A short break

If you are in the online classes I teach, we have a short break coming up.  I will be out of town for a few days. There will be no classes on Monday, February 28 through Wednesday, March 2. Classes will resume on Thursday, March 3. Also, there will be a week-long...

Getting started online

People frequently ask me, “How did you start making a living online?  And, do you think I could?” First, it wasn’t easy.   It was hard work.   Second, yes.  I think you could do this.    But, we really should re-frame the question.  We should ask… Should you become an...

Tip #223: Set clear, specific goals

In a recent service, my pastor reminded the congregation “When you ask God for something, be very specific..  God loves to answer prayer.  By asking him for specific requests, you make it easy for him to demonstrate his power. “ Though it is very difficult to do, I...

Tip #156: Study at Home

I sent this email out on April 12, 2020.   Well.  It’s been a while.  I sure hope you all are well. A few days ago, I received this email: Yep I’ll  I’ve recently joined the email list for your email list (Tip of the Week). And I wanted to ask: Are you still...

Tip #223: Lily’s Chocolate

A few tips ago, I announced that I was going to give up sugar for a year. Then I shared a tip I use to combat sugar cravings.  I chew gum. (By the way, I should make something something clear.  I have decided to avoid white, processed sugar.  I still eat fruit and...

Tip #222: Keep your writing simple.

I know how to use a gun, but I’d rather not.  In a fight, I’d rather walk away.  I imagine you feel the same. The same rule applies to writing.  I know the big words in the English language.  I’ve taught Latin for decades.  Most of the big words in English come from...

Set yourself apart from the competition.

Recently, I posted a quick start guide to getting started online. I listed twelve steps.   Here are three even quicker ways to get started online.   Any of these three would work.   The trick is to start. #1.  Start a blog, newsletter, podcast, You Tube channel or...

Tip #155: An easy way to prevent overeating.

I sent this tip out on November 30, 2019   Last Thursday, in America, we celebrated Thanksgiving day.   Many of the first English settlers who came to North American shores went hungry and even starved during their first year in the New World. We celebrate that...

:-)

Last week, this note from a student made me happy. I wanted to thank you for teaching Latin. I’ve learned more in three months than in three years. And now Latin is my favorite subject! Thank you for all the time and effort you have put in to make this so much fun....

Tip #154: Give yourself plenty of time

I sent this tip out on November 23, 2019: Here’s this week’s tip: Give yourself plenty of time. Next week, in America, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving.   If you are driving to a relative’s house, and you are supposed to be there by 1, simply plan...

Tip #222: Keep your writing simple

I know how to use a gun, but I’d rather not.  In a fight, I’d rather walk away.  I imagine you feel the same. The same rule applies to writing.  I know the big words in the English language.  I’ve taught Latin for decades.  Most of the big words in English come from...

Tip #153: Be nice to your future self.

Continuing to post old tips I failed to post way back when.  This one is from November 16, 2019. ================================================= Help your future self out. There are certain things you know are going to happen each day.  So, make your future self...

A quick guide to starting online.

The question I most often get, still, is, “How did you start teaching online?” I am still trying to nail down the most simple way to start teaching online.   My story is complicated.  All the gurus out there sell very expensive, and as far as I can tell, complicated...

Tip #152: Measure Your Hand

I am still plowing through old “tips of the week” to finally get this page up to date: https://dwanethomas.com/tip-week-archives/ I’ve got about 40 more tips to go. This one is from November 2, 2019 BC (Before Covid)...

Tip #151: Side Hustle Nation

So, I have a confession to make.  I am a big liar. But, first, a quick note on this week’s schedule.   There will be no classes on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.  My wife and I are headed to Texas.  There is a class for people who have teenagers living in their...

Tip #221: Alka-Seltzer Plus

Years ago, my wife and I worked in a fishing canary on an island in Alaska. This island, actually: https://llcruise4.blogspot.com/2015/07/historic-metlakatla.html.  If you scroll down six pictures, you will see the Metlakatla Packing Plant.  That’s where we...

Visual Latin: Lesson 16 – Question about prepositions

I received this question: Hello. We have been doing your dvd year 1.  Quiz 16 question 1 says “All prepositions are followed by ablative nouns“. True or False?  The answer says false. We have several charts  saying that ablative is the object of the preposition.  So I...

Tip of the Week #216: Is that used car priced right?

Good morning! If you are looking for a used car, check out Kelly’s Blue Book.  My dad told be about this tip years ago.  Back then, there was still a book. These days, it’s all online.  Here it is: https://www.kbb.com/ If you are buying a used car, Kbb.com is a useful...

How to teach online: Part 4

If you are going to launch online, I think you should become a chicken entrepreneur.  This is an idea I picked up from Michael Masterson in his book, The Pledge.   What is a chicken entrepreneur?   A chicken entrepreneur is someone who keeps his full time job.  He...

Advice for an aspiring teacher

Someone asked me this week: What advice could you give me as an aspiring student to become a teacher? Here is my reply: Teaching can be a very rewarding career, but it’s often a tough way to make a living.  I struggled for years and years.  Most of my friends who...

How to teach online: Part 3

People frequently ask me, “How did you do it?  How did you figure out how to make a living online?” There are many ways I could respond, but most of it had to do with fireplaces.  And, death. Put your hands down.  I’ll explain. The Latin word for fireplace, fire pit...

Tip of the Week #214: Read

I once read that the average American reads one book a year. That statistic blows me away. If that’s true, think about this.  If you decided to read one book a month in your field, in just one or two years, you’d be light years ahead of most of your...