Mastering the marterial2 pot

Getting the Most Out of Class 89

Secret 7

GETTING THE MOST

OUT OF CLASS

Eleni knew she was shy, but she felt it was simply

something she would have to live with.

The problem was that her shyness was interfering with

her favorite class—geometry. Eleni envied her class￾mates who could throw up their hands during class or

hang around after class to ask Ms. Hartick a question.

The tricks Eleni relied on for her other classes were not

working. She couldn’t ask for help from a friend because

she had no friends taking geometry. She couldn’t find

answers to some questions by studying her textbook

because she didn’t understand some of the textbook’s

explanations. When Ms. Hartick was discussing a new

concept or reviewing a difficult problem, Eleni needed an

explanation on the spot.

Eleni explained her problem to her boyfriend and was

surprised by his response. “I bet other people have the

same question you do,” Alberto said. “You’d be doing

them a favor by asking your question.”

The next day, Eleni gathered her courage and raised

her hand. Ms. Hartick seemed pleased, and her answer

prepared Eleni for the rest of that day’s material.

When class was over, Ms. Hartick approached Eleni

and said, “Welcome to class.”