Have you ever felt like Scarlett O'Hara at the end of Gone with the Wind? When Rhett has had enough and finally heads for the door, she clutches his coat and begs him to stay, saying, "All I know is that you do not love me and you are going away! Oh, my darling, if you go, what shall I do?" You've probably heard about Rhett's famous answer, but the answer he gave Scarlett's not what you want to hear when you have a problem, is it? Most people would love it if they had someone at their beck and call to tell them where to find the answer or even to get the answer for them--like the "easy" button in the offfice supply commercials, but that really isn't how life works, most of the time. If life's not that easy, we need a plan to deal with problems when they come along, yes? Hm...
"To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who[m] could I ask?" Jim Rohn
Here's a good placed to start--the brainstorming. Take the questions in order. Make yourself a plan first; then, do the research. You would be surprised how much you can discover if you get out your metaphorical shovel and start to dig. Evidence also shows that independent learning is a beneficial process of a student's education. Take a look at this information from http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/policy/cels/el7.html:
"In this process, independent learners develop the values, attitudes, knowledge and skills needed to make responsible decisions and take actions dealing with their own learning. Independent learning is fostered by creating the opportunities and experiences which encourage student motivation, curiosity, self-confidence, self-reliance and positive self-concept; it is based on student understanding of their own interests and a valuing of learning for its own sake.
Independent learning is part of an ongoing, lifelong process of education that stimulates greater thoughtfulness and reflection and promotes the continuing growth of students' capabilities and powers. More than the rote learning of facts and skills, this approach to learning encourages students to make meaning for themselves, based on their understanding of why and how new knowledge is related to their own experiences, interests and needs.
Independent learning is a direction for the process of education, not an absolute standard; this process takes different forms for different students and it varies according to subject matter and students' interests and abilities in the subjects. Independent learning involves the teacher and learner in an interactive process that encourages students' intellectual development and their capacity for independent and reflective judgment. "
Now, I'm not including that information to say that I expect you to learn everything on your own--quite the contrary. I just want you to be aware of how well taking part in a process like independent research can actually benefit you. You will learn a lot by taking responsibility for finding information yourself, and then, you can go back to the Jim Rohn quote--step 3. To whom can I turn when I have questions?
That answer's easy. You have (or will have at least three Study Buddies) my email address, my website, this blog, and my cell phone number. Some people hesitate to use their buddies and especially me as a resource; however, it's a very sad thing when you hesitate to come to a teacher with a problem. That's what we're here for. It's a very positive sign to a teacher when you ask for help (not when you ask the teacher to do it for you, but when you've taken steps one and two already). It shows that you've already been resourceful and have already made an effort, and it also shows that you care about learning (or at least your grade) and that you're doing the responsible, mature thing by getting help when you need it and not allowing yourself to fall into an even bigger problem--the quicksand of failure. Teachers really love it when students make an effort and use all of their available resources to do the best they can! (NO JOKE!)
Rohn's basic message isn't rocket science--brainstorm, do the research, and ask for help. When you've got a problem, it's an excellent plan! Try it out! (And not just in English class) I'd be keenly interested in hearing your results. :-)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
"Mary, Mary, Why Ya Buggin'?"
Hm...maybe Mary was "buggin'" because she was trying to grow something new in her garden, and it made her a little bit nervous, apprehensive, or scared.
I ran across this quote from Brian Tracy today: "Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new."
And after the week I've had, I agree with it completely. You see, I myself am in the process of learning something new--something completely foreign to me. When I find myself in a position in which I am not confident and/or in which I don't have very much prior knowledge, I tend to get a little nervous and shaky. Most people wouldn't believe that because they tell me that I don't have any shy bones in my body, that I'm very assertive, that I'm at least reasonably smart, and that I know no strangers (meaning I will walk up, say hi, and strike up a conversation with just about anybody).
I find all that odd, because when I'm in new situations like the one I described above, I feel very shy, scared, timid, retiring, taciturn, skittish, bonkers, and blunt as a post. Yep. I think it happens to all of us. But if I'm to take anything away from that quote, it's that the only way I'm ever going to get past that crazy feeling is to go through it--to be open to experiencing that and get out of what makes me comfortable.
For example, let's say I tried out for the game show Jeopardy! (one of my favorites, by the way--I have it pre-programmed on my DVR and have actually learned quite a bit just from watching). If the categories were things like "Shakespeare," "Vocabulary," "Famous Movies," "Romantic Poetry," "80's Song Lyrics," and "Broadway Musicals," I'd be very confident and fast to ring in on that buzzer! "Take that, Trebek!"
But if you made me play on the day that the show featured "Math 101," "World Geography," "Engineering," "Auto Mechanics," "Arthropods," and "17th Century Asian History," count me out. I'd sit there like moldy Cheez Whiz on a stale cracker.
At one point or another, everybody may feel uncomfortable; however, if you really want to grow, you've gotta go ahead and let yourself experience that weirdness, and it will pass. If I actually studied Arthropods, I might wipe out the entire category. Who knows? And so can you!!!!!
So what if, at this moment, you don't know the difference between past perfect and future perfect, between subjunctive and conjunctivitis, between romance and romantic literature, between pathetic fallacy and logical fallacy? You will--if you stick with it! At one point, you probably didn't know how to walk, dress yourself, eat with a fork, or tie a shoe, either, and just look at you now!!!
Here's a new nursery rhyme for you:
_____, _____ (Imagine me, filling in the blank with your name), quite quite wary,
How does YOUR garden grow?
And you answer---
With _________ (ingenious idea 1), _________________ (fascinating fact 2), and pretty ___________________________ (earthshattering epiphany 3) all in a row!"
Let's challenge ourselves to see how we can make our gardens grow this year, shall we?
I ran across this quote from Brian Tracy today: "Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new."
And after the week I've had, I agree with it completely. You see, I myself am in the process of learning something new--something completely foreign to me. When I find myself in a position in which I am not confident and/or in which I don't have very much prior knowledge, I tend to get a little nervous and shaky. Most people wouldn't believe that because they tell me that I don't have any shy bones in my body, that I'm very assertive, that I'm at least reasonably smart, and that I know no strangers (meaning I will walk up, say hi, and strike up a conversation with just about anybody).
I find all that odd, because when I'm in new situations like the one I described above, I feel very shy, scared, timid, retiring, taciturn, skittish, bonkers, and blunt as a post. Yep. I think it happens to all of us. But if I'm to take anything away from that quote, it's that the only way I'm ever going to get past that crazy feeling is to go through it--to be open to experiencing that and get out of what makes me comfortable.
For example, let's say I tried out for the game show Jeopardy! (one of my favorites, by the way--I have it pre-programmed on my DVR and have actually learned quite a bit just from watching). If the categories were things like "Shakespeare," "Vocabulary," "Famous Movies," "Romantic Poetry," "80's Song Lyrics," and "Broadway Musicals," I'd be very confident and fast to ring in on that buzzer! "Take that, Trebek!"
But if you made me play on the day that the show featured "Math 101," "World Geography," "Engineering," "Auto Mechanics," "Arthropods," and "17th Century Asian History," count me out. I'd sit there like moldy Cheez Whiz on a stale cracker.
At one point or another, everybody may feel uncomfortable; however, if you really want to grow, you've gotta go ahead and let yourself experience that weirdness, and it will pass. If I actually studied Arthropods, I might wipe out the entire category. Who knows? And so can you!!!!!
So what if, at this moment, you don't know the difference between past perfect and future perfect, between subjunctive and conjunctivitis, between romance and romantic literature, between pathetic fallacy and logical fallacy? You will--if you stick with it! At one point, you probably didn't know how to walk, dress yourself, eat with a fork, or tie a shoe, either, and just look at you now!!!
Here's a new nursery rhyme for you:
_____, _____ (Imagine me, filling in the blank with your name), quite quite wary,
How does YOUR garden grow?
And you answer---
With _________ (ingenious idea 1), _________________ (fascinating fact 2), and pretty ___________________________ (earthshattering epiphany 3) all in a row!"
Let's challenge ourselves to see how we can make our gardens grow this year, shall we?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
AP Summer Reading Questions and Announcements
Some of you have approached me with questions about sentence diagramming. I apologize if there has been any confusion! Some of the batteries say you may "chart" the sentences, but that doesn't mean you have to do an old fashioned diagram. Here's an excerpt from a reply I sent to a question this morning:
If you look to the right hand column which says "Course Resources," you will see a long list of links. These can help you with your work, but don't worry about it. Just do the best you can. Our main goal is to get as much of this review as possible out of the way during the summer. As for "diagramming," you don't have to do diagrams if you don't want to. It says "charting" on the instructions for some of them, but what I mean by that is to write down things in a set of columns, i.e., first word of the phrase (or clause), last word, key word, objects/complements/modifiers, word modified (if it's an adjective or adverb) or function (if it's a noun), and part of speech (if it's a participle, it will always be an adjective; if it's a gerund, it's always a noun; if it's an independent clause, it doesn't have a part of speech). Hopefully, this info will help. You don't have to do the old fashioned diagramming unless it just helps you visually.
I'm not sure how all of you feel, but this is my personal take on diagramming: I think it's very helpful for visual learners. If you are a visual person, diagramming may be one of the best ways you can learn; however, it starts to get really complicated at our level. You have more than just the basic subject/verb, and you have subordinate clauses and phrases, as well as the occasional idiomatic expression, to identify. Those conundrums can present serious diagramming challenges. As for me, personally, I could always tell what the words in the sentences were doing, but I could never remember whether the line was straight, slanted, dotted, or solid. Some constructions go on stilts; others are attached underneath the basic line. After 8th grade, I just gave it up! But if you like diagramming, go for it! Do whatever helps you best! Think about your learning style (we'll be doing some of that in class if you don't already know yours) and use the one best suited to you.
And if you have questions, do not be afraid to call me! (615)424-1218
On to the announcements--let's have a review session on Thursday, August 7, at Border's coffee shop at 6:30 PM. Bring any questions you have about grammar, the batteries, etc. I will be there to help!
See you then! (Send me a quick email to let me know if you are coming, ok?) bethb@wcs.edu
If you look to the right hand column which says "Course Resources," you will see a long list of links. These can help you with your work, but don't worry about it. Just do the best you can. Our main goal is to get as much of this review as possible out of the way during the summer. As for "diagramming," you don't have to do diagrams if you don't want to. It says "charting" on the instructions for some of them, but what I mean by that is to write down things in a set of columns, i.e., first word of the phrase (or clause), last word, key word, objects/complements/modifiers, word modified (if it's an adjective or adverb) or function (if it's a noun), and part of speech (if it's a participle, it will always be an adjective; if it's a gerund, it's always a noun; if it's an independent clause, it doesn't have a part of speech). Hopefully, this info will help. You don't have to do the old fashioned diagramming unless it just helps you visually.
I'm not sure how all of you feel, but this is my personal take on diagramming: I think it's very helpful for visual learners. If you are a visual person, diagramming may be one of the best ways you can learn; however, it starts to get really complicated at our level. You have more than just the basic subject/verb, and you have subordinate clauses and phrases, as well as the occasional idiomatic expression, to identify. Those conundrums can present serious diagramming challenges. As for me, personally, I could always tell what the words in the sentences were doing, but I could never remember whether the line was straight, slanted, dotted, or solid. Some constructions go on stilts; others are attached underneath the basic line. After 8th grade, I just gave it up! But if you like diagramming, go for it! Do whatever helps you best! Think about your learning style (we'll be doing some of that in class if you don't already know yours) and use the one best suited to you.
And if you have questions, do not be afraid to call me! (615)424-1218
On to the announcements--let's have a review session on Thursday, August 7, at Border's coffee shop at 6:30 PM. Bring any questions you have about grammar, the batteries, etc. I will be there to help!
See you then! (Send me a quick email to let me know if you are coming, ok?) bethb@wcs.edu
Friday, July 25, 2008
"If I could save time in a bottle, I know just what I'd like to do..."
As I was preparing syllabus materials for the upcoming school year, I looked back in shock at where the summer has gone. Doesn't it seem as though we just said goodbye to the Class of 2008? Now, it's time to usher in a new crop of seniors and to start another year. After the initial jolt of that notion wore off, I noticed that we would only have 14.5 days before our first vacation (Labor Day), then only a month or so before Fall Break, only another month before Thanksgiving break (which is an entire week this year, hooray!), and then only a couple of weeks until the semester is complete, and we will be ready to welcome in 2009! I had to wonder, "Where does the time go?" Then, I began thinking of some of the sayings I've heard about time over the years. Here are a few:
"Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our possessions." John Randolph
"Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it and spend it rather than invest it." Jim Rohn
"You may delay, but time will not. " AND
"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that the stuff life is made of." both from Benjamin Franklin
"Time is equal to life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life. " Alan Lakein
"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can send it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back." Harvey MacKay
Clearly, these folks seem to place a great deal of value in time, but they bemoan a general societal lack of ability to make valuable use of it. For instance, how many times have you heard someone say he or she could have done something better if only he or she had had more time? Have you yourelf ever felt as though you just had too much to do and too little time? (I'm sure you answered yes to at least one of those questions. If so, read on.) The ideas expressed in the quotes above beg the question: how much thought have you given to the way you use your time? Have you ever stopped to consider how much time you spend per day engaged in any given activity? You might be surprised if you made a conscious effort to do so.
Try something when school starts. Take a week or two and set aside a page or so of notebook paper per day (or you could do this in your planner). At the end of each day, jot down the approximate amount of time per day you spent doing each thing. Total up the amount of time you spend per day and per week in each particular type of activity.
Then make a note of the times of day in which you felt and actually were most productive and when you seemed sluggish and tired. You may also want to note whether you got what some people refer to as a "second wind" somewhere in the middle of the day.
After reviewing your results, consider these ideas for a moment:
"Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it."M. Scott Peck
"It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste." Henry Ford
"There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing." Brian Tracy
"Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived. " Patrick Stewart, playing Jean Luc Picard on Star Trek
"To get all there is out of living, we must employ our time wisely, never being in too much of a hurry to stop and sip life, but never losing our sense of the enormous value of a minute." Robert Updegraff
"Time is the most precious element of human existence. The successful person knows how to put energy into time and how to draw success from time." Dennis Waitley
"You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it. " Charles Bixton
"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing." Thomas Jefferson
"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein." H. Jackson Browne
These guys, that last one in particular, are a little harsher. They seem to be telling us we need to get off the couch, prioritize, make time for the important things, and savor them with gusto without complaining for a second. In looking at your time log, you may find areas of your day in which you could accomplish much more than you currently do. You may also find that you are trying to do tasks which require a great deal of effort and energy (be it physical, mental, or emotional) at your most sluggish, ineffective times of day. Take a look at where you can get things done most effectively, and you will probably find that you can open up big chunks of time you never thought you had. Luckily for us, there are a couple more quotes to encourage us on our way:
"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." Michael Althsuler
At last--positive news!!!!!! The time you're in is fabulous if you can figure out how to master it, and you are in control of how you do it! With a little ingenuity, you can master your time and have a fruitful, enjoyable, successful year (not to mention life!).
I am going to embark on a schedule revamping myself--I have some priorities of my own, and I'd like to see if they will come to fruition if I try to carve out a little more time and use it more wisely. Want to join me and attempt to become a more successful time pilot? We'll probably find it easier if we have support in this process. Have a great weekend!
"Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our possessions." John Randolph
"Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it and spend it rather than invest it." Jim Rohn
"You may delay, but time will not. " AND
"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that the stuff life is made of." both from Benjamin Franklin
"Time is equal to life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life. " Alan Lakein
"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can send it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back." Harvey MacKay
Clearly, these folks seem to place a great deal of value in time, but they bemoan a general societal lack of ability to make valuable use of it. For instance, how many times have you heard someone say he or she could have done something better if only he or she had had more time? Have you yourelf ever felt as though you just had too much to do and too little time? (I'm sure you answered yes to at least one of those questions. If so, read on.) The ideas expressed in the quotes above beg the question: how much thought have you given to the way you use your time? Have you ever stopped to consider how much time you spend per day engaged in any given activity? You might be surprised if you made a conscious effort to do so.
Try something when school starts. Take a week or two and set aside a page or so of notebook paper per day (or you could do this in your planner). At the end of each day, jot down the approximate amount of time per day you spent doing each thing. Total up the amount of time you spend per day and per week in each particular type of activity.
Then make a note of the times of day in which you felt and actually were most productive and when you seemed sluggish and tired. You may also want to note whether you got what some people refer to as a "second wind" somewhere in the middle of the day.
After reviewing your results, consider these ideas for a moment:
"Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it."M. Scott Peck
"It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste." Henry Ford
"There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing." Brian Tracy
"Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived. " Patrick Stewart, playing Jean Luc Picard on Star Trek
"To get all there is out of living, we must employ our time wisely, never being in too much of a hurry to stop and sip life, but never losing our sense of the enormous value of a minute." Robert Updegraff
"Time is the most precious element of human existence. The successful person knows how to put energy into time and how to draw success from time." Dennis Waitley
"You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it. " Charles Bixton
"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing." Thomas Jefferson
"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein." H. Jackson Browne
These guys, that last one in particular, are a little harsher. They seem to be telling us we need to get off the couch, prioritize, make time for the important things, and savor them with gusto without complaining for a second. In looking at your time log, you may find areas of your day in which you could accomplish much more than you currently do. You may also find that you are trying to do tasks which require a great deal of effort and energy (be it physical, mental, or emotional) at your most sluggish, ineffective times of day. Take a look at where you can get things done most effectively, and you will probably find that you can open up big chunks of time you never thought you had. Luckily for us, there are a couple more quotes to encourage us on our way:
"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." Michael Althsuler
At last--positive news!!!!!! The time you're in is fabulous if you can figure out how to master it, and you are in control of how you do it! With a little ingenuity, you can master your time and have a fruitful, enjoyable, successful year (not to mention life!).
I am going to embark on a schedule revamping myself--I have some priorities of my own, and I'd like to see if they will come to fruition if I try to carve out a little more time and use it more wisely. Want to join me and attempt to become a more successful time pilot? We'll probably find it easier if we have support in this process. Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Risky Business 3
Here's another thought I found for you--this one was in an old email I received, and I just happened to glance at it while I was going through and cleaning out my "in box." It's a quote by Rhonda Byrne, the author of The Secret:
How can you make a big dream come true?
You need to have one secret element, and when you have that secret element, nothing will get in your way. That element is an intense desire! You must desire something with all of your heart to manifest it. Often the difference between those who manifest something and those who do not, is the element of desire. When you have a burning desire for something you ignite a fire within you that attracts with an incredible force. The law of attraction is magnetically drawn to that intense fire element in you, and it responds by gathering all universal forces to make your dream come true.
Very often we ask for things because we think our life will be better with those things, but inside of us we do not have an immense desire for those things. When you don't feel that immense desire within you, you are receiving guidance telling you that this is not something you really want. That is why it is so important to get clear on what it is that you really want with all of your heart, because what you really want with all of your heart is the very desire that you can manifest quickly.
When your heart is on fire with desire you will attract the right things to do, you will find visualizing so easy, and you will find it is effortless to think positive thoughts of your desire. You will attract all the qualities you need, such as strength, courage, belief, persistence, faith, and a powerful will. An intense desire lights up your being, producing a magnetic force that enables the law of attraction to cut through every physical obstacle for you and make your dream come true.
Go for your dreams! Don't cheat yourself in your life with petty desires because you don't think you can live your dream. THE DREAM inside you is the one thing that you have the greatest power to create, because you have an immense desire for it. Find the dream inside you - and make it come true!"
I think it ties in really well with the idea of taking risks and taking action to achieve what you want. Get clear on what you really want, and nothing can stop you! Consider what might happen if you decided that you really wanted to do well in school or any field because you have decided that's what you really want. Get focused, believe in yourself, and take action! I am excited in anticipating the potential that we all have this coming year to take forward steps in making our dreams come true!
How can you make a big dream come true?
You need to have one secret element, and when you have that secret element, nothing will get in your way. That element is an intense desire! You must desire something with all of your heart to manifest it. Often the difference between those who manifest something and those who do not, is the element of desire. When you have a burning desire for something you ignite a fire within you that attracts with an incredible force. The law of attraction is magnetically drawn to that intense fire element in you, and it responds by gathering all universal forces to make your dream come true.
Very often we ask for things because we think our life will be better with those things, but inside of us we do not have an immense desire for those things. When you don't feel that immense desire within you, you are receiving guidance telling you that this is not something you really want. That is why it is so important to get clear on what it is that you really want with all of your heart, because what you really want with all of your heart is the very desire that you can manifest quickly.
When your heart is on fire with desire you will attract the right things to do, you will find visualizing so easy, and you will find it is effortless to think positive thoughts of your desire. You will attract all the qualities you need, such as strength, courage, belief, persistence, faith, and a powerful will. An intense desire lights up your being, producing a magnetic force that enables the law of attraction to cut through every physical obstacle for you and make your dream come true.
Go for your dreams! Don't cheat yourself in your life with petty desires because you don't think you can live your dream. THE DREAM inside you is the one thing that you have the greatest power to create, because you have an immense desire for it. Find the dream inside you - and make it come true!"
I think it ties in really well with the idea of taking risks and taking action to achieve what you want. Get clear on what you really want, and nothing can stop you! Consider what might happen if you decided that you really wanted to do well in school or any field because you have decided that's what you really want. Get focused, believe in yourself, and take action! I am excited in anticipating the potential that we all have this coming year to take forward steps in making our dreams come true!
Risky Business 2
I ran across these quotes today, and I thought they were relevant to our recent theme:
"There are risks and costs to a program of action but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."--John F. Kennedy
“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” –William Jennings Bryan
In regards to everything you will do this year, whether the activity or decision involves school, think about what you can achieve if you are willing to take action and get out there and do something, rather than just waiting for something to come to you.
Many people approach life as though it were a very posh restaurant. They sit at the table, and they will never get that filet if the waiter forgets about the order. They may place the order, but they depend on someone or something else to bring everything to them down to the last serving of butter or refill of tea. On the other hand, there are folks who approach life as if it were a buffet. They walk up to the serving area, examine all of their options, and select what they want on their plates. They march up, take what they want and build their own menu step by step. If they don't want root vegetables with their entree, no problem. They pick up corn on the cob, instead. Still others decide to go shopping and prepare that juicy steak on the grill just the way they want it. If you think of that in terms of how you live your life, consider which type of diner you are. Do you wait for everything to come to you, do you look at the selections out there and take what you want, or do you create your own dishes and enjoy them just the way you want them to be?
Try this thought on for size:
"When you develop yourself to the point where your belief in yourself is so strong that you know you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, your future will be unlimited."
— Brian Tracy: Pre-eminent entrepreneurship expert
You are the only one who sets limits to what you can achieve! Do you believe in yourself and your ability to do anything you set your mind to? When I consider these ideas, I am reminded of a familiar passage from Ralph Waldo Emerson (that's one of the reasons I love his work so much--he had all of this down a long time ago...). In his famous essay, Self Reliance, this is what he said about doing what you set out to do:
"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried. Not for nothing one face, one character, one fact, makes much impression on him, and another none. This sculpture in the memory is not without preestablished harmony. The eye was placed where one ray should fall, that it might testify of that particular ray. We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents. It may be safely trusted as proportionate and of good issues, so it be faithfully imparted, but God will not have his work made manifest by cowards. A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work and done his best; but what he has said or done otherwise, shall give him no peace. It is a deliverance which does not deliver. In the attempt his genius deserts him; no muse befriends; no invention, no hope.
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so, and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was seated at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being. And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers, and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort, and advancing on Chaos and the Dark."
Ok. I know that's a lot to translate, but consider each line carefully, and see what you come up with. If you have questions, shout them out by responding to this post. And don't worry--this isn't the last time you'll see that passage. Oh, by the way, when I went to look up this quote online so I could share it with you, here's what I found on the first page of the browser. I think it attests very well to what these knowledgeable men are saying. It's about a skyscraper, the design of which is so complicated and gravity-defying that it could not have been built several years ago...this building is going to be the headquarters for Chinese television and was constructed in relationship to the Olympics in Beijing. You really have to see it to believe it.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20080720/wl_mcclatchy/2994196
What do you think of it? At the very least, it's visually impressive.
There is a concrete example of how man can achieve unbelievable things if he only applies himself and believes that he can do it. How did they build it? Nobody told them they couldn't...
I hope you're having a great summer!
"There are risks and costs to a program of action but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."--John F. Kennedy
“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” –William Jennings Bryan
In regards to everything you will do this year, whether the activity or decision involves school, think about what you can achieve if you are willing to take action and get out there and do something, rather than just waiting for something to come to you.
Many people approach life as though it were a very posh restaurant. They sit at the table, and they will never get that filet if the waiter forgets about the order. They may place the order, but they depend on someone or something else to bring everything to them down to the last serving of butter or refill of tea. On the other hand, there are folks who approach life as if it were a buffet. They walk up to the serving area, examine all of their options, and select what they want on their plates. They march up, take what they want and build their own menu step by step. If they don't want root vegetables with their entree, no problem. They pick up corn on the cob, instead. Still others decide to go shopping and prepare that juicy steak on the grill just the way they want it. If you think of that in terms of how you live your life, consider which type of diner you are. Do you wait for everything to come to you, do you look at the selections out there and take what you want, or do you create your own dishes and enjoy them just the way you want them to be?
Try this thought on for size:
"When you develop yourself to the point where your belief in yourself is so strong that you know you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, your future will be unlimited."
— Brian Tracy: Pre-eminent entrepreneurship expert
You are the only one who sets limits to what you can achieve! Do you believe in yourself and your ability to do anything you set your mind to? When I consider these ideas, I am reminded of a familiar passage from Ralph Waldo Emerson (that's one of the reasons I love his work so much--he had all of this down a long time ago...). In his famous essay, Self Reliance, this is what he said about doing what you set out to do:
"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried. Not for nothing one face, one character, one fact, makes much impression on him, and another none. This sculpture in the memory is not without preestablished harmony. The eye was placed where one ray should fall, that it might testify of that particular ray. We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents. It may be safely trusted as proportionate and of good issues, so it be faithfully imparted, but God will not have his work made manifest by cowards. A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work and done his best; but what he has said or done otherwise, shall give him no peace. It is a deliverance which does not deliver. In the attempt his genius deserts him; no muse befriends; no invention, no hope.
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so, and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was seated at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being. And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers, and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort, and advancing on Chaos and the Dark."
Ok. I know that's a lot to translate, but consider each line carefully, and see what you come up with. If you have questions, shout them out by responding to this post. And don't worry--this isn't the last time you'll see that passage. Oh, by the way, when I went to look up this quote online so I could share it with you, here's what I found on the first page of the browser. I think it attests very well to what these knowledgeable men are saying. It's about a skyscraper, the design of which is so complicated and gravity-defying that it could not have been built several years ago...this building is going to be the headquarters for Chinese television and was constructed in relationship to the Olympics in Beijing. You really have to see it to believe it.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20080720/wl_mcclatchy/2994196
What do you think of it? At the very least, it's visually impressive.
There is a concrete example of how man can achieve unbelievable things if he only applies himself and believes that he can do it. How did they build it? Nobody told them they couldn't...
I hope you're having a great summer!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Risky Business...and NOT the Tom Cruise kind
I think Thomas Edison was a really cool guy. Aside from the fact that he invented the light bulb and a bunch of other wonderful things, he had the right idea about how to overcome a problem, and I think of him often when I am working on projects and dealing with challenging situations.
Here are a few awesome tidbits worth pondering:
"...there are no rules here-- we're trying to accomplish something."
"Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration."
"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."
"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless."
"There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labour of thinking."
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
But here are three more that lead me where I want to go today:
"Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work."
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. "
"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. "
True, true, true!!!!!!!! And I am also struck by something that a former First Lady once said:
"You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don't win, at least you can be satisfied that you've tried. If you don't accept failure as a possibility, you don't set high goals, you don't branch out, you don't try – you don't take the risk."
— Rosalynn Carter: Former First Lady and authoress
I was pondering all of this, along with the oft heard proverb that "Failure breed success," and I don't think it's necessarily true in 100% of cases, but I do think it's generally spot on. I agree with what Mrs. Carter says. If we are going to stretch ourselves and grow in any way, we have to be willing to take risks. We have to do it every day without exception.
If you think about it, it's true in ways we probably never even recognize. For example, if you take a certain route to school, you are taking a risk that it will help you get there on time or more happily (perhaps you like crepe myrtles, and the less traveled path is full of them...); maybe you bought that lush fern thinking that it would improve the ambience of your room; it could be that you are trying a new item on the menu at your favorite restaurant; supposing you bought a $1 lottery ticket; you might have worked for several years to save and buy your first car; on a personal level, you might have made a new friend; on the other hand, you could have decided to trust someone again--someone who once hurt, let down, or betrayed you in some way. Each time we invest our time, money, or selves, we are taking a risk. We might be late, the fern might die or cause allergies, we might hate the split pea soup, we might not win the 300 million dollar jackpot, the car we sweated for so ardently might turn out to be a lemon, the friend (old or new) may disappoint us...hmmmm. What logical conclusion might we make?
Knowing that whatever you decide could, in essence, turn out to be a flop, what's the point in trying anything, right? I think that's the cynical answer here and definitely not one I would recommend. Bottom line: risks are worth it. You have to take risks to grow. In this class (and all of your others, by the way), you are going to invest a significant amount of your time this coming year. If you are investing your time, you are therefore risking a possible negative outcome; however, you have a great deal (the BIGGEST) of input as to whether that risk will turn out poorly or positively. Your effort in the risk, even if things don't turn out exactly as you expect, will lead you to growth and potentially fabulous results. You may not have any idea as to the significance of the risk until much, much later in life, and it may not be obvious to you at the time. It may only be through reflection that you discover how much the risk really meant and how valuable a "failure" really happened to be.
You might want to (and I really hope that you do and that you comment on it here) check out this article from Business Week entitled "How Failure Breeds Success." Here's the link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_28/b3992001.htm My favorite quote from it was this one: "'It's only a failure if we fail to get the learning,' says Cook."
No matter what happens, get out there and make the attempt. Something is going to come of your effort, and that something may lead you in a totally unanticipated but serendipitous direction. Let's take some risks together and see what happens to your skills in reading, interpreting, grammar, composition, speaking, presenting, and viewing this year, shall we? :-)
Hope you're finished with your summer reading, by the way. How's that workin' out for ya? If you need help, let me know. I'm back in town for the rest of the summer and at your disposal!
Here are a few awesome tidbits worth pondering:
"...there are no rules here-- we're trying to accomplish something."
"Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration."
"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."
"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless."
"There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labour of thinking."
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
But here are three more that lead me where I want to go today:
"Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work."
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. "
"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. "
True, true, true!!!!!!!! And I am also struck by something that a former First Lady once said:
"You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don't win, at least you can be satisfied that you've tried. If you don't accept failure as a possibility, you don't set high goals, you don't branch out, you don't try – you don't take the risk."
— Rosalynn Carter: Former First Lady and authoress
I was pondering all of this, along with the oft heard proverb that "Failure breed success," and I don't think it's necessarily true in 100% of cases, but I do think it's generally spot on. I agree with what Mrs. Carter says. If we are going to stretch ourselves and grow in any way, we have to be willing to take risks. We have to do it every day without exception.
If you think about it, it's true in ways we probably never even recognize. For example, if you take a certain route to school, you are taking a risk that it will help you get there on time or more happily (perhaps you like crepe myrtles, and the less traveled path is full of them...); maybe you bought that lush fern thinking that it would improve the ambience of your room; it could be that you are trying a new item on the menu at your favorite restaurant; supposing you bought a $1 lottery ticket; you might have worked for several years to save and buy your first car; on a personal level, you might have made a new friend; on the other hand, you could have decided to trust someone again--someone who once hurt, let down, or betrayed you in some way. Each time we invest our time, money, or selves, we are taking a risk. We might be late, the fern might die or cause allergies, we might hate the split pea soup, we might not win the 300 million dollar jackpot, the car we sweated for so ardently might turn out to be a lemon, the friend (old or new) may disappoint us...hmmmm. What logical conclusion might we make?
Knowing that whatever you decide could, in essence, turn out to be a flop, what's the point in trying anything, right? I think that's the cynical answer here and definitely not one I would recommend. Bottom line: risks are worth it. You have to take risks to grow. In this class (and all of your others, by the way), you are going to invest a significant amount of your time this coming year. If you are investing your time, you are therefore risking a possible negative outcome; however, you have a great deal (the BIGGEST) of input as to whether that risk will turn out poorly or positively. Your effort in the risk, even if things don't turn out exactly as you expect, will lead you to growth and potentially fabulous results. You may not have any idea as to the significance of the risk until much, much later in life, and it may not be obvious to you at the time. It may only be through reflection that you discover how much the risk really meant and how valuable a "failure" really happened to be.
You might want to (and I really hope that you do and that you comment on it here) check out this article from Business Week entitled "How Failure Breeds Success." Here's the link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_28/b3992001.htm My favorite quote from it was this one: "'It's only a failure if we fail to get the learning,' says Cook."
No matter what happens, get out there and make the attempt. Something is going to come of your effort, and that something may lead you in a totally unanticipated but serendipitous direction. Let's take some risks together and see what happens to your skills in reading, interpreting, grammar, composition, speaking, presenting, and viewing this year, shall we? :-)
Hope you're finished with your summer reading, by the way. How's that workin' out for ya? If you need help, let me know. I'm back in town for the rest of the summer and at your disposal!
Friday, July 11, 2008
We all pretend the rainbow has an end...
"...and you'll be there, my friend, someday...
There's always tomorrow for dreams to come true,
Tomorrow is not far away."
(*Be the first to email me with the source of that quote, and there'll be something sweet in it for you!)
As we prepare for this new year, here's something else I want you to chew on for a while:
"People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves, they have the first secret of success."
— Norman Vincent Peale: Author, The Power of Positive Thinking.
When I think about that quote, I think about babies and cats. I know--sounds crazy, doesn't it? But it's true. Babies learn to walk because there is no one there to tell them they can't. In fact, their parents and everyone else around them constantly coo about how great they are, don't they? If you're around doting parents and grandparents too long, it can get pretty saccharine and sickening! But there is Junior, toddling and falling, constantly getting up and trying again until he finally gets it to the cheers and gasps of onlookers. And every once in a while, you hear a story in the news about a toddler who saves his family member's life by calling 9-1-1- or who drives his kid sister to the mall while no one is looking.
In addition, I can personally testify to the amazing power of the average DSH (domestic short haired cat). If you think about it, cats are really a little like Superman. For example, their thigh power (on animals, we may call the thighs haunches) allows them to jump the equivalent of about 6 stories in human terms. So they are literally "able to leap tall buildings in a single bound." Have you ever watched one try? Mine are hilarious. Sometimes, they just do it instinctively. If they're scared, there's no hesitation whatsoever. On other occasions, it's funny to watch them study the precipice to which they want to jump, crouch and prepare, go through a couple of practice starts, and POOM. All of a sudden, kitty has reached the summit and is master of all she surveys. I've even seen a video of a cat jumping from the top of a telephone pole, landing effortlessly on its feet, and trotting off in triumph. How do they do it, these remarkable babies and felines?
Simple. They don't know they "can't," so they just do it.
Over the course of the next year, I'm going to expect a lot from you, and I'm going to ask you to do a lot of things. Sometimes, you may be tempted to think to yourself, "I will never be able to..." (fill in the blank), but I want to tell you something I honestly believe right now, before we start, before day one of school.
I truly believe that each one of you can do anything and everything you set your mind to doing, and I'm here to help you. If you start out thinking that you can succeed, you will! I will help you see to that. There is absolutely no reason why you cannot get the grade you want in your class. In fact, there is no reason why every student cannot get an A. You only have to do three things:
1. Believe in yourself.
2. Try.
3. Refuse to quit.
If you can handle these three steps, you will earn the grade you want (in fact, you'll probably exceed even your own expectations!). You might want to add a fourth, just in case:
4. Ask for help when you need it. (Really, that's 3.5, I guess...if you want to get nitpicky about it).
One of the most depressing things I hear when I work with students is the phrase "I can't." Every time I hear it (and I've been hearing it for 21 years now...no comments about age, please), I want to throw up my hands in despair, resign, and move to Tibet with the yaks. But think about it--this is my 21st year. I haven't quit, have I? I haven't quit on my former students, and I'm not going to quit on you.
So ask yourself--with the three and a half steps above and the assistance of your lovely, omniscient, hard working, never-give-up/never-surrender (there's another phrase to email me about), Rocky of an English teacher, is there any reason why you can't get an A and have a fabulously successful year?
I thought not. It would be great if you thought about it, too. (Every day.)
There's always tomorrow for dreams to come true,
Tomorrow is not far away."
(*Be the first to email me with the source of that quote, and there'll be something sweet in it for you!)
As we prepare for this new year, here's something else I want you to chew on for a while:
"People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves, they have the first secret of success."
— Norman Vincent Peale: Author, The Power of Positive Thinking.
When I think about that quote, I think about babies and cats. I know--sounds crazy, doesn't it? But it's true. Babies learn to walk because there is no one there to tell them they can't. In fact, their parents and everyone else around them constantly coo about how great they are, don't they? If you're around doting parents and grandparents too long, it can get pretty saccharine and sickening! But there is Junior, toddling and falling, constantly getting up and trying again until he finally gets it to the cheers and gasps of onlookers. And every once in a while, you hear a story in the news about a toddler who saves his family member's life by calling 9-1-1- or who drives his kid sister to the mall while no one is looking.
In addition, I can personally testify to the amazing power of the average DSH (domestic short haired cat). If you think about it, cats are really a little like Superman. For example, their thigh power (on animals, we may call the thighs haunches) allows them to jump the equivalent of about 6 stories in human terms. So they are literally "able to leap tall buildings in a single bound." Have you ever watched one try? Mine are hilarious. Sometimes, they just do it instinctively. If they're scared, there's no hesitation whatsoever. On other occasions, it's funny to watch them study the precipice to which they want to jump, crouch and prepare, go through a couple of practice starts, and POOM. All of a sudden, kitty has reached the summit and is master of all she surveys. I've even seen a video of a cat jumping from the top of a telephone pole, landing effortlessly on its feet, and trotting off in triumph. How do they do it, these remarkable babies and felines?
Simple. They don't know they "can't," so they just do it.
Over the course of the next year, I'm going to expect a lot from you, and I'm going to ask you to do a lot of things. Sometimes, you may be tempted to think to yourself, "I will never be able to..." (fill in the blank), but I want to tell you something I honestly believe right now, before we start, before day one of school.
I truly believe that each one of you can do anything and everything you set your mind to doing, and I'm here to help you. If you start out thinking that you can succeed, you will! I will help you see to that. There is absolutely no reason why you cannot get the grade you want in your class. In fact, there is no reason why every student cannot get an A. You only have to do three things:
1. Believe in yourself.
2. Try.
3. Refuse to quit.
If you can handle these three steps, you will earn the grade you want (in fact, you'll probably exceed even your own expectations!). You might want to add a fourth, just in case:
4. Ask for help when you need it. (Really, that's 3.5, I guess...if you want to get nitpicky about it).
One of the most depressing things I hear when I work with students is the phrase "I can't." Every time I hear it (and I've been hearing it for 21 years now...no comments about age, please), I want to throw up my hands in despair, resign, and move to Tibet with the yaks. But think about it--this is my 21st year. I haven't quit, have I? I haven't quit on my former students, and I'm not going to quit on you.
So ask yourself--with the three and a half steps above and the assistance of your lovely, omniscient, hard working, never-give-up/never-surrender (there's another phrase to email me about), Rocky of an English teacher, is there any reason why you can't get an A and have a fabulously successful year?
I thought not. It would be great if you thought about it, too. (Every day.)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Let's Get Together, Yeah Yeah Yeah
"Though we may not have a lot,
We could be sharing what we've got,
Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah!"
--with apologies to Disney for my poetic license
How about getting together one night during the week of August 4th for a help/discussion session on those AP batteries? I thought it might be good to wait until that time in order to let folks get back from vacations and to give those "late starters" a chance to participate, also. You can bring your worksheets and questions and anything else that seems appropriate (leave fingerpaints, llamas, and socket wrenches at home, please), and we'll socialize and work out our questions in a casual atmosphere. I'd like to meet sometime on that Thursday, August 7, but I need your suggestions. I have a few in mind but don't know what you'd really like best. Start responding to this blog and let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope to see you all there!
By the way, I'll give a bit of extra credit to the first person who emails me with the name of the Disney flick I quoted! :-)
We could be sharing what we've got,
Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah!"
--with apologies to Disney for my poetic license
How about getting together one night during the week of August 4th for a help/discussion session on those AP batteries? I thought it might be good to wait until that time in order to let folks get back from vacations and to give those "late starters" a chance to participate, also. You can bring your worksheets and questions and anything else that seems appropriate (leave fingerpaints, llamas, and socket wrenches at home, please), and we'll socialize and work out our questions in a casual atmosphere. I'd like to meet sometime on that Thursday, August 7, but I need your suggestions. I have a few in mind but don't know what you'd really like best. Start responding to this blog and let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope to see you all there!
By the way, I'll give a bit of extra credit to the first person who emails me with the name of the Disney flick I quoted! :-)
Let's start the year off with a bang!
Here's a tidbit to consider:
"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going."
— Earl Nightingale: Author, The Strangest Secret, Lead the Field.
If you think that's bewilderingly simple, you're right. It is. This man is one of the leaders in personal development coaching, and as I read this quote, I thought, "...and he got paid for that?" Of course, people with goals succeed! Of course, they do! There's really nothing all that brilliant or revolutionary about that, yet how many people do you know who flounder each year and fail to finish project after project or task after task because they just don't know what they're trying to do or why they're trying to do it? I daresay the numbers would both surprise and dishearten us.
So here's what I want you to ponder:
What do you want to get out of the coming year? Why will you be hauling your booty to class every day, dressing like you survived ground zero of an explosion at the Land's End warehouse, trying to overcome either the humiliation of riding the cheesewagon or braving the throngs of people who don't know how to park or drive correctly in the CHS lot, and choking down Bosco sticks? What's the ultimate thing you're trying to do?
Thing long term--think years down the road. close your eyes and try to imagine how it looks, tastes, feels...Do you see it? Now, keep that carrot dangling in your mind's eye every morning when you wake up. In no time, you'll be just that much closer to your long term goals. I challenge you to think about your goals as though you have already achieved them. Speak in these terms. Act as though you have already done what you are setting out to do this year. Having that kind of attitude will help you to achieve what you want to achieve.
Try it. See what happens. I'd be interested in your feedback.
"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going."
— Earl Nightingale: Author, The Strangest Secret, Lead the Field.
If you think that's bewilderingly simple, you're right. It is. This man is one of the leaders in personal development coaching, and as I read this quote, I thought, "...and he got paid for that?" Of course, people with goals succeed! Of course, they do! There's really nothing all that brilliant or revolutionary about that, yet how many people do you know who flounder each year and fail to finish project after project or task after task because they just don't know what they're trying to do or why they're trying to do it? I daresay the numbers would both surprise and dishearten us.
So here's what I want you to ponder:
What do you want to get out of the coming year? Why will you be hauling your booty to class every day, dressing like you survived ground zero of an explosion at the Land's End warehouse, trying to overcome either the humiliation of riding the cheesewagon or braving the throngs of people who don't know how to park or drive correctly in the CHS lot, and choking down Bosco sticks? What's the ultimate thing you're trying to do?
Thing long term--think years down the road. close your eyes and try to imagine how it looks, tastes, feels...Do you see it? Now, keep that carrot dangling in your mind's eye every morning when you wake up. In no time, you'll be just that much closer to your long term goals. I challenge you to think about your goals as though you have already achieved them. Speak in these terms. Act as though you have already done what you are setting out to do this year. Having that kind of attitude will help you to achieve what you want to achieve.
Try it. See what happens. I'd be interested in your feedback.
Monday, July 7, 2008
A trend of the future...
Just to let you know, I hear it from the proverbial little bird that we as a faculty will soon be asked to reflect seriously on how we evaluate student work and performance. I have already implemented some pretty nifty and unusual procedures, and I plan to implement some more; however, I'm not really sure yet how far I will or should go.
The gist of the matter is that, in some cases (probably a majority, I suppose), student ability and performance are not always reflected accurately by grades. For example, a student may be brilliant in math but an "underachiever," as we have heard folks say. That student could theoretically fail a math class for failure to do any work; however, he could later come along and ace the SAT or ACT and pass a college placement test. In that case, the student's failure in class wouldn't accurately reflect his ability. On the other hand, a student may work hard, turn in every assignment, do extra credit, etc., and still barely master the material. He may have a passing grade (even if it's marginal), but he may not know the material. Again, his grade wouldn't necessarily reflect his performance or ability.
Thus, we have a conundrum, and I really would like for you to think about this and post your thoughts. What is the best way to evaluate student work? What makes sense about your past experience (you must be completely generic in your responses--in other words, no nasty derogatory comments or specific names/classes--be objective in your analysis), and what doesn't? If you were a teacher, what kind of system would you use? Why?
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts because I feel the winds are changing, and I'm not sure where they will blow by the time you come back to school. Just a thought...
The gist of the matter is that, in some cases (probably a majority, I suppose), student ability and performance are not always reflected accurately by grades. For example, a student may be brilliant in math but an "underachiever," as we have heard folks say. That student could theoretically fail a math class for failure to do any work; however, he could later come along and ace the SAT or ACT and pass a college placement test. In that case, the student's failure in class wouldn't accurately reflect his ability. On the other hand, a student may work hard, turn in every assignment, do extra credit, etc., and still barely master the material. He may have a passing grade (even if it's marginal), but he may not know the material. Again, his grade wouldn't necessarily reflect his performance or ability.
Thus, we have a conundrum, and I really would like for you to think about this and post your thoughts. What is the best way to evaluate student work? What makes sense about your past experience (you must be completely generic in your responses--in other words, no nasty derogatory comments or specific names/classes--be objective in your analysis), and what doesn't? If you were a teacher, what kind of system would you use? Why?
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts because I feel the winds are changing, and I'm not sure where they will blow by the time you come back to school. Just a thought...
Results of the Summer Survey...aka notes from the Dismal Swamp
Several of you have given me your survey results, and I really do appreciate all your comments. It seems that you are excited about your reading! That's great news. But...and this is why I call the post "notes from the Dismal Swamp," I was disappointed that a greater number of people have not responded yet. So I'm going to make a deal with you. There are several very close races, and I'd really like to have a majority so that you as a class are the ones making the choice and not I as the teacher, ok? For that reason, I will wait until I come back on July 22 to post the results. At that time, expect to hear what you have chosen!
If you're in contact with other AP students this summer and you know they haven't responded or learned about the blog, for that matter, please give them the 411 and have them put in their "two cents," so to speak. I would love to hear from everyone.
If you're in contact with other AP students this summer and you know they haven't responded or learned about the blog, for that matter, please give them the 411 and have them put in their "two cents," so to speak. I would love to hear from everyone.
Motif Grids
The motif grid for Catch 22 is not a requirement, but I hope you'll consider doing one if you have time because it's invaluable in writing your first essay. If you have one, the essay will practically write itself. I'll show you how that works when you come to school in August. Cool? Hope so.
For your consideration, I have included a couple of models, and I hope you'll enjoy looking at them. Notice that repetition is what makes a motif a motif, so you won't just see one example under each entry; you'll see bunches. Further, you will appreciate it later if you have more than just fluff in the commentary column. Once again, you'll learn why later.
Again, all this is optional, but worth your time if you can get it done. I can see the possibility of a wee bit o' extra credit, perhaps...
As for the models, I couldn't find my file where I had a copy of John Lane's Moby Dick motif grid, so I went ahead and posted two of Kelsey Yule's. One of them is actually for Catch 22, so I warn you--don't fall victim to temptation and copy hers. If you do, yours will sound hauntingly familiar as I'm grading--not a good scenario for you, grasshopper. I want you to see what I expect, but I want you to do your own work!
If you have questions, you can always call!
For your consideration, I have included a couple of models, and I hope you'll enjoy looking at them. Notice that repetition is what makes a motif a motif, so you won't just see one example under each entry; you'll see bunches. Further, you will appreciate it later if you have more than just fluff in the commentary column. Once again, you'll learn why later.
Again, all this is optional, but worth your time if you can get it done. I can see the possibility of a wee bit o' extra credit, perhaps...
As for the models, I couldn't find my file where I had a copy of John Lane's Moby Dick motif grid, so I went ahead and posted two of Kelsey Yule's. One of them is actually for Catch 22, so I warn you--don't fall victim to temptation and copy hers. If you do, yours will sound hauntingly familiar as I'm grading--not a good scenario for you, grasshopper. I want you to see what I expect, but I want you to do your own work!
If you have questions, you can always call!
Literary Selection Sheet
I know--it's taken me forever, but here it is! The new, improved, fortified, enhanced version of the Literary Selection Sheet. It's something you can save to your computer, open up, and edit directly into Word. Isn't that nifty? It's designed to print out at about 3 pages. You can use Times New Roman or Arial/10 or 12 point font. If you would like to include more information than what the boxes will currently hold, feel free to expand; however, I would discourage using less space. where you have a lot of room, I'd like to see more information. Notice that you don't have a lot of room for things like genre, plot, etc. You do have tons of room for character analysis, style, motifs, etc. That's where the emphasis will come when I'm grading. Hope this helps you as you prepare your stuff.
Remember--the literary selection sheet is part of the assignment, but the motif grid isn't. Read the next entry to find out about that.
Remember--the literary selection sheet is part of the assignment, but the motif grid isn't. Read the next entry to find out about that.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Catching up!
I am having a blast reading all of your emails, and I feel as though I will have a nice sense of who's coming to visit my class before the year begins; however, time constraints have not permitted me to answer as quickly as I would like. I will get back to you all just as soon as I can. Hang in there!
I've been hanging out with family (a favorite aunt who just had surgery and is recuperating very nicely and some first cousins and their kids who I don't get to see more than twice a year!), so I'm not getting as much computer access as I'd like. Too much fun, however.
If you haven't had a chance and want a belly laugh (or maybe two), check out something written by David Sedaris. You can Google him to find out more.
Later (but not too much),
Ms. B
I've been hanging out with family (a favorite aunt who just had surgery and is recuperating very nicely and some first cousins and their kids who I don't get to see more than twice a year!), so I'm not getting as much computer access as I'd like. Too much fun, however.
If you haven't had a chance and want a belly laugh (or maybe two), check out something written by David Sedaris. You can Google him to find out more.
Later (but not too much),
Ms. B
Welcome to the realm...
Greetings, everyone!
I have just begun this blog as a means of keeping you updated with current information and of hosting discussions throughout the year. Check in frequently for news and information of all sorts. In the near future, I'll be posting inside information about the AP Language and Composition reading, and you AP folks won't want to miss that! I'll also be letting you know of some forthcoming summer activities.
Hope you're having a great summer (and that you aren't procrastinating on your summer reading assignment!),
Ms. B
I have just begun this blog as a means of keeping you updated with current information and of hosting discussions throughout the year. Check in frequently for news and information of all sorts. In the near future, I'll be posting inside information about the AP Language and Composition reading, and you AP folks won't want to miss that! I'll also be letting you know of some forthcoming summer activities.
Hope you're having a great summer (and that you aren't procrastinating on your summer reading assignment!),
Ms. B
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