Life is a race. Where are you in this race? Some, many, of your classmates are putting in a lot of effort and leaving some of you in the dust. You must realize that by refusing to participate in the race of life you are allowing your friends and peers to pass by you, to be leaps and bounds ahead of you. Sure, you may be progressing and moving forward, but every time you decide to not do you best, to not really try, you are letting everyone else be better than you. Where does this leave you? Why should you care? Well, you tell me.
How would you feel to know that you were the worst cook in cooking school?
How would you feel if everyone's picture were on the wall wall and yours was the worst?
How would you feel if you were the odd man out?
Some of your peers are taking leaps and strides in their learning because they are really trying and doing their best. Don't be left behind. Don't choose to be one of the worst.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
For Students Only
(As published in Healthy Valley Magazine August 2012 issue)
It’s August. It’s back-to-school time. Supplies are on sale and it’s time to prepare for the long journey ahead.
If you were going on a week-long outdoor excursion, what would you do? Would you just pick up and go or would you first prepare? Most people who wanted to survive with relative comfort would choose to prepare, perhaps by gathering some things to help perform basic activities and prevent accidents, maybe even by preparing his/her body mentally and physically with nutrition and hydration. If nothing else, he/she would get a good night’s rest, eat a good meal and drink a tall glass of water before taking off.
Do you realize that you are the one going on that excursion? Okay, maybe it’s a bit more than a week long, and maybe it’s not exactly outdoors, but you are going and you need to prepare. You need to gather your tools and prepare your mind and body if you want to survive with minimal discomfort, problems and stress.
Having the right tools with you at all times is first priority. Although you may not have an official school supply list, you already know that you will need pencils, erasers, folders, lined paper and a calendar to note your assignments and other important dates. Once you have gathered your supplies, you can estimate the size of backpack or book bag that seems appropriate. Keep in mind that the larger the backpack or bag, the more stuff you’re going to put and keep in it, possibly making it heavier than is safe for your back and making it difficult to retrieve your supplies when needed. And when you’re trying to make it down a congested hallway or trying to stay focused on the lesson, those are not times to be slowed down by a too full and too heavy backpack.
Just as you would eat a good meal and drink water before your week’s excursion, you should prepare your body before the school year starts, and every day during it, by getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals and hydrating your body so you can function at your best. Just because you have been managing just fine all summer eating junk food, drinking soda, staying up late, not getting enough sleep and mistreating your body in general, doesn’t mean you can survive the school year doing all those things. In fact, you will “survive,” but it will come with suffering and unnecessary stress and frustration.
So, start your school year off right with the proper supplies, plenty of sleep and healthy food in order to make the most of your year-long excursion!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
It’s August. It’s back-to-school time. Supplies are on sale and it’s time to prepare for the long journey ahead.
If you were going on a week-long outdoor excursion, what would you do? Would you just pick up and go or would you first prepare? Most people who wanted to survive with relative comfort would choose to prepare, perhaps by gathering some things to help perform basic activities and prevent accidents, maybe even by preparing his/her body mentally and physically with nutrition and hydration. If nothing else, he/she would get a good night’s rest, eat a good meal and drink a tall glass of water before taking off.
Do you realize that you are the one going on that excursion? Okay, maybe it’s a bit more than a week long, and maybe it’s not exactly outdoors, but you are going and you need to prepare. You need to gather your tools and prepare your mind and body if you want to survive with minimal discomfort, problems and stress.
Having the right tools with you at all times is first priority. Although you may not have an official school supply list, you already know that you will need pencils, erasers, folders, lined paper and a calendar to note your assignments and other important dates. Once you have gathered your supplies, you can estimate the size of backpack or book bag that seems appropriate. Keep in mind that the larger the backpack or bag, the more stuff you’re going to put and keep in it, possibly making it heavier than is safe for your back and making it difficult to retrieve your supplies when needed. And when you’re trying to make it down a congested hallway or trying to stay focused on the lesson, those are not times to be slowed down by a too full and too heavy backpack.
Just as you would eat a good meal and drink water before your week’s excursion, you should prepare your body before the school year starts, and every day during it, by getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals and hydrating your body so you can function at your best. Just because you have been managing just fine all summer eating junk food, drinking soda, staying up late, not getting enough sleep and mistreating your body in general, doesn’t mean you can survive the school year doing all those things. In fact, you will “survive,” but it will come with suffering and unnecessary stress and frustration.
So, start your school year off right with the proper supplies, plenty of sleep and healthy food in order to make the most of your year-long excursion!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Monday, July 23, 2012
Scholarships for Low-Income High School Seniors (2012-2013)
Taken from QuestBridge.org
The QuestBridge National College Match is designed for high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite facing economic challenges. Most College Match scholarship recipients come from households earning less than $60,000 annually (for a typical family of four) and have experienced long-term economic hardship.
In order to be eligible to apply in 2012, applicants must graduate from high school during or before the spring/summer of 2013 and plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall of 2013.
We do not have absolute criteria for GPA, standardized test scores, or income. When selecting finalists for the National College Match, we try to answer the following questions: "Does this student have the motivation and academic ability to thrive at one of our partner colleges?" and "Has this student overcome socio-economic obstacles to achieve academic excellence?"
QuestBridge selects finalists and then sends the finalist applications to our partner colleges for their review. QuestBridge does not choose College Match scholarship recipients. Partner colleges ultimately make the final selection of scholarship recipients from among the finalists.
A note about citizenship requirements:
Students who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents may apply. However, not all of our partner colleges will consider these students for admission and full scholarships through the College Match process. Most of our partner colleges use federal and state funds to finance a portion of the scholarships, and these funds are only available for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents.
Although only U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents are generally eligible for College Match scholarship packages, our partner colleges will consider all students who apply through the Regular Decision process, regardless of citizenship status. Each year, many QuestBridge applicants who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents gain acceptance and financial aid to our partner colleges via the Regular Decision process.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
The QuestBridge National College Match is designed for high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite facing economic challenges. Most College Match scholarship recipients come from households earning less than $60,000 annually (for a typical family of four) and have experienced long-term economic hardship.
In order to be eligible to apply in 2012, applicants must graduate from high school during or before the spring/summer of 2013 and plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall of 2013.
We do not have absolute criteria for GPA, standardized test scores, or income. When selecting finalists for the National College Match, we try to answer the following questions: "Does this student have the motivation and academic ability to thrive at one of our partner colleges?" and "Has this student overcome socio-economic obstacles to achieve academic excellence?"
QuestBridge selects finalists and then sends the finalist applications to our partner colleges for their review. QuestBridge does not choose College Match scholarship recipients. Partner colleges ultimately make the final selection of scholarship recipients from among the finalists.
A note about citizenship requirements:
Students who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents may apply. However, not all of our partner colleges will consider these students for admission and full scholarships through the College Match process. Most of our partner colleges use federal and state funds to finance a portion of the scholarships, and these funds are only available for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents.
Although only U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents are generally eligible for College Match scholarship packages, our partner colleges will consider all students who apply through the Regular Decision process, regardless of citizenship status. Each year, many QuestBridge applicants who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents gain acceptance and financial aid to our partner colleges via the Regular Decision process.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Read (and Write) for Rewards!
This summer, Barnes & Nobel and Texas grocery store chain HEB are offering great rewards for reading.
Barnes & Nobel is offering free books to elementary students who read eight books this summer and record them in the Barnes & Nobel Summer Reading Program, Imagination’s Destination Journal, which can be picked up at any Barnes & Nobel bookstore. After completing the journal, which entails writing the titles of the eight books and a very short recommendation, positive or negative, all you have to do is take your journal to your local Barnes & Nobel bookstore by September 4th and choose a free book from the list printed in the Imagination’s Destination Journal. Not a bad deal!
If you’re a junior high or high school student who likes to read and write, then the HEB Summer of Read. Write. Win. contest may be the challenge for you! Just choose an influential Texan to read about and write an essay explaining why you think he or she has had an impact on Texas. 3 Grand Prizes: $15,000 scholarship – 3 First Prizes: $6,500 scholarship – 7 Honorable Mentions: $1,000 scholarship
So here’s to you! Find yourself a great book and get reading! Enjoy!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Barnes & Nobel is offering free books to elementary students who read eight books this summer and record them in the Barnes & Nobel Summer Reading Program, Imagination’s Destination Journal, which can be picked up at any Barnes & Nobel bookstore. After completing the journal, which entails writing the titles of the eight books and a very short recommendation, positive or negative, all you have to do is take your journal to your local Barnes & Nobel bookstore by September 4th and choose a free book from the list printed in the Imagination’s Destination Journal. Not a bad deal!
If you’re a junior high or high school student who likes to read and write, then the HEB Summer of Read. Write. Win. contest may be the challenge for you! Just choose an influential Texan to read about and write an essay explaining why you think he or she has had an impact on Texas. 3 Grand Prizes: $15,000 scholarship – 3 First Prizes: $6,500 scholarship – 7 Honorable Mentions: $1,000 scholarship
So here’s to you! Find yourself a great book and get reading! Enjoy!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Setting Myself Up for Failure
It may sound crazy, but lately I've been setting myself up for failure...on purpose.
I'm right-handed but have been trying to throw with my left hand and kick with my left foot when playing ball with my dog. Let me tell you, Lily was very patient with me. When kicking her small orange ball with my right foot, I could get that thing to loft into the air and go a good distance, but with my left foot, it was a totally different story. At first, it was the same as when I golfed, nothing but air. My foot usually wouldn't even hit the ball, but if it did, the ball hardly moved from its spot. Sometimes I got lucky and the ball would actually move forward a few feet. After a while, I'd get to feeling bad for Lily and, for her sake, would revert back to using my right foot. Boy would that get her running! But each time Lily and I went out to play ball, I would try for quite a while to kick her ball with my left foot. It really didn't take more than a few days of trying before there was consistent contact and distance, which made both of us happy.
Like I said, I also tried throwing with my left hand. There was a bit more success in that, but only because the ball was already in my hand. Although the ball went much farther than when I kicked it with my left foot, the difference between throws with the right hand and the left were obvious. Nonetheless, I kept throwing with with my non-dominant hand and paying attention to how my wrist moved, how the ball sort of rolled off my finger tips, and how my arm moved. Often I would throw with my right hand, paying attention to all those things, and then try to mimic the movements with the left side of my body. Just like with the kicking, my throwing improved quite a bit.
So now you may be wondering "Who cares?" or "What's the point?" Well, let me tell you. I have been purposely setting myself up for failure in order to become better. I have been challenging the left side of my body to improve the power of my brain. That's right. There is a connection between the ability to use both sides of your body and the ability of your brain. You don't have to only practice academics to "get smarter."
So I challenge you. Start using your weaker, non-dominant hand to eat, open jars, throw balls, drink, and unlock your door and use your non-dominant foot to kick a ball, push a drawer closed and pull open a door. It won't take long before you'll see the physical progress and in the future you'll appreciate the mental results. Talk about a painless way to get a better functioning brain!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
I'm right-handed but have been trying to throw with my left hand and kick with my left foot when playing ball with my dog. Let me tell you, Lily was very patient with me. When kicking her small orange ball with my right foot, I could get that thing to loft into the air and go a good distance, but with my left foot, it was a totally different story. At first, it was the same as when I golfed, nothing but air. My foot usually wouldn't even hit the ball, but if it did, the ball hardly moved from its spot. Sometimes I got lucky and the ball would actually move forward a few feet. After a while, I'd get to feeling bad for Lily and, for her sake, would revert back to using my right foot. Boy would that get her running! But each time Lily and I went out to play ball, I would try for quite a while to kick her ball with my left foot. It really didn't take more than a few days of trying before there was consistent contact and distance, which made both of us happy.
Like I said, I also tried throwing with my left hand. There was a bit more success in that, but only because the ball was already in my hand. Although the ball went much farther than when I kicked it with my left foot, the difference between throws with the right hand and the left were obvious. Nonetheless, I kept throwing with with my non-dominant hand and paying attention to how my wrist moved, how the ball sort of rolled off my finger tips, and how my arm moved. Often I would throw with my right hand, paying attention to all those things, and then try to mimic the movements with the left side of my body. Just like with the kicking, my throwing improved quite a bit.
So now you may be wondering "Who cares?" or "What's the point?" Well, let me tell you. I have been purposely setting myself up for failure in order to become better. I have been challenging the left side of my body to improve the power of my brain. That's right. There is a connection between the ability to use both sides of your body and the ability of your brain. You don't have to only practice academics to "get smarter."
So I challenge you. Start using your weaker, non-dominant hand to eat, open jars, throw balls, drink, and unlock your door and use your non-dominant foot to kick a ball, push a drawer closed and pull open a door. It won't take long before you'll see the physical progress and in the future you'll appreciate the mental results. Talk about a painless way to get a better functioning brain!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Fun Educational Websites!
Below is an article that I wrote for Healthy Valley Magazine's April 2012 issue. It's a compilation and descriptions of some awesome websites that parents and students can take advantage of, and all of the sites are FREE!
Kids Know It is “the Internet's most popular educational website since 1998.” Children can find educational activities, products, movies, music, games, articles, text books, learning programs and worksheets. There are even posters and podcasts available. http://www.kidsknowit.com/
"FunBrain is the #1 site for online educational games for kids of all ages.” It offers games, books, comics and the lost art of Mad Libs. The site helps students improve their math, grammar, science, spelling and history knowledge in fun, versatile ways that keep kids wanting to play, without realizing that they are improving their academic skills. http://www.funbrain.com/
Starfall is a wonderful site dedicated to literacy that teaches children to read with phonics. Its systematic approach and phonemic awareness practice are perfect for preschool through second grade students as well as those in special education and English language development programs. Starfall keeps literacy fun and motivating, so it is a site that also appeals to struggling readers. http://www.starfall.com/
Jefferson Lab, also known as JLab, comes from a world-class research facility in Virginia, and is considered a highly valued partner by the local, regional and national education community. JLab focuses specifically on science and math through a collection of science videos (produced by Jefferson Lab Science) and recorded lectures, both via the Science Cinema portal. Students can learn math and science through games and test their knowledge and receive specific feedback through the SOL Tests section. http://education.jlab.org/
Smithsonian Education offers to students so much knowledge about just about everything. Unlike most educational sites, this site does not focus solely on academic knowledge; although there is plenty of it. It invites exploration because it is full of cool stuff that kids are unlikely to discover and experience without traveling around the globe. http://smithsonianeducation.org
Coolmath-games is all about math. As the names suggests, many cool math games can be found here, but not only that. There are math lessons from basic arithmetic to pre-calculus that are simple to understand and that go step by step. The lessons are short, so students have to spend a lot of time to be successful. The three sites that make up Coolmath are http:/coolmath.com/, http://coolmath4kids.com/, http://coolmath-games.com/.
Signed,
Lora the Stucy Coach
Kids Know It is “the Internet's most popular educational website since 1998.” Children can find educational activities, products, movies, music, games, articles, text books, learning programs and worksheets. There are even posters and podcasts available. http://www.kidsknowit.com/
"FunBrain is the #1 site for online educational games for kids of all ages.” It offers games, books, comics and the lost art of Mad Libs. The site helps students improve their math, grammar, science, spelling and history knowledge in fun, versatile ways that keep kids wanting to play, without realizing that they are improving their academic skills. http://www.funbrain.com/
Starfall is a wonderful site dedicated to literacy that teaches children to read with phonics. Its systematic approach and phonemic awareness practice are perfect for preschool through second grade students as well as those in special education and English language development programs. Starfall keeps literacy fun and motivating, so it is a site that also appeals to struggling readers. http://www.starfall.com/
Jefferson Lab, also known as JLab, comes from a world-class research facility in Virginia, and is considered a highly valued partner by the local, regional and national education community. JLab focuses specifically on science and math through a collection of science videos (produced by Jefferson Lab Science) and recorded lectures, both via the Science Cinema portal. Students can learn math and science through games and test their knowledge and receive specific feedback through the SOL Tests section. http://education.jlab.org/
Smithsonian Education offers to students so much knowledge about just about everything. Unlike most educational sites, this site does not focus solely on academic knowledge; although there is plenty of it. It invites exploration because it is full of cool stuff that kids are unlikely to discover and experience without traveling around the globe. http://smithsonianeducation.org
Coolmath-games is all about math. As the names suggests, many cool math games can be found here, but not only that. There are math lessons from basic arithmetic to pre-calculus that are simple to understand and that go step by step. The lessons are short, so students have to spend a lot of time to be successful. The three sites that make up Coolmath are http:/coolmath.com/, http://coolmath4kids.com/, http://coolmath-games.com/.
Signed,
Lora the Stucy Coach
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Translation Stick-Ups YouTube Video
I hope this blog finds you doing well and being successful in your studies. I want to let you know that another Lora the Study Coach video has been posted on YouTube. This one is entitled "Translation Stick-Ups" and uses Math as the sample subject material. Of course, this activity, like all the others, is useful to study and learn information for any subject. I hope you like it and find it helpful.
Here is the YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubi_R9CRpBY
You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel with this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/LoraTheStudyCoach?ob=0&feature=results_main
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Here is the YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubi_R9CRpBY
You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel with this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/LoraTheStudyCoach?ob=0&feature=results_main
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Friday, February 10, 2012
YouTube Video Showing Columns Activity
I hope that you are doing well and are enjoying this second, and perhaps most challenging, semester.
Because this semester is chock full of state assessments, I have recently uploaded a Lora the Study Coach video on YouTube.com for you. It demonstrates the “Columns” activity found in The Study Coach’s Easy Study Manual and gives attention to the small details that make this a very effective activity for learning vocabulary in all subject areas; historical dates, events, and people; scientific theories and laws; mathematical theorems and equations and their variables; and more. I hope that you find the video useful!
Link to Lora the Study Coach “Columns” video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNIMhPlHH8c
You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel with this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/LoraTheStudyCoach?ob=0&feature=results_main
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Because this semester is chock full of state assessments, I have recently uploaded a Lora the Study Coach video on YouTube.com for you. It demonstrates the “Columns” activity found in The Study Coach’s Easy Study Manual and gives attention to the small details that make this a very effective activity for learning vocabulary in all subject areas; historical dates, events, and people; scientific theories and laws; mathematical theorems and equations and their variables; and more. I hope that you find the video useful!
Link to Lora the Study Coach “Columns” video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNIMhPlHH8c
You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel with this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/LoraTheStudyCoach?ob=0&feature=results_main
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Friday, January 6, 2012
Wisdom
Wisdom is more than knowledge. It's knowledge coupled with proper judgment, which generally comes with life experiences. We often consider grandparents as wise, because they seem to know all the tricks to getting something done right. Grandparents have lived for such a long time that they have learned what to do and what not to do through their copious experiences. They are so capable of taking in so much information and coming up with the right answer. This is not knowledge; this is wisdom.
Here is what the Bible has to say about wisdom in Proverbs 3:13-16.
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
I am not pretending to be a Biblical scholar, but let me sum this up. Wisdom is more precious than any other riches a person could think of.
In my opinion, wisdom keeps you alive and helps you make good choices in life.
With that said, go and do your best in school. Take from your teachers all the knowledge that they have to give, because without knowledge, you can't have wisdom. And wisdom is the key to many of life's great riches.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Here is what the Bible has to say about wisdom in Proverbs 3:13-16.
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
I am not pretending to be a Biblical scholar, but let me sum this up. Wisdom is more precious than any other riches a person could think of.
In my opinion, wisdom keeps you alive and helps you make good choices in life.
With that said, go and do your best in school. Take from your teachers all the knowledge that they have to give, because without knowledge, you can't have wisdom. And wisdom is the key to many of life's great riches.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Do You Leave Scars?
A teacher in New York was teaching her class about bullying and gave them the following exercise to perform. She had the children take out a piece of paper and told them to crumple it up, stomp on it, and really mess it up, but not to rip it. Then she had them unfold the paper, smooth it out, and look at how scarred and dirty it was. She then told them to tell it they were sorry. Now, even though they said they were sorry and tried to fix the paper, she pointed out all the scars they left behind and that those scars would never go away no matter how hard they tried to fix the paper. That is what happens when a person bullies another person - they may say they’re sorry, but the scars are there forever. The looks on the faces of the children in the classroom told her the message hit home. ~ Author Unkown (shared by Charlene Freed-Geimer)
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Monday, November 21, 2011
It's Thanksgiving!
Wow! It's hard to believe that we are already at this time of year, to me the time of year to give thanks for all the little things. This year, I encourage you to give thanks for your brain, your health, the food that gives you energy, the roof over your head, and for the clothes that keep you covered. Yes, there are many things that we are not thankful for or that we feel we are lacking, but think how life would be if you didn't have a brain that worked, if you were too ill to live a meaningful life, if you were literally starving to death, or if you had no clothing to cover up with.
Food, shelter, clothing, responsibility you can handle (not too much or too little), free time, and friends. If you have these, then you have it all and are lacking nothing.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Food, shelter, clothing, responsibility you can handle (not too much or too little), free time, and friends. If you have these, then you have it all and are lacking nothing.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Friday, October 14, 2011
But I Don't Want To!
Every day for the past few weeks, I've thought I have to write a new blog for the web page. Have I done it? No, not until this very moment. It just seemed like too much work to actually press the link on my toolbar. And then I'd have to log in and wait. Then I'd have to actually write something short. Wow, it could actually kill me!
Guess what. I'm not dieing. And you won't die either when you finally decide to do what must be done. It can be so hard to get going on something that you just aren't interested in, but all you have to do is force yourself to get started, and then you'll be done before you know it. Well, if you don't get it completely done, at least you'll have a good start on it.
With school work, it never pays to delay. (Hey, that's a great slogan!) Sure, you can copy from a friend, but come exam time, you'll wish you had just done the work yourself. And if you delay too long, all you have is a pile of work that is impossible to complete with any sort of quality. School work is just like exercising for some of us: we want to exercise, but it takes more effort to get started than it does to actually exercise.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Guess what. I'm not dieing. And you won't die either when you finally decide to do what must be done. It can be so hard to get going on something that you just aren't interested in, but all you have to do is force yourself to get started, and then you'll be done before you know it. Well, if you don't get it completely done, at least you'll have a good start on it.
With school work, it never pays to delay. (Hey, that's a great slogan!) Sure, you can copy from a friend, but come exam time, you'll wish you had just done the work yourself. And if you delay too long, all you have is a pile of work that is impossible to complete with any sort of quality. School work is just like exercising for some of us: we want to exercise, but it takes more effort to get started than it does to actually exercise.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Monday, September 19, 2011
Does Your Teacher Teach You Or Is All You Hear "Blah, Blah, Blah"?
Many teachers pride themselves on being subject-matter experts. I pride myself on being a student expert. I can look at a student’s face and determine if he “got it.” I can teach the same material in many different ways, as I look for the way that clicks with my student. That’s what teaching is all about.
Does your teacher know how to teach YOU? If not, take the time to let him know. It may be the most beneficial conversation you ever had!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Does your teacher know how to teach YOU? If not, take the time to let him know. It may be the most beneficial conversation you ever had!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Get Ready. It's Coming!
Hello, disorganized classroom! I went to see my classroom today and spend time getting it ready for you, my students. Don't think that I'm the only teacher who did this. Many of my colleagues go in before it's time to get their and your rooms ready for the new year. I found so much disorganization that I didn't know where to start. Things were everywhere, which is typical due to all that goes on when we go home and the maintenance crew does its thing, kind of like when you sit down to do your homework-everything is everywhere.
Now that I and many of your teachers have spent time preparing for this school year, I want you to do the same. Now's the time to get your pens, pencils, erasers, calulator, paper, notebook, and folders ready, not to take to school but to set up your homework area at home. Gather all of these things and anything else you may need to do your work at home and put them in a box, bag, or container of some sort so when you have to do your homework everything's there, and all you have to do is grab the container and you're ready to go.
Homework is not the most fun thing ever, so why make it more difficult than it has to be? Some parents make you do your homework before you get to do what you really want to do. So why waste time and energy every day going around gathering everything you need just to get started? Maybe your parents want you to earn As and Bs. There's no way you can get that can be easy if you're constantly getting up to get this and get that. There's nothing like finally getting into it and then having to stop because you need something. Homework is already frustrating enough, so why add to it. Having everything ready when you sit down to work makes it all that much easier.
I hope that this year's homework is a bit more tolerable with this simple yet effective strategy. Here's to a great year!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Now that I and many of your teachers have spent time preparing for this school year, I want you to do the same. Now's the time to get your pens, pencils, erasers, calulator, paper, notebook, and folders ready, not to take to school but to set up your homework area at home. Gather all of these things and anything else you may need to do your work at home and put them in a box, bag, or container of some sort so when you have to do your homework everything's there, and all you have to do is grab the container and you're ready to go.
Homework is not the most fun thing ever, so why make it more difficult than it has to be? Some parents make you do your homework before you get to do what you really want to do. So why waste time and energy every day going around gathering everything you need just to get started? Maybe your parents want you to earn As and Bs. There's no way you can get that can be easy if you're constantly getting up to get this and get that. There's nothing like finally getting into it and then having to stop because you need something. Homework is already frustrating enough, so why add to it. Having everything ready when you sit down to work makes it all that much easier.
I hope that this year's homework is a bit more tolerable with this simple yet effective strategy. Here's to a great year!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Friday, July 8, 2011
Study Coach Group Offering
If you’re looking for something to do this summer, why not get a group of friends together and take a class with Lora the Study Coach? It’s a great way to master the Study Coach’s methods to learn virtually anything, and with a group a friends, it’s sure to be fun! In 90 minutes, you will learn 20+ ways to acquire and remember information that will help you pass exams and earn better grades in the classroom. It’s a great investment that will help you earn better grades for the rest of your academic career. Wouldn’t it be great to never struggle again with your schoolwork?! Maybe taking a study class in the summer is not your idea of a fun summer vacation, but it’s worth sharpening your skills before you have to use them.
Take this into consideration: Two lumberjacks were chopping down trees in a forest (Hopefully they were planting trees to replace what they were cutting down.). By lunchtime, their axes had begun to dull, so they discussed the situation and came up with two thoughts: 1. If they stopped to sharpen their axes, they would lose time getting their job done; 2. If they kept going not stopping to sharpen their axes, then no time would be lost and they could keep working. After some thought, one lumberjack decided that they were already losing too much time and decided to keep chopping. The other lumberjack decided that it was worth the time to sharpen his axe, so he stopped chopping and began sharpening. His colleague just shook his head as he felled yet another tree. It wasn’t long before the lumberjack who had sharpened his axe got back to work and began catching up to his colleague and soon passed him in the number of trees cut down. After a hard day of work, there was only one lumberjack who was still working—the one who refused to sharpen his axe.
Study skills are like an axe: the sharper they are, the faster the work gets done!
If you’re interested in mastering the Study Coach’s methods, get a group of friends together and set up your class. Classes are limited to 5 students to assure that each student is given appropriate time and practice with each study method. Call or write today: (956) 501-7724, Lora@LoratheStudyCoach.com. Cost per group is $200.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Take this into consideration: Two lumberjacks were chopping down trees in a forest (Hopefully they were planting trees to replace what they were cutting down.). By lunchtime, their axes had begun to dull, so they discussed the situation and came up with two thoughts: 1. If they stopped to sharpen their axes, they would lose time getting their job done; 2. If they kept going not stopping to sharpen their axes, then no time would be lost and they could keep working. After some thought, one lumberjack decided that they were already losing too much time and decided to keep chopping. The other lumberjack decided that it was worth the time to sharpen his axe, so he stopped chopping and began sharpening. His colleague just shook his head as he felled yet another tree. It wasn’t long before the lumberjack who had sharpened his axe got back to work and began catching up to his colleague and soon passed him in the number of trees cut down. After a hard day of work, there was only one lumberjack who was still working—the one who refused to sharpen his axe.
Study skills are like an axe: the sharper they are, the faster the work gets done!
If you’re interested in mastering the Study Coach’s methods, get a group of friends together and set up your class. Classes are limited to 5 students to assure that each student is given appropriate time and practice with each study method. Call or write today: (956) 501-7724, Lora@LoratheStudyCoach.com. Cost per group is $200.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Monday, June 20, 2011
Bedhead
Yeah! School’s out for summer! For us Texans, it’s been out for a good two weeks. Sorry to those of you who are still attending. Just remember that we all go to school for 36 weeks of class, and northern schools will have their time to brag in August when they are still on summer break and we are back in school. Enough of that.
Summer is here! Take the time to re-energize. I have found myself sleeping so much! I’m beginning to feel that I’m not worth the air I breathe. But then I remember the 36 weeks of perseverance and hard work that I’ve just completed and give myself a break. So, if you find your parents bugging you about sleeping too much, let them know that you’re body is re-energizing and gaining back its strength. However, don’t think that this is permission to sleep your life away. You do have to get out of bed at some point!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Summer is here! Take the time to re-energize. I have found myself sleeping so much! I’m beginning to feel that I’m not worth the air I breathe. But then I remember the 36 weeks of perseverance and hard work that I’ve just completed and give myself a break. So, if you find your parents bugging you about sleeping too much, let them know that you’re body is re-energizing and gaining back its strength. However, don’t think that this is permission to sleep your life away. You do have to get out of bed at some point!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
You Can Do It!
I feel like The Little Engine That Could! This time of year is so draining for students and teachers. Everyone is ready to throw in the towel. But don’t! We are so close to the end. After 9 months, or 10 in Texas, it is so wrong to flub up when the end is in sight. This, in fact, may be the toughest time of the school year. Keep it up, kiddos! Be determined to end this year on a positive note. You can do it!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Testing, Testing!
As I was monitoring one of my students during a state exam, he commented, “This is so boring!” Really? With a variety of interesting stories and articles to read and a chance to shine, how could the test be boring? What I think he really meant is that the test, the writings, weren’t stimulating him. I think he also meant that he was having trouble sitting so still in such a quiet room with no distractions. It is due to this “boringness” that he is likely to fail his exam, not because of his inability or lack of knowledge or skills.
Nothing that this student could have done a week before testing could have cured this boredom, just as someone who plans to run a marathon cannot ready himself for the endurance in a week. He needed to be working on the issue for months prior to the event. Strength is built up over time. From the beginning, or at least months prior to the state exams, every day in every class, my student should have been pushing himself, forcing himself, to do just a little bit more when he wanted to give up. It’s the little bit extra that we practice every day that makes a huge difference in the end.
Today my student sat very unhappy with his test in front of him. I can only imagine what he was thinking, the complaining he was doing in his head and the angst he was feeling as the test was before him—that test that would determine if he is promoted to high school or not. If only he had been a mental athlete, not a mental sideliner.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Nothing that this student could have done a week before testing could have cured this boredom, just as someone who plans to run a marathon cannot ready himself for the endurance in a week. He needed to be working on the issue for months prior to the event. Strength is built up over time. From the beginning, or at least months prior to the state exams, every day in every class, my student should have been pushing himself, forcing himself, to do just a little bit more when he wanted to give up. It’s the little bit extra that we practice every day that makes a huge difference in the end.
Today my student sat very unhappy with his test in front of him. I can only imagine what he was thinking, the complaining he was doing in his head and the angst he was feeling as the test was before him—that test that would determine if he is promoted to high school or not. If only he had been a mental athlete, not a mental sideliner.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Saturday, February 26, 2011
NABE 2011
NABE 2011 was a huge success! In February, at the National Association of Bilingual Education annual conference in New Orleans, teachers packed the room to hear about the learning strategies found in The Study Coach’s Easy Study Manual. Teachers from across the nation attended and left with valuable activities to teach their students.
It usually only takes the knowledge of a few strategies for a student’s grades to soar, but all of the strategies need to be taught so that each student can select a handful that works for him. Not all of the strategies work for all students because all students do not learn the same—some are auditory learners, some are visual learners; and some are tactile learners. The opposite is also true, that some do not learn through auditory, visual or tactile input. Most commonly, though, students learn through the stimulation of multiple senses, which is why the learning activities in The Study Coach’s Easy Study Manual are effective learning tools—they are multisensory!
Thank you to all of those who attended The Study Coach’s session at NABE 2011! I look forward to seeing you again at NABE 2012!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
It usually only takes the knowledge of a few strategies for a student’s grades to soar, but all of the strategies need to be taught so that each student can select a handful that works for him. Not all of the strategies work for all students because all students do not learn the same—some are auditory learners, some are visual learners; and some are tactile learners. The opposite is also true, that some do not learn through auditory, visual or tactile input. Most commonly, though, students learn through the stimulation of multiple senses, which is why the learning activities in The Study Coach’s Easy Study Manual are effective learning tools—they are multisensory!
Thank you to all of those who attended The Study Coach’s session at NABE 2011! I look forward to seeing you again at NABE 2012!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Sunday, December 26, 2010
It's Vacation, But Don't Let Your Mind Turn to Mush!
I don't know about you, but I am already bored. Not saying that I want to go back to school or anything, but I'm bored. School let out on December 17th, which gave me plenty of time to tie up all the loose ends before Christmas. It is one of the wonderful things about teaching in South Texas.
Now that we are on the 9th day of vacation, the 9th day of no obligations, the 9th day of waking up late and taking naps, I'm bored. I'm "ready to go." On the inside, I wish I had the desire to exercise my body, but I've been so physically lazy that my desire is not strong enough to do so. My mind has been resting so much that it isn't anxious to do anything either. HOWEVER, if I don't get my mind moving, it is going to be tough going when school starts again. So, here is my plan:
1. Get online and chat with my friends (reading, writing, thinking)
2. Clean my room (physical movement, decision making--"Where should I put this?"
3. Call a friend (language skills)
4. Cook a meal (focus, physical movement)
5. Do crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search, picure puzzle (critical thinking)
If I do a little bit every day, my mind won't go into shock when classes start up again. Plus, I'll feel a shot of satisfaction each time I complete an activity and I won't feel lazy, which makes me feel guilty.
No matter what, enjoy your vacation--you deserve it!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Now that we are on the 9th day of vacation, the 9th day of no obligations, the 9th day of waking up late and taking naps, I'm bored. I'm "ready to go." On the inside, I wish I had the desire to exercise my body, but I've been so physically lazy that my desire is not strong enough to do so. My mind has been resting so much that it isn't anxious to do anything either. HOWEVER, if I don't get my mind moving, it is going to be tough going when school starts again. So, here is my plan:
1. Get online and chat with my friends (reading, writing, thinking)
2. Clean my room (physical movement, decision making--"Where should I put this?"
3. Call a friend (language skills)
4. Cook a meal (focus, physical movement)
5. Do crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search, picure puzzle (critical thinking)
If I do a little bit every day, my mind won't go into shock when classes start up again. Plus, I'll feel a shot of satisfaction each time I complete an activity and I won't feel lazy, which makes me feel guilty.
No matter what, enjoy your vacation--you deserve it!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
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