February 22, 2012

Applying for Scholarships Early

Academic procession at the University of Cante...

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When you are college bound, life gets overwhelming.  People wait patiently for your decision. Paperwork covers the top of your desk. Test dates loom in your calendar. To say you have a lot going on is an understatement. On top of everything else, a major concern comes in the form of paying for school. Grants, scholarships, and loans offer students a way to pay but each comes with its own list of requirements.

Scholarships take time to acquire. It begins with an application process. Plan to write your name, social security number and other basic information over and over again. However, as frustrating of an attempt as this can be, there is one thing to keep in mind: in many cases, the early bird gets the worm. The sooner you begin filling out scholarship applications and sending them in, the better chance you have of paying for your education.

While some scholarships measure a student’s need, others measure based on a “first come, first served” basis. Plan early. Some students fill out scholarship paperwork all through their high school years to accumulate the kind of money they need to pay for school.

After researching all the options, take one full day to spend just filling out applications. Enlist the help of family and friends. Do whatever it takes to get the work completed. Have plenty of envelopes and stamps so a trip to the Post Office doesn’t hold you up. When the work is completed, walk it all out to the mailbox and give a great big sign of relief. You are done filling out paperwork for scholarships.

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Make Shakespeare Fun!

William Shakespeare, chief figure of the Engli...

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Want to know the easiest way in the world to make your students groan? Mention the word “Shakespeare.” Every high school student in the world seems to be deathly afraid of the word “Shakespeare.” They think he’s boring. They think he’s dry. They think he’s, well, old.

There’s no denying that the Bard’s got some years on him. However, Shakespeare’s got more drama (pun intended) than a modern soap opera. Swordfights! Murder! Intrigue! Romance! Dirty jokes! What’s not to love?

Here are some ways to get your students to embrace ol’ Billy Shakes.

Unlock the Text

Yes, the text is difficult to understand. Start with an introductory lesson on some of Shakespeare’s common terms. Use modern-day examples to explain the word’s meaning: “Charlie Sheen is crazy, forsooth!” or “Huzzah! TJMaxx is having a killer sale on maxi dresses!”

Next, try translating key passages with the kids into modern English.

A Shakespearian Example

Ask your kids what they think “If music be the food of love, play on/ Give me excess of it; that surfeiting/ The appetite may sicken, and so die” means.

First of all, you’ve got this crazy metaphor the kids have to understand. Have them imagine what it would be like to be hungry for a Josh Groban song instead of food. Billy Shakes is saying that love feeds on music the way we chow down on hamburgers. Next, move onto the darker part: this is a pretty lovesick guy, right? He wants to stuff so much music down his throat (or ear canals) that he won’t be heartsick anymore.

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Recommended Summer Reading for Your English Students

old Books

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If you’re a teacher looking to compile the ultimate summer reading list for your students, look no further. Here are the best books your students can be reading at the beach or in the hammocks this summer.

Grades 9 & 10

  1. “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins.
  2. “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Alexie Sherman.
  3. “The Naming” by Allison Croggon.
  4. “Nation” by Terry Pratchett.
  5. “13 Little Blue Envelopes” by Maureen Johnson.
  6. “Deadline” by Chris Crutcher.
  7. “The Spellman Files” by Lisa Lutz.
  8. “City of Bones” by Cassandra Clare.
  9. “The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic– And How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World” by Steven Johnson.
  10. “I Am Scout: the Biography of Harper Lee” by Charles J. Shields.
  11. “Dear Julia” by Amy Bronwen Zemser.
  12. “Life As We Knew It” by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
  13. “Jumped” by Rita Williams-Garcia.
  14. “The Indigo Notebook” by Laura Resau.

Grades 11 & 12

  1. “The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession” by Allison Hoover Bartlett
  2. “The Fortunes of Indigo Skye” by Deb Caletti.
  3. “City of Veils” by Zoe Ferraris.
  4. “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” by Michael Pollan.
  5. “The Power of One: A Novel” by Bryce Courtenay.
  6. “Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
  7. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky.
  8. “Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon” by David Grann.
  9. “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins.
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