Being Mean

The narrator of "The Scarlet Ibis" loved his brother Doodle. But like many older brothers, he was mean to him at times. Today you'll write about being mean.

1. Think back to your childhood. -Discuss a time that you were mean to someone who didn't deserve it. Describe what happened -be honest, and provide details.

2. How do you feel about what happened now that you look back on the situation?

3. Why do you think people like Doodle's brother, and maybe even you are mean to others who don't deserve it?

*250-word minimum.

Writing a Cover Letter

You've imagined a profession that you would like to have when you are 25 years old, and you've written a resume that outlines the education and experience that goes along with having that particular job at that age. Now you're going to write a cover letter to go along with your resume.

What's a cover letter? Virginia Tech has a great page on cover letters. It details how and why to write a cover letter, and many examples are provided. Here's the link:

http://www.career.vt.edu/JobSearchGuide/CoverLetterSamples.html

Now imagine that your 25-year-old self is applying for new job. Search the job listings on monster.com or the want ads in an online newspaper. Find a job that you might be qualified for (at age 25) in your field of interest. Use your gmail account to create a cover letter for it (write the cover letter in the body of your email). Email the cover letter to me (mcarty@sterling.k12.nj.us).

Be sure to:
*Include your resume as a Microsoft Word attachment.
*Provide a link to the ad that you are responding to. This should be at the top of the page (just so I know what you're applying for).

Reviewing "The Alchemist"

1. Read the epilogue of the Alchemist.
2. In a new blog post on your blog, briefly summarize the book (identify title, author, type of story, etc,), discuss whether you liked it or not and why (be specific), and whether someone else should read it, skip it, or burn it.

Blog about whatever.

1) Writing is healthy -it's theraputic, it helps you clear your mind and clarify your thoughts. Today I want you to blog about whatever's on your mind. Write about something that's bothering you, or something that you're interested in, or something that you're passionate about, or an idea that you have.

*You will be graded on grammar and composition.

*200-word minimum.
*Don't be boring.

2) When you are complete, go to the student blogs page of this site. Read one of your classmates' posts from today, and leave them a thoughtful comment.

*Note: "I agree," "This is funny," etc. are not thoughtful comments.

Resume

Last week you identified a job that you might like to have when you are 25 years old. This week, you are to write a resume for your twenty-five-year-old self outlining the education and job experience that you hope to have at that point in your life.

1) Research the education and experience required for a person who holds your ideal job.

2) Research how to write a resume.
Here are a few samples:
http://www.aroj.com/sample-Construction/Construction-Laborer-Resume.html
http://www.aroj.com/sample-Medical/Dental-Assistant-Resume.html
http://www.jobweb.com/Resume/sample.aspx?id=602

3) Create your resume and email it to me mcarty@sterling.k12.nj.us as a MS Word attachment.

*Due Tomorrow, May 13 by the beginning of class.

*Late penalty: 8 points per school day late.

Job-Seeking Skills

In order to be happy, successful, and satisfied with your career, you should have a job that you can do well, that you feel is important, and that you are paid fairly for.
Complete the following in a new post on your blog:

1. Describe the job that you hope to have when you are 25 years old? *If you have a few ideas, describe just one.

2. Explain why you would be a good fit for this job and/or why this job would be a good fit for you.

3. (a) Review this list of job skills (also distributed in class) and identify the twenty skills from the list that are most important for that job. (b) Under each skill, describe a situation where you will need to demonstrate that skill while doing the job that you identified earlier.

Your list will look like this:
1. Collecting Money
As a self-employed carpenter, I will have to prepare bills for clients, and collect payments after work has completed.
...You'll have twenty of these.