First Day Of School 2020-2021 + Textbook Guide 101
It’s mind boggling to think that after a six-month long “March Break,” the kids have headed back to school. Dylan is in first grade, Kyler began Junior Kindergarten, and Noelle attends pre-school a couple mornings per week. Seeing my boys climb onto the bus transports me back to memories of my childhood. I vividly remember how the bus smelled of dust and vinyl as the sun beamed through the windows. I remember giggling with my friends as we stood in line waiting for the bell to ring. I remember every single teacher, the mad dash we made for the merry-go-round and how Mrs. Connors knitted us all a hat for Christmas.
My kids are experiencing this now. They are expanding their horizons as they learn, foster new friendships and gain independence. As much as that fact that my babies are not babies anymore tugs at my heartstrings a little, I am overflowing with joy as I watch them thrive. What gives me true heartbreak is that they are experiencing all this in a pandemic. School looks very different from how I remember it. Staff and students smile with their eyes as they all don masks. Teachers are supposed to somehow educate subjects like phonetics while veiled behind a plexiglass face shield. I am beyond grateful that PPE is allowing some degree of normalcy and I marvel at my kids’ resilience, but still I am sad. This is not the world I wish for them. Yet, we take it one day at a time. We focus on the fun we can have. We are truly blessed.
I am uncertain of how this year will unfold, but off we go! Dylan is loving grade one and just yesterday referred to himself as a “grade one man.” He is cultivating a love for French and teaches us his new growing vocabulary. [Me:“How was your day, buddy?” Dylan:“Comme Ci Comme Ca.” ] Kyler is adjusting to ‘big kid school” with only a few minor hiccups. His teachers have jokingly referred to him as a “toot enthusiast” as he’s been known to toot for a laugh and on his third day of school he decided standing on his bus seat and twerking would be fun, however; he has won the hearts of this teachers and peers with his cheeky personality. I thought he absolutely would be the class clown, but his teacher mentioned he can also be a “watchful observer.” The latter comment was more of a surprise then the twerking haha! Our goal for Kyler is to allow his personality to shine through— but within the parameters of proper classroom etiquette. Noelle is enjoying pre-school although she still has some separation anxiety. Her workers are covered head-to-toe in PPE which I can imagine can be frightening through the lens of a toddler, yet she has bonded with them as well as her classmates. I am so proud of my big girl!
“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”
TEXTBOOK GUIDE 101
Now that we are full swing into fall, I thought I would share my method for reading textbooks. I will go back to school in a couple years from now, but in the meantime, I am going to read my interior design textbooks [I had to drop out when pregnant with Dylan due to Hyperemesis Gravidarum]. I spent my schooling years completing my required readings less effectively as I would simply go from start-to-finish and close the book shut, but now I have discovered a way to engage my brain and help me learn.
Flip Through The Chapter
For this first step, there isn’t actual reading happening. Rather, this is gathering some initial information. Notice the picture to text ratio. Gauge the estimated length of time it will take to read the chapter.
Read [& jot down] the Quiz Questions
Why start at the end? It may seem counterintuitive, but the quiz questions will spell out what the author thinks you should be able to answer at the end of the chapter. By reading these first, you will actively be searching for the answers are you read.
Read Emphasized Text
Anything bold, headlines, titles and sub-titled is by design. By doing this, you again are familiarizing yourself with what is important.
Read the First & Last Sentence in Each Paragraph
A well-written paragraph will introduce and conclude a thought with the first and last sentence. Again this is to provide context and greater detail.
Read the Chapter
Now you can read the chapter efficiently and effectively.
While this may seem like a lot of work, it goes a long way in helping you remember and retain what you just read which will come in handy at exam time!
