The Importance of Establishing a Strong Relationship With Teachers

Teachers, apart from giving lessons and evaluating students, can also be our mentors. Their position in the academic world allows them to know about multiple opportunities and resources that will help students succeed down the road. Sometimes they have these opportunities lying around, but most times they have to look for it, and of course, they probably won’t go out of their way unless they are sure that the student in question is serious, hardworking and deserving.

So how do you establish such a relationship where your teacher is always looking out for you? One simple but effective way is to acknowledge the teacher's existence. Teachers see so many students in one day, but the interaction is strictly limited to the lessons they provide and oftentimes students don’t utter another single word. To change this pattern, you can start by greeting your teachers every time you see them. When you enter their class and see them in the halls, a "good morning" or a nod will make all the difference. Of course, goodbyes are also important; when the class has ended, say a "see you later”, a “have a good day”, and if you truly feel it in you, thank them for their work. A simple thank you never hurt anyone nor does it cost anything but it sure helps someone feel acknowledged and leaves a good impression. A "hello", "thank you" and "goodbye" opens the ground for more conversation. Just bits of chatter on the weather, a lesson you found particularly interesting, and sometimes on recent events. All of this will let the teacher know more about you and allows the teacher to think more highly of you.You’re no longer just another ghost in the class but a genuine person. And with that, the teacher will be more compelled to look at emails they get about student opportunities and talk to other teachers about your abilities and how they can better help you.

I’m not asking you to become the teacher's pet or kiss up to your teacher. No, you just need to be polite. Being polite and acknowledging, and holding conversations are skills you will need in your professional life, so why not practice at school and maybe even get a reliable mentor out of it? I’ve seen multiple graduates come back to their high school teachers just to talk about their life or even get advice on their academics. A teacher is still a person no matter how you look at it, and when it comes to people, relationships of all values can be established. Make sure that with at least one teacher, you can create a long-standing mentor-mentee relationship and who knows where that may lead you.

Stay safe!

Must Needs For the 2020 School Year

Many students have limited experience with Virtual Learning, meaning that we have yet to learn how to create an environment that stimulates success. I have had a previous opportunity to participate in virtual learning, and I picked up on a few things that helped me study well in a home environment.

Here are things that have helped me adapt to virtual learning.

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Planner

Planners and journals are often seen in the hands of either really busy adults or teen Youtubers trying to be artsy. However, I've been using a planner for over a year now, and it's literally chef's kiss brilliant. It's key to keeping yourself organized no matter how busy you may be. I can have every space of a page covered with tasks and sometimes only have a single assignment for the week, nevertheless, it's always helped me keep track of everything. Virtual Learning forces every minute and every day to blur together. This makes it challenging to keep track of every responsibility and due date. A planner covers that impasse created by distanced learning with its basic calendar design.

Planners are also great for students lacking motivation. Creating a simple To-Do list and crossing out tasks (big and small) truly pushes many students to be more productive. I've written, "take a shower" as a task on a busy day before so that I don't lose focus before getting back to my other responsibilities. If you could take away one thing from this post, it is to have a planner. Any kind will do; I got mine from the Dollar Store, and it serves it's best purpose. Just find any notebook that can help you keep track of the date and your tasks.

It's easy to give up on your classes because school seems to lose a lot of its fun aspects, but finding different ways to push yourself through is a life skill you will always need.

Routine and Sleep

I can not stress the importance of a daily routine and adequate sleep enough. No matter how old you are and how busy your days get, setting up a simple routine to your everyday life is a huge life hack. If you can get your mind and body to switch between working and relaxing while in the same environment, then you've mastered the art of working at home. Getting up at the same time every day, eating a healthy breakfast, getting dressed and settling in for work with lunch and a break in mind, and eventually clocking out at the end of your workday, changing back to comfortable clothes, getting a hearty dinner, and finally laying down for bed at a reasonable time, makes all the difference in your life. You can't expect your mind to prepare for work without creating a difference between your relaxed and work days.

Music

Music is my lifeline during long working hours. I usually listen to the Lofi stream on Youtube by ChilledCow. Music activates both the left and right side of the brain, improving memory and learning. Research has shown music improves one's emotional state which in turn develops brain function and reduces stress on students, amongst other things. I can also back this statement up with my experience. Unless I require utmost concentration, I am usually listening to music to reduce stress and to soothe myself for a few hours.

Snacks

This is just a personal preference or habit. I really don't have much to say on this one. I usually blur a lot around me and I don't want my stomach to get in the way. A healthy snack on the side never hurt anyone.

Clean Room

A clean room or learning space is just as important as a routine. An organized environment maintains a clear mind, which puts one in a good mood for work. Many people also make it a habit to procrastinate on their room rather the get their works done. It's important to eliminate unbeneficial distractions and a messy room is prone to that. Create an organized space that makes you personally feel formal and prepared to work.

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Looking back, I haven't written too many new things in this post. This is mainly just a reminder of useful habits to have during virtual learning. With experience, I am sure you will find ways that help you best succeed and eliminate the obstacles that have been created. It will take time, but it will be worth it. Remember to stay inside, distanced, happy, and healthy!

Enjoy being productive!

Helpful Chrome Extensions for School From TikTok

School in 2020 has hit a virtual barrier. Everything feels so distanced, unattainable, and very much unfamiliar. Although I can not change that, I can help make virtual learning easier with these Chrome Extensions I found on TikTok.

Chrome Extensions are small programs that you can add to your browser to personalize your experience. Extensions are simple to install, find what you're looking for on the Web Store and add to Chrome; it will lead you through the rest of its set-up process. Just make sure that you can trust what you're installing; look through the reviews, or even conduct a quick search to be safe!

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Nimbus Screenshot & Screen Video Recorder

If you are someone who can't pay attention to a talking screen at 9 in the morning and your teacher refuses to record their lesson, this extension will be a life savour. You can also use it to take quick screenshots of notes or slides. Actions can be limited if you don't sign-up for premium, but it still works for free. Just make sure to keep an eye on its video limits so you don't miss half a lesson.

Block Site - Website Blocker for Chrome™

Do you have zero self-control? Do you need someone to stop you from going on Youtube or other platforms during your productive hours? Well, Block Sites will keep you in control! Just add a specific website to your block list and boom, you can no longer access that website on a whim.

Google Keep

This one is just a simple way to keep track of the resources you will need later. Google Keep lets you save any image, URL, or text and make a note on why you need it. I best see it being used when designing a potential PowerPoint or gather information for a report.

Momentum

Momentum allows you to aesthetically personalize your dashboard, allowing your goal of the day to always be visible to you. I personally love the little To-Do list at the bottom right corner and the Bookmark function at the top lift corner. This is extremely useful on days that you really need to be in your working zone.

EquatIO - Math made digital

Math online is a pain! Especially, when you have to write equations on a document; it seriously takes so much time. EquatIO allows you to write any equation by hand or through its a simple keyboard and it easily transfers that to a Google document. It has a number of other functions with graphs and data management. Absolutely worth exploring!

Dualless

Dualles allows users to split their browser screen into two. This way, you can easily view a document as you write a report or even watch an "informative" video as you write an essay. I've been using a similar one called Tab Layouts which has really helped me multitask.

Weava Highlighter - PDF & Web

Weava allows students to highlight any text on their browsers as they read through it. It can also save that text and add a for future reference. It's pretty sweet and a gift for students who have to read any endless amount each day!

MyBib: Free Citation Generator

I know making a list of citations is a pain, especially if they have to be in a certain format. MyBib literally does all the work for you. Just click on the extension on the website you want to record and choose your format. It saves it for you in a project folder and you can download all of your citations once you're done. Efficiency at it's best!

Grammarly

I am sure you've seen an ad on Grammarly before! Add Grammarly to Chrome to have a constant spell and grammar check on hand. If you create a document on its account, it will also tell you specific problem areas that addressed in its premium version. The free version of Grammarly is pretty good, but I would suggest aiming for premium if you can. It doesn't hurt to have it around, and it can act as a third eye for your work.

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That's it! That is all I can list for today. If you're looking for any more, search it up on the Google Web Store, and you are bound to find one that works for you. You can also scroll through TikTok and Youtube for some unique extensions you didn't think you would need.

Enjoy being productive!