MarvinByrd.com

Teachers Are Leaders

Prime Time!

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Prime TimeIn the Television business, it is well known that there is a time in the evening (Monday-Friday) when the number of people watching TV at one time is at its highest. That means a lot of people are watching TV. This makes sense because most people are off from work and at home settling down. As a result, advertisers pay a great deal of money to run their commercials during this time. The ratings (How many people are watching) of each show makes a huge difference. High ratings means that the show is liked by many and advertisers will pay more to run commercials during the show. Low ratings means that the show will eventually be cancelled because advertisers realize that there aren’t enough eyeballs watching their commercials during the show. This time in the evening is so important that it is called Prime Time!

The hours between 3 and 7 is Prime Time for many middle/high school students to complete their homework and study. What you do with that time matters. Advertisers take that time very seriously and they are sure to pay close attention to the ratings. Just like advertisers monitor Prime Time, you should be monitoring how you spend that time between the hours of 3 and 7. Time spent on working, organizing, and studying yields the “high ratings” that you are looking for. High ratings in this case equal a GPA of 3.0 and above. Time spent achieving that numerical goal is time well spent. Time spent sleeping, texting, and playing yields “low ratings.” I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do these things, but you need to make sure you balance your time so that you are not sacrificing your grades, future, and potential for short term satisfaction.

Marvin Byrd (c/o 98)

It Can Be Done

Are you balanced?

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Are you in balanceHave you ever heard of the term “imbalance”? In most cases, when that word is used, it is pointing to a problem. Naturally, things must stay balanced in order to function properly. Whenever a jury is deciding a case, they must make sure that they are equally considering both sides of the argument.  What would happen if they only heard the prosecution’s argument? Obviously, the prosecution would easily win that case. Can you see how an imbalance would cause problems?

So, how does this relate to you? As you go through the day, you are given numerous responsibilities, due dates, and assignments. However, you are also involved in after-school activities. These activities take place during the time you could be completing your responsibilities as a student. If you choose to get involved in after-school activities, you will find that your time is definitely limited. It’s not impossible to do maintain good grades and participate in after-school activities. It only takes effort.

The best way to maintain balance in your life as a student is to “see all the weight” because you can’t weigh what you can’t see. In this case, weight is equivalent to all the things you need to do. Weight is also your ability to complete all of your responsibilities. For example, there are students who don’t have to study for a test. That may not be you and so you have to devote more time to studying than the student who doesn’t have to study. As a result, there are adjustments with your time you have to make. In order to see the weight, you need to write down your responsibilities and really study them. Many people do this by keeping track of a calendar. When you maintain a calendar daily, you are seeing all of the “weight” that you have to keep in balance.

For example, Brian notices that 3 weeks from now, he has 3 tests in one week. There is also a big football game that week that he doesn’t want to miss. In order to keep everything in balance, there are things he needs to do with his time and effort now in order to keep everything balanced. His goal is to do well on his tests and play well in the football game. This is possible, but he has to make those adjustments in order to maintain balance. You can maintain balance too, but you have to see the weight first in order to determine the adjustments you have to make to keep in balance.

 

Marvin Byrd (c/o 98)

It Can Be Done

My science homework is in my math folder!!

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As you know, you are given stacks of paper throughout a school year. I actually wonder how many trees one building goes through in one school year. What you do with any piece of paper the first time it goes through your hands is very important. I encourage my students to make sure that they have a system when it comes to their papers. I cringe when I see a student pull out a crumpled piece of paper that may or may not have been important. I don’t like seeing a piece of paper wrinkled at the edges because a student left it in a book in their book bag. You don’t have to be kicking yourself in your science class because you left your science homework in you math folder.
All you need to do is put things back where they belong once you finish with them. History papers go into your folder labeled, “History”. Algebra papers go into your folder labeled, “Algebra”. It is not difficult. I guarantee that this will save you time and energy. Keeping all your papers in their proper place only takes discipline. Discipline is a matter of doing things the same way on a consistent basis. That is how we form habits. The challenge is that no one can make you create this system and stick with it. The choice is yours.
MB (c/o 98)
 
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