Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with teaching

Inner City to Inner Hippie

sadtomato — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:32:59 -0800

I currently teach high school in a low income area in a large suburb of Vancouver, BC. I am considering a move to a small community and am wondering what to expect. My school has been designated Inner City, because of the low income area, high student transient rate, and students in some form of government care (read: foster care, social worker supervision, social assistance dependent). While I deal with a lot of the problems of a low income school, the kids are really great, friendly kids. Teachers that come to our school from higher income areas always comment on how nice our kids are, and that their former students seem to have a sense of entitlement that is absent at my school. A lot of our students have such crappy lives that any kindness at all is very well received.

One thing that I really like about where I live and teach is that the two places are far apart. I rarely bump into a student when out doing personal errands, or at a restaurant, for example.

What is it like to be a much tighter part of the community with students and parents? What can I expect to be different, the same? What are some issues that I may not be considering at all?

Tell me about professional development for teachers in Canada

terilou — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:19:27 -0800

Help me learn more about teaching in Ontario, please. I'm looking for information about continuing education/professional development for teachers in Ontario. I'm not a teacher--I'm not even Canadian, but I have a good grasp on how teachers' professional development/continuing education works in most states in the United States. I'd like to have a similar understanding of how these things work in Canada. For simplicity, I'm focusing on Ontario, but if you have information that's specific to other provinces, please feel free to share.

I'm not looking for information on BECOMING a teacher, but more about the kinds of education that teachers would undergo to renew their certification, get a pay raise, or become an administrator. In the U.S., this is most commonly accomplished through graduate coursework leading to a Master's degree. Is it the same in Ontario?

I've tried to google for the answers to my questions, but it doesn't seem to be something that's laid out anywhere. I know I'd be hard-pressed to find the information for any state in the United States, also--it's common knowledge among the teachers and principals, but not really written down in any one place. These things sometimes vary

If you know of any good resources for this kind of information, please point me in the right direction. For people who are teachers or know teachers in Ontario, anecdotal or "common knowledge" information is welcome also.

Give up stable job for Americorps?

squawk — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:44:55 -0800

Would I be crazy to quit my decent, although not fulfilling, job and sign up for AmeriCorps? Background information: I've been employed for about two years since graduating college in 2007 with a liberal arts major. My job is, well, okay. I make more than enough cash for my simple lifestyle, plus the health benefits and time off are generous. The work itself is sometimes interesting when it relates to writing or doing creative work (like designing an ad), but at other times not so much. The downside is that I often find myself bored and having a feeling that I'm wasting my life here. There's not much opportunity for advancement or even just the chance to do something different, and to be honest, I'm not sure I would want to stay here for much longer.

The plot thickens: For several months I've been volunteering with an adult literacy program. I tutor a student looking to obtain his GED. Although I've never seriously considered teaching of any kind, I'm really enjoying this experience.

Said literacy program also happens to run the LiteracyCorps program for AmeriCorps. This would involve mainly teaching/tutoring adult education and ESL students fulltime, with some volunteer recruiting. I've had thoughts lately about applying to this program next year.

So, my question is: would I be crazy to drop everything and join Americorps?

I don't make crazy amounts of money right now, but it would be a 2/3 drop in pay. I'm fortunate to have zero debt, and I could conceivably live at home while serving in Americorps. I understand doing Americorps involves a certain amount of sacrifice, but the idea of barely subsisting for 1-2 years makes me a little uneasy. The economy is still not doing so great and I know that a lot of people would be grateful for my current job.

On the plus side, I think this would be a great experience for me in terms of career and personal growth. My job experiences have so far all been with non-profits, but not of the social service variety. I've been rather directionless since college ended and my volunteer work is the first thing that has excited/interested me this much in a long time. Conversely, the thought of my current job as a career is somewhat depressing.

This entire post assumes that I'd be even accepted into the program, which I'm reasonably sure if competitive.

So, what do you think AskMefites? Am I being crazy/unrealistic/selfish? Any thoughts, suggestions, similar experiences, advice, etc, would be appreciated.

Don't Wanna be an Idiot.

jhighmore — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:59:52 -0800

I have an interview at a "school of rock"-esque institution, which will require me to teach the song "American Idiot" by Green Day to a group of children. I have been playing guitar for years and years, and will be able to easily teach basslines. But drums is the problem. What's the best way to teach a drumline with no previous drum experience? Further info: The drummer that I have been assigned has been described as "advanced" (on a 1 - 3 scale). I am aware of "drum tabs"; would it be fine for me to print something like this off for him?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

How do I set up a simple database for vocabulary terms?

washburn — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:07:02 -0800

How do I make a database of vocabulary terms and definitions to use for teaching? What software, settings, etc. should I use? I teach college level courses in the humanities, and my students are often responsible for learning a range of terms and definitions.

So, I'd like to compile a database of terms and their corresponding definitions. This database could then, theoretically, be used in generating quizzes, exams, and review sheets that I could give to my students. What would be the best software and procedures to accomplish this?

Is Microsoft Access the way to go? If so, as one who hasn't used Access before, where can I find a quick tutorial to help me learn how to best set up this type of simple database up and occasionally import some of its contents to Word?

A few considerations:

*I use Microsoft Word 2003. Items should be easy to import into Word and be saved as part of exams that include other non-vocab related sections.

*A feature of lesser importance (but still nice) would be an ability to tag terms, to indicate what sorts of subject matter they relate to.

*I'm not a programmer, so the simpler the better.

Thanks for any advice.

Help me become a teacher without a masters.

Scientifik — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:42:34 -0800

Can I teach in Colorado without a Masters? The details are, I live in Denver, I have a bachelors degree in Computer Information Systems, I've been working as a freelance software developer for the last 2+ years, when I say freelance I mean that's how I make a good serious living. I'd like to get into teaching computer science at either a high school or junior college level. Nothing too advanced, but either Intro to Programming, RDMS or Data Structures. I've seen a lot of places require a masters but I'd rather not rack up another student loan burden plus sink all my time into grad school for the next 2 years. I have a great resume, very strong references from high profile clients, I've never had difficulty getting solid, well paying work. I feel I would be good teaching older kids/young adults, I've worked with high school students a few years back and really enjoyed it; Is there a way I can make all this translate into at least some part time teaching job?

Kids these days.

canadia — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:26:01 -0800

What are some fun classroom activities for middle school students (ages 12-14)? My program director has given me the job of coming up with some activities for our entire middle school class, but I'm drawing a blank as to what these kids might be into. For our elementary students, we're having a speech contest and a spelling bee. But I work at a very small school, and I have several 14 year-old boys who think they're too cool to participate in any classroom activities we've done thus far. To make matters worse, I teach a foreign language, so the activities can't be too complicated or else the students won't be able to play. I had several disasters during our school's Halloween party because some of the games I'd chosen needed a higher level of language comprehension than my students had.

Are there any fool-proof classroom games or activities that both teenage boys and girls are interested in?

I thought this was university, not highschool...

lizbunny — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:21:59 -0800

How far am I supposed to be willing to go to help my students with their term reports? This is my first term as a sessional lecturer for a 3rd year petrochemical engineering class. The course lecture material has been just peachy, they had 2 midterm exams and everyone did reasonably well. They only have one assignment this term, and it's a 20-30 page report all about a petrochemical of their choosing (like toluene, isopropanol, styrene...).

But, this being their first term of 3rd year, they haven't had to do much in the way of researching and doing formal university-quality papers yet. I had them write up memos on their petrochemical of choice, to give them a feel of the magnitude of the project and also provide some guidance on writing style and proper formatting. I've been providing feedback on how it should be written, trying to make sure they're understanding what information I'm looking for. And I've offered to do go over their reports before they hand them in officially (if they hand them in to me by this Wednesday), so I can help prevent the epic fails ahead of time.

A few of the students have been coming to me for help on where to find some of their information, and this is the point where I'm having some difficulty on how to handle this. There have already been some good references provided as a starting point. Of course it's not entirely easy to find info on proprietary processes and market data, but after having helped a few students who have come to me, I've figured out that some of them just suck at google-fu and library searches. Many of the other students have managed to track down the same resources without my help, I found out in class this morning. After today, I can't help but feel like there should be a definite limit to the amount of assistance I provide.

How far should I go to help my students out then?

How to ace my test tutor audition!

danceswithanonymity — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:31:35 -0800

What is a good topic that can be presented easily and engagingly in 5-10 minutes? Also, what are some good presentation tips? I'm auditioning to be a tutor/teacher with the Princeton Review in a few weeks. They're asking us to give a 5-10 minute presentation on a (preferably non-academic) topic where we demonstrate our classroom manner. They say they specifically would like us to use the whiteboard and get the "classroom" (a group of our fellow presenters) interacting.

What are some ideas of topics I could present? I was thinking perhaps "how to win a game of tic tac toe" but I'm not sure how well I could incorporate classroom interaction. On the other hand, I'm worried about presenting in a way that requires interaction but having a reserved sort of crowd and having it fall flat (which seems possible - they'll be a) nervous and b) competition).

Also - I've given presentations and taught classes before, but the idea of auditioning for a job has me nervous. What are good ways of projecting a calm, confident aura and what are telltale signs of nervousness I should look to avoid?

Help, Hivemind?

Help me explain autism to my child

Lulu's Pink Converse — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:14:08 -0800

How do I explain autism to my six-year-old? We were watching a tv program that featured a family where five of the six children were diagnosed as being somewhere on the autism spectrum, and my daughter was asking questions about autism, what it is, etc. What's an age-appropriate explanation? My daughter is a bright, compassionate, pretty average kid. We've always talked about how different people have different abilities, how their bodies might look different or work in different ways. She's had some experience with this herself, as she has vision issues that require wearing an eye patch for part of each day along with some pretty heavy-duty glasses. So she takes physical differences pretty much in stride.

But she's not had a lot of one-on-one interaction with people who may not be neurotypical. We want to continue our explanations in the vein of "different people have different abilities", but she's asking a lot of questions about why and how, etc, etc. Any suggestions on what to say or not say, any resources - especially kid's books - would be most welcome! Thanks!

TeachingFilter

bad grammar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:25:07 -0800

Is it normal or is it the symptom of a serious cognitive / psychological disorder that I don't like teaching? I have never had a diagnosis, and I'm an adult now, but I think I may have Asperger Syndrome. I am highly introverted, I love research, I am comfortable with a high level of detail, and I don't really care what other people think. I don't perceive social cues well, and when I start doing anything that takes a high level of focus, the rest of the world goes away.

This makes me terrible as a teacher. I don't perceive my students' social cues until they become blatant, hence I'm not sure when I am losing them. I do not get the reward that good teachers get from the back-and-forth with their students. I furthermore am alienated and get angry when students goof off or are disrespectful.

I have learned not to spam other people with an Asperger level of detail (think horror vacui; I used to read the dictionary for fun). But I don't instinctively empathize with what other people consider a normal (low) level of detail for instruction. It seems "dumb" to me. I could follow the cookbook (rely on other teachers' research and worksheets) but I would be bored with it. There's no there, there.

I bailed out of of one career (academic) because I couldn't teach. I now am looking for a librarian position that won't involve user instruction or too much work with the public. I don't mind IT, research, or day-to-day administration.

Help me start teaching art to adults.

alight — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:31:48 -0800

I need some advice on teaching art skills to adults. How do I not suck at this?

I’m going to start teaching some drawing and painting classes to adults in the evenings. I’m in my 20’s, and while I’ve done a bit of teaching in the past, (short free workshops and demos for students) I’ve got no experience dealing with a group of adults who have paid good money to listen to me for several weeks.

I think I’ve got a decent handle on curriculum stuff- in each class we’ll be covering a new skill per week, building on the previous week’s techniques. I know what I need to talk about, just not how to talk about it. The skills I’ll be teaching are things I’ve done for years, and I worry that my hands know what to do, but my brain and words will forget how to explain it to a novice.

To boost my confidence a bit, I could use some answers to questions like these:

Does anyone have some reading resources on teaching to adults- especially those related to art or manual skills? Is there some golden ratio of explaining, demonstrations, and practice that I can use as a rule of thumb? In what ways have some of your teachers failed at teaching a new skill, and how can I avoid making those mistakes? Any awesome class or teacher anecdotes? Is a feedback survey a good idea (at the end of the class, or midway through)?

Any other general tips?

Thanks in advance.

Is teaching a physically taxing job?

patheral — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:55:55 -0800

How hard, physically, is teaching? Can someone with fibromyalgia and other physical limitations do it? I have fibromyalgia, arthritis, degenerative disc disease (lower lumbar), and various other aches and pains. As a cherry on top, I also have bipolar - which is controlled by medication. All of these are in the mild to moderate end of the spectrum, but put them all together and I’m a walking ball of pain some days. I am in pain every day - only the degree changes.

I used to work as an administrative assistant, mostly temp work, but I made living. I can’t do that anymore because of my mutinous body. If I sit down for too long, my knees and hips hurt. If I stand too long, my knees and back hurt. I can’t lift anything over ten pounds, and forget writing or typing for hours (my hands and wrists rebel). The U.S. government, in its infinite wisdom, believes that because I worked as a cashier in the past (for four months) that I can work as a cashier again, and therefore I do not qualify for disability. Bless their hearts.

I’m studying for a BA in English and even as a student my hands ache and there are days when I can hardly move after classes and studying. I cannot take pain medication (any of them) because of adverse affects or lack of results.

I want to become a teacher. My question is for teachers really - how hard is the job physically? Can I do it with the above limitations? I made a good-enough living working temp in the admin field. If I find the right city/state can I do the same as a substitute? I briefly worked as a substitute before I entered college, and I enjoyed that - it wasn’t too hard on me physically and I didn’t have to put up with any politics (my bipolar just doesn’t play well with politics). But if I can't make enough to pay the bills then I guess I have to find a full time job somewhere - but if working as a full time teacher would be too physically taxing then it seems that subbing would be a good alternative. I want to teach ESL, and I think I can handle it part-time if I can supplement that income as a sub.

Any information, suggestions would be great. I'm not really looking for a "career," I just want to teach. It doesn't have to pay great, it just has to pay the bills.

Rhetorical Theory texts for Undergrads?

BlooPen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:36:36 -0800

What textbooks and/or texts would you recommend for an undergraduate Rhetorical Theory class? I’ll be teaching Rhetorical Theory for the first time next semester and have been struggling to find a textbook or some combination of textbooks for the course. Alternatively, I can choose articles and selections from primary texts to post online, so suggestions for articles and key primary texts are also helpful. The students are mostly junior English majors focusing their studies on Lit or Creative Writing, and this will be their first exposure to rhetorical theory.

This question has given me a good head start, but I'm hoping to find things that are compelling for undergraduates without overwhelming them.

I Just Want to Know I'm Not Alone in Hating These Damn Kids

theichibun — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:38:31 -0800

Blogs about being a substitute teacher, either strategies or individual accounts. They have to be out there, but I can't find them. I'm currently subbing in South Carolina and I'm interested in finding blogs written by other subs about their experiences. I've found blogs written by and for teachers (which don't really apply in some cases since I'm only in the room for 1 day) and blogs about substitutes for items such as in cooking.

Who needs help, but just for a little while?

bluejayk — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:14:31 -0800

What are good volunteer opportunities for someone who moves from city to city several times a year? I really like my current job, and one great aspect of it is that it leaves me lots of free time. I would like to do some type of volunteer work with that free time, perhaps 5 hours per week. However, the big downside of my job is that I have to move around quite a bit and won't ever bee in the same city for more than about 3 months.

What I'd really love to do is get involved in ESL classes for immigrants, since I used to do that professionally. However, that generally takes a good bit of commitment because a teacher who can only do 2-3 classes and then quit isn't much help to anyone. I don't want to be more of a burden than a help, so I'd be willing to consider other ways to help people, preferable involving personal interaction.

Who should I be talking to? What kind of organizations should I contact? Churches? I'd love any ideas anyone has. Other teaching skills I have that might be useful for some group: basic computer hardware/software, SAT, GRE or LSAT prep, writing, reading. Also, I speak Spanish pretty well and am semi-conversant in Mandarin.

Help me be an IT wizard.

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:36:15 -0800

I will need to change careers, but I have a bit of time to plan this out. What should my next computer- or education-related job be? About me, I’m American, living overseas in Tokyo. I have a wife and baby girl. I’m teaching English at a private high school/jr high, and enjoy the work very much. What I would like to do is move back to the U.S. and teach English at an American jr. high or high school. The catch is I don’t have a teaching certificate, and would need to take classes to get that. In addition, states are slashing budgets left and right, and even experienced teachers are being laid off and having a hard time finding work. If you have any advice in this area, please let me know.

So…the other arena I’d like to see about gaining skills/experience is computers and programming. If you ask me “what job?”, well, that’s kind of my question for you. What kinds of IT jobs are out there? What can I do all by myself with my iMac at home to gain skills and even make money (I’m thinking Web-based work, perhaps). I don’t know programming languages, but I’m fairly autodidactic given half a chance, and think I could teach myself; again, I have at least a year, probably more like 3 or 4 years before I make the switch. I am fairly computer savvy, though when it comes to typing code I guess I hit a wall.

My second question, then: what are some wise ways to spend the next couple of years teaching myself IT / Web / Programming skills? How to build up a portfolio of sorts during that time as well?

Interviewing for a position providing ESL support to university students--help!

soviet sleepover — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:38:11 -0800

In a few days I'll be interviewing for a job providing academic support to university-level ESL students. Help me prepare! As far as I understand, the position entails attending classes with students as a non-participatory note-taker, then meeting with students after class to discuss any questions or concerns they have. I feel fairly well-attuned to this sort of thing--plus I've taught EFL to students with basic conversational skills, tutored both ESL and native speakers in academic writing at the high school and university levels, and lived/traveled abroad enough to empathize with the day-to-day struggles of living in a foreign language and culture. I don't have a TESOL certificate, but I do have an MFA in writing. I'm reasonably confident that, if I get the job, I'll do it well and enjoy it in the process.

The catch is that I'm kind of rusty at interviewing (and have only had one university-level job in the past). Also, for the past half-year I've been working outside my field (as a barista--the classic lousy post-MFA job). So I'm not quite sure how best to prepare. What kind of questions I should expect? What should I make a point to stress/downplay? Bonus: how should I dress (as a late-20s female in a liberal West Coast city).

Short passages of particularly strong or weak nonfiction prose?

cymru_j — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:04:34 -0800

In search of short passages of especially strong or weak nonfiction prose! I’m hoping to build a composition class around short examples of effective and in effective writing. I'm thinking of passages of about 1-6 sentences.

We'll look at excerpted passages as a class and analyze what makes them more or less effective. Maybe we'll even try rewriting them in various ways to note the effect.

Passages from well-loved (or well-hated) prose stylists are very welcome, but bonus points for writing whose quality seems surprising or out of context, i.e. poor writing where one might expect strong (from a respected magazine, author, columnist) or good prose that pops up in off-beat venues (blogs, advertising copy, tabloids, etc.).

Any comments on why said prose is effective or ineffective are also welcome.

Thanks very much, guys!

Survival Tips for a New High School Teacher?

airguitar2 — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:42:00 -0800

Help: I am a first year high school teacher. I'm a month into my first year teaching high school English, and while I love the kids and my colleagues, and have had some great classes, many days leave me feeling ground to a mushy pulp and barely able to dial the pizza delivery number when I get home.

Any tips on the following would be much appreciated:

How do I manage my time and energy to as not to be totally exhausted?

How can I manage my energy in the classroom so as to sustain some level of energy all day long?

What can I do to *completely* recharge on the weekends? I'm thinking about getting a massage today.

Any general tips for making things easier on myself?

I'm trying to do my lesson planning at school, so my time is my own when I get home, but I'm often so worn down that all I can do in my "off time" is lie on the couch or take a bath. Everyone says it gets easier, but what can I do to survive this first year?

dit moi tous les choses!

Rocket26 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:19:24 -0800

Does anyone here on ask mefi have experience with the teaching assistants program in France? I'm seriously considering applying. Or for that matter, does anyone have thoughts or experiences with other programs in France teaching English to French folk? I have very basic French, but I am taking classes and plan on doing it throughout the year. I am just really enjoying it and I had no idea until my teacher mentioned it that the French government would actually pay some cold hard euros to have a native speaker come teach, even to someone (comme moi) that was a beginner. You work like 12 hours a week in a school, elementary or high school, and you get paid something to do it? 12 hours and the rest is yours to explore? I worked as a teachers assistant for a few years here and have some solid teaching experience.

It just seems to good to be true. Anyone out there been connected to this program or to other programs teaching in France?

Film school, not to make films but to teach?

mattsweaters — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:39:19 -0800

Film school, not to make films but to teach? Some background on myself. When I was 18 I moved to LA and became a television editor. I've worked for 8 years now in all sorts of aspects of film and tv, with no degree and have done quite well for myself..I'm a huge cinefile as well and love to study and watch films.

Anyhow, I've been feeling burnt and would like to take some time off and do something new. I've been thinking more and more about how I would like to teach. I'm really not attached to anything in specific, college age to young or non-profit underprivileged kids.

So mefites..any of you teach film or technical aspects of creating media? I'm open to any suggestions. I think I would like to go to school, but I do I need to study film?

I need help spicing up second grade.

HotPatatta — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:40:03 -0800

Since I don't necessarily care if I get fired at the end of the year, what can I do to make this a memorable and completely awesome school year for my second graders? At this point, I'm planning not to continue teaching once the current school year ends in June. Since I don't want another teaching position after this, getting a stellar end-of-year performance review isn't a concern (I also have former supervisors who can vouch for me). I want to end this part of my life on a high note, so what are some kick-ass short- and long-term projects, crafts, songs, lessons, books for story time, and field trips (New York City) that are low-to-no cost and that will make this one of the most memorable years of these kids' lives? I'll have to cover all costs myself--the kids all live in abject poverty--so anything that requires very little capital investment and parental involvement would be preferable. Supplies I already have: two computers, a laser printer, a stereo, an overhead projector, rolls of butcher paper in a wide assortment of colors, basic craft supplies, and a switchblade I confiscated.

I'll give you extra credit and a scratch 'n' sniff sticker if you can think of a way to turn all the boogers under the desks into art.

Thanks!

I had to put up these posters in my own classroom; they were so expensive I had to sell my house!

lhude sing cuccu — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:39:52 -0800

Why did my elementary/high school teachers complain so much about how they don't make enough money? I looked at the Department of Labor's website, and they make just as much as they would in certain postsecondary subjects (about $53,000). I always thought they made $25,000 a year or something, but this has changed everything! Am I missing something? ...Or are they just bitter they're stuck in the public school system?

How do I deal with the fact that I hate teaching, or, how long do I hate teaching until I give up on grad school?

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:39:27 -0800

How do I deal with the fact that I hate teaching, or, how long do I hate teaching until I give up on grad school? I'm a PhD student with a fellowship that pays my tuition and gives me a modest living stipend in exchange for, as with any fellowship, service to the school. In my case, this service is defined as teaching two classes entirely on my own each semester for three years. I had very little desire to teach going into grad school (I'm in a field where there are other careers that require a PhD and those are what I do, in fact, desire) and teaching so far (it's been about six weeks) has really solidified that decision. I hate it. Every week for about 48 hours before I have to teach, I feel absolutely paralyzed by the most intense nervousness I've ever experienced. I take antacids regularly because I feel terrible. I grind my teeth in my sleep and wake up with headaches. I absolutely love school and what I'm doing, but teaching is making me miserable. There is no other option as far as my fellowship goes - I have to teach for three years, or no funding.

My question is whether anyone has any strategies or advice as how to make this more tolerable and/or make me feel like the next three years of my life will be something other than absolutely terrible. Will this get easier? Will the nervousness subside? I know that a lot of this is entirely subjective, but I am having a difficult time determining whether it is worthwhile to stay in graduate school if this is the only way to do it. I am told things tend to get easier but am uncertain how to deal until they do. I'm torn between thinking that A) I should just suck it up because I am lucky to even have funding (most in my department don't) or B) these are three years of my life that I'll never get back.

Any suggestions and/or strategies would be sincerely appreciated!