So you survived the first semester of my class. Congratulations. No, really, I'm happy for you. I'll admit it, I'm not the easiest teacher. But if some of you seemed to get through the semester hanging by your fingernails, you might want to learn the secret of how to do well in my class...

STUDY.

I don't mean study the 5 minutes right before the test is handed out, I mean real AT HOME study. If you take a look at the difference between the students who do well in my class, and those who don't, let me point out some major differences...first of all, they study at home. Fair enough. Second, they ask for help when they need it! They don't just sit around and say, "Boy, I'm totally lost. Oh, well...I'll just catch on later." That's like having your car break down on the freeway and walking the rest of the way. You might eventually reach your destination, but everyone will get there before you, and will have learned a lot while you were gone. Solution: fix your car. If you don't know how, call the mechanic (me). I'm always happy to help when you ask.

If I was to base your grade off of how much you studied at home, what would be your grade? A? B-? D+? What you put into this class is what you get out of it. All I'm asking is for you to put aside 20 minutes every day (school day, who wants to work on the weekend?), and review the notes you took during the last class. That's it. Just review it. Test out the new concept, see if you understand it. You'll be surprised how much 20 minutes a day can up your grade. But then again, I'm not your mom. I'm not going to make you do this; I highly recommend it, but it's really your own choice. And it's also your own grade.

Buena suerte! (Good luck!)

-Sra. Anderson