Continue reading »]]> A student’s time is valuable. Some of the best years of your life can seem clogged up with schoolwork and extracurricular activities, leaving very little time for fun stuff like hanging out with your friends and family. The schoolwork is unavoidable and, for the college-minded student, so are the extracurriculars. But there are some things to keep in mind when deciding what activities to take part in.

More Isn’t Always Better
In a poll, college admissions counselors from both Drexel and Penn stated that they are obviously interested in the extracurricular activities of prospective students, but that it’s painfully noticeable if a student is simply filling up their resume with unimportant activities arbitrarily. Pick a manageable amount of activities based on your interests and that are fun for you to be involved in, not what you want your application to look like.

Be Committed
The counselors also said that they look at how long the prospective student was active in their activities. Again, it’s noticeable if someone is just trying to fill out a resume with whatever is available and hopping around from various clubs and sports. Their most successful candidates had been in their few select activities through most of their high school careers.

Be a Leader
Speaking of longevity, when you have been a member of a club or team for a few years, chances are you will have opportunities to rise to leadership positions within those particular activities, something that the counselors mentioned as being very impressive. They want to see the growth of the student, from the little freshman who did the grunt work for National Honor Society to the senior who was elected president. Club members rarely elect the new guy or girl to leadership positions.

Don’t Forget the Other Stuff
Even in all this talk about extracurriculars, the counselors wanted to reiterate that it doesn’t matter how many cool activities you have in your application if your grades start slipping or your SAT/ACT scores aren’t up to par. Their goal is to find well-rounded citizens who will contribute to their university community, but it is the academic successes of the students that really help the school prosper. If you truly feel pulled in so many directions that you aren’t keeping up with the #1 priority (grades), there is no shame in taking a break from a couple of your after-school activities until you get a better handle. Awesome grades and scores attract much more attention from competitive schools than whether or not you were the vice president of the recycling club.

Continue reading »]]> Rod, a high school freshman, asks:

“Are teachers out to get me? Why do all my teachers assign assignments at once?”

Mr. Sterling answers: 

They aren’t out to get you; teachers just don’t take the time to plan assignments together in high school.

One of the things that struck me when I moved from teaching 7^th grade to high school was the fact that high school teachers simply don’t talk to each other. We have monthly meetings, but those are with our subject-area departments and not with the teachers in the other subject areas that share our particular students. In middle school, we would make a concerted effort to get together and make sure our schedules didn’t clash, especially when it came to major projects or tests. We didn’t want to overload the kids. For whatever reason, that simply doesn’t happen in high school.

Chelsea, a sophomore, states:

“I’m completely overwhelmed. I’ve got National Honor Society, track team, and homework in at least four of my classes every night.”

Mr. Sterling responds:

There are things you can do to help yourself when it comes to keeping your work – and your life – straight, and it starts with a planner.

Devon, a freshman, asks:

“What if I’m completely bogged down? Is there a good way to get a teacher to change a deadline?”

Mr. Sterling responds:

Honesty helps, but having some evidence helps more.

Aside from the obvious organizational benefits of a planner, another value comes up frequently in my classroom. If there’s ever a question about what you were in class for or that you missed a crucial piece of information, I’m much more likely to grant you an extension if you can prove what was going on that day (or that you missed that day completely). Overall, teachers are fair people but we can’t take everyone at their word (have you seen your fellow classmates?). Documentation is key in a dispute with a teacher. Also, if you can prove that a majority of your classmates are just as slammed, that helps. Believe it or not, we want as many kids to be successful in our classes as possible.

If you have a questions for Mr. Sterling, feel free to email him at MrSterling@TutorDelphia.com

Continue reading »]]> Fun Activities to Learn Math Outdoors

Sick of spending hour after hour implanted on your desk chair calculating the Pythagorean Theorem? Or watching your child work on yet another worksheet at the kitchen table? How are kids supposed to learn anything when they have no circulation to their heads or fresh air to breathe? Go outdoors and have some fun learning math skills. From flowers and birds, to chalk and beach balls; there are many fun ways to use the outdoors to learn math.

Games Get the Brain Juices Flowing

Outdoors games are a great way to learn math outdoors for any age group. Try
this fun outdoor math game that uses an ordinary inflatable beach ball. Write
math equations, math facts, or geometric figures on the beach ball. Play a game
of catch, and the person who catches the ball has to answer the math question
that their right thumb touches. For difficult questions, have paper and pencil
ready. If you are alone, throw the ball up in the air and catch it. Alternatively, if
you are in a large crowd, use regular balls and play dodge ball. Every time a
person is tagged out, they will have to answer a math question before they are
allowed back into the game.

Be a Math Explorer

Write a list of math facts you need to learn. Go outdoors and find objects that represent these math facts. For example, if you are learning about triangles, find different types of triangles in nature. If you are bogged down with algebra, write your own algebraic equations using things you see outside as variables. If you are practicing graphing, create graphs on data you collect in nature – such as the number and type of trees or flowers, or number of birds that fly by per minute.

Chalk Isn’t Just for Hopscotch

Grab a tub of chalk and get going. Go outside and use chalk to write your equations, find angles of geometric shapes, or practice graphing. Bring a ruler and protractor with you. Use different colors of chalk and have fun with it!

Take a Hike

There are many opportunities to practice your math skills while getting some exercise! Learn your math through a fun nature hike. Walk a mile and calculate your total time and average speed. Or take a short stroll through the park and find examples of symmetry, the Golden Ratio, or fractals in plants and insects. Measure the length of a fallen tree, trail, boardwalk, or bike path.

Studying is for the Birds

If you are more of a traditional learner, someone who just needs a quiet space, consider grabbing a comfy chair or blanket and your math materials, and heading outside. Leave your telephones and annoying brother or sister inside, and enjoy the peace and quiet that nature has to offer. You’ll be surprised how the fresh air will help you to concentrate and learn.

Don’t Forget the Sunscreen

Remember to always be prepared when you go outside to learn. It might help to keep a small backpack of outdoor math materials handy. In your backpack, pack extra paper, pencils, and calculator, as well as sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent, and a bottle of water. Go outdoors and have some fun learning your math; all that fresh air is great for your brain!

By Ana Ulrich