Invading your space?

Greetings AP Calculus!
I do hope that you don’t feel that I’ve invaded your space! That certainly is not my intent! But after reading your blog, I felt that we might have something in common—facing a major testing challenge. I made it through my testing successfully, thanks to hard work, mentors, and lots of encouragement-- and I hoped I could help to “pass it forward” so to speak. Thinking we all might learn from each other if we had an opportunity for conversations about dealing with challenging and stressful testing (and mine was more than stressful!), I just jumped right in without asking your permission (I had Mr. K’s of course). Let me know if you’d rather I’d not post up front. However, I’m not sure you can get me to go away completely, because it’s my sense that such a talented group as you should have a good cheerleading section on your way to May 3!

I asked you a question in my last posting and since I’ve had no takers with an answer in the comments, I’m going to answer it myself, given the time to May 3 is steadily dwindling! If you haven’t read that posting yet, do it now before you read the answer!










The answer is “Habit”.

I know from lots of experience that habits can ensure that I reach my goals or hold me back. Given that, there have always been 7 habits that if I worked at them have helped me be effective! Have you seen these 3? Do you think these habits can be of value as you look to “the test”?

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I think this short autobiography is a good introduction to habit 1.

There's A Hole In My Sidewalk: AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS

by Portia Nelson
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost.... I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place.
But, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in.... It's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter 5
I walk down another street.

Habit 1: Be Proactive®
Take responsibility for your life.

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Does this cartoon say it all for Habit 2?

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind.®
Define your mission and goals in life..

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Finally, Habit 3: Rocks, Pebbles, Sand, Water—And Calculus is which?

A time management specialist was asked to give a presentation on her specialty. She decided to do a demonstration. First she asked her assistants to bring a big bucket and put it on the table in front of the audience. Then she asked for large, grapefruit-sized rocks and filled the bucket with them.
"Is the bucket full," she asked?
"Yes!" said the crowd, but she asked for more to put in anyway. This time her assistants brought in pebbles. She poured the pebbles in the bucket and it held a surprising number in the space between the big rocks.
"Now is the bucket full?" she asked.
"Yes!" "No!" "Yes!" "No!" said various persons in the crowd. Some people were uncertain; some were getting suspicious. The time management specialist asked for more. This time the assistants brought her sand. She poured sand in the bucket and it filled the spaces between the pebbles.
"Now is the bucket full?" she asked.
"No!" they answered. By now, everyone was suspicious. So she asked for water and poured in quite a lot. Now no one could think of anything else that could fit in that bucket.
"What does this process demonstrate?" asked the time management specialist.
One member of the audience spoke up: "No matter how busy you are, you can always fit in one more thing."
"I can see how you might think that was my point, but it is not," said the specialist. "I was trying to show you that if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all!"

Habit 3: Put First Things First®
Prioritize and do the most important things first.

Best,
Lani