When PISD budget cuts were announced last spring and the subsequent teacher layoffs, I knew the education of my child would be affected if by nothing else than larger classes which translates into less, if any, one-on-one time with the teacher.  Now that the first six weeks is almost over I have seen several changes for many students at PISD.  Larger class size seems to be more prevalent in the elementary and middle schools.  However, even in large classes if the teacher is  highly-qualified and experienced, the increased size will not have as great an impact on their education.  Which leads to the next change that I have seen this year--teachers asked to teach classes that they have never taught before orhave little experience, if any, in teaching the class!  Teachers have also been asked to teach more classes resulting in more preparation for them.  What does this mean?  Not experienced in teaching the class plus less time to prepare for it? Who does it impact?  The students, of course!

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with Pete Wright, Esq

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Conference, a Wrightslaw training program featuring Pete Wright, is being sponsored by the National Autism Association of North Texas and the Autism Society of Collin County.

The program will be held at:

    First Baptist Church of Plano
    1300 East 15th Street
    Plano, TX 75074

    Program Description

One-day special education law and advocacy programs focus on four areas:

    special education law, rights and responsibilities
    tests and measurements to measure progress & regression
    SMART IEPs
    introduction to tactics & strategies for effective advocacy

Wrightslaw programs are designed to meet the needs of parents, educators, health care providers, advocates and attorneys who represent children with disabilities regarding special education. The program is not disability specific.

I highly recommend this conference to anyone who has a child with special needs or a learning disability. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact Creative Tutors Plano.

by a Creative Tutors' Tutor

The goal for any tutor is to help a student become more self-sufficient with the tutor acting as a guide throughout the lesson. When I first started tutoring this ninth grader, she was rather insecure about her writing abilities and her responses to questions. I sensed that she almost assumed that I would give her answers on her homework or write sentences in essays for her. She was insecure with her answers when I asked her what she thought or what she would say, waiting for me to hint what she thought I wanted her to say. Even though I could have easily given her answers or told her exactly what to do, that would not help her learn to think for herself so that she would be independent for all of those situations in which I was not around to help her. Early in my tutoring with her, I made it a priority to get her to trust her instincts and take the lead in her work. As our tutoring progressed, I would ask her, “What do you think?” and “How would you say it?” The purpose was to get her in the habit of making her writing her own, not a mimicking of how I would write the essay. She had thorough knowledge of the material since she was reading the literature closely. After making suggestions to her about how to set up the essay, I asked her to write her thoughts in her own way even if it was rough. Then I showed her areas in which the sentence could improve, such as vocabulary and sentence fluency. At first, she was very reluctant to volunteer her ideas and word her thoughts, saying repeatedly that she wasn’t sure. I wouldn’t give up on her though and waited until she offered a starting point. Soon, this process gave her more confidence because she was taking the lead, and my role was as someone who could take her where she was and raise her to another level.

“Why My Tutor ROCKS!”
by Jullien (6th grader)

My tutor rocks for many reasons. Ms. Kerry is really smart and she is a lot like my mom. I think she just might have more patience with me though. What I like about Ms. Kerry is that she makes learning fun. There are some days when I really don’t feel like tutoring but she finds a way to get me going so I can get my work done. I can be really silly sometimes, but Ms. Kerry doesn’t get upset, she just tells me to focus and get my work done.

Ms. Kerry is really good at math and language arts. Since she has been my tutor, I am not as nervous about taking tests. Sometimes we have competitions to see who can figure out math problems the quickest and I am happy to say that I am the champion! Ms. Kerry is really smart too. She knows a lot about a little bit of everything. I hope to be able to tutor kids when I get older like Ms. Kerry does.

Ms. Kerry is my fourth tutor in two years, but my first Creative Tutors' tutor. I am happy that my mom found Creative Tutors! Ms. Kerry is the smartest, coolest, and toughest tutor that I ever had and even though I’m still not really sure what a Smarticle is, I like being her Smarticle!
THANK YOU MS. KERRY - YOU ROCK!

Most students do not know how to start, or what to say, in their personal statement, college or scholarship essay.  Creative Tutors Plano offers one-on-one tutoring on writing personal statements and essays along with ACT/SAT prep.   Students can also find out more information at a free seminar, called The "Writes" of Passage-How to Write a Personal Statement, College or Scholarship Essay, from 6:30-8 p.m., onTues. Sept. 20, 2011-Living Legends Conference Center-Spring Creek Campus-2800 E. Spring Creek Pkwy. In one of Collin College's most popular events of the year, the workshop will cover helpful tips and strategies of writing an effective application or scholarship essay. This practical seminar will  help provide the tools for students to know the most significant factors in revealing who they are through their writing. Please note: Seating is limited. While there is no fee to attend, registration is required. Please go to www.collin.edu/destinationcollege or call 972.377.1772 to register.