It rained all day today. It was gloomy and gray and wet, not the kind of day that one dreams about. However, the girl on the right has the right attitude. She doesn't allow the weather to get her down, to depress her. After all, none of us should permit outside forces, such as the weather or another person, to determine our fates. We should take advantage of conditions - as they say, make lemon aid out of lemons. So, what did you do today? Did you mope around the house and complain about life - or did you determine your own fate by taking things into your own hands and maybe catch up on your reading? Today was a perfect day for reading. The weather couldn't interfere with that activity. On days such as this one, read to get ahead of your class, or read to catch up - or read just for pleasure. There's so much more in books than in the movies. A book transports your mind to another place, another time, another world. With a book, time travel is not impossible at all - and the time machine is right in your hands, whether electronic (Nook, Kindle or iBooks) or text (hard or soft covered). You are the the master of your fate and the captain of your soul. (If you like those metaphors, start your reading by Googling the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley here, and then read his brief biography here, especially the part about his illnesses and how he faced them.
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You have a long vacation coming up. Are you going to have a terrible vacation as the chicken in the Japanese cartoon above has? Will you have a so-so vacation as the cow (who apparently gets his super-powers from drinking milk) has, in the cartoon? Tell us what you will be doing and where you will be going - or tell us where you'd like to go. You can even write about the best or worst vacation you ever had. Just click on "COMMENTS" above the cartoon and write. We want to read what you have to say.
You watch movies. They may be shown in theaters or on TV. They may be in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Hebrew, etc. Now you have a chance to share your favorite movies with the other readers of this blog and this web site. Just click on the word "Comment" above on the right side and list your five favorite movies. Write the titles. It doesn't matter which language the movies were in (but type the English titles). If you'd like, write a sentence or two telling what the movies are about or why you liked them. Don't be shy. Your opinion is important. This is your web site. Also, if you'd like to read reviews of some movies, go to the "Reviews" section of this web site. For now, COMMENT on your five favorite movies. If you can't think of five, list fewer. Other people will find them interesting, and they may get ideas for which movies to see in the future. President John Kennedy, echoing an old Chinese proverb, once said, "It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." What does that mean? It's better to be a person who tries to solve a problem than complain about it. Nobody likes a complainer - and the one who complains is not trying to get rid of whatever it is that is bothering him or her. Which kind of person are you? If you have a test coming up or homework or a research paper coming due, are you a person who complains about the work or are you a student who does the necessary preparation - and therefore succeeds? If you are the former, then it is time to change your attitude. You are hurting yourself - and your future. Complainers do not do nearly as well as those who take action to overcome the obstacles facing them. Here's another famous saying: "A word to the wise is sufficient." A scorpion (a poisonous bug such as the one pictured to the left) and a frog met on the bank of a stream, and the scorpion asked the frog to carry him across the water on its back. The frog asked, "How do I know that you won't sting me?" The scorpion replied, "Because if I do, we will both drown." The frog was satisfied with this logical explanation, and they began their journey - but in the middle of the stream, the scorpion stung the frog. The frog felt the beginning of paralysis and started to sink to the bottom of the stream, knowing that they both would die, but it had time for one final gasping question: "Why?" The scorpion sadly responded, "Because it is my nature to sting." Okay, so what does this story have to do with you? You aren't a scorpion or a frog - but human beings have their different ways of doing things (their nature). If you have been doing well so far this school year, continue to do so. However, if you haven't tried hard enough or haven't studied sufficiently or have been absent too often, then you have to change your nature, which humans, unlike scorpions, can do - with some work. The school year is almost one-third done (31%, to be exact), and now is the time you can affect your grades in a positive way, if you make an honest effort to do so. Benjamin Franklin one wrote, "Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today. That's good advice; follow it. Feel proud of yourself. It feels good - and it's the nature of humans to want to feel good. |
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April 2020
CategoriesAuthorThe ideas on this page come from a Study Center teacher with almost 50 years of teaching experience. More importantly, these entries have NO LIFE until you students write comments and share your ideas and your responses to the ideas presented. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Let yourself be heard. |