Getting Ready to Wrap it Up

May is here!  The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and the school year is rapidly coming to a close.  I am eager to help each of you finish the year successfully.  To that end, I will be calling each of you, asking for final writing samples, and nudging you to complete any work that you haven't quite gotten around to doing.  It's sometimes hard to get  started, but it feels so good when you're done!

If there's anything ANYTHING I can help you with, there's no need to wait for my call.  Just pop in to my office hour (4:00 - 5:00, Tuesday afternoons), write me a Kmail, or give me a call (541-815-8374) and I'll be more than happy to help.

In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful weather!

April Showers?

Here in Bend, April is starting off with a day-long spring snowfall, but sunshine and daisies must be just around the corner, right? We are closing in on the end of the school year, and a successful completion of your English/Language Arts classes. While it might be tempting to stop now, it's so important to keep going (or even pick up the pace!) all the way to the finish line. I am here to help you make that happen. Even if you feel like you're too far behind to catch up, or too confused to figure things out, I can get you to your goal easier than you can imagine; you just have to let me know! Please

• Come to my online/in-person office hour (4-5 Tuesdays, Room 230, Administration Building or in Class Connect)
• Kmail me with questions or problems
• Call: 541-815-8374

Seriously. I would LOVE to help you get through your year successfully. So, let me know what you need. In the meantime, watch for those crocuses; winter can't hold on forever!

March!

With March come longer daylight savings days, spring break, more sunshine, and the first distant glimpse of summer. It's a perfect opportunity to get everything organized and put on that last strong push to get to the end of the year. In the coming weeks, I'll be calling each of you to check in on your progress and make sure you have everything you need to succeed. In the meantime, call me, Kmail, or Class Connect if you have questions, keep on track, and don't forget to smell the sweet peas!

Are You Lovin' It?

Aaaaand, it's February!  Do you hear that ticking?  Is it your heart or the clock of life, reminding you that time is moving on?  Probably, it's both.  I'm happy to see so many of you progressing with your online English studies, and I want to help ALL of you get caught up with your work.  Let's see . . ..  How might we do that?  Well, how about these ideas:

1. Try the Pomodoro Method of time management.  It has been proven to be effective for everyone, from business executives to elementary students.  If you're having a hard time focusing on the work you need to do, it couldn't hurt to try a different approach.
2. Give yourself a little reward when you accomplish a task.  I do this.  It keeps me going when I want to quit.  Even if it's just something small–a walk along the river, a soda and chips, a TV show–I know I have earned it when I get something done.
3. Keep an actual list of things to do.  Checking off tasks as you accomplish them can help you SEE what you've done.  It's motivating!
4. Make realistic goals.  If you're far behind (which a few of you are), it can be really intimidating to think about all you need to do.  Instead, just tackle one thing at a time; don't even let yourself do more than what you've identified for a day's work. 

Besides these self-directed strategies, you can also ALWAYS invite me in to help you.  Online, over the phone, even in person, for heaven's sake, I'll be HAPPY to assist.  Don't you just LOVE it?

New Year, New Start!

Welcome back, English students!  I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable break.  Now that the new year is upon us, it's time to start thinking about HOW we want to make the rest of our online experience better than ever.  For my part, I want to help each of you have the best finish to this school year that you can possibly have, and, while it's a while till we get there, it's never too early to start planning and putting things in place.  Some suggestions for you to get all you can out of this class:

1. Keep on top of your work.  Putting things off always ends up causing problems.  
2. Come to my office hour--in person or online.  It's from 4:00 to 5:00 each Tuesday, either on Class Connect or downtown at the Administration building, Room 230.  
3. Kmail or call me if you have questions or problems with your work.  I might not always know the answer, but I'll be able to find it for you.  Put me to work!
4. Attend synchronous sessions with students from all over the country.  These popular sessions are held regularly (check your K12 calendar) and are helping hundreds of students with all kinds of tasks.

The most important thing you can learn--in school or in life--is how to use what you do know to figure out what you don't.  K12 offers so many possibilities, use them to your advantage!

'Tis the Season

Winter is not officially here, but it sure feels like, looks like, even smells like winter to me!  Brrrrr.  I hope you are all snug in your online classes, looking out at the frigid world with a cup of hot chocolate in your hands and a smile your faces.  Next week will be the last office hour and last school week of the year--2013, that is--so it's a good time to check your progress and your requirements, renew your commitment to your school work, and get ready for the final lap of the school year.  While I enjoyed visiting with some of you for your first checkpoint, I still need to touch base with many of you who did not sign up or who I couldn't connect with during the "official" checkpoint window.  That's OK.  I'll be contacting you individually to get a meeting set up.  In the meantime, happy winter/Christmas, Hanukkah (a little late), Kwanza, or whatever! 

November Milepost!

I can't believe it, but it's already time for the first checkpoint in our school year.  As you are working on your program, pacing yourself according to your needs, start thinking about the following

• What do you need from this class?
• What do you want from this class?
• What is going well?
• What could go better?

I will be scheduling a time for each of you to have a brief  (5-10 minute) conversation (assessment) about your progress as a reader and writer.  This conversation can be conducted online, via telephone, or in person.  During this session, I will be asking you the questions above, and talking with you about your writing.  So that we can have something to focus on, please submit your writing sample (if you haven't already) by Friday, November 15.  Choose something from the class so far--preferably something you like and want to talk about. 

This checkpoint is for YOUR information and help, so don't worry about "getting it right" or "being prepared."  Please watch your Kmail for sign-up times and more information. Meantime, happy November!