Ready, Set......GO!!!!!!

Here we are folks, a week away from the beginning of school. The chill is definitely in the air, a few leaves are even changing and high school football has begun. If you haven't already gotten your children on their school bedtime schedule NOW is the time. It is also a great time to have the kids get their bookbags in order, set up a study area and discuss your expectations for this school year.
One of our favorite ideas is "Work Hard...Play Hard". This simply means that your family has clearly defined goals and plans for the school year. If you begin the year with clear cut goals and clearly stated consequences things will be so much nicer for you and your student. We must model good examples for our children...being consistent with our love and discipline shows them how much they are cherished.
The great way to begin the year is with a new planner...and a class showing them how to use it!! Call us and schedule a workshop; we would love to be a part of your best school year ever!!

New friends, opening doors and SCHOOL SUPPLIES!!!

How many of you have seen the commercial with the dad gleefully running down the aisles of an office supply store while his kids drag behind him woefully because school is soon starting?? I LOVE that commercial...I love new supplies...nothing better than a new fresh glue stick, a fresh box of crayons or a new notebook. How can you not get excited?? Now is a perfect time to take the ads and sit down with your children and do some comparison shopping and coupon clipping. Will they know they are doing math? Maybe/maybe not... Make a game of it...give each child a dollar and see how much they can get for it. Start the year out with a smile and a great attitude..
We met some terrific new friends this weekend in Royal Oak. We had a study skills workshop with a wonderful group and really look forward to returning soon. Thanks Carole and kids!
I am a real believer in doors opening constantly to offer new opportunities...we all need to open ourselves to possibility and go through those doors. Look at this new school year as a terrific opportunity...for your children and for you. Give your children the opportunity to excel...to shine.
We have a workshop on Thursday in Milford. A few spots are still open so call us...
Also we are now on Twitter...become one of our followers and we'll follow you!!

August musings...

Well, here it is August and I am sitting in sweats wishing I had a pair of socks to put on as well. What a wacky weather summer we have had...only a smattering of days have even hit the high 80s much less the 90s...not that I am complaining ;-) August always makes me a bit giddy. You may not know it but I LOVE school supplies...I love the bargain on school supplies and I love the cool new little gadgets that will supposedly make you love school. I know they really won't make it easier but I do love the idea of it being easier. One thing I do believe every student should go out and buy is a planner for themselves. The planner can be a literal lifeline to all things in your student's life. Let them take part in the buying decision...we want them to want to use it!!
We have a few more classes scheduled before school begins. We will also begin a full schedule in the Fall sometime after the 3rd week of school...our coupon special continues. Gather together 10 students for a workshop and your child will attend free of charge.
Now during these last waning days of summer go out and pick some blueberries with your children, make a bonfire, camp under the stars...Enjoy this time of quiet...

Memories...

We celebrated our daughter's 19th birthday yesterday. As the celebration continued at the dinner table I found myself going back to her 3rd birthday. We had a house and yard full of friends and the mood was jubilant. Suddenly Emily came into the yard, placed her hands on her hips and announced in a loud voice "This is the BEST birthday I have ever had!!". Of course I laughed through my tears, my husband hugged her and she got a huge round of applause. Now back to yesterday; she got the cell phone she has wanted for the past year, clothes, lots of makeup and a special gift from Daddy...and she brightly proclaimed "This is the BEST birthday ever!!". Now you are wondering..."where are you going with this walk down memory lane??" Well, I'll tell you.
I am learning each and every day how very precious memories are...unlike financial and material possessions they won't be foreclosed on or repossessed. They are ours...and we must treat them as precious. Today I am suggesting we all begin a family journal...that we write these treasures down for our families to cherish. We don't need to spend tons of money on scrapbooking goodies...we can use a simple notebook. By doing this we can make a history lesson...
Writing is sometimes a chore...and sometimes a blessing.
We are continuing to work towards bringing our workshops to you. Please don't forget our special offer: Gather together a group of 10 or more students and your child will attend for free! We offer a variety of workshops...and look forward to meeting you soon! In the meantime...notebooks are 5 cents at Wal-Mart, go grab a few and let the whole family begin writing their memories!!

The 21 Day Habit...using it!

One of the first things we discuss in a SchoolTools workshop is utilizing your time well and creating good habits. As we were teaching a workshop this past week I was struck by the fact that I need to use the "21 Day" plan myself. I love writing the blog...but I admit I haven't been consistent about doing this...SO, as we do in all of our workshops I challenged myself to make a blog habit. For the blog to be timely and I hope interesting I should be posting at least twice a week. I have written "BLOG" in my planner and will be crossing it off as I stretch my blogging muscles ;-)
So, let's talk about the 21 day habit...studies have shown that if a person truly wants to create a new habit or change an old one they need 21 days. I have personally found this really works, much to my surprise ;-) At our workshops we challenge the students to write down a habit they wish to adopt. They have been fun...a few examples were: eat breakfast, make my bed, write in my journal, not drink pop...the list goes on and on. We try to "make a habit" of contacting the students to see how they are doing. Their successes have been terrific. To make it more fun for them I always join in the challenge...generally the kids do a much better job!!
I challenge our readers to pick a habit you would like to create or break and take the challenge with us; you will be amazed.
May I also suggest you make the habit of checking our blog regularly...to keep me on my toes and to also read of new workshops, success stories and to post to us.
We welcome the feedback and the comments. It keeps us on our toes!!!
Our special continues...invite 10 or more students to a workshop and you will receive a workshop free!!!!

Summer!!!!!!

So...Summer is finally here. The sun is hot, the breeze is warm and my petunias are drooping. I was thinking to myself how much I miss the days of planning activities with my children to keep boredom at bay during these glorious days. One of our favorites was going to Cranbrook for a fun class on solving a murder. We had a great time. What do you do to keep the kids off the couch, the computer and to keep their minds active? Studies show that students lose so much during the summer months...this is why the first six weeks of school are spent in review!
Why not check out our schedule of workshops and give your kids a step up for the new school year. What a terrific idea to have them ready to use those planners the day they get them!!!
Also, don't forget our offer of a free workshop...invite 10 or more kids over and we will come to you to present a workshop!! Your child's workshop will be free! I would invite the moms too and have a nice visit while the kids are occupied and learning..but that is just me!!!

Digging into my own tool box

I was reminded this week that we are all life long learners...or we should be anyway!
I love to write...I love the idea of painting a word picture, of expressing my ideas and sharing them with other people. I also know that I don't work well under pressure! Earlier this week I found out a few things about myself (the hard way) regarding writing and pressure. I need to take my time when I write...I do a horrible job when I am faced with a short deadline. I make foolish errors, my proofreading stinks and the quality of my "product" suffers. So...I dusted off my tool box and pulled out two tools...the tool of "adequate time" i.e.; giving myself enough time to do a good job. The other tool was the "knowing my limitations" tool. This tool is the one that lets me say..."I need to use my time wisely and not be rushed"...or the consequence will be sloppy copy.
SchoolTools101 teaches both of these skills...I teach both these skills!! This week I didn't use my own lessons and I suffered.
What did I learn this week, you may ask? I learned to allow sufficient time for my work to shine and not to be afraid to say "I need more time to do a great job".
Allow your children to acquire these tools...sign them up for a workshop (we have some great ones coming up in the next few weeks!!)and then allow them to assemble their own toolboxes. By giving your children the correct tools, the room to goof, the comfort of your understanding and encouragement they will all become master craftspeople.
A side note...I was supposed to write this last night...I did and it wasn't very good. So...I took a deep breath, put it aside and got up early this morning ready to write. Proving that if you give yourself enough time to do a great job you also give yourself time to "take your time". Now this "assignment" is crossed off my planner and I can go to the Farmer's Market with a clear head!!
Summer is a wonderful time to reinforce skills...sign up today for a workshop!