Category: Blog

I forgot how much fun tutoring face to face can be.

I have hit a spell with WyzAnt where I was ready to give up.  In fact, this reminds me that I need to ping a potential student and see if we can get started again.

I currently had two people contact me.

One is another WyzAnt tutor and she's gotten tired of the tutoring thing so needed help  branching out in a new business.  She and I had loads of fun together last week.

The second one is a parent of a 14 year old.  I thought she might be looking for someone to supervise the kiddo, because she was very cautious.  Wanted another background check which is fine, mine was a year old and  I paid for it.

He is so cool.  He really does want to learn how to make websites that work with databases.  So I am starting him out with the basics, we've started with both Java and HTML.  I am also answering questions as we go and he has so many good questions.

So if you want to learn programming and web design, we can do it face to face or online.

I got a bill from the old web hosting service this morning billing me for next month.  However, I've got everyone moved over to Azure with no hitches.

The next things to do if to figure out the best way to edit things and convert them all to full .NET sites.  One was done with ExpressionWeb and is a flat site, and it's good the way it is.

The American Beagle Rescue Fund site needs to go to .NET for the web application I want to build.

The old host is fine if you don't want to do .NET

I've also reviewed how to set up a new MVC website, pretty easy stuff.  Next have to figure out how to reference an old site.

I want to move all my websites from a CPanel box to Azure because I ultimately want to host some applications there.

So I have http://www.kweaver.net working but their directions weren't clear.  I also have Network Solutions holding my names.

So here's what I had to do.  I had to change my Network Solutions account to go to Network Solutions.  Then I had to take my Websites from free to Shared or Basic.  I picked Basic.

Then I had to get the IP address from the portal, and use it for my ANames.  Then I had to go in and put in the right cnames in.  I ended up with this:

Which is confusing because Network Solutions website added the period at the end and I didn't realize I needed the A names for both kweaver.net and www.kweaver.net

Working beautifully now.

The Texas Teacher Retirement System finally received my paperwork!  I'm all set for retirement pay now, AND it's only taken six months to make it happen.

I was able to pay for it with different 401B accounts, all of which are accounts that can't be touched until I'm much older unless I do the roll over.  I was also eligible because I taught technology courses.

I urge anyone who teaches a technology class to see if they are eligible and figure out how to pay for it.  I'm paying just around $30,000 to get two years of retirement at something over $29,000 + insurance for two years.

I may not make sense for everyone to retire this early BUT I do have some serious health issues that make teaching in a face-to-face classroom difficult.  I still teach part time for Johns Hopkins and really enjoy it.  I had a really busy day yesterday!

Retirement Transfers are still in limbo.  I've contacted MetLife, and haven't seen any movement 🙁

One of the things about working remotely for me, is I start feeling like I'm not accomplishing anything.  Here are my priorities:

• Work out every day — cardio and weights.  I go to a local Planet Fitness and then to the city pool.  Sometimes I have to skip one or the other.
• Do Johns Hopkins stuff first thing in the morning.  That's check email, start new students, etc.
• I have a dilemma but it might resolve itself tomorrow — the pool has been full of kids in the afternoon.  I want to use my mornings for work, me stuff, housecleaning, etc. and then go workout.  I think it would be better if the workout happened after lunch.
• Train the dogs.  I don't want to get a new dog until I get regular dog training back in the schedule for the existing dogs.

Tutoring for WyzAnt hasn't been working out well lately, it seems that most of the people signing up for it this year are deadbeats.

Another priority is to get back to programming myself. 

It will soon be six months since I started on this.  I am working on the last rollover.

The good news, Texas Teacher retirement system has all the money I need.

The bad news, is the supporting paperwork is missing.  They can't process it until they have everything.  I have a copy of the necessary paperwork, but not the required signatures.

Just sent an email so hopefully it will get resolved soon.

This will be my first full summer teaching for Johns Hopkins.  While courses go on over the school year, our highest course load is the summer.

By the way, if you have a student who is gifted and talented, check it out — just do a search on Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth or click here.

Two students are starting in the next few days, one in Java tomorrow and one in Introduction to Web Design.  I have six students starting in the next few weeks in Java I, four in Intro to Web Design and 1 in Advanced Web Design.

Looks like a fun summer!

I bought a beast.  Lenovo All-In-One B50-30.  I7 processor, 12 gig ram, and I think it weighs 35 pounds.

Reasoning:  I'm doing most of my tutoring online these days and I am wanting to get back into the App game.  I even have a good idea for one.

How:  Microsoft Store.  I made three appointments: one for a personal shopper, one was a class on my Microsoft band, and one was how to build an app in an hour.  I spaced things out so I had an hour for lunch.

So I looked at everything that had in stock, and then took the Microsoft band class.  It is good, fairly close to up to date, seeing as how Microsoft has been releasing new software in the last few weeks for the Band. 

Then I went to lunch.

The whole time mulling over how much I had to spend, how much computer I wanted, and what I wanted. 

Then I did the app class, and made my final decision.  I balanced what I had — one fairly old laptop that was completely loaded at the time, a Surface three Pro, and what I wanted to do.

A few times I've been frustrated, but updating the drivers and OS have seem to solve most of them.

The hardest part has been figuring how to arrange my desk.  I still need my Mac Mini, as I get the occasionally student that needs help running their Mac.  My desktop is fairly new, though cheap.  I also find some problems with compatibility when I need to do Android app stuff, so having that desktop is good.

The thing I like about having a "real" job, is that it forces me to focus on what I am doing. 

Even the Johns Hopkins gig is helping me focus — teaching Java and their Web Design courses.

The problem with WyzAnt, is finding the right students — for several weeks I've been trying to convince someone that I just wasn't the right tutor for them. The student wants to learn how to do the cool, fun websites like Wix.  Well, I can learn how to do that, but is that the best use of my time?

I end up prepping more than I'm teaching.

So yeah, I sent him on to someone else, which I've been trying to do in email for two weeks.

First thing in the morning, I check my email.  This morning the computers were pretty busy. 

I had several emails stating that I hadn’t had work from students.  That means sending an email to the parents asking if I can help.  One student is stuck, but I knew that I’ve been sending her consistently more helpful hints.  Another one was sick.  Yes, I usually get responses back pretty quickly.

I also had several emails with progress reports.  I sent them on to the parents with personal comments.

I have a new student starting on Wednesday, so I sent that student a welcome letter.  Those are pre-written but do have to be tweaked before they are sent out.

Through out the day I’ll get emails.  Some telling me that I have something to grade, some return from the above emails, and some asking me for help.  When I’m out and about, I try to have a device with me that will allow me to answer all of those emails, at the very least, a note that says I’ll get back to them by the end of the day.

Doesn’t take long to fill up my 4 hours a day.  Yes, I’m restricted to 28 hours a week, so I typically budget 4 hours a day, if I go over, I save those hours for a light day, or a day off.

If students need more help then an email, I usually set up a time I can be in my office to work with them, so I’m on a wired network.  I have a virtual white board, and can either phone or Skype them.  It has always worked well. 

So if you are thinking of having a student take a course at Johns Hopkins, you can see I give personal attention.