How Can You Succeed

Just read an article about a teenaged boy whose mom died and even though he became homeless he graduated from high school as valedictorian with a 4.65 average. He was able to overcome adversity and still push on, he DID IT! Why is it that some kids, heck even some adults, overcome adversity rising above their situation and circumstances defeating the odds of success? Are they born with tenacity or the will to overcome? Do they happen to be at the right place at the right time? What is it? Some students try so hard to learn without receivng any encouragement from parents or teachers. Some teachers try so hard to teach students without getting any support from parents or students. Yet despite circumstances some great teachers still teach and some disadvantaged students still succeed. The common thread I hear over and over is NEVER GIVE UP! You see the strange thing about the mind is, if it thinks it can do something, it will tell you to continue to try until you do it. Some call it the "power of positive thinking" others call it "success the greatest revenge" and still others say "it's your inner spirit speaking to you". But whatever you call it, it allows you to keep pushing beyond your situation and circumstance. And each one of us gets a chance to help awaken that desire, that mindset for someone or maybe for ourselves. It's something that we read, that we see or hear. It's something that we're told or taught. That something can be you. Have you encouraged someone today?

NEVER GIVE UP, YOU CAN DO IT! Read http://tiny.cc/you-can-do-it

I'm P.Denise Smith and that's my two cents.

To learn more about P.Denise Smith visit www.tutorbydenise.com or follow her on: Twitter @tutorbydenise Facebook - www.facebook.com/tutorbydenise
Join her every Friday  LIVE Talk Radio Show "Talking With Denise" http://tiny.cc/live-talk-radio

CRCT Testing - Should You Refuse To Let Your Child Be Tested #crcttesting2014

Georgia students have finished taking the CRCT, parents and their kids are glad it's over. Every year teachers, parents and kids scramble to ensure everyone is ready for testing. The debate of standardized testing has gone on for years but this year is slightly different. This year a Marietta couple refused to let their 3rd and 5th grader take the CRCT see http://tiny.cc/crct-testing. A lot of parents and students mumble and grumble about the fact that 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders have to pass the Georgia CRCT to be promoted to the next grade. But few parents, if any, have refused to let their child (dren) be tested. I'm not even sure if anyone thought they had an option.

The million dollar question is, why can't the tests taken during the school year determine if a student can be promoted to the next grade? Many feel all the work done and good grades given during the year has no merit if the CRCT is the only measurement used for promotion of 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders. And now with all the news coverage of the Marietta couple refusing to let their children be tested and the school's response to such a request, one may wonder if the state of Georgia is going to review this mandate.  

We could argue the advantages or disadvantages of CRCT testing but where would that get us? Yes we do need to ensure that our children know how to read and understand concepts, know how to add, subtract, multiply,divide and understand the process of math. Yes it is critical that our Elementary students be properly prepared for Middle School and our Middle School students be properly prepared for High School, I don't think anyone would argue that fact. However there has to be a way to measure, to ensure that students are capable of performing at the next level without everything "riding" on one test. There has to be a better way to reward schools, principals, and teachers whose students perform well. There has to be a better way to link low performance accountibility.

The main goal of the school system is to educate our children. To help them possess enough knowledge to become productive citizens. Let's find a way to do that.Let's not have a repeat of teachers, principals and other school authorities cheating on the CRCT in order to retain their jobs. Let's not promote test anxiety by having everything "ride" on one test. Let's find a way to hold the students as well as the teachers and principals accountable for performance through out the entire year. It may be that students receive tests that are weighted greater than others, I'm not sure. But let's start the dialogue NOW.           

I'm Denise Smith and that's my two cents.

To learn more about P.Denise Smith visit

www.tutorbydenise.com

twitter.com/tutorbydenise #crcttesting2014

www.blogtalkradio.com/thetutorwizard 

CRCT Testing - Should You Refuse To Let Your Child Be Tested #crcttesting2014

Georgia students have finished taking the CRCT, parents and their kids are glad it's over. Every year teachers, parents and kids scramble to ensure everyone is ready for testing. The debate of standardized testing has gone on for years but this year is slightly different. This year a Marietta couple refused to let their 3rd and 5th grader take the CRCT see http://tiny.cc/crct-testing. A lot of parents and students mumble and grumble about the fact that 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders have to pass the Georgia CRCT to be promoted to the next grade. But few parents, if any, have refused to let their child (dren) be tested. I'm not even sure if anyone thought they had an option.

Should you refuse to let your child take the CRCT? The million dollar question is, why can't the tests taken during the school year determine if a student can be promoted to the next grade? Many feel all the work done and good grades given during the year has no merit if the CRCT is the only measurement used for promotion of 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders. And now with all the news coverage of the Marietta couple refusing to let their children be tested and the school's response to such a request, one may wonder if the state of Georgia is going to review this mandate.  

Yes we do need to ensure that our children know how to read and understand concepts, know how to add, subtract, multiply,divide and understand the process of math. Yes it is critical that our Elementary students be properly prepared for Middle School and our Middle School students be properly prepared for High School, I don't think anyone would argue that fact. However there has to be a way to measure, to ensure that students are capable of performing at the next level without everything "riding" on one test. There has to be a better way to reward schools, principals, and teachers whose students perform well. There has to be a better way to link low performance accountibility.

The main goal of the school system is to educate our children, to help them possess enough knowledge to become productive citizens. Let's find a way to do that. Let's not have a repeat of teachers, principals and other school authorities cheating on the CRCT in order to retain their jobs. Let's not promote test anxiety by having everything "ride" on one test. Let's find a way to hold the students as well as the teachers and principals accountable for performance through out the entire year. It may be that students receive tests that are weighted greater than others, I'm not sure. But let's start the dialogue NOW.           

I'm Denise Smith and that's my two cents. What's yours?

P.Denise Smith is a Tutor for grades k-12 and 1st year college students

You can learn more about P.Denise Smith at

www.tutorbydenise.com 

twitter.com/tutorbydenise

www.blogtalkradio.com/thetutorwizard