Performance indicators

On Friday, report cards for the first 5 weeks went home. Along the way you have had some hints as to how you were doing: tests and quizzes handed back, homework that you did or didn't do, and your feelings about how well you were grasping concepts. Now that you have seen your grades, in which class do you feel you are doing the best? Why do you think you are doing well in that class? Is there anything you could improve?

Learning

Brooks Conrad, a second baseman for the Atlanta Braves, made three errors in a playoff game against the San Fransisco Giants over the weekend. Before the next game, as the players were getting warmed up, Conrad was given an ovation from the Braves fans. Why would the fans cheer for Conrad in this situation? Shouldn't they have let him know that he had let them down when he cost his team the game? What can we learn from this situation?

Plot charts

Plot charts can be a great way to develop the framework for a story. Once the framework is in place, it is relatively simple to add in appropriate supporting details that make an interesting story. Starting to write without having a framework in place, however, can lead to a long, boring story that never comes to a climax or a conclusion.

In order to practice making charts, pick a favorite book or movie. Write out a brief plot chart, being sure to include at least three examples of rising action.

Armageddon
Exposition: A meteor is headed toward Earth; if it isn't stopped, it will destroy our planet.

Rising Action:
1. A plan is developed to have a crew of oil drillers drill into the meteor and deposit a bomb.
2. The crew is separated on the meteor; down to one active drill, they begin work
3. After many complications, the second crew arrives on the scene to make the final push.
4. They drill to the necessary depth; however, the remote trigger for the bomb fails.
5. Harry Stamper stays behind to detonate the bomb.

Climax:
Harry is ready to press the trigger, and time is running out. The remaining crew blast off, but worry that something might have gone wrong. Can Harry detonate the bomb in time?!

Falling Action:
He does. The shuttle comes back safely to Earth, and the surviving members of the crew are happy.

Conclusion:
Harry's daughter and one of the crew members get married; at the wedding, there are large pictures of the crew who died on the mission. Happily ever after.

A new season

Autumn is upon us again! While there are many things I love about the summer, autumn is my favorite season. As summer winds down and begins to give way to the fall, I look forward to crisp air, vibrant color spreading over the hills, and the coziness and smell of a nice fire in the evening. I enjoy the building excitement of football season and the sizzling culmination of the baseball season. My favorite part of fall is the timelessness of a warm autumn afternoon. Memories of seemingly identical days from previous years filter through, and it seems that in an hour I can relive many happy times from when I was younger. I think this is because, the drab fall days make the gorgeous ones stand out that much more. Each nice fall day is more easily imprinted on the mind, along with the sensory circumstances of the day. When those sensory circumstances are duplicated, the memories of great days flood in.

What do you like most about the fall? Why?

Work

Often when we say the word "work" we are referring to a job or a career. However, students have quite a bit of work to do. What is work? Given the choice between doing work and goofing around, many choose to avoid work. What is the point of doing work? What is the point of avoiding work?

Goals for the year

As we start a new school year, it can be very helpful to set goals. By choosing to pursue a certain level of accomplishment we can develop the plan we'll need to follow. Once we have a plan, we can check our progress from time to time; this will let us know whether we need to change anything we are doing. If we're setting our goals high, there will probably be some obstacles in the way of achieving them, like the goalie standing in front of the net.

What is one academic goal you would like to achieve this year? What is one obstacle facing you that will make it difficult to accomplish this goal?

(If you can't think of an obstacle, you might have set your sights a little too low; try thinking of a more challenging goal.)

Overcoming challenges

Sometimes simple acts can be the greatest achievements. For years, Michigan's football players have sprinted out of the tunnel and soared to touch the banner. Fans love watching it, and it is an emotionally charged moment full of power and grace. The stampede of fast, strong, agile athletes fills the stadium with awe.

What could be so special about one man slowly walking across the field to reach up and touch the banner?