Our Specialization
We provide one on one tutoring with a personal touch. All tutoring sessions are based on the goals of the student. Tutors employ various methods to teach to the learning style of each student. Success is dependent upon fostering a relationship between the tutor and student. The tutor will be able to help the student achieve their goals best if meetings are consistent. The tutor will be current with the student’s work and be able to chart the progress of the student towards the accomplishment of the specific goals. All tutors hold a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, have experience teaching and tutoring and have excellent references from former students. We offer in home tutoring throughout the South Bay of Los Angeles in the following areas: all levels of mathematics and science, reading comprehension, writing and grammar, SAT and ACT preparation, time management, study and organizational skills, Spanish, homework help, GRE preparation, GED preparation.
December 6th, 2011 - Posted in Fequently Asked Questions, Learning, Our Program, Tutoring | | 0 Comments
Thanksgiving
Students are back to school today for the final push before Winter Break! Many of the schools in the South Bay had the entire week off! The weather was perfect here in Southern California which made for a nice time at the beach. My daughter, Alison, and I walk our dogs along the Esplanade in Redondo Beach. I was feeling so grateful for the 80 degree weather and the chance to spend time with family and friends. We took a trip to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum to see the updated dinosaur exhibits. It is excellent. Look for a blog about it coming up soon. I was also able to meet with a film maker and we recorded videos on frequently asked questions addressing various topics in math. These videos will appear on the Expanding Abilities Tutoring website. I am very excited to add the video footage to our webpage! I have so much to be grateful for this year and I am wishing everyone a blessed holiday season!
November 28th, 2011 - Posted in Fequently Asked Questions, Learning, Making Learning Fun | | 0 Comments
Ask the Tutor
Do you have a quick question about a math problem? Or perhaps you need some advice about what to do for your child who is struggling at school. My name is Melissa Haueter and I have almost twenty years of tutoring experience. My journey began when I was in the 8th grade and I volunteered to teach 4th graders about fractions. For the last ten years, I have been tutoring students of all ages in math and science. I am happy to receive your questions via email at melissa@expandingabilities.com. The answers will appear in my blog within about 24 hours and your name will not appear in the post. I welcome questions on basic math, pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and precalculus as well as any general questions about learning or any difficulties you or your child may be experiencing in school. I look forward to answering your questions!
November 17th, 2011 - Posted in Learning, Teaching | | 0 Comments
Adventures with Alison: The Shedd Aquarium
My husband Chris teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu seminars all over the world. Last week, he taught in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Alison and I decided to join him as Chris’ sister, Missy, lives in South Bend, Indiana, and we wanted to spend a few days with her. We flew to Chicago and Alison and I decided to check out the city’s aquarium. We started our visit to the Shedd Aquarium in the cafeteria and right outside we were able to view the sea otters. Sea otters weigh between 30 and 100 pounds and are the largest members of the weasel family. These otters were very active and Alison enjoyed watching them dive and surface. This was definitely Alison’s favorite exhibit of the day. After viewing the otters for some time, we headed downstairs to see the amazing underwater view of the Pacific white-sided dolphins. The dolphins zoom around their exhibit and look as though they are going to swim straight through the glass. It was a bit intense for little Alison so we didn’t stay there long. Next we headed over to the Phelps Auditorium and watched “Dora and Diego’s 4-D Adventure: Catch that Robot Butterfly!” The effects were very cool and Alison enjoyed the show. It wasn’t terribly educational, but it was fun nonetheless.
We had a bit of time before the marine mammal show so we took a stroll through the sea jelly exhibit. Sea jellies are in the Phylum Cnidaria meaning they are related to sea anemones and corals. All the animals in this phylum have stinging cells called nematocysts. You may have seen a Moon jelly before as they are very common. These beautiful creatures appear to be translucent and a pale pink in color with a very simple body structure. Alison and I stood in front of this aquarium for some time watching the jellies elegantly glide through the water. Chris says that they remind him of space creatures. I was in charge of caring for the moon jellies when I worked at the Sea Laboratory in Redondo Beach. My duties included removing the jellies from their tank, cleaning the tank, and feed the jellies brine shrimp (aka sea monkeys) with a turkey baster. Moon jellies are not dangerous to touch but if you are not sure whether you are swimming with a moon jelly or a dangerous species, I would just try to stay away from the animals. Alison’s favorites were the upside down jellies also known as Cassiopea. These animals are very interesting as they live on the sandy bottom of mudflats and mangrove swamps with their bells touching the ground so that they resemble their relatives the sea anemone.
The belugas, sea lion, and dolphins were on display in Marine Mammal Aquatic Show. This is more of an educational presentation than a show. The trainers basically demonstrate techniques that they use in training these animals and a narrator explains the importance of the behaviors for animal wellness in captivity. This was pretty interesting to me, but Alison just wanted to see the animals jump out of the water which they did a few times. I find beluga whales to be amazing and beautiful animals. Their mouths are permanently upturned like a smile that makes them look friendly and sweet. The sounds they make are also wonderful to hear giving them their nickname “canaries of the sea.” Alison, Chris, and I heard many of these sounds during the show. We also saw Nunavik, the fifth beluga whale to be born at the aquarium. Beluga calves are born gray and their skin changes to white as they age.
After the show, we headed upstairs to view the Caribbean Reef exhibit. This aquarium is shaped like a giant carousel and is the home to an enormous green sea turtle named Nickel. Nickel was rescued from Florida’s Gulf Coast in 1998 and made the Shedd Aquarium her home in 2003. She is named Nickel because she had a 1975 nickel lodged in her esophagus. Alison enjoyed running in circles around this exhibit chasing Nickel, rays, sharks, and parrotfish. Next, we took an elevator back downstairs to see the Wild Reef that consists of multiple aquaria filled with animals from tropical regions. The most impressive was the large aquarium where the zebra shark and the sawfish are found. Alison was impressed by these large fishes but it was time for her nap. We cut the visit to the aquarium a bit short. We will have to make another trip to the Shedd when she is a bit older and doesn’t need a nap.
October 26th, 2011 - Posted in Learning, Making Learning Fun | | 0 Comments
Adventures with Alison
My daughter Alison was born on January 28, 2010. As a parent, I am my child’s first teacher. Prior to having Alison, my husband Chris and I loved to go on adventures. My husband is a Brazilian Jiu jitsu instructor and his instruction brought us to places like Singapore, Thailand, South Africa, and all over the U.K. Some of our adventures included Great White Shark diving in Cape Town, South Africa, riding elephants in Chang Mai, Thailand, swimming with nurse sharks off of Amburgris Key, Belize, and zip lining through the rain forests of Tikal, Guatemala. Adventures with Alison are a little different than this right now. Each adventure that we take is a learning experience for her as with every experience of her life and really every experience of all our lives no matter what our age. I find that Alison is the greatest teacher that I have had so far and I could write thousands of blog entries on that alone.
This section of my educational blog will describe the ways in which I make learning fun for Alison and me. It will include descriptions of the places I take Alison and the things that she and I learn together along the way. I will begin with our most recent trip to Atascadero and Monterey, CA. Chris, Alison, and I started the trip on a Wednesday evening. Alison slept the whole way there, so this was a great decision. We drove to Morro Bay and spent the night at a motel. I hoped to wake up to see the famous Morro Rock; however the fog was pretty thick. We walked around the quaint little town and Alison was able to see some sea lions swimming in the harbor. Many people may think that these animals are harbor seals. My marine biology background allows me to quickly point out that the presence of ears flaps and the shape of the head indicate that these pinnepeds are in fact sea lions.
After our encounter with animals in the wild, we decided to drive out to Atascadero to check out the Charles Paddock Zoo. The admission price is $5 for adults, children 3-11 are $4, and children 2 and under are free. This zoo was amazing! Well worth the $10 for Chris and myself. Some of my favorite animals at this zoo included the White-fronted Marmoset and the Bat-Eared fox. A fun fact to know is that the male Marmoset actual assists with the labor of their babies acting as a midwife. No wonder I like these primates so much. Alison’s favorite animals at the zoo were the Maylayan Tiger and the Fossa. You may remember the Fossa as the bad guys in the movie Madagascar; it was very cool to see a real one up close. The Emu was really in to Chris following him back and forth behind her enclosure. This zoo was amazing for little ones as they have a chance to view all the animals from a very close distance. You must check this out if you are in the central coast area.
After our time in Atascadero, we drove up the coast through San Simeon to Piedras Blancas where we stopped to take a look at the Northern Elephant Seals basking in the sun. The seals migrate thousands of miles twice a year to these beaches for breeding, birthing, and rest. The beaches are located seven miles north of San Simeon on Highway 1 and are home to about 15,000 animals! The seals are at a very close proximity to the spectator area; Alison was able to see them and was quite excited. Our next adventure included a drive through the Redwood forest of Big Sur. This is the southern most point for viewing Redwood trees. Redwoods can reach over 360 feet in height and 20 feet in diameter. Individuals have been dated at around 2,000 years old! Alison was very impressed by the size of these trees and I made sure that she and I got a chance to hug one.
The next morning we headed over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of my favorite places on the planet (only if it is not crowed). Our previous trip was on Memorial Day 2009. Never again! This time it was 1,000 times better. We started the day by watching the penguins feed. We visited every exhibit in about two and a half hours. Alison really enjoyed the Jellies and Sea horses. Her favorite animal and mine in the entire aquarium is the Mola mola or Ocean Sunfish. These slow moving fish can grow up to 14 feet and over 5,000 pounds. Alison and I stood in front of the million gallon Open Sea exhibit for over thirty minutes watching the Mola mola. Alison is quite the parrot and every time this guy would swim by we would shout, “Mola mola!” It was feeding time at this exhibit and the Mola is trained to swim to a target near the surface at the center of the tank where it is fed a mixture of sea jellies, fish, and squid. To make the viewing a little more exciting, a baby Great White Shark was also swimming around the same tank. This White Shark arrived at the aquarium on August 31 and was caught off the shores of Malibu. Monterey has successfully caught and released 5 other juvenile White Sharks since 2004 in an attempt to research the behaviors of these top predators.
Another one of Alison’s favorite exhibits was the Kelp Forest which is 28 feet deep. This exhibit is one of the tallest in the world and is special to me as I spent a lot of time diving in a similar environment off Catalina Island during my scientific diver training at UCLA. The kelp in this exhibit grows an average of 4 inches a day and the forest is the home to many animals such as the Leopard shark, California sheephead, Garibaldi, and the Giant sea bass. Giant sea bass can reach 500 pounds! Another amazing large fish at the aquarium is the Broadnose sevengill shark that gets its name from the fact that it has seven pairs of gill slits. Most sharks have five pairs of gills slits. These sharks are found in the Monterey Bay habitat at the aquarium. A cool pre-historic looking fish is also found in this exhibit. The White sturgeon has five rows on bony plates covering its skin as well as a cartilaginous skeleton like sharks and rays. Alison did not want to leave these aquarium windows to the sea!
No one goes to Monterey without expecting to see some sea otters. We saw a large group of wild sea otters floating in the kelp forest just offshore from the aquarium. Unfortunately, Alison is a bit young to look through the scope to view the otters; however she was able to see the sea otter exhibit. The exhibit currently houses a young otter that was abandoned by her mother and a mature female that takes on the maternal role. It was very sweet to watch them interact and Alison loves otters! We ended our aquarium experience at an interactive diner complete with computer screens that ask you to identify which of three seafood choices is the best for the environment. This activity was very informative and educational. Chris, Alison, and I will be eating a lot more locally raised tilapia and trout as a result. Not only are these fish choices delicious, they have a low environmental impact. These fish are also low mercury choices so they are better for your health. In closing, I would say that this was a very fun and educational trip and I am looking forward to many more adventures with Alison! Visit www.montereybayaquarium.org and www.charlespaddockzoo.org for more information on the zoo and aquarium and all the wonderful animals.
written by: Melissa Haueter
September 13th, 2011 - Posted in Learning, Making Learning Fun, Teaching | | 0 Comments
Quote for the Day
“I believe that each of us must come to care about everyone else’s children. We must come to see that the well-being of our own individual children is intimately linked to the well-being of all other people’s children. After all when one of our children needs life saving surgery, someone else’s child will perform it; when one of our children is threatened or harmed by violence in the streets, someone else’s child will inflict it. The good life for our own children can only be secured if it is also secured for all other people’s children. But to worry about all other people’s children is not just a practical or strategic matter; it is an moral and ethical one; to strive for the well-being of all other people’s children is also right.” – Lilian Katz from her book Intellectual Emergencies: Some Reflections on Mothering and Teaching
July 27th, 2011 - Posted in Learning | | 0 Comments
It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Running a marathon is an experience that will challenge more than your physical endurance. Running a marathon is just as much mental as physical. Anyone can do it, and for those of you who do not believe me; next time a marathon is nearby your hometown, take a look at the participants and tell me what you see.
I run marathons for one reason… As long as my body will allow me, a marathon is the ultimate mind challenge. To be able to stay focused for twenty-six point two miles without allowing your body to force you to stop is the true test of mental endurance. For most, it’s not about how fast you finish, but it’s about crossing the finish line standing. You train for months to give your heart and legs the endurance, but the mental endurance that is needed cannot be trained for.
A training program includes working out throughout the week, and every weekend taking a dreaded long run that is preparing you for the big day. Most training programs peak with a twenty-mile run or maybe even a twenty-two mile run, but what those programs don’t prepare you for is the “wall” that runners hit in the last six–mile stretch. I would like to argue that the “wall” is purely mental; especially because everyone magically gets enough endurance to run that home stretch to the finish. Then, once you have crossed the finish line, everything that happened in the last six miles is forgotten.
Everything in life can be related to running a marathon. Think back to your experience in school. Each year you train your mind daily with homework and class work, hoping that your training will prepare you for upcoming tests. You take tests, turn in projects, and write reports hoping that in the end your grade will reflect your hard work. Whether or not you have the tools or the know how to do well, at some point school becomes a test of mental endurance.
You hit a “wall” where you feel like summer will never come; however, in the end, on that last day of school before summer, all the pain of the school year is forgotten. Just like a marathon, anyone can make it through school. Some people believe that they don’t have the ability to complete high school, or college, or trade school; but to that I argue… school is purely mental. You train day after day to give your mind the know-how, but the one thing you cannot train for is the mental endurance that it takes to finish the school year or years you need to earn a diploma or degree.
School is the ultimate mental test of endurance. If you put your mind to it, you can finish, and when you walk across that stage at graduation, everything that happened to get you there is forgotten.
Some words of advice to all of you reading… Stay focused on the big picture. Don’t let the day-to-day struggles get you down. Everything in life is a mental test of endurance, and with the proper training, anyone can run a marathon.
Written by Lauren Fierro
July 20th, 2011 - Posted in Learning, Self Help | | 0 Comments
Tips for a successful Winter Break
It is very important that parents are helping their students get a head start on school over break for the New Year. Many people use this two-week break to allow their children to rejuvenate and not worry about their studies, but it is detrimental that we are encouraging students to exercise their minds over winter break. Subject matter increases in difficulty during the second half of the school year; therefore, if use winter break to educate in interactive ways it will help make your student’s transition to 2011 an easy one.
1. Read for 20 minutes a day
2. Practice math facts for 20 minutes a day
3. Make an educational trip to a museum or watch educational movies/documentaries
4. Try to learn a new vocabulary word everyday
5. Play word games and number games rather than video games
In addition to these exercises, try to keep your students on their normal school sleeping schedule. In my experience working with students of all ages, elementary to high school age, one simple change in their habits on the days that they are off of school can make a world of difference. If you are the parent of a student that can use a grade increase in all subjects, work on the basics. Try to apply these exercises throughout the school year if possible. Most importantly, use this time off to educate your students in ways in which they are unaccustomed.
By: Lauren Fierro
December 20th, 2010 - Posted in Fequently Asked Questions, Learning, Making Learning Fun, Our Program, Teaching, Tutoring | | 0 Comments
Building A Strong Foundation
Many people ask me what I do for a living. “Well,” I explain, “I’m a private tutor.” “A tutor?” they respond. “So, are you like a teacher?” That is where the conversation starts and from there it is endless. I can go on for hours about my experiences in the tutoring field. The first question I answer is “Are you like a teacher?” to that I reply, “Yes, but a private teacher.” I do not hold teaching credentials or a state test that certifies me as an instructor, but what I do hold are the tools to help any willing student learn the subject matter more in depth, complete assignments, and improve test scores. “Willing” is the key word here. If a student, regardless of the environment, situation or inability, is willing to do what it takes, I believe that I possess the answers. Many parents struggle day-to-day with getting their students to complete homework assignments, study for upcoming tests and juggle extra-curricular activities. School has become increasingly competitive and the norm has become what we would have considered the “Suma Cum Laude” of last decade. We used to ask, “What does it take for a student to get into a four-year university these days? The question is now, “What don’t you have to do to get into a four-year university these days?” In my experience working closely with students of all ages and abilities, the one thing I have noticed is that the expectations of the school system have soared far beyond the comfort of the parents helping with homework. It has now created a situation where unless your student is a self-starting, over-achiever, you may be thinking… Where can I go for help? Being a parent is hard enough when dealing with the day-to-day home situation, but adding into the mix weekend homework and research papers does not leave much time for family bonding. That is what I love about my job. I have had the pleasure of stepping into numerous situations where the parents are able to work along with me, as the tutor, to ensure that their children are not only keeping their grades up; they are learning to care beyond the current subject matter and think about their future. Many of my “pre-algebra” kids struggle with the repetitiveness of the long division or multiplication of large numbers, but if I can get them to focus on the big picture they feel more at ease. A word of advice for those of you that may find yourselves in this very situation… We learn pre-algebra because it is the building blocks on which all other math relies upon. If we don’t have a strong foundation, the house will eventually crumble.
Written by: Lauren Fierro
October 15th, 2010 - Posted in Fequently Asked Questions, Learning, Making Learning Fun, Our Program, Self Help, Teaching, The School System, Tutoring | | 0 Comments
Reading Specialist Available For Tutoring
Is your son or daughter struggling with reading? We have tutors who can apply important techniques for reading intervention. These techniques will help students overcome any difficulties with decoding, word attack, and fluency. These skills are foundational for comprehension. Comprehension can be improved with the application of these techniques that are crucial for students in helping them navigate through all of the phoneme sequencing necessary to produce fluent language processing which opens the door for improvement in overall comprehension (Marianne Tardaguila). Please contact us today for more information. 310-720-1883
October 10th, 2010 - Posted in Learning, Our Program | | 0 Comments
