Jill Marie Runnion - Three Tips for Tutoring Elementary School Students

Jill Marie Runnion has been involved in education for decades. She has spent stints as a substitute teacher, a Special Ed teacher, and has been tutoring elementary school students since 2004. She is focused on this age group for years and she has learned many things about how to help them with her tutoring services. Here are three tips for tutoring elementary school students:

• Be compassionate and patient. Students at that age are just beginning to develop their scholastic skills in addition to dealing with all of the pressures that come with going to school for the first time. Even the fifth and sixth grade students are still developing the skills that are taught in their classes. Jill Marie Runnion keeps this in mind when she is trying to teach them things or help them with their studies. 
• Plan ahead. Have a teaching and tutoring plan in place before you meet with your students. Setting up a study plan will help students stay focused and lead them easily to the next phase in their education. 
• Positivity is effective. Use positive reinforcement to motivate students. This is a much more effective way to get students to want to learn the material and try to get the subjects you’re helping them with than negative reinforcement, which causes students, especially at this age, to give up. 

Jill Marie Runnion has helped many elementary students earn better grades and gain a more complete understanding of the subjects being taught to them in their school classes.

Jill Marie Runnion and Living in Charlotte

​Though North Carolina business woman Jill Marie Runnion splits her time between two homes in the state, she thoroughly enjoys living in downtown Charlotte. Along with a home in Sunset Beach, she owns a condominium in the metropolitan area of Charlotte, a city brimming with culture and activity. For travelers who plan to visit Charlotte, she offers these options for excursions and things to do in the city.

• The Mint Museum Uptown, located on South Tryon Street, features an exciting array of American and European art. Many of the pieces held within are contemporary, with stunning displays of textiles and mixed-medium works. The Mint Museum Uptown is reasonably priced and sits on the same block as other museums of interest. This destination is nice for couples and families and will take a few hours to see completely.

• At the 7th Street Public Market, visitors to east Seventh Street will encounter a large selection of fresh goods and specialty shops. This destination is where residents and tourists converge to purchase locally grown produce, sweet treats, wine, and flowers. Permanent vendors in the market sell everything from fresh pizza to hot coffee. The 7th Street Public Market is accessible by foot, car, or train.

• A visit to Freedom Park is a must see according to locals like Jill Marie Runnion. Only three miles from the Charlotte city center, the park and gardens are free to the public and open all year. Many consider this location the equivalent of New York's Central Park in North Carolina.

Jill Marie Runnion Helps Single Parents

Being a single parent herself, North Carolina business woman Jill Marie Runnion is no stranger to the trials and tribulations of raising a child by herself. As a former teacher and a childcare provider, she also works with other families in the area who are in similar situations. She shares the following advice to other single parents who are struggling to raise their children.

• Single parents will have a more successful and easier time raising their children if they can build a support system. While anyone can raise a child by themselves, getting help from others makes the entire process much less stressful. Having a group of people nearby who the single parent can rely on ensures that there is a backup in place in case of emergency or the unforeseen.
• Having a routine that is well organized helps single parent's lives run much smoother. When a single parent can create a daily routine and stick to it, both them and their children know what to expect each day and how to react during surprise events.
• Single parents cannot be afraid to ask for help when they need it. Some single parents become prideful and have a hard time accepting the fact that they cannot manage everything by themselves. Asking for help when raising children is not a sign of weakness.
• All single parents need to create a set of rules and discuss them with their children. This is the top tip Jill Marie Runnion gives single parents.

​

Jill Marie Runnion on How to Write a Concert Review

Writing a concert review that is honest and appeals to readers is one of Jill Marie Runnion's many talents. She has an interest in musical concert reviewing, and has created reviews for local concerts over the years. When writing a concert review, there are a few things the reviewer must keep in mind.

• Writing a review for a concert can be tricky, especially if the band playing was not the reviewer's preferred genre. However, even a rock-n-roll fan who attends a rhythm and blues concert can create an objective piece that is honest about the performance.
• The first thing a reviewer must do is set the stage, so to speak, for their writing. They need to establish the details of the concert, who played, where they performed, etc. This information should be specific with accurate dates and times.
• The reviewer should make a point of telling any previous experience they have with the band that played or any history that is important. This is also a good place to acknowledge who the members of the band are or any other pertinent people involved.
• While reviewing a concert, there is more to discuss than the band that played. The reviewer should talk about the venue, with any pros and cons about the arena or theater where the show took place.
• Jill Marie Runnion knows that a good concert review also needs to talk about the audience and how they reacted to the concert, if they seemed to enjoy themselves.

​

Jill Marie Runnion and Tutoring New Students

Jill Marie Runnion finds tutoring to be a very worthwhile and fulfilling experience for both the tutor and the tutee. When working with young children who have never used a tutor before, she finds that those students can have troubles at the beginning of their sessions. These tips will help other tutors when taking on a new tutoring client.

•  Students who have never used a tutor before may be intimidated by the process. Adding to that fearful emotion, the student may have self-esteem or anger issues as a result of their needing to be tutored in a subject. The tutor must establish a respectful relationship with the tutee at the onset of the sessions.
•  New tutees are likely to enter their early sessions with a defeatist attitude. It is important to break the negative thought patterns. These children are apt to feel they “can't do it”, “will never learn it”, or are “too stupid to get it”. Tutors have to find a way to get the child past those unproductive emotions so they can actually start to learn the material being presented.
•  One of the best ways to make progress with a new tutee is to get them involved in the lesson and the overall goal of the tutoring session. Even with younger children, offering options and giving them the chance to address what they wish to learn from the sessions will go a long way to opening up communication, an area where Jill Marie Runnion is very skilled.