In a world where they put a man on the moon before they put wheels on suitcases, the same strange mind set still holds amazingly true with writing.

Remember the dread of a report? Essays, for example, are really easy to write. Check out the following: FREE AUTOMATED INFORMATION ORGANIZATION PROGRAM

http://www.theeasyessay.com, a free site, can teach almost anyone how to logically organize a proof format (as an essay, speech, business memo etc,) for any fact, concept or idea in 5 minutes.

http://www.theeasyessay.com uses an automated information organization program. It has been taught to 7 year olds, LD students, Special Education classes, in high schools or for home schooling, for basic expository writing, as prep for the SAT, FCAT and the ACT, as well as a college class and for post graduate work. It has been used for interoffice communications, speech writing, and business, technical and scientific reports. The program has even been used for educational rehabilitation purposes. Our concept is based on our belief that in most conversations, the majority of the conversation deals with one person telling the other person why something is true; that is, giving reasons for its validity. That is all that we ask you to do on this site, except in writing. We use the essay form because it is the most efficient form of organization available and we automate the organization so that you limit your statements to proving only the things that you have already stated were true. For those with no information available, the thesis, or main idea you are going to prove, is linked to Google® to help begin your accumulation of that information (then we show you, very simply, how to prove said fact or idea).

http://www.theeasyessay.com appears to have excellent educational rehabilitation benefits especially for stroke and TBI patients in that it’s logical, color coded, repetitive functions lead one to believe that it aids in efforts for retraining and for reopening neural pathways. It can be taught to a varied group of individuals at the same time and each will learn to his or her own unique capacity. The Easy Essay is easy enough for the user to learn the process and make the use of the automated portion of the program unnecessary in situations where a computer is not at hand or if a teacher wants to make sure his/her students understand the process. For longer papers it can automatically expand into a 17 paragraph thesis. The Easy Essay is usable in any language. A noted side effect of the program is that users begin to communicate logically.

http://www.theeasyessay.com is free because we feel it is too important to charge for. If you are an educator, administrator, medical practitioner, businessperson, etc. and find the program as effective as I believe it to be, please pass this information on to the media so that the site can get more publicity and help more people.

We would appreciate any feedback (use the “Contact Us” section of the site) but in any case:

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO WHERE EVER IT CAN HELP. .

The 30 Second Transition

By Maria Murphy

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.  ~Etty Hillesum

I was at a mentoring conference last week and one of the topics we discussed was the concept of “being present.”  I mean, we all know what it feels like when someone is with us, but not really there.  It’s a terrible feeling and it diminishes the trust we feel in that person. 

When mentoring, it’s really very easy to lose track of the importance of “being present.”  We can convince ourselves that being in the room is sufficient.  Let’s face it; we can make some great excuses for why we are distracted and preoccupied.  You know what I mean; work stress, our families, traffic.  But being there in body is not enough and excuses don’t cut it with kids.  Kids know when we are not “there” and it weakens the trust we need to build with them.

That said, how do we get to “being present?”  It’s not so hard.  Just takes a bit of effort and practice.  One of the best ways to get there is to give yourself a minute or so of transition time.  So often, we run from one activity to another and we don’t give ourselves a minute to shift gears.  The result of all that rushing can be distractedness, lack of concentration and an overall feeling of being “behind the ball.”  Creating a little transition time helps us feel centered and in control.  It is worth the effort. Take a look and try it!

The 30 Second Transition

In your car, office, at home, wherever, take 30 seconds to breathe in and out.  Believe it or not, this will feel much longer.  Talk yourself through the transition. “I am going to meet my student now.   I will put away everything else.”  Keep breathing deeply, in and out.  Remind yourself to let go of other stressors and worries.  Remind yourself this time is for you and your student.  See how it feels to give yourself 30 seconds to transition.  30 seconds to prep for your student.

Good luck and have a great month.  And remember to believe in the power of your every contribution.

In the more than 20 years since Mercy Home for Boys & Girls established the Friends First volunteer mentoring program, we have matched more than 1,000 Chicago area boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 17 with caring adults who have become reliable friends and role models.  The following is a story about how one of our mentors has made a difference in the life of his mentee and how these two people have decided to spend their time together through giving back to their community.

Mentor Rap?

By Maria Murphy

“Break it down”  - MC Hammer

For anyone who knows who MC Hammer is, you may be wondering why one of the first mainstream rap singer’s lyrics are in an article about mentoring and tutoring kids.  Good question.  But I have to say, the words, “break it down,” from Hammer’s famous “You can’t touch this,” keep reverberating in my ears.

Lyric lore claims the phrase means either, to dance wildly, or break down the dance steps.  Either way, the words do stick. And, I believe, they are relevant to mentoring.  I have been thinking about barriers to learning for kids and teens.  There are two enormous barriers to their success listed below, for both of which I think MC Hammer can offer a bit of guidance. 

Not understanding the task at hand.

It’s so easy for us to assume kids know all the steps it takes to complete a task.  But multiplication, for instance, is not that simple.  It’s remembering how to stack the numbers and which side to start multiplying from and when to add.  It’s several very different and seemingly unrelated steps. Let’s face it, even a simple task like making your bed is many steps attached together.  Without direction, a bit of demonstration and follow up, even a bed can end up looking kind of tragic.  Watch your student carefully and assess if they know the steps they need.  Be careful not to assume.  Kids are good fakers.  They are aware of what they “should” know and many have learned to survive by covering up.  By evaluating what they know, you see exactly what their needs may be.

Feeling overwhelmed.

Some kids may have the skill set to perform tasks, but emotionally are blocked because of being overwhelmed.  Appraise the situation.  Observe their capability and proficiency and measure it against actual performance.  As adults, we know the impact that being overwhelmed can have on our productivity.  Even when we know how to do something, feeling overwhelmed can stop us in our tracks.  Same goes for the kids we are helping.

Good news.

Once you evaluate your student’s barriers, MC Hammer has the answer.  “Break it down.”  It’s as easy as teaching a skill in small steps or teaching the ability to break down tasks so they are not overwhelming.  Hammer’s got it.  See where your student is coming from and then “break it down.”  When I say “break it down,” that also means show them.  Hammer demonstrates his famous dance moves on his music videos.  Demonstrate your own “one step at a time” moves for your students who don't understand the task.  Demonstrate the steps over and over till they get it.  If, instead, they have the skills but are overwhelmed by all they have to do, show them your step-by-step moves to break it down and get it done.

Have fun, and remember, just like teaching dance moves, once you know what your student needs, you can “break it down” and instruct them step-by-step how to make the changes they need to succeed.

Please feel free to go to http://tutormentorconnection.ning.com to discuss this article.

Maria Murphy writes a monthly Tutor/Mentor Coaching Tip for this site and has been a presenter for Cabrini Connection’s Tutor/Mentor Conference. She is a speaker, consultant and writer. Other mentoring articles can be found on her blog column at http://www.simplyputtogether.com .