Books

This Weekend’s Radio and Television Appearances

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hi Everyone:

I will be on the Andre Whitehead shows this weekend. Here is a list of those appearances. I hope you can tune in. I also hope I didn’t embarrass myself!

This weekend we’ll introduce you to an author, educator and blogger discussing becoming “Suddenly Single!” You just have to meet Sheri Dean Parmelee on TV Sat 7am WGNT/27 in Tidewater, Sun 9am on CW Central VA. Sheri will also be on our Radio show Sun 8am atWLNI.com.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

P.S. Sorry, wrong picture…. I was going for a microphone…such is life.

Letters of recommendation

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Today’s blog deals with that all-important letter of recommendation from your instructor. You may need one in order to get into a four-year college, if you are in a community college. You may be required to provide letters in order to get a scholarship or to get a better-paying job. The very best letter you can get is one that the instructor offers to give you, without your even needing to ask. So, how do you get one?

The first few hints are intuitively obvious, but still need to be included. First, be a good student who shows up on time, who shows up for each class meeting totally prepared for the day, and who does well on assignments and exams. “Okay,” you may be saying, “what else is new?”

Go beyond that, folks. Be pleasant to everyone, from the teacher and the other students, to folks who can never “do” anything for you. Do you know who the janitor is in the buildings you have classes in? Do you ever thank that individual for the work he or she does? Do you greet the advisers, the office staff, and previous instructors with a smile on your face? This may sound silly, but you never know when the instructor you plan on asking for a reference is watching.

Don’t go about like an Eddie Haskel, pretending to be nice and then turning into a monster when the instructor’s head is turned. Be genuinely nice. Ask your instructor how his or her weekend went and pay attention to the answer. Talk to your fellow students before or after class, don’t just show up and clomp out.

I was asked for a reference letter just this past week. The student was in a class of mine one year ago, but I still remembered her because, not only was she a top student, but because she threw herself enthusiastically into every assignment. She never complained about anything, but truly sought to take charge of her own education. It was easy to write a reference for her; she was one of the most involved students I have every met. When she was in class, she was in class with every fiber of her being. I had 150 students that semester, but she clearly stood out. Be that student!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

P.S. Eddie Haskel was on Leave it to Beaver.

Note taking in college

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Have you seen them? They are the clear-eyed students sitting about halfway back in the room who never seem to need to take notes. They tell themselves that they will remember everything the instructor says, so note taking is for wimps. I see them all the time, usually in a class that they are on track to fail.

In eleven years of teaching face-to-face classes, I have only run into ONE student who literally did not need to take notes. The fellow watched my every move and seemed to memorize the Power Point slides. He made an A on every test. He came up to me at the beginning of the semester and told me ahead of time that this was his preferred way to take a class, so that I would not be insulted by his failure to write anything down.

Folks, I usually have between 50 and 75 face-to-face students per term. Multiple that times two terms per year (fall and spring) times eleven years and you have a boatload of students. In all those years, only ONE student succeeded with this method. What does that tell you? (Hint: That this method does not work for other folks.)

What ideas have you found helpful to taking notes in your classes? It would be great if we could share tips.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Decorating your Christmas tree from a former interior decorator

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hi Everyone:

Today’s blog is just for fun. Since many folks will start decorating their tree in the coming weeks, I wanted to jump in with ideas for making your tree look superb.

First, don’t decorate your tree like the stores do theirs. Keep in mind that they want to sell ornaments (or trees or both) and they will therefore put the ornaments on the outside limbs of the tree.

For a more detailed look that is absolutely super, hang your decorations on each limb, starting near the tree’s trunk. Work your way out on each limb, hanging more than one decoration on each limb. I find that the trunk is a great place to hang dear ol’ Aunt Gertie’s favorite ball that you somehow ended up with and any less-than-perfect decorations that you hate to throw away.

By placing ornaments in a variety of depths, you will create a whole new masterpiece that will catch the light (especially if, like me, you like sparkly ornaments) and offer a lot more to see than a bunch of ornaments hung on the outside limbs.

Stay tuned for more Christmas decorating ideas as the season draws near!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

College idea of the day: Writing Centers

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

College writing centers can be a wonderful asset to the beginning college student. When I began college as a nontraditional (e.i. “older”) student, I had been out of the classroom for many, many years. I hadn’t written an essay since high school. Even though I was considered a pretty decent writer back then, I had forgotten many of the basics of essay writing.

One of my teaching assistants had the presence of mind to suggest I try the writing center (which is an asset that most colleges I have come across have available today) after giving me a D on the first paper I wrote for her. This formerly-A student in writing classes was totally shocked. After I picked my pride up off the floor, I hightailed it over for the first-available appointment. What a godsend that was!

Although writing centers will not write the paper for you, they will give you guidance as to where you are going wrong. You may need some remedial help in the form of a class or two, but they can work on your form and sentence structure that can help in class right now.

Do you struggle with subject/verb agreement, passive versus active voice, or semi-colon use? They can help. When do you hyphenate a word? Are you using a word that sounds like another word but is wrong (“are” for “our,” “there” for “their,” and the like). Go to the writing center. This is an asset worth talking about! Good luck!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

P.S. My grades went from a D to an A in a single semester- this strategy works!

 

Preparing a college essay

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

This blog post comes after a busy day of grading papers at the three colleges where I teach. Here are some tips I wish my students knew about writing an essay for college:

Before you submit a paper, read it out loud. You will find mistakes you had no idea were there!

Do not write a run-on sentence. If, as you read the sentence out loud, you have to come up for air, divide the sentence into more than one sentence. A sentence that goes on and on and on and on will not endear you to your prof.

Make sure you have followed the directions!!!!!! One time, I was preparing to submit a paper online but decided to go back over the instructions one more time. I had written the wrong paper! Happily, I was able to go back over the paper and make some changes that turned it into the right paper but my grade would have been seriously impacted if I had not taken the time to make sure I got things right.

Make certain that you have followed the correct formatting, especially if the professor has posted an example of the essay you are to write. Does she ask for MLA or APA format? Don’t re-invent the wheel here- it really does matter. Follow whichever style guide he or she asks for.

Don’t argue with your professor. It is fine to ask questions about the grading but do not insist he or she accept your ideas for how the paper should be written. Ask with respect and sincere politeness. You would be amazed at how flexible we may become, if we are asked nicely.

Do not write a negative review of the instructor to “get back” at her for a bad grade. Take responsibility for your own education and admit that you maybe, just maybe, might have messed up. Some of us having been doing this line of work since you were in middle school….or longer.

Have a great day!

Dr. Sheri