Do you recommend the use of study guides or annotations for difficult texts? By difficult texts I mean novels, plays, poems, and non-fiction. While guides and annotations can be useful, they also tend to limit a reader’s involvement with the text. They do so by prescribing particular approaches or interpretations, and this tends to generate uniform, and often lackluster, responses from students. It would be best to prescribe materials that only feature essential annotations, ones that do not interfere with students’ engagement. Sometimes students tend to read only the annotations or discussion ..read more

Are you bothered by that thin film of dust on your worktable or desk? Doesn’t it always reappear two days after your weekly dusting spree? And isn’t this weekly dusting spree a deeply annoying thing at times? There is an easy solution to ease this annoyance. I’m not selling you a service or recommending an app for this. The solution is time-tested and only requires a bit of willingness on one’s part. Here it is: dust daily. On first thought, this might seem like a dreadful chore to subject yourself to daily. However, this only makes dusting easier. Keep a dust brush of appropriate size for you ..read more

There is eco-friendly wrapping paper now, but are we really frugal with how we use these? We still tend to overuse and waste wrapping paper. In other words, we don’t seem to be mindful users of eco-friendly products. What we have is a mindset problem. Because something is eco-friendly, it doesn’t follow that we can use it heedlessly. Besides, isn’t wrapping gifts tedious? Yes, wrapping them can be fun, too; it can show that you care, and unwrapped gifts are considered rude and lazy. They also chip away at the surprise element of gift-giving. However, if you’re wondering how to spice up gift-gi ..read more

Are you too busy to focus on your blogging? Do you find it tedious and sapping to have to open the Notes app on your phone to list ideas and points? Sure, it’s a very useful app, but if your work requires you to use your phone quite a bit, then it is quite difficult to not feel driven to use your phone to note down ideas not related to work. Here are some tips to keep yourself interested in blogging when the going gets tough. Know that a blog post does not necessarily have to be a long read. Sure, Google values long articles, but assuming that your blog is already well known, you don’t have t ..read more

If you–like many–are wondering how to come up with homework assignments that challenge students on their terms, here’s a really simple tip: go with open-ended prompts or questions. This is of course an old trick. It has been tried, tested, and is highly recommended. This, however, does not mean that there are no “bad open-ended questions.” Neither is this a call to do away with simpler questions. A simple online search will you give you a number of examples of poor open-ended questions, or poor uses of open-ended questions. Be sure to avoid those pitfalls. This post is a reminder that well-tim ..read more

Not all of us want a thoroughly sorted and organized work desk. Sure, the benefits and pleasures of working from an immaculately organized desk can be numerous, but let’s not shame those who find “clutter” stimulating. In fact, what one sees as a careless dispersal of things might be just the type of arrangement someone else needs in order to be creative and sustain that creativity. It’s simply not true that people can’t find their way around clutter. Contrary to this popular misconception, “clutter people” have been known to expend a great deal of conscious thought in placing things in a part ..read more

A common complaint I hear from students and parents alike is that students get distracted too easily. To elaborate, there is a feeling that students–and indeed, adults–are surrounded by distractions. It is true that the ability to focus or concentrate is being endangered. However, there are things–simple things–we can do to reclaim our ability (and willingness) to concentrate better. Concentrating can be hard work, and this post focuses on simple ways to make oneself conducive to focus/concentrate better. It does not focus on the nuances of acquiring or developing the ability to focus better ..read more

Do you learn better when you are busy doing something besides focusing exclusively on the material? Are you good at sports and/or physical activities? Do you enjoy building models and other tactical tasks? Do you like taking things apart to see how they work? If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you have the privilege of being a kinesthetic learner. Kinesthetic learners What is Kinesthetic Learning? Kinesthetic is one of the four types of learning styles in the VARK (Visual, Auditory, Reading, and Kinesthetic) system. Kinesthetic learners like to be active while they lear ..read more

Do you often find yourself doodling and drawing study material? Do you find lectures boring but love watching videos? Are you able to quickly grasp charts, graphs, and diagrams? If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you are a visual learner. Visual Learning Style You are someone who processes and retains information best when you see it. You likely find that information makes more sense when it is presented with the help of charts or illustrations. You often prefer to sit in the front of the class and “watch” the instructor as they teach. You find yourself being attracted ..read more

Critical reading is an activity in which the reader exercises their judgment about what they are reading; they refuse to take anything they read at face value. Critical readers evaluate and analyze what they have read. In an academic sense, being a critical reader means advancing one’s understanding of a text, rather than dismissing it and thereby blocking off learning. A critical reader must reflect on: A – What the text says: This means they should be able to take notes, while paraphrasing the key points. B – What the text describes: This means they must achieve a deeper understanding of th ..read more