Math can be a Foreign Language: Dr. Long Translates

Imagine this: You’re in a foreign country and you walk around listening to the locals talk to one another in their native tongue. They all act like it’s easy and like they actually enjoy it!  You just stand there….dumbfounded….. overwhelmed…. and lost. Then they try to talk to you! They want you to engage with this language too? Oh no, not going to happen. You get that “deer in the headlights” look, you start to sweat, and you feel so embarrassed and uncomfortable because you can’t understand what you’re hearing.

Unfortunately, a scenario similar to this one is all too familiar for some learners. This is how some feel when they look at a sheet of paper with a math problem on it or when they are sitting in the classroom and their teacher is going on about everything from addition to the z-intercept.

Why I Read: Katherine Bosley, Youth Services Coordinator

By Katherine Bosley

Somewhere in our library’s many incarnations and remodelings a tiny door was built, and all four feet of it have driven the children of Shelburne to distraction ever since. Discovering what lies beyond that wee little threshold is the fervent goal of many a young patron. The clincher is no one on staff will tell, which is because, until it’s opened, everything and anything lies beyond it. Perhaps it’s a broom closet, or perhaps the Queen of Hearts is back there furiously demanding her roses be painted red.

Here at the library, part of our job is to inspire readers, and reading is about possibility. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I think it also breeds avid readers, and truth be told, cats are not my thing so a universe heavy on readers and light on felines is okay by me. I read, because until proven otherwise, every wardrobe is a portal, every boot a portkey, and no break in the hedge or rabbit hole should remain unexplored.

Why I Read: Marti Fiske, Director of the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library

By Marti Fiske

I wanted to be a reader from a very, very young age. (See photo above.) But once I started school I had problems learning how. The teachers knew that I didn’t have any learning disorder. I would do well in small group work, but not so well in larger groups.  It wasn’t until the school nurse visited our classroom mid-way through first grade for general eye exams that they figured out the problem. I couldn’t see the chalkboards and flash cards in the distance. After my seat was moved to the front of the room and I got glasses my reading skills took off.

I grew up in the small farming community of Fairfield, Vermont (population 1,493 in 1980).  I don’t remember having a library in my school until I was in junior high, and that was tiny. There was no public library in town then. The nearest library was 20 minutes away in St. Albans. My family didn’t use that library because for many years we only had one car and my dad took it to work. My family had to make every dollar stretch. Buying a new book was always a special occasion. Somehow though, there was always reading material around.

My father read the newspaper daily and had trade magazines related to his work. He had a long row of books, mostly history and a few classics, in shelves tucked under the short knee-wall in his den. My mom had a small collection of paperback novels, mostly science fiction, over her side of the bed in a built-in headboard shelf. The school offered quarterly newsletters from which I could order a few inexpensive paperbacks. Every few months we might make a trip to the bookstore in St. Albans. I saved up money from birthdays, my paper route and babysitting. Eventually I would have a small collection of Trixie Belden mystery books. I loved those books so much that I decided to save them for the next generation in my family. My whole collection fit into a brown shopping bag. I eventually passed the collection along to my nieces, but by then Harry Potter and fantasy was all the rage. I’m not sure that they were ever read.

Why I Read: Stern Center Instructor, Shaun Stephens

By Shaun Stephens

My reasons for reading are as varied as the things that I read. I read to learn; I also read not to learn. I read to escape; I read not to escape. A favorite reading material for me is the “how-to” book or article: how to replace a toilet valve assembly, wire a 3-pole outlet, build a treehouse, make a woodcut, throw a boomerang. Most recently, I wanted my apple tree to produce more apples, so I have looked up how to control apple scab, codling moths, watercore, flyspeck, and sooty blotch. Who knew there were so many afflictions on apple trees? There is so much out there to discover. Stargazing, tree identification, orienteering, building a duct-tape wallet: the sky’s the limit! I have to try to corral my sometimes wandering attention.

But I also read not to learn; I want to lose myself in a good story. The latest adult fiction I read was The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. I loved the combination of magical realism, supernatural elements, historical fiction, and suspense. Run by Ann Patchett was an improbable but fascinating story of families intersecting in the wake of a car accident. The author made the girl protagonist so real I felt I had known her for years. I did not learn any specific things in these stories. I just experienced the pull and the joy of a good story.

How to Help Your Teenager Get Organized in 5 Easy Steps

High school can be an intricate maze of assignments, responsibilities, and deadlines and navigating it can often be very challenging. We all know the feeling of having a “to do” list a mile long and not even knowing where to begin. Learning how to tackle one’s schedule in an organized and efficient way can seem daunting, but if equipped with strategies one can successfully conquer the calendar chaos. Throughout adolescence, some of the most important skills teenagers can learn are time management and organizational skills. Here are 5 easy steps suggested by Michelle Szabo, Instruction Program Manager at the Stern Center, to help your teenager avoid feeling overwhelmed and instead feel in control and confident.

1.      BE PROACTIVE:

It is important to identify a problem early, before the situation has a chance to spiral out of control. Don’t wait until progress reports come out before identifying a break down in organization that may be hindering your teen from excelling academically. If you peek in your teen’s backpack and find crumpled up papers of unfinished homework assignments and quizzes with less than favorable results don’t be discouraged. It is never too late to start creating effective organizational habits. Executive function lies on a spectrum and everyone has the ability to learn these skills if given the proper plan.

2.     MAKE A PERSONALIZED PLAN:

Once you and your teen have agreed that there is a need for a more organized routine, the first step is to create a plan of execution. It is important to discuss what challenges your teen faces, what they struggle with the most, and what your collective goals are. Lay out the objectives and discuss how your teen learns best. Every person is different; discover which strategies are best for your student. Would keeping a binder help or would a daily calendar/planner be more beneficial? Ask questions and brainstorm together to find out which customized plan is the best to start with.

3.     ESTABLISH A SYSTEM:

Once a plan has been formulated, the next step is to develop a system of actions that will help your teen remain organized on a day to day basis. Some individuals may need more supervision than others. Does your teen struggle with clutter and needs to simply make sure he or she hole-punches each paper and puts it in a folder to ensure it doesn’t end up at the bottom of a bag? Or do you need to have a more hands on approach with your child where he or she needs to check in with someone at the end of the school day to make sure everything is accounted for? Develop clear and concise tactics to make sure each goal identified in the plan is being met. 

4.     MANAGE THE PROCESS:

Help your teen choose a resource most conducive to their learning style that allows them to facilitate their own learning as well as track their progress. Options include posting sticky notes in places that act as helpful reminders, creating daily “to do” lists, creating notes on their phones, or having a planner where they can write in each homework assignment. Just remember that these resources are not set in stone. If you and your teen find that one management tactic is not for them then you can always try another. This process is all about trial and error.  

5.     MONITOR PROGRESS:

Be diligent about making sure you and your student are tracking his or her progress. It is important to regularly evaluate which strategies are working the best and which ones may not be worth your student’s time. If you and your teen are willing to experiment and change strategies when it is necessary you will be able to work together to create a system that is most effective and that gets you closer to achieving your collective goals.   

Written by Stern Center Staff: Michelle Szabo and Allison Provost