Online Write an Equation of the line Tutors

Online Write an Equation of the line Tutors In a coordinate plane, by joining few points we can draw a straight line. The equation of this straight line formed can be written by taking any two points on the line and writing the equation in either slope-intercept form or point-slope form of the line. Slope of a line is the direction or the steepness of a line and it is useful while writing the equation of a line. Equation of a line is written in terms of the variables x, y and also a constant. Example 1: Write the equation of a line with a slope of 3 and passing through the point (1, 2). Given: Slope of the line, m = 3 Point = (1, 2) Point slope form of a line== (y y1) = m(x x1) Therefore we get: (y 2) = 3(x 1) This gives: y 2 = 3x 3. Simplifying the equation we get: 3x 3 y + 2 = 0 == 3x y 1 = 0 Hence the equation of the given line is 3x y 1 = 0 Example 2: Write the equation of a line with a slope of -1 and passing through the point (4, 3). Given: Slope of the line, m = -1 Point = (4, 3) Point slope form of a line== (y y1) = m(x x1) Therefore we get: (y 3) = -1(x 4) This gives: y 3 = -x + 4 Simplifying the equation we get: y 3 + x 4 = 0 == x + y - 7 = 0 Hence the equation of the given line is x + y 7 = 0.

Tips for Parents 5 Strategies for Drama-Free Music Practice

Tips for Parents 5 Strategies for Drama-Free Music Practice Suzy S. No matter how excited your child started out, sometimes getting him or her to practice can feel like an intricate balancing act. You want them to understand that hard work pays off, but also have fun and stay motivated. But the minute your child views it as a “chore,” even the best young musicians can be quick to start a fight. Here are 5 tips for easing the struggle: 1. Let them do their thing. Offer suggestions, guidance, and praiseâ€"but give your child her space. There is a fine line between staying active in the lessons and being a “backseat driver.” Avoid setting a timer, as this can result in inefficient practice and resentment. Instead, encourage her to set a measurable goal, such as “I want to play this passage perfectly by the end of this practice time.” 2. Establish a practice routine. Figure out what time of day works best for your child, and block it out on the calendar. When practicing becomes a routine, much like brushing your teeth or sitting down to family dinner, it’s more likely to get done. 3. Figure out what excites her. There will always be scales and etudes to practice, but it’s important that your child is also working on songs that inspire and motivate her. Some children are too shy to speak up, so check in with her every now and then, and ask if she likes the material her teacher selects. You can also encourage her to listen to music she enjoys, or take her to a concert or performance to show her positive role models. 4. Help your child set goals, and celebrate when he hits those goals. Reaching milestones can be a great motivator! Consider offering a reward that will inspire him, whether that’s a fun music book or a local concert. 5. Stay positive. Remind your child that every musician experiences frustration at some point, and success takes patience and hard work. With time, he’ll realize that the practice he commits to makes a direct impact on his progress and performanceâ€"and that’s definitely a lesson worth learning. Photo by tworedboots

Exactly why any Tutor Is indeed Essential for any Struggling Child

Exactly why any Tutor Is indeed Essential for any Struggling Child 0SHARESShare Typically, school academics involve several curricular activities which often distract children to focus on their studies. School academics include various subjects that are necessary for overall development of the child but they are not considered to be core subjects that are helpful when they arrive at higher grade. Tutor can help children to focus on the core subjects and work towards improving higher score. Often parents remain involve in their daily routine fail to monitor their child academic progress. They do not find enough time to solve their children doubts and queries with personal care. Tutor can help children to give personal attention may it be tutoring from their text books, offering homework help, assignment work or preparing for test. Math online tutoring is the most sought being one of the important subjects for K-12 grade. Tutor is indeed essential to help children struggling in Math. Math tutor help children to build strong foundation on each topic, assist them to complete their day-to-day homework, develop independent problem solving skills. They instill love for Math by learning the subject using flash cards, 3D graphics, Math games, puzzles, quizzes, etc. When it comes to theoretical subjects like Science, English, Social Studies, tutor help children with tutoring each lessons, preparing questions and answers, solving various test papers etc. They help to develop English vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing comprehension skills. Social studies tutors follow variety of teaching pedagogy to remember historical events with dates, role of important characters, etc. They use videos, documentaries and world maps to learn world geography. Learning with tutors at online tutoring websites is worth trying, it would really help your child grow academically. [starbox id=admin]

How to Become a Freelance Photographer

How to Become a Freelance Photographer The Beginners Guide to Freelance Photography ChaptersHow to Freelance Behind the Lens: Education and SpecialisationHow to Become a Photographer UKPros and Cons of Being a Self Employed PhotographerFreelance Photography Requirements for Commercial PhotographyFreelance Photography for Fine Art PhotographyBefore throwing yourself full force into the field of photography of any type, let us consider a few numbers.Although no official records are kept and professional photographers are not tracked or polled in the UK, by some estimates, there are more than fifty thousand professionals that shape and drive the world of photography in our country.That doesn't include anyone who has a camera, taking snaps on weekends or special events, who could be considered an amateur photographer!Furthermore, there are no fewer than seventy four institutions of higher learning that offer photography programmes, all around the UK.Those do not count the professional photographers who offer workshops to beginners and intermediate photographers, in thei r studios or around town. Nor does it account for any apprenticeships they might offer.The cost of enroling in a three-year photography degree programme, on the average, ranges around £10,000 per year.Accredited online photography courses cost, on average, £600.Considering these numbers, you might question whether undergoing formal training as a photographer of any stripe would be worthwhile.Here is something else to think about: if you operate as a freelance photographer, you should have a measure of business sense.While you're thinking about all of this, let Superprof lay out a road map on how to achieve success as an independent photographer.Should you not have the means or opportunity to train with any established photographers, practicing on your own is the way to take your skill to the next level.Make it a habit of stepping out with your digital camera, or 35mm if you are a purist, and capture what you see.Filling your portfolio with a variety of subjects, environments, and composition will only prove you to be more versatile, open to any assignment.Anyone with a camera can call themselves an amateur photographer Source: Pixabay Credit: Alexa_FotosHow to Become a Photographer UKAnyone who uses a camera could be called an amateur photographer. If you charge a fee for your shots, you would be considered professional.As there are no licensing requirements on photographers in the UK, it would be relatively easy to set up a studio,  anywhere in our photogenic country.As compared to, say, France, where there are regulatory boards and specific legal requirements governing photographers.However, in our country, you must register your business with HMRC, and pay taxes on your earnings.We urge you to not neglect that vital step!With that cumbersome query out of the way, let us drill down to what type of photography you would specialise in.Some of the most lucrative ventures include:wedding photographyportrait photography â€" pets, babies and group/family portrai turefashion photography, either of the articles of fashion, or of models displaying themaction photographynight photographytravel photographycommercial photography â€" photos for adverts, brochures and menusfood photographymacro photography: taking pictures of small components, such as jewellery, machinery or insectsFreelance photography is one career field where passion alone can dictate what you do.Consider Anne Geddes, who so loves babies that she has made a name for herself in baby photography!Like any burgeoning photographer, she started out with minimal equipment, but as her reputation grew, she was able to invest in all of the accoutrements needed to be a successful freelance photographer.It is important to note that Ms. Geddes has no formal training in photography.If, like her, you have an eye for composition and pose, you too might be ready to acquire accessories needed for a fully equipped studio.Those might include:Lights, light meters and using lighting techniquesDiffere nt subjects require different lighting. Light also sets the mood of your shots; brighter pictures reflect elan; more diffuse lighting could imply anything from whimsy to deeper emotions.An assortment of camera bodies, lenses and filtersNot every camera will suit every purpose, and different lenses give different effects. Filters serve to add colour and/or effect.A tripod is vital in portrait photography, as are backdrops, props and other posing tools.The most vital question in outfitting your studio would be: what type of camera you will use?While digital SLR is all the rage, many professional photographers aver that film cameras are incomparable: in heft, in shutter action and for the shots they capture.You may consider using both digital and analog cameras, depending on your photography business and what you specialise in.If you undergo photography training through a series of workshops with a professional studio photographer, you may find that technological advances in digital ph otography give you more flexibility in capturing your subject material.Editing your images with Photoshop, you will find that you can enhance colours and subject matter much more easily than through any retouching techniques film photographers rely on.And you can do away with the darkroom and all of those chemicals, too!As a freelance photographer, you get to decide what you shoot and how you shoot it Source: Pixabay Credit: GlavoFreelance Photography Requirements for Commercial PhotographyThis type of photography meant for publication, exposition and reproduction.A select number of pictures you take could be enlarged; become wall art.A trademark of this type of photography would be limited issue; maybe thirty prints, and include an autograph.As such, that would make you, the photographer, an artist!On a much more mundane level, commercial photographers are contracted to take pictures of ordinary objects, such as furniture, food or clothing.They may be called on to emphasise design features, for example, or the use of the product in question.If your client is a resort in Bournemouth, you may be called on to photograph a hotel and various rooms, the beach and their restaurant, for a brochure or advert.All of these instances demand different technical skills, different equipment and practical usage of environmental factors, such as light and scene composition.If you know how to shoot the beach and the exterior of the hotel, would you be equally competent in capturing the indoor spaces and the food?Maybe your local council has appointed you to use your DSLR camera in capturing street scenes, to be attached to a request for more government funding.How would you use natural light and aperture control to expose the need in your neighbourhood?One last example: your aunt, she of the delicious pasties and pies, has finally decided to market her skill.She might depend on your imaging ability to show off her pies' flaky crust, juicy fillings and tempting thickness.Even t hough dear Auntie is family, as a pro photographer, you are not in the business of free photography!Don't forget to claim all of your rights to the images, even if you give your old dear a discounted price on her imagery.Dear Auntie's mince pies should steal the show, not your commission! Source: Pixabay Credit: BluemorphosFreelance Photography for Fine Art PhotographyThis aspect of the art of photography is where most lovers of the discipline wish they could hang their hat.It is, after all, the love of beauty and the desire to create art that lured you into photography, isn't it?As opposed to the commercial photographer, whose duty it is to represent pragmatic life in a certain light, the art photographer composes his shots solely for the beauty and emotional impact they bring.The art photographer tends to be more advanced, working independently, and takes his time staging and composing his shot.The most stunning photos we see lining museum walls were shot by such photographers, wh o, through patience and hard work, have attained a stage in their photography  career that they can take all the time needed to capture unique visions.In SummaryThe UK has no administrative or official requirements to becoming a freelance photographer.However, anyone who is self-employed is required to register with HMRC.Joining a professional photography society is a great way to network and gain access to photography workshops.No matter how adept you are at using your digital SLR camera or Nikon film camera, you can always learn how to do something you've not yet tried to do with it!Promoting your services as a freelance photographer requires you to decide what type of services you will provide: commercial, artistic, promotional, and so on.If your first love is the passion of capturing beauty, you can express yourself creatively even as you fulfill clients' needs.And, in spite of all of this advice, we strongly advocate for photography courses, as they are the surest way to achiev e professional stability and success.

More Green Space Around Schools is Associated with Lower Rates of ADHD in a Recent Study

More Green Space Around Schools is Associated with Lower Rates of ADHD in a Recent Study Spending time in nature is good for your mental health, whether thats taking a hike in the woods or spending time in a city park. In fact, studies have shown that having access to green space near your home can lower your risk of developing depression, improve cognitive development in children, and reduce neural activity linked to psychiatric disorders. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open1 builds on these studies by examining the connection between the amount of green space in a childs environment and ADHD symptoms. The newly published study was conducted in China, where ADHD occurs in about 6% of the population (slightly lower than what we see here in the US). In China, as in the US, children spend a great deal of their time attending school and after-school programs. In many cases, children have more of an opportunity throughout the week to use green spaces near their school than they do near their home. In the study, researchers sought to determine whether the amount of green space around a school was associated with the rates of ADHD observed in the students. Researchers collected ADHD symptom ratings from parents of 59,754 children (ages 2-17) attending preschool, elementary school, middle school, and high school in seven provinces in Northern China. Parents rated the frequency of each of 18 ADHD symptoms during the preceding six months on a four-point scale, ranging from never or rare to very often. To estimate the amount of green space around the schools, the researchers used measures of vegetation, referred to as vegetation indexes, derived from satellite images taken in August (the greenest month in Northern China). Values ranged from negative one to one, with higher values indicating more green space, negative values representing bodies of water, and values close to 0 indicating areas without water or vegetation. In the study, 4.3% of the children (2,566) were classified as having ADHD based on parent ratings. The researchers found that a 0.1 unit increase in one of the vegetation indexes within 500 meters of a school or kindergarten was significantly associated with lower odds of ADHD symptoms. Given the large number of participants involved in the study and the wide range of school environments (some with no green space or very little green space, and others with large swaths of green space), the study makes an important contribution to our understanding of how the environment may impact symptoms of ADHD. The study also highlights important gaps in our knowledge. For example, we do not know why more green space is associated with lower rates of ADHD symptoms. It could be that simply being in nature or viewing nature fosters healthy brain development and helps us regulate our emotions and behaviors. Or, its possible that the students with access to more green space are more physically active. Alternatively, the pollutant-lowering effects of vegetation may mean that students in greener environments are exposed to fewer pollutants (which may affect brain functioning). Despite the unanswered research questions, parents and teachers can help kids with ADHD now by providing as many opportunities as possible for outdoor play and exploration in nature. If your child attends a school with limited green space, work on making visits to local parks part of your regular routine. We already know that kids with ADHD benefit from physical activity, and its possible that getting that physical activity in a green environment will give an extra boost to kids with ADHD. 1 Yang, B.Y. et al. (2019). Association Between Greenness Surrounding Schools and Kindergartens and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children in China. JAMA Network Open. 2019;2(12):e1917862. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Managing the Ups and Downs of ADHD

Managing the Ups and Downs of ADHD Its Monday afternoon and your child comes home from school with a behavior chart full of stars and a folder full of completed school work. You breathe a sigh of relief and happily think that you can look forward to a good week at school. On Tuesday anticipating the best you enthusiastically ask to see your childs behavior chart and completed work folder. As he or she reluctantly pulls the items out of the backpack your heart begins to sink. You look and see that the completed work folder is practically empty, and the behavior chart contains only the smallest smattering of stars. You ask you child what happened that made today so much worse than yesterday, but he or she doesnt have an answer. Your child just shrugs his or her shoulders and walks away. Dealing with the ups and downs of ADHD is frustrating for parents, teachers, and kids. When kids with ADHD have good days sometimes its easy to think they could have good days all the time if they would just try harder. However, there are many factors that go into making any day a good day for kids with ADHD, and only one of these factors is how much effort a child puts into staying focused and in control of his or her impulsive behavior. As a result, a child can feel like he or she is trying as hard as he or she can to pay attention, or complete work quickly and carefully, and still not be able to meet the standards that teachers and parents have set for him or her. If you have a child with ADHD whose focus, organizational skills, work completion, and/or impulsive behavior varies greatly from day to day or activity to activity, it can be helpful to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Shift your own focus away from thinking about your childs intentions or effort and instead think about other factors that may consistently interference with your childs ability to pay attention and get things done. If you focus on changing these factors, youll be setting your child up for success and soon theyll be having more good days than bad. There are many factors that impact a childs ADHD symptoms. Here are a few to get you started: Nutrition and Sleep. Good nutrition, consistent meal and snack times, and a full nights sleep all impact ADHD symptoms. If your child is hungry or tired, then his or her ADHD symptoms will be much harder to control, and he or she will be much more likely to have a difficult day at school. Physical activity. More and more research studies are pointing to the importance of physical activity for managing ADHD symptoms. If your child is engaged in regular high intensity exercise (i.e., running around and working up a sweat rather than simply going for a walk) for about 45 minutes a day, his or her ADHD symptoms will be easier to manage. If your child spends most of the day sitting (at school, during homework time, watching videos or playing video games), then he or she will be more likely to have difficulty keeping his or her ADHD in check. Distractions in the classroom. It may seem obvious that distractions in the classroom can make it hard to stay focused and productive. What is not always obvious is knowing which things are distracting to an individual child. Some kids with ADHD are highly sensitive to certain noises (e.g., a printer warming up, a heating fan) or movement (e.g., kids walking by quietly in the hallway) that are not even noticeable to other kids in the room. So, even in a classroom that may seem to have very few distractions, there may be things that are making it hard for your child to focus. The subject matter. If your child consistently does much better in some subjects than in others (e.g., much better at writing than at math), then its possible that he or she may have an underlying learning difficulty or simply needs some additional support to be successful in the weaker subject areas. You can request an assessment from the school and seek out additional tutoring and learning support services from a private learning center. Medication routine. If your child takes ADHD medication, then its important for him or her to take it at the same time every day as prescribed. If your child is consistently taking medication, but its not working as well as it used to then talk to your childs doctor. Medication doses often need to be adjusted as a child grows and sometimes a new medication is needed to replace one that is no longer effective. The daily ups and downs of ADHD can be frustrating, but there are things you can do to support your child. Sometimes a few relatively minor changes can make a big difference and go a long way in helping your child have more good days at school and at home. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

5 Things to do Before You Go Away to College

5 Things to do Before You Go Away to College Heading to college this fall? TutorNerds is here to help. High school is finally over, graduation day has arrived, which means you have successfully survived high school. Congratulate yourself because you deserve it. You championed those nasty standardized exams, you passed your AP classes (TutorNerds offers AP test Tutoring), you survived cafeteria food for four years, you did three hours of homework a night all while maintaining a part time job and gaining volunteer experience. And now you are done, well sort of. There are still an additional four years ahead of you (and for some of you a lot more than that; PhD anyone?). Of course, these next years won’t be anything like the four years in high school. You will have freedom to actually choose what you want to study, you will set your own schedule and take your own responsibilities, and you will still have to eat cafeteria food (READ our post on Self-Discipline). Countless students leave a bit unprepared for college and that can make the first semester a giant wake up call to the responsibilities of university life. I’m not talking about pre-ordering a twin sheet set for your dorm or getting to know your roommate prior to your arrival, I’m talking about good old fashioned organization and academics. Here are 5 things you can do to make life a lot easier during that first semester in college: One: Have a tutor, keep a tutor. Need a tutor, find a tutor Remember the tutor (most likely the private Orange County tutor from TutorNerds) that helped you through SAT, ACT or AP? Chances are they tutor other subjects as well. With the use of handy dandy technology, many tutors give lessons via Skype. If you have already found your perfect match, why make a change? Tutors book up early so if you want to keep your favorite tutor, make sure to let them know and make sure that they offer remote tutoring, especially if you are moving to a different time zone. Didn’t need a tutor in high school or didn’t get one but kind of wish that you had? Arrange for a tutor now rather than later. You don’t want to be in a position where you are scrambling around looking for a brand new tutor just after failing your first midterm. Even if you feel pretty confident that your academics are strong, do yourself a favor and call a tutoring company to put your name on the list of potential students. It could be the difference between having a tutor within a week or within a month. Don’t waste time (and possibly your first semester GPA) searching for a tutor when things have already gone downhill. A final point, choosing a private tutor for the summer (READ: ten reasons you need a summer tutor) will help you gain confidence and courage for the big switch to college. How do we know? Our college educated tutors have all made the leap, so theyll give you an insiders perspective as you prepare. Two: Review your core subjects and pick your core classes Before you burn your essays in a celebratory bonfire, go through all of your senior year English and math assignments and look for patterns. Patterns include things that you are consistently good at as well as things that need improvement. If you rock at algebra but probability problems made you want to run away screaming, use this knowledge about yourself to pick your freshman classes. Sign up for Algebra 1A but skip Statistics 101. If you hated writing papers with a passion, find out if you can take English Composition 101 in your second semester. There is no way around taking this class at the college level but you might be able to put it off until you feel more comfortable about college life. Three: Fill in the gaps Remember when your high school English teacher assigned summer reading (or in-class reading) and you took a shortcut by using Cliff notes or Spark notes and didn’t actually read the book? College is when these decisions seem like a bad idea in retrospect. Being well read will help you out in nearly every liberal arts college class that you take. Even engineering and computer science majors will find themselves on the humanities side of the campus during those first two years. Take the time to read the books that you truly skipped and review ones that you may have skimmed while in a hurry. Your older self will thank you later. (READ: the 10 best teen reads) Four: Have a game plan When I was in college I took a nice long look through the list of required classes and discovered that I could easily kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, by taking say Literature 2, instead of Literature 3. That left me with a ton of leftover units that I used to take fun electives or ‘easy A’ type courses. There is no reason why you can’t do the same. Don’t waste your time taking 2 classes that you don’t really like when you could have filled a few hours of your week doing something you love. Five: Dont bite off more than you can chew So, you took two AP classes, scored a 1900 on the SAT and maintained a 3.8 GPA during your senior year. That helped you get the well deserved acceptance letter to the place you will be moving to this fall but, so did everyone else that will arrive on campus in September. This doesn’t mean that you’re not awesome; it just means that everybody else is also awesome. The competition is fierce. If your counselor at UC or Cal State tells you that the maximum number of classes you should take is 4, don’t be brave and sign yourself up for 5! The academic counselors have mentored thousands of students and they know what works and what doesn’t. If you are behind on classes, save it for summer or at least save it for your second year. First semester freshman year is not the time to overload yourself. University life can be incredibly wonderful if you are able to balance out your academic and social lives. Do yourself a favor and ease in to your first few months at college. Remember all of the useful things that you learned in high school and learn how to cut through some of the red tape. Enjoy a seriously fun summer and head off to the next stage of life in a couple of months. All blog entries are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at info@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about. Orange County parents and students, listen up! Beat the summer slowdown with a private, in-home tutor. We work around your schedule so you can stay sharp while having fun in the sun. Read: 10 Reasons You Need a Summer Tutor. What are you waiting for? Call us. Teach.com

World`s Best Teacher - Tutor Hunt Blog

World`s Best Teacher World`s Best Teacher World`s Best TeacherSchools`World`s best teacher` says the arts can save pupils from gang crime A teacher from Alperton Community School in Brent has made the claim that art can help vulnerable young children avoid a lifetime of gang crime. Ms Zafirakou, teacher of art and textiles has said that arts subjects can guide children away from a life of knife and gang crime. Given the spike in both gun and knife attacks in London this year, her claim is a topical one, and certainly worth investigating. Ms Zafirakou voiced a cautionary note, saying that if funding to the arts are cut, and children are restricted from studying them, it could have dire consequences for both their mental health, and physical safety. She went on to say that after school art classes at Alperton have been instrumental in helping children be safe, both by keeping them off the streets, and giving them the confidence to see a different future than just one involving crime. `At Alperton Community School in Brent we have faced many challenges in combating the disenfranchisement that can render children susceptible to gang culture.` Many forms of art have been used as a form of therapy. Music especially has been thought to have a healing influence at least as far back as the Ancient Greeks. Pythagoras expounded the healing properties of certain musical intervals (such as the octave, perfect fifth and perfect fourth); and the writings of both Plato and Aristotle discuss the effect of music on human behaviour. Today music therapy is a major medicinal pursuit, with accomplished musicians from all over the world studying to become qualified practitioners in the science. The British association for music therapy is the accredited professional body for music in the UK, providing training and guidance for practitioners, along with raising awareness as to the benefits of music therapy. Therapy through the medium of painting - commonly known as `art therapy` is a growing field, and though less developed than music therapy, it is increasingly being recognised as a pursuit that can engender numerous health benefits. Writing has long been recognized as a method to alleviate mental stresses - the theory being that the act of writing down troubling thoughts can help the patient realise - clearly and distinctly - exactly what is causing them distress. Rather than a nebulous mass of vague concerns, they can express and distill certain sentiments that they perhaps couldn`t face up to. Putting the words down can be a cathartic precess, while seeing them on the page (or screen) in front of them can be a way of isolating, and focusing on the problem. Ms Zafirakou goes so far as to express the view that art can be used to build confidence, and help guide students away from the path of crime. `Arts subjects help children to clarify their ideas what is right and wrong? Who am I? What is my identity?` Only this week the government has announced that they will be supplying 96 million to support talented drama, music and dance students. The arts have already seen a huge investment over the last two years, and this additional pledge will increase the total funding to 496 million since 2016. Despite this substantial funding Ms Zafirakou has said that the money will have only peripheral impact upon the lives and education of `ordinary pupils` who previously only had limited experiences of the arts. Last month Ms Zafirakou was named the `World`s best Teacher` - collecting a cool $1 dollars in Dubai. It is the first time an UK teacher has won the much coveted title. She has said that children in her area face many complex challenges, which include street violence, and being recruited by gangs. The school where she teaches is cosmopolitan indeed, and has pupils that speak over 35 languages. She has expressed the view that studying art can help children`s mental health, saying in an interview: `These subjects are very challenging but quite relaxing. Students can get lost in them. They don`t want to leave the classroom because they are lost in the journey of their own art form. I see that as therapy. It helps them disconnect from their troubles and be in the moment.` `They are constantly stressing about what`s on social media, what will happen on their way home or when I put the key in the door, who will be there, is there food? For once they feel a sense of calm and peace.` I believe the arts have a vital place in today`s society - but if we want a nation of adults who can both appreciate, and contribute to the artistic scene, they must be introduced to the subject as children. Many people consider the arts to have little or no value beside more academic subjects - but great music, literature and painting can ratify our humanity, and let us feel the presence of, and sympathize with, another human being, who may have lived hundreds of years ago. When Churchill was asked to reduce the funding going to the arts during World War II, he responded `Then what would we be fighting for?` 22 months ago0Add a Comment