LOTS OF TEACHERS, LOTS OF BOOKS, OH YES!

Hey, Middle Schoolers. Was this you just a month ago?

Is this you today?

 

Mizz C. to the rescue with a study skill tip you can try out TONIGHT, yes TONIGHT-- and every night for the rest of the school year. This amazing study tip will do more than index cards, nagging voices, or class notes to help you prepare for tests, memorize information, stay focused in class, and get your work done. 

Can you guess what it is? 

Not!

                                                          
Mizz C. knows the energy you need for school doesn't come from a can. It comes from two things you can see in the picture below. You probably have both of them right in your room. 

pillow and alarm clock

Mizz C. has been accused of repeating herself. Now she's going to do just that. The best study skill you can master this year can be found in one of Mizz C's first blog postings, Sleep, the Super Study Skill. 

Now go catch some zzzs (unless you're in class right now or you haven't finished tomorrow's homework yet).  

No More Teachers, No More Books? Oh, No!

Hey, Middle Schoolers! Would you rather lie on a hammock with a book you love or go to summer school? If you said "summer school," Mizz C. knows you thought today was April Fools' Day. Who wouldn't choose lying in the nice cool grass, on the beach, or in a hammock and reading a book you love?

Go for it! Here's why. An incredible report came out in 2011 showing that students who read twelve--12, 12, 12--books over three summers scored as well as students who went to summer school.


Here's the best part. The twelve books weren't assigned books or books that parents or teachers picked out for the kids. They were titles the kids picked themselves--everything from books on celebrities, gossip, to gerbils and a wizard pupil by the name of Harry. Nobody had to write reports or get tested on the books they picked. They just read twelve books that interested them.


Why is Mizz C. not surprised? Every time you read a new book, you pick up new vocab words, new ideas, new kinds of information, and new ways different authors present information. Those are the very reading skills that get a workout on standardized tests.  


To find the best summer books just right for you, grab your library card. Ask a friendly librarian for book suggestions based on subjects and books you already like. 


Or go to amazon.com. Type in the title of a book you really, really enjoyed. The brainiacs at Amazon will list titles of similar books you'll also like. Read the real-kid reviews for the books Amazon suggests. Then track down some of those books wherever you can find them. 


So get with your very own reading program, whether it's Dancing with the Starlings, The Real House Flies of Beverly Hills, or The Snack Games. 

Happy summer, Middle Graders! See you in the fall. 


XO 
Mizz C. 

On Your Mark, Get Set . . . STOP!!!!!

See this machine? 

Mizz C. always imagined that standardized test correcting machines looked like this. She didn’t want to mess with them. And you shouldn't mess with them either.

Here’s Mizz C's advice about filling in standardized test bubble sheets:

• PRESS HARD on your answer bubbles so the robo machine can read your answers.

• DON’T MAKE ANY STRAY MARKS anywhere outside the bubbles so the robo machine doesn’t misread your brilliant answers. If a stray mark does creep in, erase it ASAP.

Mizz C. recently read a sad, sad tale on one of her favorite blogs, Learn Me Good. Mr. Teacher gave the usual warning to his students about not making marks on their answer sheets. He wanted his students’ tests to look neat and orderly like this:

Not like this:

But one student was so nervous about not making stray marks, she didn’t answer any of the questions! Mizz C. totally understands. 

If you do get a mad urge to doodle, or you have to take notes or work out problems, make your marks . . . but only in the question booklet. 

Lesson over. Now go outside and kick a ball!