Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. We have enjoyed some cooler weather lately, which has been nice. I don’t usually wish time to go faster, but I think I am ready for fall to descend upon us. I want to break out the orange, red, and yellow flowered decorations and put them everywhere! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and get lots of work done but can also make some time to relax.
Quote of the Week: “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. As a result, a genius is often a talented person who has simply done all of his homework.” –Thomas Edison
TV Show of the Week: In continuing the school-themed blogs, this week is about homework—that dreaded task of having to tackle any work not completed at school once you get home. I’m blasting to the past for “Ned’s Declassifies School Survival Guide,” a show that made its debut on Nickelodeon in September of 2004. In it, Ned and his two best friends, Simon and Jennifer, go to James K. Polk Middle School. Ned’s big thing in middle school was to come up with “school tips” to help others easily navigate that uncertain time of life: grades 6, 7, and 8. Homework is one of the things he gives tips about in Season 3, episode 14. He struggles through several things before finally giving a good tip.
Joke of the Week: Why was the girl’s A+ homework covered in feathers? She hired a mathamachicken.
Nugget of Wisdom of the Week: If there is one thing most students agree on, it’s that homework can be the pits. Though I was a bit on the nerdy side in school and often loved doing my school assignments, sometimes I struggled. Mathematics is NOT my bag, and even today I panic when I have to go into a math class and aid the teacher. When I was in middle school, I was still floundering with math due to the many times we moved when my dad was in the Navy. At least, that’s what I’m blaming it on. Anyway, back then students didn’t have as many ways to get help with things they didn’t understand. My choices were to look at the examples in the notes I took (or was supposed to take) in class or to ask my mom or dad to help.
Luckily, we now live in a time where most students have access to the internet and can get help more easily. I will list the names of a few websites that can make doing homework (not only math, but all subjects) a bit easier. And the cool thing is that these sites are free.
• Khan Academy offers help via video tutorials, practice exercises, and personalized learning dashboards.
• Quizlet offers assistance in creating flashcards and study sets on many subjects.
• Wolfgram Alpha has the ability to solve math problems, even ones with multiple steps.
• SparkNotes offers literature summaries, analyses, and study guides, including explanations of theme, characters, and elements of the plot.
While homework may seem like a drag, a little bit of practice is needed to help you fully comprehend a concept. If you have loads of homework, do the smallest assignment first. Or start with the subject you dread the most and get it out of the way before tackling other subjects. If you have an assignment due a few weeks away, mark it on your calendar so you don’t forget and have to do it the night before it’s due.
Recipe of the Week: Your “homework” this week is to find a fabulous recipe and drop it in the comments at the end of the blog for me to post next time.
Shout-Out of the Week: This week, I want to give a shout-out to everyone who has homework of any kind, whether for school, projects from work, or maybe even your extracurricular activities. Everyone does homework differently, and your strategies may be as unique as your homework subjects. I believe in you. You’ve got this!
Have a great weekend. Remember, you are most awesome, and YOU ROCK!
Marion Rhines is a foster-turned-adoptive parent. She lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband and five children. She has written and published two children’s books as well as two foster-care-themed novels. She has a Facebook blog, Tips from the FLIP Side, and enjoys working with children of all ages.
