Q: If you feel like you're in a rut or can't improve a certain skill, changing the way you practice can help you approach your weaknesses through a unique lens. Focus your practicing sessions on your specific weakness, and try a variety of different exercises to strengthen your abilities. If you're learning to write poetry, for example, you could practice annotating poetry for a few sessions instead of freewriting. Meeting other people who are learning a new task could help you find new ways of approaching a topic and strengthening weaknesses. Find a practice group or club at your school or community center, or ask others practicing the same skill if they know of any groups.  You could, for example, join a community basketball team if you're having trouble learning to dunk. If you can't find any groups in your area, you can always make your own instead. Sometimes, changing the way you evaluate your abilities can help you spot weaknesses and improve your strengths. You might focus on your accuracy or strength, for example, instead of speed or dexterity. Instead of measuring your painting abilities by how many pieces you make a day, for example, you could focus on how you're improving your shading techniques. If you're having a hard time improving, keep practicing and learning more about it every day. Focus on what you're doing well and, as you make progress in your weaknesses, celebrate your strengths to improve your motivation.  Even if the skill doesn't come naturally to you, you may be able to develop and strengthen the skill over time. Try not to beat yourself up about mistakes you make. Mistakes can help you learn more about your technique and avoid issues in the future.
A: Change your practicing habits if you feel stuck. Join a study or practice group. Evaluate your improvement by a new measurement. Don't give up if you struggle with a specific skill.

Q: Some shells might shoot into the air with a zig-zag, while others will shoot additional stars after a delay. Carefully read the label on each shell so you’ll know exactly how it should behave. No matter how excited you are about the show, safety should be your first concern. Wind can cause sparks from fireworks to behave erratically, potentially causing fires to nearby structures or injury to your audience. If the forecast calls for winds higher than 11-16 knots, or 12–18 miles per hour (19–29 km/h), you may want to take larger shells out of the show or reschedule it altogether. You don't have to cancel your show because of light rain as long as you protected your fuses with plastic bags, but you might want to delay the show for the comfort of the crowd. Anyone who will be near the launch area should wear protective gear to protect their eyes and ears. You might also want to wear fire-retardant clothing.  Have a few friends plan to stay close during the show in case you need help dousing out flames. If you do catch on fire, drop to the ground and roll to smother the flames. Stray sparks might ignite any extra charges or fuses you have on hand. Keep them at least 10 feet (3.0 m) from your mortar trough. Never keep charges or fuses in your pocket, as they could ignite and cause you serious injury. Instead, wait for about 30 minutes, then douse them in water.
A: Read the instructions on each shell so you know what it will do. Pay attention to the weather the day of the launch. Wear safety glasses and ear plugs during the launch. Keep spare charges or extra fuse 10 feet (3.0 m) away from the launch area. Do not attempt to relight fireworks that don't go off.

Q: In your notes, summarize the experience, reading, or lesson in one to three sentences. These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point. Determine why that material stands out and make another note of what you figure out.  For lectures or readings, you can write down specific quotations or summarize passages. For experiences, make a note of specific portions of your experience. You could even write a small summary or story of an event that happened during the experience that stands out. Images, sounds, or other sensory portions of your experience work, as well. You may find it helpful to create a chart or table to keep track of your ideas.  In the first column, list the main points or key experiences. These points can include anything that the author or speaker treated with importance as well as any specific details you found to be important. Divide each point into its own separate row. In the second column, list your personal response to the points you brought up in the first column. Mention how your subjective values, experiences, and beliefs influence your response. In the third and last column, describe how much of your personal response to share in your reflection paper. If you are struggling to gauge your own feelings or pinpoint your own response, try asking yourself questions about the experience or reading and how it relates to you. Sample questions might include:  Does the reading, lecture, or experience challenge you socially, culturally, emotionally, or theologically? If so, where and how? Why does it bother you or catch your attention? Has the reading, lecture, or experience changed your way of thinking? Did it conflict with beliefs you held previously, and what evidence did it provide you with in order to change your thought process on the topic? Does the reading, lecture, or experience leave you with any questions? Were these questions ones you had previously or ones you developed only after finishing? Did the author, speaker, or those involved in the experience fail to address any important issues? Could a certain fact or idea have dramatically changed the impact or conclusion of the reading, lecture, or experience? How do the issues or ideas brought up in this reading, lecture, or experience mesh with past experiences or readings? Do the ideas contradict or support each other?
A: Identify the main themes. Jot down material that stands out in your mind. Chart things out. Ask yourself questions to guide your response.

Q: If you happen to get your  fiberglass cast dirty, try wiping off the dirt, food, or other mark with a damp cloth. Make sure the cloth is only damp and not too wet. It should not leave any pools of wetness behind on your cast.   No matter if you have a plaster or fiberglass cast, you should never get your cast wet or submerge it into water, even if you get it dirty. Though fiberglass casts are waterproof, the soft lining inside is not, so you want to keep them dry.  If you have a fiberglass cast and a waterproof liner, you may be able to get the cast wet. If either type of cast gets dirty on the outside and a damp cloth isn’t enough, try using mild dish detergent. Put a small amount of dish detergent on a damp cloth. Gently and carefully wipe away the dirt. Use a dry cloth to wipe away the soap and dry the cast. The most important thing to do while you or someone else has a cast is to keep it clean. This means keeping it away from dirt and sand if possible. You should also try to limit how much you sweat in it, because sweat and grime can cause it to get dirty. Be careful when you eat. Try not to drop food onto or into the cast. If you need to, cover the cast while you eat. This may be important if a child has an arm cast.
A:
Wipe the outside of the cast with a damp cloth. Use mild detergent to clean your cast. Keep the cast from getting dirty.