Common English Expressions For Online Tutoring

Tutorials are fast becoming a lucrative way to make a living, especially as online courses become the norm for non-native English speakers who want to learn the language. And a huge part of becoming skilled in English is knowing its various nuances and idioms. Let’s look at some common expressions in the language, why we say them, and when.

Cut me some slack
This expression doesn’t literally mean to give another a new pair of pants. Its origin refers to the opposite of “taut,” meaning to offer more room for movement. The expression simply means to permit someone to do something that is not usually allowed.

A piece of cake
Both native and non-native students of English should know that this term originated in the 1870s, when cakes were common giveaways in competitions. The premise here is that cakes are easy to make. In time, the expression began to connote something easy to accomplish.

A fresh pair of eyes
An idiom that means bringing in another person to examine something. The idea is to gain a new perspective or a less-biased one on something that a person close to the project might overlook or take for granted.

Beat around the bush
This idiom, which means to avoid giving a direct or definite answer or explanation, comes from hunting. During the medieval times, men are hired by hunters to just beat areas surrounding bushes to lure out game that may be hiding in them.

Educator and school administrator Chris Bugbee left public education this year to establish the CT Homeschool Center. For similar reads on homeschooling, visit this blog.

The Value Of Developing Good Grammar

Good education largely hinges upon one’s command of the language. In a big way, correct grammar is seen in career fields and industries as a manifestation of proper schooling. Before studying another, you have to have mastery of your own.

How many times have you seen a grammar-conscious friend, relative, or even a non-native speaker frowning upon a simple misspelled word? A not-so-surprising number of job applications are not entertained by managers and HR officers due to a perceived carelessness with grammar.

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Most Americans and other native English speakers have issues with spoken versus written English. One can’t underestimate how words look on the page and what they mean. For example, “loose” and “lose” or “it’s” and “its” have different meanings and connotations when jotted down. And the phrase “would have” is not to be contracted as “would of” just because that’s how one hears it.

The variations in expressions and pronunciations can themselves be overwhelming, too. Someone from Britain will pronounce “water” very differently from someone in California. Yet whatever the twang is, what’s ultimately important is not to justify bad grammar as part of the evolution of language. Consciously altering word usage is different from simply failing to spell it right.

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In the end, good grammar lends itself to big but important words like respect, professionalism, and learnedness. After all, one should always mean what they say. And write.

Educator and school administrator Chris Bugbee left public education to create the CT Homeschool Center. The center offer six- to eight-week courses in all subject areas to meet the needs of homeschooled students. For similar reads, visit this blog.

Why You Should Consider Homeschooling For Your Kids

Education has a lot of avenues, and homeschooling has been a steady path to great education among those who practice it. There are a lot of benefits to homeschooling children these days, some of which outweigh traditional educational methods like going to public or private schools. Here are some reasons why you should consider homeschooling your kids.

Despite popular belief, homeschooled children can learn to be more social compared to those attending traditional learning facilities. Although they won’t have the chance to interact with classmates, there is enough free time for them to socialize with people. They can easily join extracurricular activities like church events and fundraisers and even volunteer groups.

The state also has the backing for homeschooled children. Almost every state has programs that help homeschoolers, plus online learning systems that make the transition easier. These programs give children access to online instructors who teach several classes.

Homeschooling also offers more family time. Imagine not having to spend time commuting to school every day. For work-at-home parents or those who run their own business, this means spending more time with your kids and having a hands-on approach to their learning.

You can also have the opportunity to teach your own way. For example, when teaching history, you can focus more on why events occurred rather than having your kids memorize names and dates.

Educator and school administrator Chris Bugbee is the founder of CT Homeschool Center, which offers six to eight-week courses in all subject areas designed to enhance the homeschooling experience and meet the needs of students of different ages and grades. For more information on Chris and CT Homeschool Center, click blog.

Some Benefits Of Homeschooling

Addressing the thirst for knowledge within the comforts of home is increasingly becoming popular, with many parents all over the world seeing the practical and sound principles behind homeschooling.

For one, learning from home allows for education tailor-made to the specific needs of our children. It permits a flexible atmosphere that fosters focus and a deeper curiosity among learners. Again, education doesn’t have to be confined to an actual classroom. In fact, studies show that homeschooled children score higher on standardized tests like the SAT.

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And if socialization is a concern, homeschooling allows for a higher degree of interaction with the teacher, as well as children from different age groups. Kids get to communicate their thoughts in a more devoted fashion and on a more personal level to both fellow children and adults. Also, it’s not as though kids who study at home do not mingle with other children in their neighborhoods. They do outside their homes, in the playground, and other social settings. Just not in the classroom.

More importantly, the amount of dedication and focus on the part of the teacher-parent is unrivaled. With it usually comes love and genuine concern; the one-on-one teacher-to-student ratio is as good as it gets.

Aside from presenting child-specific teaching materials and accessible online aids, homeschooling is best for consistent education over a long period of time. If the teacher is the parent, progress can be consistently tracked, as the parent is with the child throughout the latter’s life.

Chris Bugbee is an educator and school administrator. He is the founder of the CT Homeschool Center. Read more on education and on his work and advocacies on this blog.