As teachers, we often fail to step back and really see our students as individuals. We label them as delinquents faster than we count one to one hundred. Here are some ways to stir the usual and almost inexcusable prejudice against misbehaving students inside the classroom.

∞      Create a warm and friendly atmosphere. Creating a friendly atmosphere is not similar to being friends with your students. Know the difference, draw the line.

∞       Encourage students verbally. Not all students can get body language or clues. Yes, they need to be told.

∞       Set limits and enforce them all year. Make sure that the limits you set are realistic and slightly flexible too.

∞       Be sincere and consistent. All half-truths are whole lies.

∞       Allow for leadership. You do not relinquish your power as a teacher by giving some authority to some students, especially if they are capable.

So you decided that you’re ready to get married. Congratulations!

Preparing for one of the most important days in your life is going to be a roller coaster ride. And that is if you’re lucky. Here are some tips that may help you keep your sanity while preparing for the big day:

• Make a list of things you need to do and make sure you keep it neat and handy. Getting in the hustle and bustle of the wedding preparation can throw you off course forgetting several things that are actually very important in the whole event.
• Have a really good talk with your partner and talk about the money matters. Sure, this might sound rather politically incorrect but you need to seriously consider how and who is going to pay for which so you do not have to worry about it later. Conflicts about money is the ugliest and most unecessary conflict you could have at this time.
• You may want to keep people you love in the loop of the updates in your wedding, right? You can create a blog entirely about it. You could put pictures and note important information like a scrapbook. You can also put the bridal registry information and preferred dress code for the reception.
• Check out the bridal registry. Even the people who have an idea of what you may want, will struggle to find the perfect gift for you on this day. Help them out by suggesting what they can give but make sure not to get too carried away.
• Ask your friends for help. Chances are some of them have already been married or know somebody who did, they would have an idea about how some things worked. They can provide great ideas and tell you what other couples missed.

Weddings today are so diverse that it is near-impossible to make out hard and fast rules about the entire event. But the most important thing is to enjoy it as much as you can. After all, it’s your party too!

There is no better time to handle your finances correctly than today. Although trying to get everything in order is a daunting task, it can help you keep track of what you earn against what you actually spend. If you’re in a bit of a financial problem, this can definitely provide you with suitable and realistic options.

List your credit card expenses and re-check your expenses. How many cups of coffee do you charge every month? Do you really need to charge these to your credit card? Putting little expenses on your card may get you in a big trouble in the future. You can start by taking the time to pay these minor expenses or better yet, rethinking if you really need to make these purchases at all.

Pay your bills on time. Do not let the unnecessary late charges be a part of your budget. You do not have to pay these charges as long as you pay your bills as soon as they come. Being diligent in paying these expenses saves you a lot of trouble and cash too.  It would definitely help to put the money allotted for these bills in an envelope and stash them away so you would not “accidentally” spend them or enroll in an electronic bill pay service to take care of these immediately.

Consolidate your expenses. You can keep a better track of things if these expenses are as few as they can get. Do you really need more than one credit card? Can you sign up for an internet subscription which has an add-on phone line? Not only will you be able to keep a better eye out on your finances but it will also decrease the amount of time you spend in paying and monitoring these bills in the long run.

Inasmuch as we try, we cannot have any hard and fast rules for getting better at handling our finances. But there are always rewards in trying to make them better.

Here is a recipe for a very easy and quick cheesecake you can make for weekend get-together. It takes about half an hour to prepare and would certainly bring a lift to an ordinary day. I used a 23cm freezer-safe pie plate for it and it serves about 6 people.

Ingredients:

for the graham cracker crust
1 1/2 graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tbsp sugar

for the cream cheese filling
8 oz pack cream cheese
5 tbsp sugar
250 ml cream, whipped

Procedure:

Combine all the ingredients and mix it well. On a pie plate, press the graham mixture on the bottom of the plate as well as on the sides. Put the prepared crust in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Using an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese and the sugar until the consistency is smooth. Add the whipped cream in the mixture and blend until all the mixture is smooth and even. Spread the cream mixture on the crust. Top with shaved chocolates or peaches.

You can also use a variety of sliced fruit toppings or other variations of chocolate (white, semi-sweet or dark). Or even try adding peanut butter in the mix for additional flavor. The trick is to find the taste that you and your family would love and enjoy!

Unlike most people I know, I look forward to spring cleaning. I feel like I’m in the zone whenever I unearth a bunch of boxes and sort them in their right place. I find it very active and an opportunity for me to be shamelessly sentimental.

However, there are some people who positively dread spring cleaning. People feel swamped just thinking about it. There are, however, more reasons to look forward to than simply cleaning house.

Extra Stash of Cash

Whether under the couch cushions, under the sofa or between the cabinets, loose coins can be real finds. You can put all the loose change you found in a jar and start a small savings stash for extra expenses.

Retouch Old Photographs

You’d be surprised that all those embarrassing photos when you were extremely awkward seem really funny now. With the innovations in technology, you can scan them and make your own collage of old family pictures and make really good “masterpieces” that you can hang in the living room or give away during the holidays.

Revisit your CD Collection

Have a great time listening to poignant tunes you actually forgot you have. There are also neat cases where you can store 100 to 500 CDs in a compact packet. You can just easily find them now and pop it in the player in an instant.

Sell your Old Treasures

You can either make a garage sale or post the items on an Ebay account and sell them for reasonable prices. You can sell old bags, clothes or books provided that these things are still useable to the buyers and you feel like you can actually make good money from it.

Donate to Charity

Somebody would always find a need for those outgrown favorite pajamas that you got ages ago. And kids will always be fascinated with toys even if it’s already outdated. So donate these things to charity and it will surely be a treasure for those who would receive it.

There are a lot of stressors in the office. In fact, a lot of people consider this as a normal phenomenon. But it does not really have to be.

Here are some tips to help you get a little better along each day:

1. Set your hour limits. Working freakishly long hours is going to take its toll on your health and performance. If you really need to work overtime, set your own limit. Besides, if you have to render more than a couple of hours overtime everyday, you need to reconsider organizing your schedule or delegating your responsibilities.

2. Know your priorities. Set them and see to it that they are realistic too. You save time and energy while giving the impression that you are on the top of your game.

3. Know your duties. There is a job description for every post and you certainly do not need to be the “do-all, be-all” in a 50-personnel office. If the task is overwhelming, delegate.

4. Speak up. A lot of the things that stresses us out can be solved. Sometimes the only thing keeping a problem alive is if people are not talking about it. There is, however, a mile of difference between getting your point across properly and blabbering about your grievances every lunch hour.

5. Learn how to relax. Give yourself time to breathe and enjoy yourself. Have a weekly timeout with your family or friends and blow off steam. Spending quality time also realigns your focus and recharges you for another week.

The corporate world is a jungle but with the right tools, it can be a manageable environment.

Preparing and acing an interview can be a tough job. Unless you want to fail an inteview, you should never go to one unprepared. If you do not know what you’re doing, the interviewer will know and would most likely tell you.

In the interview you need to show your potential employer that you’re the person they are looking for. Here are some tips to help you weather that dreaded but very important interview.

Know the job. You need to know what you are signing up for. You do not need to overly detail every aspect of the job description but you have to be careful and knowledgeable enough to figure out that you want this job and that you can really do it.

Ask questions. Be courteous and assertive when asking questions. Do not go on hyperdrive and switch places with the interviewer. Being able to ask a few smart questions about the job shows that you are interested enough in it.

Answer concisely. Excessive yapping can throw you way off course and can imply that you are a scatterbrain. Answer directly and do not try so hard to be impressive. If you know what you’re talking about, you can definitely get it across in a few sentences.

Suit up. But do not overdress. Wear a crisp and clean attire and try to minimize on the accesories – a dress watch will suffice for an accessory.

Practice. Try to anticipate several basic questions and have your answers prepared. Rehearse a few hand gestures to avoid looking stiff and smile appropriately.

The interview can be the most anxious part of the job application process but if it’s done right it can be your ticket to your dream job.

Good luck!

Our world looks like it’s speaking up. We are experiencing what most people call climate change and it looks like it’s not going to stop anytime soon. A lot of people has already pointed fingers on people and things which can be blamed for what’s happening. Now, we can try and throw more blame on people who can opt not to care about or we can do little but helpful things to help mend the problem.

Unplug appliances whenever it’s not in use. Not only are you helping the environment but you’re also doing your electricity bill a favor. Saving money while helping the earth is not a bad idea at all. You can also use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.

Shower in cold water. You will definitely feel energized after a cold shower anyway.

Look into your closet. Do you really need to buy new clothes, shoes and bags so often? Reuse and reduce your own clutter and you’ll be doing all of us a favor.

Check your kitchen cupboards. If there are a lot of harmful chemicals used in your cleaning materials, you need to switch to more environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Plant a tree. It may take years for us to see the fruits of this task but we all have to start somewhere. There is only one earth and, as far as we know, this is the only inhabitable planet we have so we really do not have any choice but to save it.

It is no secret that there are many jobseekers today. In fact, they make more of them each year. Chances are there are those who have the same qualifications and skills as you do, and they (just like you, of course) would do their best to be hired. The challenge is how to get your potential employer to choose  you.

Before you suit up and brush up on your interview skills, you have to pay close attention to the paper which defines you – your resume. Here are some tips to make that piece of paper work for you.

1. Write your objective clearly. If you want to work as a human relations officer in a supervisry level for a stable and reputable company, write it. Be direct to the point and as specific as you can. Everybody wants a good and productive career.

2. Do not include trivial details. Write only the relevant experiences that would work for your reputation. It would also show that you are focused and have a strong background. There is also no need to mention your age, hobbies and favorite color.

3. Use regular and crisp fonts. There is no need to use crazy and “creative” fonts. It is safest to use Times New Roman or Arial fonts.

4. Pay attention to the content and avoid improvisations. Use the common formats in writing your resume. Your relevant work experiences should immediately follow your objective, followed by your skills and educational background.

5. Make your resume presentable. Do not fold your resume or put it in an envelope. Do not print it in paper with pink flowers or blue stripes just because you want it to stand out. Just keep it neat and it will do the well by itself.

Good luck!

The simple things are often too simply neglected. There are tons of little windows of opportunities to save more than what we toss in our savings accounts. I currently follow several simple rules in saving cash. My friends suggest that I take little steps on this and I realize that it is the smartest thing to do anyway. Here are some ways that can generally help you boost your savings (and you do not even have to follow them all).

I – Use paper money.
Instead of paying the exact amount, try paying with larger bills. Later, you can chuck the coins to…wait for it…a piggy bank! I know, it’s cliché but you can pick alternatives. I just like piggy banks, because it’s just really cute. You’re probably thinking that coins have very little worth these days but over time you will see that it’s definitely worth the trouble.

II – Turn off the television.
I am not saying do not watch TV altogether. Unfortunately, the advertisements in between your favorite programs are going to do nothing but urge you that you do not have all the things that you need. Try watching several commercials for facial creams and the next thing you know you have several half-empty tubes of moisturizer; and you do not really feel any different at all. (As a bonus, you may even make a sizeable dent in your electric bill.)

III – Avoid using money as to de-stress.
There are a lot of times when we feel that we deserve to spend so much because we work just as hard. Although this may be true, we also inadvertently add more stress to ourselves by spending more than we should. Try to cultivate an inexpensive hobby to take your mind off work after a long day rather than blowing cash for expensive places you cannot really afford.

IV – Walk.
This saves more than cab fares. And let’s face it, we all need the exercise.

V – Drink more water.
One of my friends gave me this brilliant idea. Drinking water makes you feel fuller and it’s a very healthy and cheap alternative from ordering drinks with your meals. You can buy bottled water as it is still way cheaper than most bottled drinks but you can also opt for the benefits of drinking tap water.

There are really a lot of ways to help us save money. Choose the best way that fit your needs and practice it as much as you can. Good luck!