Author Archives: John Jenkins

2017/18 Star Wars Gambit how-to manual grand prize winners

Congratulations to Micah Edman (EW 9-12 at CHESS), Sarah Runyan (EW 9-12 at STARS) and Tomek Kleczek (EW 7-9 at CHESS), the three 1st place winners of the Star Wars Gambit how-to writing competition!  See their manuals below.

Over 40 students competed to write a complete game manual, with a new game name and storyline for a new card, dice and intergalactic board game. Each of our winners are now published, plus recipients of a $25 Amazon gift card.

If you would like to see their work and play the game, here are their how-to manuals. Click to open and download.

Beta Aquarii – Micah Edman
Battle for the Galaxy – Sarah Runyon
Battle in the Sky – Tomek Kleczek

Welcome to RPClasses!

Check here for John’s 2020 Class Listings

If you have questions about a class or location, please email John Jenkins with your questions at  john@rpclasses.com. RPClasses is all about helping students think more critically and communicate more effectively.

  • Check out Abby Mills’ success story on self-publishing her book – great student, great writer!
  • Read what students and parents say about John’s classes.
  • Class offerings: Manassas (CHESS), Burke (STARS)
  • Get a jump on taking great notes — read on!
  • Avoid procrastination, it’s a killer — read on!

mock trial

Student and parent comments

I’m always encouraged when I hear from students and parents. Here’s a sampling of some of their comments. Read more >>>

Gabriel
“As a freshman at George Mason University I was nervous attending my first English class and even more nervous about writing papers for an actual college professor. My first assignment was a research paper. I wrote it, turned it in, and came in the next week anticipating a lot of red marks on the paper. The first thing the professor said to me when I came in was, “Gabriel, where did you learn to write like this??” I was stunned. I got a 98 on my first college paper. After having my paper shown to the entire class, I explained how I had been taught to research and write these types of papers by none other than Mr. John Jenkins. I took his British Literature class and his Effective Writing class in high school, and nothing could have prepared me better than his teaching. It is thorough, educational, and extremely helpful when it comes to writing on the educational and professional level, and might I say helped me pass my first college English class with an outstanding A+!”

Naomi
I’m taking English at Lord Fairfax Community College and right now it is so easy! All the class lectures are simply review for me. I have been able to apply everything I learned in the Effective Writing and Masterstrokes of Literature classes to this college course. I can’t tell you how much your classes and fantastic teaching have been such a blessing to me!  Thanks again! 

Josiah
Thank you so much for writing the letter of recommendation and bearing with me through multiple emails. I really appreciate the time you’ve invested in me in the past and now for the letter.

From Jacob’s Mom
Jacob is excelling beautifully at George Mason. He always gives you tremendous credit for where he is today. He still raves about you and says you far exceed any college professor he’s had thus far!

Julia
Your class has really helped me this year with just having a better understanding of how the writing process works. Believe it or not, those “skills” have also helped me with organization/time management in general. Thanks again and have a good summer!

From Josh’s Mom
I just wanted to thank you for a great class this year. Josh comes home every week excited about a new assignment or class discussion. Your class has really encouraged his interest in literature and writing.

How Google is stealing our students’ brainpower

It’s frightening to think, but there’s strong and growing evidence that search engines and the technology of smart phones are rewiring how our brains process and retrieve information – to our hurt.

There a great article in The Atlantic magazine right now:  Is Google Making Students Stupid?, a review of Nicholas Carr’s new book, The Glass Cage: Automation and Us. Both article and book analyze the dangers of information technology and automation. 

My own experience as a teacher of 5th-12th grade homeschool students in effective communication and critical thinking classes support the article’s premise — a student’s ability to memorize information appears to be on the decline. Actually, it’s not just students, but anyone who makes a habit of using the internet and apps instead of cultivating their memories.

Here’s a short excerpt from Carr’s book “The effect of ubiquitous spell check and AutoCorrect software is a revealing example. Psychologists studying the formation of memories have found that the act of generating a word in your mind strengthens your capacity to remember it. When a computer automatically corrects a spelling mistake or offers a drop-down menu of options, we’re no longer forced to generate the correct spelling in our minds.”

Take a look at the article. Do your own research. How we raise our kids to think has never been a more important topic.

A closing excerpt from the article: “Carr notes that the word “robot” derives from robota, a Czech term for servitude. His book is a valuable reminder that if we don’t carefully examine the process that makes us dependent on technology, our position in the master-servant relationship can become the opposite of what we imagine.”

Pick the right major and get paid for what you love to do

Big group of peopleChristopher Ingraham for The Washington Post has a great article on which college majors offer the most- or least-meaningful jobs and careers, as well as the best-paying or least-paying jobs and careers.

A total of 207 careers are ranked – by surveys from PayScale of 1.4M graduates who received those majors. You might be surprised where your desired major places on the chart.

    • The most meaningful – Pastoral ministry
    • The best paying – Petroleum engineer
    • The least paying – Child development
    • The least meaningful – Film production

Here’s the whole article: Want to do what you love and get paid for it? Choose one of these majors

Avoid procrastination

(reprinted and adapted with permission by Sue McMillin, With Time to Spare, www.withtimetospare.com)

It’s silent and insidious. It frustrates our hopes and dreams. It tempts us to avoid the things we feel incompetent in doing, to put off the things we’re uncomfortable with, don’t like to do, or simply don’t care to do.

Its name: Procrastination.

In this past year, how many school- or life-changing inspirations have we received but failed to accomplish because we believed Procrastination’s lies?

Here are 7 actions that can help us defeat Procrastination: 

1) Establish deadlines. Give yourself plenty of time to accomplish the work. A realistic deadline will inspire you to finish the task. After establishing this deadline, stick to it.

2) Be a finisher. Complete one simple task before starting another. Proofread the paragraph in the report before you go to lunch. Break big projects into smaller, manageable parts.

3) Build in a reward. Reward yourself when you finish a project or a portion of the project.

4) Be accountable. Have a parent or a study partner check on your progress when doing a long-term report or project. If they point out weakness in your progress, don’t begrudge them. Incorporate the good advice and push forward.

5) Say “NO” to less important duties.  Focus on your goals and priorities and don’t let less important requests interrupt those key moments when you are about to finish a critical task.

6) Renew yourself. Maybe it’s time to pause and gather yourself for the last, big push. Play a computer game. Walk around the block. Refresh yourself and then go back to wrap up that critical task or project.

7) Eliminate perfectionism from your thoughts and vocabulary. Perfectionism is deadening. The trap of perfectionism will sap your energy, kill your creativity and encourage procrastination.

Bottom LinePlan your work and work your plan. Establish realistic milestones with deadlines. Identify the parts of your assignment where you will be tempted to procrastinate. Start those difficult tasks when you are alert and have high energy. Build in rewards, encourage feedback from a parent, say no to less important tasks and toss perfectionism out the window! And if worse comes to worse, step away and renew yourself.

I took the workshop

 

“I really learned how to manage my time in writing timed essays, plus the importance of original thinking in my writing. I must say that this is my favorite SAT essay workshop out of the three I have taken. Plus I’ll never forget the friends I made there.”

 

“Now the far-off goal of getting a great SAT score is within my reach. Now I feel confident in writing any kind of essay and that;s why I think others should take this workshop.”

 

“Even though it was only a 3-day workshop, I feel more prepared to take the SAT essay and any other test with timed essays that I might run into. And I had fun working with the other students.”

 

“This workshop has hugely expanded my ability to write any kind of essay beyond the SAT. Plus I meet a bunch of cool students.”

 

 

“I learned how to write a high-scoring essay. Other students should take this workshop. The format was easy to follow and I felt at ease.”

 

 

“This class is a fun and valuable experience. I learned a whole lot. And again, it is fun!”

 

 

“The techniques you learn in the workshop help you complete the essay on time with all the needed components to get a high score.”