scores without consideration for the context / home environment in which the student is operating. Social-Emotional Learning emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making through organized classroom activities and lessons such as learning the proper way to handshake. This leads to an ability to understand others’ perspectives and lower depression rates in students, based on prior studies represented in an Edutopia article entitled, “Why Social and Emotional Learning is Essential for Students”. In a world where human-human interaction is diminishing, SEL argues that it is important that we teach children to set goals, persevere, and how to appropriately connect in real time with real people. In 2011, a meta-analysis published in the journal Child Development showed an 11 percentile gain in academic achievement for students who participated in a well-implemented SEL program versus students who didn’t. The positive effects are seen even in students who have anxiety, depression, or mental disorders â€" they learn goal setting, stress management, and organization techniques. HOW SCHOOLS IMPLEMENT SEL Implementing SEL can be a whole school effort. Findings from a research project called SECURe (Social, Emotional, and Cognitive Understanding and Regulation in education), show that it takes every adult throughout every part of the school day and in every section of the building trained to employ a set of language and practices that they can use when emotions come up to maintain a successful SEL initiative (Harvard.edu). The difference between SEL programs and its counterparts and predecessors is that the whole school takes part in an effort to increase emotional health in all students. When a school district takes on the task of prioritizing SEL, the entire staff is trained, so that things like perseverance and goal setting are incorporated everywhere. Yes, even in Biology or Phys. Ed. The most successful programs even branch out into the community, educating parents on how to emphasize socialization, respect, and self-awareness in their children. Basically, unlike other programs that primarily focus on certain aspects of a child’s well-being, SEL attempts to create a ‘whole child education’ (social, emotional, physical, and academic) philosophy. HOW TO IMPLEMENT OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM SEL, as you might expect, can be implemented outside of the classroom as well. Green Ivy is a consulting, test prep, and college coaching firm. They incorporate SEL into everything they do, including weekly tutoring sessions. Green Ivy supports self-awareness and self-management, working with students on lists of personal values and limiting the amount of technology time. The instructors try to help students discover their unique strengths and interests. The results they’ve seen from allowing children the time and space to reflect and find their own niche is increased self-confidence, higher academic achievement, and a sense of independence. Beloit College in Wisconsin, seeing the value of SEL, now trains all of their peer tutors in the approach and expects them to implement the concepts as often as possible. The Atlantic’s article “The Psychological Approach to Educating Kids” tells the story of Daniel, a high school senior in Texas, a student who has had issues with OCD and anxiety for many years. At first, he was skeptical of SEL, but once he grew accustomed to it, he learned how to stay organized, better study skills, and how to manage his time. SEL also helped to reduce his academic stress and anxiety with techniques he now uses daily. Daniel currently teaches SEL himself (through a student-led instruction program), is valedictorian of his class, and will be attending Harvard as a student athlete in the fall. IN CONCLUSION SEL has many critics, but there’s no doubt that an overwhelming amount of positive research has been done and conclusions have been drawn that SEL works. School districts, charter schools, and universities across the country have implemented the program into their daily routines. We must recognize that if a child isn’t emotionally and socially healthy, he or she is not going to be able to reach his/her potential academically, and SEL principles offer a potential intervention to improve outcomes for at-risk students.