Overview

iLearners provides Conversational Tutoring/ Mentoring to support growing our Self/ Team Leadership and Multi-Perspective Critical Thinking Skills (i.e. Human Skills), to support growth in independent learning/ increase in academic grades, and transferrable career related skills. iLearners is not for everyone, and some may think that some topics are not as interesting, however iLearners might be a good fit if you enjoy growing different perspectives and communication skills.

We mentor through questions and topics to research. We provide our Perspectives and Insights based on our Tutoring and Self/ Team Leadership experiences. Sometimes our students want to understand the big picture and applications of certain concepts, and other times want to learn a concept deeper; sometimes our students don't know what's missing or what else to know/ research in order to connect the dots while accounting for any mainstream bias. iLearners is ideal for independent learning individuals/ teams who want to grow their own understanding deeper and do their own self-study research. Sometimes that requires learning the boring things, as it still can be enjoyable and rewarding, starting with the concepts and vocabulary listed below. If you're interested in the self-study/ research of these topics and related skills, then continue reading below. There are a lot of details below, mainly for students' reference, outline/ framework, and context; at a high level, below are the starting topics, concepts, vocabulary, and skills that iLearners aims to support adults in growing a deeper understanding.

5 Ws and How

  • Who/Why

    For Adults, Leaders, Parents, including Grandparents, who enjoy growing their perspectives and skill, and enjoy doing their own self-study research; to increase engagement, communication, or connection with their team or children, to increase independent learning/ school grades and productivity.

  • What

    Individual and group tutoring/ mentoring sessions to support growing self/team leadership skills, perspectives and critical thinking skills, which grows independent learning. This is done through self-study individual or group weekly topics and questions/ discussion sessions.

  • Where

    Mostly online/Zoom, and in-person at selected/ requested locations.

  • When

    Weekday evenings and Saturdays US central time. Other times available depending on requests.

  • How

    Weekly topics, vocabulary context/ definitions, and tutoring/ mentoring sessions (see details below).

iLearners Background

iLearners stands for Independent Learners. iLearners goal is to support open minded, compassionate, self-teaching individuals who want to increase their self/team leadership skills and critical thinking skills. We support by providing our experiences, opinions, sharing our insights, ideas, strategies, tips, and perspectives by tutoring/ mentoring these skills. Inputs provided by iLearners are based off of our team's experiences: which includes tutoring students from elementary to community college (in math, science, study skills), job interview preparation coaching, volunteer work in our communities, being parents, and professional work experience in project/ systems engineering, mentoring, leading, and building small teams. No one is perfect and no one knows all the answers, including us, the goal is to teach ourselves to grow our own understandings and communication skills. The information, products, and services provided by iLearners are for informational purposes only for self-study, and not a substitute for professional medical or mental health help; getting professional support is great and we encourage it.

Goals of iLearners Tutoring/ Mentoring

  • iLearners tutoring/ mentoring is similar to a book club, but focus is on self/team leadership and critical thinking topics/ concepts rather than specific books. Of course, reading the related books, audio books, your own research/ learning, etc. is a highly encouraged/ necessary part of the self-study.

  • Increase our understanding of the learning processes and related vocabulary/ communications skills (i.e. self/ team leadership and critical thinking skills), so we can learn more effectively/ independently on our own and help our teams/ family do the same.

  • We support leading the leaders; i.e. upskill ourselves to upskill our team.

  • Focus is on long term sustainable skills and increasing self directed learning. It's one thing to learn new skills, and it's another thing to learn how to sustain the skills/ understandings for long term results and minimize regression/ forgetting. This is one of the main reasons iLearners offers the membership option, to stay connected in practicing leadership and critical thinking topics/ vocabulary to support sustaining skills for the long run; also to encourage conversations on these topics within your teams/ families.

  • iLearners mentees/ students identify as effective communicators and independent learners, with focus on win-win results; which is a result of big picture perspectives, general understanding of human nature, leadership vocabulary, and communication mechanisms.

Types of Tutoring/ Mentoring Offered

iLearners offers the following self-study conversational tutoring/ mentoring options to grow self and team leadership and critical thinking skills.

  • Individual Tutoring/ Mentoring for Adults

    $80/hour

    For adults: Individual tutoring/ mentoring through online video/ screen share Zoom sessions at $80/hr, or in-person at selected/ requested locations. See link below to schedule a free consultation and link to schedule sessions.

  • Study Skills Tutoring/ Mentoring for Younger Students with Engaged Parents

    $80/hour

    For younger students and parents together. Tutoring/ Mentoring in Study Skills Strategies for students in elementary grades through high school with engaged parents. Emphasis is on learning to teach yourself. Through online Zoom or in-person at select/ requested locations: email us at [email protected] or call (708) 312-2300, or click on link below to schedule a free 30 minutes consultation/ assessment overview.

  • For Custom Group Sessions, Presentations, Speaking Events

    Based on group size or requested topics.

    For custom group tutoring/ mentoring, speaking events or presentations, through online virtual or in-person at select/ requested locations: email us at [email protected] or call (708) 312-2300, or click on link below to schedule a free 30 minutes consultation/ assessment overview.

Contact Us, Free Consultation

For more information or questions contact us at [email protected] or call us at (708) 312-2300. Or click on the link below to schedule a free 30 minutes consultation/ assessment overview for individual or custom group tutoring/ mentoring to see if iLearners is a good fit for you; which can be done using an audio/ video Zoom link or over a phone call.

Link to Schedule Tutoring/ Mentoring Sessions

For existing customers, following link is to schedule sessions.

To Support/Donate

iLearners/ Independent Learners LLC has been working in our communities and with non-profit organizations for years. Wether we've worked with you or not, and if you'd like to support our mission, your contributions and promoting iLearners supports growing Self/ Team Leadership and Critical Thinking Skills in our communities, teams, and families! Please note that donations are not tax deductible. Thank you for your support!

Coming Soon: Self-Study Membership: Access to Weekly Topics and Group Tutoring/ Mentoring Sessions

Coming Soon: iLearners Self-Study Membership provides access to weekly topics and updates. Membership also provides an option to access the paid individual and group tutoring/ mentoring sessions; these sessions are similar to a book club, but focus is on self/team leadership and critical thinking topics/ concepts rather than specific books. Of course, reading related books, audio books, your own research/ learning, etc. is a highly encouraged/ necessary part of the self-study.

The Self-Study Membership provides access to weekly topics to research (i.e. question, concepts, vocabulary, etc.) related to self/team leadership skills and critical thinking skills. The goal is to increase our understanding of the learning processes and related vocabulary/ communications skills, so we can learn more effectively on our own and help our team/family do the same. Membership also provides access to the schedule for the paid individual and group tutoring/ mentoring sessions. For many self-directed learners, access to audio-only topics, asking questions, group discussions is the main aspect needed. The membership allows you to start/ stop the paid group sessions when it's convenient for you, while keeping your Self-Study Membership account active to receive weekly iLearners topics/ updates. iLearners Community access is also included as part of the membership account. Questions can also be submitted, and group sessions will aim to cover the submitted questions. Sessions are during weekday evenings and Saturdays US central time. The online sessions are offered live, past sessions are not available. Members will also have access to schedule individual or custom group sessions.

iLearners Encourages Practicing Key Vocabulary and Skills as Part of Our Daily Routines

Learning is in the questions. iLearners provides topics, perspectives, and questions for adults to explore to support development of independent learning, study skills, internal motivation skills, job interviewing skills, collaboration, career growth, general business skills, and related vocabulary and communication skills; centered around practicing self/team leadership skills and multi-perspective critical thinking skills. These skills could also support less reliant on screen time with a big picture understanding to support working with technology/ AI constructively, where we utilize technology as a tool and reduce unwanted influence/ reliance. See details below.

Tutoring/ Mentoring Approach

iLearners provides individual and group tutoring/ mentoring to support growing the understanding of self/team leadership skills and critical thinking skills, with individuals asking questions and doing the self-study research.

  • iLearners tutoring/ mentoring is for adults over age 18; see below for details.

  • iLearners focuses on general self/ team leadership and multi-perspective critical thinking skills, understanding different learning processes, and related vocabulary/ communications skills development. It's not about being perfect or knowing the answers, as the focus is on increasing understanding.

  • For parents, iLearners does not focus on any set of specific parenting skills or styles, and encourages parents to ask questions, learn from each other, and do their own research to increase their parenting and leadership skills.

  • No one is perfect and no one knows all the answers, including us, the goal is to teach ourselves to grow our own understandings and communication skills. The information, products, and services provided by iLearners are for informational purposes only for self-study, and not a substitute for professional medical or mental health help; getting professional support is great and we encourage it.

iLearners Encourages Practicing the Following Skills

iLearners provides topics and questions to research, related to practicing the following self/team leadership skills and critical thinking skills.

  • Socratic Method of Teaching

    Socratic method of teaching, where many times questions are answered with additional questions, multiple perspectives, and doing your own non-bias research encouraging an agile experimenting mindset/ approach. Building on concepts like the following quotes: "Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers" - Josef Albers, and “A problem well stated is half solved” - Charles Kettering.

  • Independent Learning and Study Skills

    Practice developing independent learning, study skills, learning techniques, intrinsic motivation, effective listening, multi-perspective critical thinking, contextualization, asking effective questions, proactive and less reactive, note-taking, reflection, transferable skills, focus, attention, and memory.

  • Learning and Teaching Facilitation Skills

    Encouraging individuals to develop their own learning & teaching facilitation skills and strategies, to grow the joy of self-directed learning in themselves, students, and teams/families. Building a personal culture of agility, accountability, storytelling skills, authentic leadership style/branding, relatability, rapport building, open minded, experimenting mindset, resourceful, and continuous learning, while being aware of what we may be forgetting or regressing on.

  • Big Picture Perspectives, and Balancing Distractions

    With so much information, technology, distractions, and content available through the internet, it's easy for many of us to lose sight of the big picture, and lose the practice to build our critical thinking abilities and independent thought. iLearners believes writing questions and notes in our own words is one of the best ways to learn something sustainably. These skills also help us work better with the latest technologies, and can supplement working better with other leaders, teachers, tutors, mentors, coaches, etc.

  • Healthy Habits

    It's also equally important to prioritize and track our healthy habits: such as enough sleep, physical exercise, importance of humor/ laughter and play, breathing exercises, drinking sufficient water, quite time, and nutrition; as these habits greatly impacts learning, multi-perspective critical thinking, and communication.

  • Learning Framework

    iLearners helps with a learning framework, the language of learning, conversations skills that include teaching & learning. Tracking objectives, results, and wins list.

  • Leading Leaders, Win-Win Leadership Traits

    Readers can be leaders, listening with critical thinking creates better leaders, and writers are even better leaders. Leading with a compassionate win-win mindset and an understanding of two-way/ multi-directional leverage. Leaders who take notes, ownership, ask questions, and write for themselves with accountability are better leaders. Our definition of accountability is: Do what you say, say what you do, and admit when we're wrong with a measurable plan to get better. Sometimes to grow leaders we need to make space for others to practice leading, and support from the background. Ability to lead without titles, and combining a growing EQ and IQ.

  • General Understanding of Human Nature

    If we can understand the general aspects of learning, adapting, growing, and human nature, then we can understand general cause and effect and align our expectations accordingly; and then practice predicting ourselves related to learning, memory, attention, motivation, and self/team leadership. Then we can train ourselves in the aspects we prioritize. In a way we are constantly being trained by the influences around us, so we can learn to influence ourselves in the aspects that we prioritize.

  • Additional Related Skills and Topics

    Additional self/team leadership and critical thinking related skills and topics covered as skills progress. There are two sets of skills we focus on, first set is to grow leadership and critical thinking, and second set is to sustain these skills for long term success and to minimize regression/ forgetting.

iLearners Self/Team Leadership Skills Levels:

Following framework is how iLearners categorizes self/team leadership skills levels to grow ourselves and teams related to academics and career; with compassion and accountability at the center.

  • Level 1:

    Lead self: Being a CEO of ourselves. Includes being an independent learner, multi-perspective critical thinking, resourceful, agile, accountable, authentic, measurable continuous learning, tracking what we might be forgetting, etc.

  • Level 2:

    Lead one other person to be more independent and support them on their path to growing their level 1 skills.

  • Level 3:

    Lead two or more people/team(s), who interact/work/live with each other, to be more independent and support them on their paths to growing their level 1 skills.

  • Level 4:

    Leading/growing other level 2 and 3 leaders with their own authentic style/branding and voice.

Below are some of our favorite learning and leadership related quotes.

Learning Is in the Questions, Learning Is a Process, and Learning Is in the Interactions.

  • “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” - Socrates

  • “If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” - Ignacio Estrada

  • "Teaching is listening, learning is talking." - Deborah Meier

  • "Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers." - Josef Albers

  • “A problem well stated is half solved.” - Charles Kettering

  • “Variety is the very spice of life." - William Cowper

  • "No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship." - Dr. James P. Comer. Also related to this quote is our favorite definition of Rapport: "A close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well."

  • "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." - “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." - Peter Drucker

  • Empowerment: "A teacher is one who makes themself progressively unnecessary." - Thomas Carruthers

  • “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” - Albert Einstein

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