What Does Your Body Language Tell?

It is your choice whether to listen or not listen to someone talking. You listen when needed and wanted to, but do other people see you as a good listener? Listening skills are essential for good relationships and are also a critical skill in many professions, especially the helping professions. Whether you're maintaining a happy marriage relationship, counseling someone with problems, or coaching members of your team for business success, good listening skills lead others to feel more comfortable. They will have more confidence in you and hold you in higher esteem.

You may not realize how important your body language is, when others view you. It is even more important that your words. So, what says 'good listener' and inspires in others who speak to you the confidence that you really are listening? Your body language, of course! Even if you really are listening to every word, you won't be seen as a good listener unless you have the right body language.

Teaching Life Long Learning

Life-long learning has been discovered by hundreds of thousands of people, in the U.S. and elsewhere, wanting improved education and the necessary educational tools for success. One of the most popular of these courses is speed reading. I discovered this while teaching reading and study skills in the southwest US.

After two years of teaching these specialized speedreading classes, colleges and Universities in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii requested me to teach classes for them. Private corporations wanted courses of stress-management plus speed reading for their executives and sales personnel.

My experience was outstanding teaching live speed reading classes, business success courses, and college study skills courses around the south and southwest. Traveling from college to university and teaching weekend speed reading seminars, or evening classes in study skills, provided a fantastic experience for me to meet thousands of people in cities around the country. Students ranged in age from 7 years old to 91 and from primary school through grad school and from many career fields. As time progressed I implemented stress management and relaxation therapy along with the educational tools of speed reading and study skills. This made everyone, including myself, essentially stress-free.

Strategies for Motivating Students to Learn

As an adjunct education professor I am often asked, "How do I motivate students to learn?"

Motivating students to learn is a struggle that all teachers face.

Since I also teach middle school social studies it is the challenge I personally face everyday.

The truth is motivating students to learn is one of the key components of effective teaching AND classroom management.

If students are not motivated to learn then they are most likely not involved in the lesson and if they are not involved in the lesson they are much more likely to cause classroom management problems.

Therefore, it is critical for teachers to increase student motivation to learn and the best way to do this is for teachers to spark student interest at the beginning of every lesson.

Here are six effective strategies for motivating students to learn I do at the beginning of lessons:

1. Use critical thinking questions ~

The great thing about using these types of questions is that they don't necessarily have a right or wrong answer so students are allowed to express their own opinions as opposed to simply being told to memorize facts.

How To Compare 529 Plans?

If you are investing in a 529 state plan, it is easy to compare. The reason is that American citizens are allowed to take any state plan, and then they can even switch between plans if they want to. That is the reason everyone wants to compare 529 plans before they actually open an account. So how do you make the comparison? What do you look for? 

Well, it is not quite straightforward to compare 529 plans of different states. There are too many things to take care of. However, here are some guidelines that might help you to make the comparison. 

1. Look into the tax breaks the plans are offering. In fact, if your own state plan is giving you a tax break, then it is not necessary to look into the plans of other states. Any limitations that exist in your own plan will be overcome by the tax deductions your plans offer. Currently, 31 out of the 50 states in America provide tax deductions on their 529 plans, along with the District of Columbia. These 31 states are: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. 

2. Look for the expenses of the plans. The expenses you will have to bear when taking a plan will be the enrollment fees, annual maintenance fees and the program management fees. This is a good parameter to compare 529 plans. Some plans, like that of the state of Wyoming have very high expenses. Even the plans of the stats of Alabama, Arizona, Maine and Tennessee are very expensive and hence not at all good choices. 

Email Translation Software - How to Improve Your Email Marketing

Many online businesses, especially those in the information products market, tend to have international audiences. As such, customizing your communication so that you speak directly to their sensibilities will be crucial to the success of any marketing campaign. Not only speaking to their needs is important, but also matching their culture, and language. 

When looking to get under your customers' skin, there are two things that need to be your primary focus. 

1. Speaking in their language 

While you may write your main text in the English vernacular, localizing certain portions of it (such as the greetings and various important components), can equality endear your communication with your recipients. When you're selling an ebook, for instance, it's extremely easy to translate those chapter titles to most any dialect using a language translation software. Why not add that in to your emails to a group of customers in a specific country? At the least, it will look cheesy. At best, it might grab you an extra sale or more. 

2. Speaking their culture 

This one's trickier and requires a little more research. Instead of just speaking some of their language, you're going to try and reach out by incorporating their culture into your copy. When emailing a Spanish speaking audience about an online money-making technique, for instance, you can refer to how they can enjoy their siestas knowing full well their pockets are not suffering because of it. It's easy enough to employ but can mean a lot when it comes to how well they receive your pitch. 

Sleep More To Help You Study

For those of you that are studying, here are a few ideas to help you succeed with your studies.

Do you use your car for getting to school? You had better use your seat belt and buckle up considering many car crashes today are caused by lack of sleep. Chances are you are not getting the right amount of sleep at night. Sleep depravation doesn't just cause physical tiredness; it can affect the function of your brain too. This article looks at how lack of sleep can affect your learning potential.

Figures given by the national sleep foundation indicate that 85% of students do not get enough sleep. What constitutes as enough sleep? While definitions can vary, it seems the average is about 8.5 hours of sleep per night according to the foundation. If the calculation is correct and 85% of students are suffering from sleep loss, then you could gain an edge on them just from lying in bed, relaxing, and getting more sleep.

Sleep depravation can damage ones ability to stay focused, abstract thinking, creative ability, communication, and more. If these symptoms seem familiar, they are also symptoms of ADHD, the attention deficit disorder many people experience. It as been shown that these symptoms lead to poor performance in the classroom.

Keys To Success In College

College education is a big step for anybody to take. Many young people are overwhelmed when they are standing on that threshold. However, there are some tips you can follow that will help you along. If you follow them precisely they can become your keys to success in your higher education ! 

It is wise to start up with the planning early. In fact, it's never to soon to think about what you want to do with your college education. A question like 'What do you want to do with your life?' can be pretty Scary, huh? But as a matter of fact, it shouldn't be. Since planning has to do with questions like What I will be doing ten years from now, it should be a fun and exciting session to look forward to 

But getting into the right school and getting where you need to go is tough. The competition is stiff. Everybody is trying to get into the most coveted schools, so you have to think about your strengths. 

Unfortunately, those SAT and ACT scores are important. I know, that's no accurate test of what a brilliant and creative and deserving individual you are. But, that's the way the system works. Do you want to be admitted into a top-notch Ivy League school? Then you have to get those scores as high as you can. Actually, it's good to do that no matter where you are applying. 

Tips on Changing Careers - Establishing a Workable Career Plan

7 Steps to Help You Change Careers and Establish a Workable Career Plan 

If you are thinking of a career change or if you are trying to lay out a tangible career plan for yourself, there are several important things to consider. 

Step One – Self Assessment 

Self-Assessment is an important first step in considering where you are currently and discovering what direction you would like to go in the future. Some questions you might ask yourself include: 

* What are my interests and aptitudes? 
* What are my strengths and weaknesses? 
* What are my major personality traits? 
* Do I have areas of interest outside my current field? 

Step Two – Consider Career Assessment Testing 

Have you ever considered taking a Career Assessment Test? There are many of these tests available on the Internet that can be easily accessed and completed free of charge. This can be a great starting point to help you discover areas of interest that you might not have considered before. 

Step Three – Set Goals and Objectives 

10 Tips For Preparing For Your Next Exam

Need help with your next exam? Get pro-active and prepare for success ahead of time with these 10 study tips. 

1. You need a dedicated study area. That means you need to find a good place to study that’s quiet, has plenty of room to spread out books and papers, and offers plenty of good lighting. 

2. You should have your study tools handy – you need writing paper, note cards (like index cards), pens, markers / highlighters, colored pencils, yellow sticky notes, a small dictionary, calculator, and a folder to keep your papers organized. 

3. Get a tutor or study buddy when possible, and be one yourself (you can often learn by teaching!) 

4. Review your notes from class/books and rewrite them, clearing up any points necessary and reinforcing them. 

5. Compare study notes and class notes with those of others. Fill in what they have that you don’t. Get help understanding what you may have missed. Highlight or underline important points. 

Don't Get Left Behind - Reach Your Goals

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 86.5% of all students graduate high school. What happens to the other 13.5%? Gone are the days when you could get by without a high school diploma. Most jobs today require at least a high school diploma for consideration. 

If you don't graduate from high school, you will experience lower income and limited opportunities. A high school diploma is important because it requires certain skills that are also basic skills for most jobs, such as regular attendance, social ability, math and reading comprehension, and more. It also is a necessary stepping stone for further education, such as a vocational school, college or university. 

Many people face situations that prevent them from completing high school and getting their high school diploma. These circumstances shouldn't stop them from reaching their goals. There are options available to them. 

Online High School 

A Guide To Choosing A University Course

University courses and degree programs take around four years of study to complete. Nevertheless, some students may need more time to complete the university course. It is also possible to shorten the university courses by studying in the intersession of spring and summer. 

An average student has to spend three hours of study for every hour spent in class. Fifteen hours per week is the average time for a university course. Depending upon the university course’s subject, classes may be held during the evening, afternoon or in the day. To support the academic university courses, they may also have to attend the clubs, athletics, recreational activities and societies. 

The overall requirement for the degree along with the degree elements will be explained to the students by the faculty advisor. The advisor should be kept informed if the student has any specific area of interest or careers in mind while selecting the university courses. The university courses can be chosen by the students based on their degree requirements, schedules and their interests. 

The Five Proven Ways to Combine Job and Studies

 On any course there is always at least one student who manages to succeed with studies, while others are doomed to fail. My friend Sally was like that. With an agenda of tasks to accomplish at work and a younger brother to look after, she always had good marks at university and even got her First-Class Degree with no troubles at all! 

After my astonishment was dispelled, I started wondering how it came that Sally could successfully combine her job, studies and private life. And since I was about to start my own career being yet a university student, I kept a close eye on my friend trying to figure out her success formula. Step by step, I learned her tricks and adopted her studying methods, which were a good start in life. 

1. Understand What You Need to Succeed at 

The first thing Sally taught me is that getting a degree is not just about learning biology, history, English or whatever. It is all about understanding what you want to succeed – what, in fact, the university wants from you and what you will get in return. 

Thus, Sally explained me that if you want to save plenty of time for the things you care about rather than doing unnecessary paper work for the university, you need to have a feel for the education market and sell your inspirations. Consequently, it is important to understand what the lecturer wants from you or what the essay marketer is searching for. 

Deciding To Go To Chef School

If you enjoy cooking and want a job that doesn't seem so much like work, perhaps a chef school can give you the skills and experience you need to cook in top notch restaurants around the country or even the world. Every restaurant has several cooks on staff, but the curriculum at a chef school will elevate you and your paycheck well beyond the level of any common short-order cook. Also, a quality chef school can prepare you for a number of prestigious positions in the food service industry. 

Many chef school campuses also teach the business side of the culinary arts. Many graduates of chef school go on to own their own restaurant, which gives them the freedom to prepare whatever cuisine they desire. It can also allow you to go into food service management with an intimate knowledge of food preparation that will make you very marketable to employers. 

Although some chef schools develop their own independent programs, many of the more desirable institutes follow guidelines provided by the American Culinary Federation Accrediting Commission. These guidelines ensure that graduates of chef school have a well-rounded culinary background, as well as practical skills that will make them valuable employees and put their success in their hands. 

The Secret to Master Math

“ Is there an easy way to master math ? ”. I’m sure you must have thought this at least once in your life ( if not before every other math test ). You must have felt at some point that how come some people are so good at Math while others fail to do even a simple addition correctly. Well if you have, then cheer up! , you are not the only one who feels like that. 

Several studies have been done so far to determine what makes the math skill of one brain way superior to others. The M.R.I study done on people of different age groups and of different educational levels has produced a surprising result. The Study has clearly shown that morphologically (i.e. in terms of shape, size and structure) the brain of both the Math dudes and the so called Math duds is identical. ( And you always thought a missing part was responsible for your bad scorecard ). So where does the difference lie ? The Study has also confirmed that the Math dudes have higher brain activity in their inferior parietal cortex ( that part of the brain that is supposed to deal with math ) 

So what does all this add up to?Simply a driver conflict in the mind. 

Study Tips for Students Taking Tests

You're in the thick of the school year. It seems like there are so many things going on - assignments, projects, and extracurricular activities. Now a test is coming up and you've got to do well on it. How should you study so you can do better on that test?

First of all, when you study for a test, you shouldn't be learning something entirely new. It is faster and easier to recall something you have already learned than to learn something completely new. After each day of classes, it is a good idea to review everything you have learned. It doesn't have to be a long review either. Simply jog through the day's topics. That way, you give your brain another opportunity to soak up the information. Hopefully, this review will make future studying less time consuming and less of a learning process.

Where you study is important. Find a place that's readily available with minimal distractions. A popular place to study is home. However, for some, home can be too distracting as it is easy to get sidetracked. What may help is if you study in a place that's similar to the place where you're going to take the test. When you study, you might associate certain topics with the environment. So if you take the test in a similar environment, you can more easily retrieve these associations. For example, if you're going to write a test in a gymnasium, it may help to study in a gymnasium.

How To Make Thesis Statement

The main idea behind a thesis statement is to give a glimpse of the thesis. In other case if the writer is trying to prove his point or is trying to put forward his idea then a thesis statement can be described as a statement that is put forward as a premise to be proved or maintained. It is generally very short in length, usually comprising of two or three sentences. As the thesis statement gives the reader, a brief idea of the thesis therefore it is recommended that it should be used in the introductory paragraph. However in some rare cases the writers tend to use it in the concluding paragraph. As we all know that “First impression is the last one”. Similarly a good thesis statement leads to a good thesis or in other words a good thesis statement guarantees an impressive and outstanding upcoming thesis. Thus the thesis statement is an integral part of thesis and utmost care should be taken while writing an appropriate one. A thesis statement can be a quote that could create a clear picture of the thesis or its concept If the writer is trying to prove his point then it can be a problem statement. The problem statement gives the reader a hint of what will be the thesis all about. 

You need not to be petrified or worried if your educator asks you to write a thesis statement for your assignment lends you a hand in composing the appropriate statement for your thesis possessing a comprehensible approach and prepared by a pedagogic person. 

How To Make Learning A Pleasure : A Guide For Teachers

The main problem faced by today’s teacher is that they feel students are loosing interest in studies. If we look from the student’s perspective then students feel that whatever is taught to them in schools is boring. Being a teacher, I faced these problems and tried to solve them. Based on my experiences, some of the solutions to increase interest and curiosity in students towards studies are: 

1. In a class of 30-40 students there may be more than 20-25 hobbies now the teacher’s job is to correlate these hobbies with their studies. Suppose a student has a hobby of collecting stamps. The History teacher can ask the students to bring all stamps with Famous personalities printed on it and with the help of these stamps, the lesson can be made interesting. Other student may like something else that can make our classroom teaching well. 

2. What would happen if ….. For example a science teacher while teaching about sun and universe can ask what would happen if these will be no nights/days. Let student give different answers and write all of them point wise on the Board. This will develop imagination and creativity among students and they will learn importance of the rotation of earth and the functioning of solar system. 

Practice Exams

There are a lot of ways that you can study for important exams. The problem is that some cant just look through a textbook and pick up what they need to know. I know that when I was in college I always took really great notes in class and always tried to study my text book, but I never did as well as I wanted to do on my exams. One roommate I had suggested that I try practice exams. Though it was a bit of extra work, the extra work did the trick. 

There was no Internet when I was in college, but now that it is something that many use, you can find practice exams on almost any type of subject that you can imagine. You can find some for younger children and you can find practice exams for college level courses. It might be hard to find ones that will really mimic what you are going to really be tested on, but you may find something close. You might even find online friends who go to different schools. They can help you by giving you past questions from tests they have taken, and you could do the same for them. 

Just remember that practice exams are meant to jog your mind more so than they are to give you answers to your tests.

Is An IT Degree Right For You?

If you're considering a career in Information Technology, you probably have a lot of questions and are wondering if it will be the best choice for your future. Before such a big commitment is made, extensive research is needed to determine if an IT degree is something you're ready to pursue. 

First of all, you should ask yourself what it is about IT that intrigues you and if it's something you can picture yourself doing long term. Have you always had a love for working with computers? Are you interested in the programming perspective and how everything works behind the scenes? Maybe it's the simple fact that you have a unique knack for fixing things when a file or program goes haywire on you. 

Whatever the case, you'll be spending a lot of time working with computers in many capacities, so having a solid comfort level with them, or the willingness to gain one, is definitely a must. 

Another thing to consider is what type of career you hope to land once you earn your IT degree. You may just have a general interest in the field right now and will create a plan as you delve deeper into your courses and training. 

How Can A Web Site Create Income?

Many people are making a very good living from their web sites! How can a web site make money? 

The Internet has been a place of free information and a place where you could read about any subject for free, and it still is. 

But it has changed to also be a huge market place with large amounts of money being spent every day. All you can think of from music to cars and skyrockets are available. 

There are different models of making money online. 

Each model have advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the most common models: 

Set up an online store 

An online store will sell goods through it's web site including delivery to the door. This model requires a lot of work and it's nearly the same as having a real world store. You have to do all the same procedures and everything except the actual shop location are needed. 

Affiliate marketing 

Tips On How To Study History

Before we actually dive into this vast subject, I would like to touch on a few things. Firstly, studying history is like studying any other type of subject in that it demands participation and a big amount of patience. The successful student forces him or herself to study, of course there are certain tactics to make the whole thing go by easier and more effective. 

Having that said, you should know that the following advice is what I feel is the most appropriate approach to studying history, it does not imply (by any means) that it is the only way to study history, we should have this issue clear. Secondly, if this way of studying does not fit your way of learning, throw it out and never look back! What! Did I just tell you to dismiss my own advice? Well, yes, but only if you find it reprehensive enough to the degree that you feel that the advice will actually give you worse result than benefit. Albeit, here it goes: 

Studying history is often perceived as boring… I have to disagree, it’s not just boring it is really boring if you don’t know how to tackle it! Here’s my take on the two elements you should always look at when studying history: 

Career Opportunities In The 21st Century

Career opportunities are no longer an issue in the twenty first century. There are no limitations to what one can do. In fact, the basic challenge that one faces when making career decisions these days is to choose from the spectrum of career opportunities that are available these days. Gone are the times when one would think of medicine, education, government jobs etc. in terms of a career option. Career opportunities these days have taken leaps into some very unconventional and creative domains. 

There has never been a dearth of dreamers. And with newer vistas opening up, everyone is working towards attaining the kind of career they have always dreamt of. However, before deciding upon any career, you must plan for it carefully. A self inventory helps an individual subject to decide better on what he is looking for in terms of his career. The world is also moving at a pace like never before. Under such circumstances, most people are considering issues like balancing their private and professional lives better. Therefore, when planning a career, consider your likes and dislikes. Make a list of what you are good, average and bad at. Introspection is always the first step to any form of career planning. A career plan will help you focus on your career goals. What is it that you are looking forward This is the vital question that you must consider when you choose your career. But, the question that must precede your career question is what kind of life you want to lead. Some are enamoured by the glamour and fame of the camera; some are very patriotic and would like to serve their country; some are philanthropic and want to serve the society. Your capabilities coupled with your interests must determine your career.