Tucker McBride

Return to a time when a boy could be a boy; when life was more clear from the top branch of a tree; when a kid could trade anger and disappointment for action and adventure; when the whole neighborhood was his playground; and the sloppy kiss from a dog could make everything right.


Sunday, September 27, 2020

Getting to Know You

So you want to be a TV interviewer and meet people? 

When Tucker and his friends go on their adventure, they meet a very interesting girl. As they walk her home one day, they begin to talk. By the time they get to her house, they've made a really good friend.

People build good friendships by getting to know others. Sharing about yourself and asking about them, is how we develop friendships. Remember, it's a conversation. You both get to talk. And, you share the talk-time. If there are two of you in the conversation, you talk one-half of the time. If three friends are enjoying a chat, your talk-time is one-third of the time. You get the idea. The important thing is, you get to know them while being honest in return.

You know it isn't polite to ask personal questions like --- "How much money does your mother earn?" Or, job-related questions such as --- "Has your dad found out any secrets about his boss?" Remember, if a friend asks you somethings you don't want to talk about, you can politely refuse to answer. Something like, "I'm not ready to talk about that now," is a refusal to speak, without being nasty.

Gramma would warn Tucker about telling people a family secret. There are some things best kept in the family. Like maybe one of your grandparents can't remember things anymore. Or, a parent just got a big raise in pay. Gramma would say, "Now, this stays in the family." Don't worry, those secrets won't keep you from making friends by sharing who you are and getting to know them.

For today's activity, you are going to pretend you're a TV newscaster. You are going to do a parrot-interview with the "new student" at your school. When you ask them a question, they get to ask you a similar one in return, or a different one they can think of. Write down their answers on the blank lines. Remember, you're from WHO-TV Station and the other person is the Interviewee. When you're finished, each of you introduce the person to others using all the information they just told you. The interviewee will have a form also. They too can be a WHO-TV newscaster, answering your questions and asking their own. On their sheet, they will fill out the WHO-TV sections too. You might need a script. Here we go:

WHO-TV:       Tell me when you moved to town.

                        ___________________________________________________________________

Interviewee's Question:

                        ____________________________________________________________________

WHO-TV:       How many brothers and sisters do you have?

                        ____________________________________________________________________

Interviewee's Question:

                        ____________________________________________________________________

WHO-TV:       Do you play a musical instrument? Which one?

                        ____________________________________________________________________

Interviewee's Question:

                        ____________________________________________________________________

WHO-TV:       How about sports? Do you play, watch, or both?

                        ____________________________________________________________________

Interviewee's Question:

                        ____________________________________________________________________

WHO-TV:       If you get to go Trick-or-Treating, what will you wear?

                        ____________________________________________________________________

Interviewee's Question:

                        ____________________________________________________________________

WHO-TV:       What are you thankful for?

                        ____________________________________________________________________

Interviewee's Question:

                        ____________________________________________________________________

WHO-TV:       Some people are afraid of the dark. What are you afraid of?

                        ____________________________________________________________________

Interviewee's Question:

                        ____________________________________________________________________

WHO-TV:       Anything else you want to tell me?

                        ____________________________________________________________________

Interviewee's Question:

                        ____________________________________________________________________

Now, introduce your "new friend" to others. They will introduce you, too.


Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.

Copyright 2020 Doris Gaines Rapp

Also: https://lengthofdaystrilogy.blosgspot.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

The Many Lives of Tucker McBride

   

Tucker often finds himself in an adventure he didn't plan. In Tucker McBride's Many Lives he and his friends start off on a day of fun and end up some place else entirely. 

Where would you go if you could plan your own adventure trip? Use the internet, library, or AAA information to determine the distance to your location and the time it would take to get there. Get the history, activities, highlights, and fun places to eat in the area. If your trip will require staying in a hotel, find out the cost per night and location.

Maybe you can't go now due to Covid 19, work responsibilities, or lack of money, but planning is a major part of the fun. Take the trip later. Be inquisitive, seek adventure, enjoy life!

Doris Gaines Rapp

Copyright 2020 Doris Gaines Rapp 

Monday, September 21, 2020

Be Strong and Powerful! Build Successful School Habits

ARE YOU READY? School has started for most, either in the classroom, or from remote learning. Whichever, concentration is a must, and concentration begins with proper habits of study.

In Tucker’s day, Gramma would prepare him for class work a few weeks before school started. Tucker came in the house when there was plenty of daylight left, settled down by the Philco radio, and unwound before going to bed - on time, at the same time each school night. That’s necessary to concentration and school success. Sameness is important. We call them habits. Routine, a schedule, habits - different names for the same experience. They make things run more smoothly, more successfully.

Since school has started, you’ll need a “school routine.” School work, regardless of the location, requires habits:

1.       The same study corner of the house

2.       The same hour of day

3.       The same “stage” – no TV, no distractions like games, toys, fudduddles of any kind, no cell phone

4.       You name the things that distract you the most – put them away

Habit building is doing the same thing over and over.  Never practice your routine incorrectly. That means, don’t keep your game device nearby “just this once”; don’t check your messages even if you’re expecting a few lines from Dr. Who. You get the idea.

Building a habit, is deliberately doing what you don’t naturally do. Make a list of the things necessary to help concentration. Cover the topics over which you need control:

I can choose the same Location – it is:

I can choose the same time of day – it is:

I can choose the things I’ll need – they are:

I can choose the things I don’t need – they are:

Habit Building Challenge: Are you strong enough to participate? … To practice your new ability to make wise choices that build habits, try this. During your favorite TV program or frequently played game, stop what you’re doing, go into your bedroom and move a shoe from one side of the room to the other, every day. Why? To prove to yourself that you can choose wisely for yourself – you are in control of you. You are strong! Nothing can interfere with your study or your ability to do what you know is best for you. You hold the power over you. You will feel stronger than you ever have. Put that ability to make wise choices into practice, and build those positive study habits. Purposefully do what you do not naturally do.

Have a great study time. You’re a self-made honor student!

Doris Gaines Rapp

Copyright 2020 Doris Gaines Rapp

Tucker McBride and the Christmas Present

  It's December 1, and the stores are draped in red and green. It is the Holidays, the Christmas Holidays. The Christ Child came to brin...