Lesson 7: terrible teachers

Hey guys!!! In this lesson we will be discussing how to deal with bad teachers, remember that these teachers are not bad people but you might struggle working with them. I will come up with a few scenarios that make you deal with bad teachers and how you can solve them.

The bully

Your teacher is a generally nice person but he/she seems to have a bone to pick with you, they always seem to be upset with you and you think they might be grading you unfairly.

For this scenario, I recommend looking over the work you turned in and checking to see if it really was well enough to get a higher grade, if you think the teacher is still grading you unfairly you should go talk to them and ask them why you got the grade you got. If this continues to happen talk to an adult that you trust, I can guarantee that the adult would be more than willing to help you.

The yeller

You got stuck with the teacher that is constantly yelling. He/She is always mad at your class and is giving lectures on attitude and behaviour more than teaching the lesson you are working on.

In this situation, the first thing you should do is form a group of students that have the same views of the teacher and have evidence of how the teacher is acting, skip over talking to the teacher and go to a principal or counselor, tell them about the situation and they will hopefully talk with the teacher, if they do not then go to a parent, remember that they are always ready to help.

The slacker

This teacher doesn’t pay attention to your class and forgets to teach you completely!!! They spend more time telling stories about getting their tie caught in a machine than doing the job they are payed to do.

I completely recommend getting your parents to come with you to talk to the principal, if the teacher keeps goofing off I think you should remind the teacher during lessons that you should really start working (“excuse me, will this be on the test?”). If nothing still happens you can study on your own, like it or not the teacher will still test and grade you so you might as well work on your own.

though 99% of your teachers are wonderful, these three teachers can ruin an entire school year. So, those are just a few different types of bad teachers to look out for! good luck!!!!

Lesson 6: siblings

If you are in middle school with a sibling, you understand the struggle. Your sibling knows everything about you and they are not afraid to use it against you. Luckily I have a few ways to make a sibling work out for the best.

1: “I won’t tell if you won’t tell”

if your brother or sister knows an embarrassing story about you, the chances are you know a thing or two about their secrets, so you can easily agree with them that if neither of you share the secrets everything will be a bit easier.

2: what happens at school stays at school

if you decide to tell your parents about your sibling using the teachers soda machine, they will tell your parents about your food fight, trust me when I say that this blame game can go on for hours and it will eventually end in a lot of scolding form your parents, so its best if you keep problems at school between you and your sib.

3: smelly but smart

it’s surprising, but your older sibling is your super weapon in middle school, since they have already gone through it all they can help you out with school work and can make you seem like the smartest kid in class. your older sib can also tell you how to impress certain teachers.

4: small but significant

it’s crazy, but younger siblings also do you a great favour in middle school since you can use them as a way to show how helpful and responsible you are, if they made a school project, help them take it to class, your classmates and teachers will see this and be very impressed.

 

Lesson 5: homework

one of the scariest things going to middle school is that you expect to be over flowed with homework, i’m sorry to tell you this but thats not too far from the truth! Don’t worry though, here are a few tips to help you deal with homework.

1. you should always try to do your homework the day you get it, if you do that its easier to keep track of what you still need to do!

2.you should make sure you have a homework planner with you so you can jot down your homework and when its due, most schools provide these but if they don’t then buy one A.S.A.P (as soon as possible)

3. if you have a busy schedule then pre-plan when you are going to get it done, have some time set aside each day specifically for homework… how much time you save for homework is up to you!

4. when your using your planner you should check off when you have done stuff and if you don’t get something done write it in for the next day so you don’t forget it.

5. if you need to study for something its very helpful to get a family member or friend help you practice. ex: you need to learn how to spell worlds for language so you can ask a family member to read out words and have you spell them

Lesson 4: friends

I know when going into middle school, one of the most scary things is friends. You always wonder what your friends will be like, or if you will even have friends! Well worry no more, here are 8 tips to help you make friends!

1.be positive: its hard, but being positive can help you find a buddy! the more positive you are the more likely you are to find a friend. No… being positive does not mean always saying yes, it means saying “I really enjoy” or “one thing I love is” do not say “i hate” or “its really annoying when” try not to use negative words.

2.be confident: I know its hard, but you need to be able to start the conversation. Everyone is just as nervous as you, so if you go over to someone and start talking to him/her not only will they only be impressed, but they will already have a first impression of you… and that impression will be a good one for sure!

3.be ready: have a few questions ready to ask your new friend to get to know them a little (these questions can also help if you have an akward silence in your conversation) the questions can be simple like “whats your favorite animal?” or “what’s your favorite tv show?” simple questions like this can spark a great conversation.

4.take any chance you have before school starts: look into the school a little bit, does it have an orientation a few days before school? how about an email buddy system? find out about these type of things and go! the more you put yourself out there with other people, the more likely you are to find the friend that’s right for you!

5.be honest: if your friend asks you a question, don’t feel like you have to give the same answer as them, its ok to have different opinions… that’s better than lying to them and being stuck doing things you don’t enjoy.

6.don’t steal the spotlight: if you are talking with a friend, don’t steal the spotlight. You and your friend both want to share opinions but remember that your friend also wants a turn to speak… make sure both of you are fair.

7.remember their name: try whatever you can to remember your new friends name, maybe bring a notebook with you and write down their name, if you forget your pencil… come up with a rhyme of some sort to keep it In mind!

8.get contact information: ask your friend for a phone number or email, it’s always a great advantage to have a way to contact a friend outside of school because you can have extra chat time, or even plan a time to go over to each others houses.

Lesson 3: homeroom

Homeroom is a classroom that you spend a few minutes in every morning for roll call, or to catch up on what’s happening in your school. In my school we go to homeroom for 10 minutes each morning with the same teacher. At our old school, my brother’s homeroom class was set up differently. They would have morning homeroom for 10 minutes then, before lunch, they would meet up for a 2nd session where they would work out Middle School problems (homework, rumors, emotions, etc.)

Here are some pros and cons about homeroom

announcements:

Pro: you get announcements about fun learning activities or something simple like what’s being sold at the cafeteria. It’s good to do this during homeroom because if you have any questions, you can ask your teacher or you can start making plans with friends.

Con: the announcements can be a little bit boring sitting through them over and over, day after day (especially if you already know about the information being given). another con is that since there are 4 homeroom teachers, it’s easy to have a miscommunication, such as… how many CAS (creative, action, service) activities you have to do.

attendance:

Pro: if you are bad with names, attendance can help you learn the names of your classmates. if you are not at school one day, By doing attendance your teacher will you are not at school in the morning, so the school can contact your parents and teachers so they know that you are not at school.

Con: if you’re one of the people who always ends up a few minutes late to class, the teacher might mark you as tardy. another con is that every teacher has to mark attendance so you and your class would already know who was there but your other teachers would not.

time:

Pro: since attendance is in the morning, it gives you a little time to wake up before class starts. another pro is that attendance does not take to long, but it also gives your teacher enough time to do everything needed in homeroom.

Con: if you are one of the people who has a hard time getting up in the morning, you might forget some of the important information that was given. one issue is that some people say that homeroom is a waste of time, instead they would prefer to get straight to class, this is another downside.

 community building:

Pro: one of the hardest things about middle school is that in most schools you are in different classes all day, so your homeroom is like home base, homeroom is the one class that you have everyday so you would be able to make a good bond with the teacher and other students.

Con: one of the biggest problems in homeroom is who you are with, maybe you and your best friend are in different classes, maybe you are in a class with someone who is rude to you, whatever it is, it can really affect your day.

Well those are just a few things that can help you learn a little about homeroom, make the best of it!

Lesson 2: uniforms

Disappointment. Anger. Sadness. Disgust. These might be some of the emotions you might feel going into a middle school with uniforms (especially if you came from a free dress school). I know how you’re feeling because I felt most of these emotions as well. But here are some easy strategies to make sure you fit in, stand out, or just be yourself in a uniform school environment.

fitting in

Fitting in is staying within the guidelines. If you are the kind of person who enjoys fitting in with the crowd and blending in with your classmates… here’s how. Remember to K.I.S.S.!!! (Keep It Simple Silly!) Choose a uniform option that is basic and plain. For your shirts, avoid bring colors like yellow or bright blue. Navy, black, and white would suit your style. For pants (or skirts) choose beige, navy, or black pants without embroidery or sparkles. Try to keep your hair simple and don’t color it. Jewelry is something I would not recommend unless it is small and simple. Keep your accessories to a minimum.

standing out

Standing out is pushing the rules to the limit while making a statement. If you want to show off loud and proud… here’s how. Show off the fact that you’re different. Yellows, blues, and any other bright colors would be great for a uniform shirt. Uniform pants and skirts usually don’t have many options so I can’t really help you with that. But, maybe you could roll up your pants a little bit or tuck in one side of your shirt into your skirt. You can add a belt, a tie, or a scarf for style. Use your hair to your advantage. Color the tips, invent a new funky hairstyle, or maybe a mohawk for short-haired people. Hair is your friend in this case. Jewelry is a must in my opinion! it not only makes you stand out, but you look fabulous during the process.

being “me”

Being you is being you! It’s expressing yourself and sharing your views with the world. One way you can do this through your clothing choices. For me, I like to wear handmade jewelry because it shows off I’m super artsy fartsy. But sometimes I wake up and I can tell that today is just not my day. On those days, I’ll wear a darker uniform, less jewelry, and boring hair. Remember that being you is not following the influences of others. If you like to geek out, wear a 3D printed bow tie or robot socks. If you are an athlete, wear sports shoes and olympic paraphernalia. For artists you may choose mismatching socks or a cool hat.

Whatever it is you choose to be make sure you feel comfortable and that you enjoy how you look!

Lesson 1: opening a locker

This is the first lesson from my unit called: Middle School 101. In this unit, I will write different lessons that help teach other kids how to become a successful Middle Schooler.

Hello and welcome to Middle School 101. Today I will be teaching you how to open your locker!

You come to school and your teacher hands you this weird metal dial with numbers up to 35 all around it. Now what do you do? Well, you open it and then attach it to your locker so your locker is secure and there is no risk of anyone snooping around in your locker.

To open your lock, you’ll be given three numbers and that is your secret locker code. Remember your three numbers by perhaps making a catchy poem or phrase about it. But don’t tell anyone your locker code, even your best friend.

For this blog, we’ll use the random numbers: 4,9,21 as the code for the lock. To memorize the numbers I would make a catchy phrase like: “Four. Nine. Twenty-one. Open the lock and have some fun!”

Now that you’ve memorized your code. You’ve got to put it to good use.

Step 1. You would twist your numbers clockwise (to the right) a few times. By doing this, you are resetting your lock. Then you would move to the number 4 and stop!

Step 2. You would spin the numbers counterclockwise (to the left) to the second number. The tricky part is that you have to go past it one full circle and then land on it the second time. That means, for my code, I would go all the way around in a counterclockwise order past the number nine and then land on it the second time.

Step 3. You spin the numbers clockwise (to the right) and stop on the third number. I would go slowly to the number 21 because I don’t have to go very far.

And then, you pull the lock and the number panel apart and then your lock should click open. If not… start again from the first step.

That is how to open your locker. I hope you found it helpful!

For more information and some pictures to help you, go this wiki.

 

my new home in Oman

my collection of shells at the beach

Wow! What a week! It’s been an exciting 7 days (positives and negatives) and I hope you read on to find out why.

When we got to the house we were amazed by the size of the place. IT WAS HUUUUUUUUUUGE!!! My brother and I had a debate about who got which room and finally I was kind enough to give him the room that he wanted. My room isn’t bad (even though he got the one with the prettier view!) After that I realized how hungry I was and we didn’t really have many food options in the house… so we went to a little shawarma place down the street and ate some salad, hummus and of course… shawarma! Well, I didn’t eat the shawarma because it’s chicken, but my mom continuously mentioned how delicious it was and Xavier kept saying, “Try it Anouk!” And I politely, declined. At the end of the day we finally sat down by my mom’s computer and watched a movie in our new home.

Our shipment has come, my room is set up, I am having fun in Oman meeting neighbors, trying new food, and running on the beach or finding beautiful shells. So far… I love it here. 

Pokémon GO

Pokémon Go is a game where you walk around looking for Pokémons, when you find a Pokémon… you can capture it in its orb/ball. My dad downloaded the app because my brother and I kept nagging. Today my dad and I went out Pokémon hunting in Geel. We first went down to the train station and caught about 5 Pokémon. Next we went to the park where I checked for Pokémon on the swing and the zip line. After the park we walked home and saw a few other Pokémon trainers. In total we caught 30! Pokémon and it was so fun.

we caught these Pokémon:

–Pidgey caught 7

–Nidorino caught 1

–Rattata caught 9

–Weedle caught 4

–Spearow caught 4

–Kakuna caught 1

–Caterpie caught 1

–Eevee caught 1

–Squirtle caught 1

–Venonat caught 1

 

 

What’s the Deal?

Why am I writing this blog? The truest answer is… my parents are making me. They say it will help me get in to college. But since that’s forever away. Right now, I’m writing this blog to keep in contact with my friends and family around the world. I’m going to write about all the stuff that interests me or share stories about how I keep myself busy.

I might blog about my violin or video games, books or trips, school or weekends. Whatever it is I blog about will be my choice. So until I find my groove, it might be kinda random. So I hope you stick with me.

And there it is. My first post!