New Perspectives in Project Management From A High School Library: Getting An A+ In Every Subject, Blog # 5

Dave digging himself out again

Welcome back to blog # 5 in the series. Today, for project management, we are going to look at a very specific case of an on-campus project and how I managed it into an A+. Of course, I had a vision, a mission and purpose, goals, plans and pilot programs and I had Standard without compromise, Heart, Attitude and Appreciation, Perspective and Persistence, and Excellence and Enthusiasm: so I was in good SHAPE. This is a story about relationships and resources, and hard work and study and no play: .

In October of 2002, I was told that I was going to be the math tutor at a local high school. I had done some homework for one of the students there and he was busy photocopying it and selling it to his friends in the corridor for $ 1.00 per set. Well, it all got confiscated by the math depart-ment chairman and the principal, but they did not know who was actually doing the work: it was me, of course, all in color and all belonging in the Smithsonian or in the Louvre.More...

So, one day, I showed up to campus to buy the Geometry book being used by his class and so I walked into the library with my checkbook and business card in hand. The librarian immediately recognized the opportunity and she called the math department chairman and said two words to him, “He’s here” and I got sent down. While chatting with him in his classroom, he picked up the phone and called the principal and he said two words to her, “He’s here” and I got sent down.

She held up my homework and said, “Is this yours?” and I said, “Yes” and she said, “You quit your day job and you start here on Monday”.

So, I did, and I showed up to the Library in the afternoon to help out the students for their home-work help. And they walked in, saying and asking, “Who are you?” Well, I’m Dave, your new math tutor.” “Oh, yeah, can you do Pre-Calculus? “Um, no I don’t, not yet, anyway.” So I found a student who did and I put that young man on the payroll right away! The next thing I did, in addition to creating and building, from scratch, all of the relationships that I needed to position myself as the “homework king” of the school, was to buy ALL of the math textbooks used on campus and sit down and do every single problem on every single page of every single book. Algebra I, Geometry ( standard and honors ), Algebra II / Trigonometry; and Pre-Calculus. Let’s see: Vision statement: To have all of the answers and to share how to solve all of the problems. Mission and Purpose statement: To provide the best in homework help studies. Goal: to raise the grades and joy of learning of each student; plan: work in the Library, the classrooms and then tutor students evenings and weekends; pilot program: start with one student and then help all 2,400 of them. Then, on to the other high schools in the district, the other districts in the region and the other regions in the state. Now, how about you? Do you have a vision so large that it can never, ever be accomplished in your lifetime? If not, you better get one going !!

See you tomorrow. Come back soon and often. davemathtutor @ yahoo.com

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1 thought on “New Perspectives in Project Management From A High School Library: Getting An A+ In Every Subject, Blog # 5”

  1. User Avatar

    Hi Mr. Katz,

    This is a good one. I would like to offer something in the post school future on high school to college transition.

    Secondly, I also have something on managing grades toward an A+ which can go hand in hand with your already successful efforts.

    Should there be an interest, please let me know.

    The scope of project execution at college and school levels is also of interest to me. Finally, I have tools and techniques for high value adding thesis or dissertations in graudate school – Have you considered it? Kindly let me know.

    Sincerely,

    Dr. Shree Nanguneri
    MGBS Inc.

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