Tips and Tricks to Make Your Final Year of College Less Stressful

Tips and Tricks to Make Your Final Year of College Less Stressful For many students, the final year of college marks a period of great transition. As such, it can also be a highly stressful timeclasses must be passed, employment applications must be submitted, and student loan paperwork must be completed. While it may feel like an enormous burden at times, a bit of planning can help to ensure that your senior year is rich with enjoyment, personal development, and reflectionas well as far less stressful! Plan your year Yes, your college or university career may have been easier had you planned your years from the beginning, but it is especially important that you do so now. If you begin to struggle, seek help, whether in the form of a professors office hours, a study group, or a tutor. Your selected graduation date likely depends upon successfully completing your final year of classes, and remaining organized is key. Here are 6 habits to help you become a more organized student. Create a calendar (electronic or physical) with your deadlines clearly noted. This is especially useful for tracking activities specific to senior yearordering your cap and gown, mailing graduation invitations, and turning in final paperwork. You will also wish to ensure that you meet with your academic advisor to review your course history and transcripts early in the year. Realizing in February that you have neglected to fulfill a requirement will not make your final year of college less stressful. Remain diligent You may remember that disinterested, restless feeling from your senior year of high schoolyour final year of college is similar, but worse. While you will want to expend the least amount of effort, resist that urge. Your senior year grades will affect your final GPA, andperhaps more importantthey may represent subject matter that is central to your career. If possible, complete more difficult work in the fall semester so that the end of your college experience is less stressful. The same is true of your extracurricular activities. It is simple to forget about them as college or university concludes, but the connections you form as part of these activities may be instrumental in securing a position in your field. By maintaining your membership responsibilities, you open yourself up to new opportunities that may benefit you professionally. Remember extracurricular activities can boost college success! Your continued focus will aid in your transition from college to professional life. Create a to-do list A significant source of stress for many seniors is the overwhelming feeling that they have not accomplished everything they believed they would. Writing these items down can be a helpful way to move past or even complete several of them. While it may be too late to study abroad, you may be able to experience international travel with a student clubor arrange a celebratory vacation after graduation. Ensure that your list includes activities that are entertaining and relaxing, qualities that are easy to forget during your final year of college. But they are so crucial to your mental well-being! There are numerous unique opportunities available to students, so take advantage of them while you can! Perhaps your goals are academic, or perhaps they are community-driven or socialeither way, crossing several off your bucket list will relieve stress and provide much-needed balance. Visualize your future By setting aside the time to ask yourself what it is that you desire, you narrow your options and reduce your stress. You will also be able to formulate steps to plan for the future you want. This might mean graduate school, an internship, or relocationchoosing a possible path (or even two) will give you peace of mind as you begin the next phase of your life. Here are some great tips on how to prepare for your first internshipwhich you may find helpful! Be flexible Finally, embrace the chance to be flexible. All the planning in the world may not be sufficient to arrange every facet of your final year of college, and you are likely to experience some stress. Remain open to new opportunities and practice saying yeslife has a great deal in store for you.

Why is Personal Development So Important

Why is Personal Development So Important What Makes Self-Improvement Helpful? ChaptersWhat is Personal Development?How to Start Practicing Self-DevelopmentPick a Personal Development Plan That's Right for YouHow to Tap Into Your Human PotentialIn a world that is clogged up with advice on time management, self-confidence and self-awareness â€" it can be difficult to know what strategy will be best to implement in your life. Personal development is a concept that spans human history, which can make it even harder to sift through all the books, podcasts and data about management skills, communication skills, or emotional intelligence.Whether you’re looking to boost the soft skills on your CV or simply want to enhance your life, personal development is a great starting point. This guide will walk you through some of the most important aspects of sharpening your development skills, from tips and advice to resources you can check out.Find personal development courses with a coach on Superprof.Growth and development is a great personal journey TraceyPersonal develo pment Teacher 4.92 (9) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (7) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IsamPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndriyPersonal development Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MichelePersonal development Teacher 4.73 (7) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlloydPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliverPersonal development Teacher 4.33 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat is Personal Development?Self-development is a subject that has, in the last couple of years, gained a lot of traction both in society and in economics. While the shift towards developing more complex indices of wealth and well-being has been in the process for a while now, many of us are sti ll confused on how to emphasize personal growth in our own lives. The biggest reason for this can be found in the fact that much of society still struggles to define what exactly skills development is.The idea of developing yourself can be easily understood, actually, by looking at the first rule of investing: invest in yourself first. This can take on a wide range of different “investment” ideas, such as:Skills training in subjects you have a passion forPracticing your leadership skills by taking on a personal projectDeveloping an exercise routineLearning a new languageThe basic idea underlying all of these examples is that in actively goal setting for activities that make you happy, you will not only improve your personal skills but also, simply, be happier and healthier.Another great benefit in starting to take some time to develop scientific, theatrical or technical skills is the upgrade you will give to your career development. While personal development can increase your e mployability by heightening your interpersonal skills as well as non-verbal skills, it can also lead you to discover different career options.If you’re still a bit confused on what exactly personal development skills and plans are, you’re not alone. While the traditional vision of personal development seems to only include improving your abilities in effective communication, conflict resolution or verbal communication â€" this subject also has a lot to do with physical health as well.While it may not be as explicit in a job interview or CV, working on your physical and mental health can have many benefits on your career as well. There are two main routes this can take on: fitness or meditation. Many experts believe that sports combine both fitness and meditation. Included in these are:YogaMartial artsLong distance runningHow to Start Practicing Self-DevelopmentWhile there are many theories on personal development, one of the most popular bodies of thought was established by psyc hologist Abraham Maslow. What became to be known as the hierarchy of needs was originally established by Maslow as a simple representation of how humans develop life skills. While many have responded to Maslow, even delving into more experimental methods, this hierarchy of needs is a helpful starting point in understanding how you can implement self-assessment skills to improve your development progress.Starting at the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy pyramid of needs, any development goals should be met after basic physiological and safety needs have been met. These cover necessities like food, shelter, exercise, security, routine.Development courses can be done individually or with a groupThe next rung on the pyramid deals with love and belongingness. While these two concepts might not seem as concrete as hard skills like programming or fluency in a language, it can actually be an important stepping stone towards accomplishing your personal goals. Feeling a sense of belonging to a g roup, whether that be social, work-related or family, is a vital form a psychological standpoint.This step goes hand-in-hand with the next component of Maslow’s pyramid: esteem needs. Self-improvement cannot be defined without confidence and self-respect. For example, something as simple as working on your presentation skills can be majorly improved by, simultaneously, building up confidence in yourself.Cognitive needs is the third to last element on Maslow’s hierarchy. People crave knowledge, which is why personal development should not be a short-term but long-term commitment. This can include taking development courses, which can be anything related to acquiring new skills. Having a mentor can also be extremely important in developing personal or professional skills. While many do find satisfaction in self-knowledge, or self-teaching, the majority of people enjoy learning from those that are masters in their field.The penultimate step is labeled aesthetic needs, meaning the n eed for order, symmetry and beauty. While accomplishing any of your development goals, such as running a marathon or learning excel, it is also important to develop the environment around you. Actions such as living in a city you enjoy or organizing your home into an personal space can be a major part of your development plan.The last step involves self-actualization, which basically translates into someone accomplishing everything they set out to be. Contrary to popular belief, however, undertaking personal development is something you should implement every day of your life and shouldn’t be viewed as a final destination.Pick a Personal Development Plan That's Right for YouLearning about personal development can often inspire you to start implementing it into your own life. While this is a great way to kick-start you into achieving your goals, relying on this feeling alone will not bring you any closer to improving your personal or employability skills. What will help you, on the other hand, is goal setting.Many of us have been taught from an early age to set goals that are achievable. The problem with this is bit of advice is the fact that many people don’t exactly know how to define what is achievable and what isn’t. While whole swaths of the population simply want to achieve not-binge watching series every weekend, or set vague goals like starting to exercise more â€" these may not be the best ways to expand your skill set.According to studies conducted by professors Locke and Latham, the more difficult and specific your goals are, the more likely you are to work with more determination and for more time. To give one example that can apply from your transferable kills to your stress management, setting a goal with the “do your best” or “try your hardest” mentality isn’t as effective as more concrete challenges like “beat your best score” or “work for two hours more than yesterday.”While this isn’t an exhaustive guide on how to pla n your growth and development, here are some tips on how to get started on formulating a personal development plan.Develop a GoalEvery successful personal and professional development journey begins with those who set goals. Personal development goals should be difficult but achievable targets is an effective way of determining what aspect of your life you’d like to work on.Plan Your DevelopmentWhether you’re taking part in development programs, career planning or personality development â€" development plans should begin by defining each step you will have to take to achieve your goals. This process should involve outlining what resources you will need and how much time it will take for you to accomplish each step.Start the ProcessYou don’t need a life coach to reach your human potential. Whether you’re turning to personal development for career exploration or simply want to learn new skills, don’t wait until tomorrow to start implementing your personal development plans. Time management can provide you with career guidanceHow to Tap Into Your Human PotentialImplementing the new habit of practicing self-help everyday is not an easy one. While you may have the passion to achieve your goals, procrastination caused by a lack of direction can often lead to an indefinite delay of your development process. While this is definitely not an exhaustive list of the advice you can implement during your journey, here are some tips and materials to keep in mind.Develop Self-Care RitualsIt’s not as complicated, nor as pseudo-scientific as it sounds. Personal development can be as simple as prioritizing some time every day to taking care of your fitness, mental health and career. Practicing mindfulness, which is the act of meditation, can take on many different forms throughout your week. Here are some examples on how you can develop yourself personally and professionally with the aim to relieve overall stress.Create a to do list for every day of the weekPartake i n job shadowing for other areas of professional life you’re interested inTry journaling every morning before starting your daySelf-help MaterialsSelf-improvement resources come in a number of different guises, all depending on what kind of development you seek. While the sheer volume of self-help books and courses can be startling, narrowing a couple of materials down can be made easier by picking which aspect of your life you’re looking to improve: professional skills, personal goals or self knowledge.

50 Beautiful Spanish Words For an Instant Mood Boost

50 Beautiful Spanish Words For an Instant Mood Boost Suzy S. There are so many cool Spanish words to choose from, that its hard to narrow it down to just 50! Spanish is a beautiful language, and as you listen to native speakers, youll notice how elegant it can sound. Scientists have even deemed it the happiest language, too! Not only is Spanish a cool language, but it also has a logical structure. Pair that with the many Spanish-English cognates, and you can see why its one of the most popular languages to learn. As you learn Spanish, youll come across many words that stand out whether for the melodic way they roll off your tongue, or their meaning. Check out the infographic below for  some of our favorite, beautiful Spanish words! 50 Beautiful Spanish Words 1. bonita: pretty (adjective) 2. precioso: precious/beautiful (adjective) 3. señorita: young lady (noun) 4. guapo: handsome (adjective) 5. rosado: pink (adjective) 6. amor: love (noun) 7. encantar: to enchant (verb) 8. desear: to wish (verb) 9. sonreîr: to smile (verb) 10. bailar: to dance (verb) 11. cantar: to sing (verb) 12. beso: kiss (noun) 13. vivir: to live (verb) 14. abrazo: hug (noun) 15. novia/novia: boyfriend/girlfriend ( noun) 16. contigo: with you (pronoun) 17. palabra: word (noun) 18. chocolate: chocolate (noun) 19. café: brown (adjective)/ coffee (noun) 20. naranja: orange (noun) 21. dulce: sweet (adjective) 22. ángel: angel (noun) 23. fuego: fire (noun) 24. cielo: sky (noun) 25. zapatos: shoes (noun) 26. corazon: heart (noun) 27. estrella: star (noun) 28. noche: night (noun) 29. caliente: hot (adjective) 30. rica: rich/delicious (adjective) 31. dinero: money (noun) 32. serenidad: serenity (noun) 33. mariposa: butterfly (noun) 34. fuerte: strong (adjective) 35. siempre: always (adverb) 36. seda: silk (noun) 37. favorito: favorite (adjective) 38. mañana: tomorrow (adverb) 39. bienvenido: welcome (adjective) 40. sol: sun (noun) 41. montaña: mountain (noun) 42. azúcar: sugar (noun) 43. mirar: to look (verb) 44. fruta: fruit (noun) 45. medianoche: midnight (noun) 46. luz: light (noun) 47. diamante: diamond (noun) 48. flor: flower (noun) 49. mar: sea (noun) 50. helado: ice cream (noun) SEE ALSO: An Introduction to Spanish Culture How to Use These Cool Spanish Words Want to start memorizing these cool Spanish words? Here are some additional tips to keep in mind as you study these fun vocabulary words. Categorize the words.  Try grouping words together based on their similarities. For instance, each of these pretty Spanish words is related to showing affection  besos (kisses), abrazo (hug), and amor (love). Create multiple lists with different categories to study. Try forming sentences.  When  you create your own sentences, its easier to  remember the definitions of the words because  of the relevant context. Try  writing a few sentences down with some of the words we listed above. Post them around your house. Labeling items around the house is a great way to learn new  words. You can label the chairs, refrigerator, doors, etc. with their corresponding Spanish word. Play vocabulary games. There are plenty of Spanish websites with free games to check out. You can also purchase apps, or make DIY games such as Bingo and charades. Good luck studying these beautiful Spanish words, and have fun along the way! Readers, what other cool Spanish words would you add to this list? Leave a comment and let us know. Post Author:  Breeana D. Breeana teaches Spanish lessons in  Willow Grove, PA. Specializing in Early Childhood and Special Education, she also has a Bachelors in Elementary Education.  Learn more about Breeana here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Student Stress Tips - Private Tutoring

Student Stress Tips BobbiM Mar 20, 2013 The kids at the local high school by my house are taking the SAT Test and the ACT Test this week. Heres the crazy thing: a few of these kids go to my church and I could actually sense a visible and material signs of stress in their faces, voices, and in their mannerisms. In sum, these are some stressed out kids. Now, if you take my experience and multiply that by the tens of thousands of high school kids worrying about the ACT Test and the SAT Test, but also the college students stress from their classes the cumulative effect of all of that stress cannot possibly be good for anybody. Certainly not good. Now, Im an expert on meditation or anything, but I have some experience with stress and have meditated through my practice of martial arts. And, keep in mind, I graduated from Brigham Young University in 3 years while I worked 20 hours per week to support my wife and 2 kids. Later, I graduated from a top 5 graduate school while trying to juggle being a husband and dad to 3 kids. I have stared stress in the eyeballs and have won that staring contest! So, here are some suggestions from someone who has dealt with stress and isnt actually very stressed much anymore: Close your eyes and Breathe: Simple, I know. Seriously, turn away from what ever you were doing, close your eyes, and breathe. Breathe for several minutes by inhaling through your nose and exhaling out your mouth. Heres an important tip when you inhale, do not stick your chest out, instead stick your stomach out. Thats how babies breathe. Try it for several minutes. It will help you relax. Exercise and Sweat: For real get up and do something. When you are exercising, you are breathing. And, oxygen in your body is good. And, when you sweat, you are also releasing toxins (dont quote me on that one). Believe me exercise is good. It will help your mind relax. Drink Healthy Herbal Tea: I like chamomile and apple spice, but you can drink any healthy herbal tea. Warm tea will help you relax and the herbs will revive your mind. Go some place high: Go on your roof or on top of a tree or on top of a hill. If you can see the landscape and broad land beyond you, you will gain perspective. And, when you stressed, gaining the proper perspective will neutralize most stressful situations. Pray: If you are religious, then pray to your God. If not, then pray to something higher than yourself. It will bring you a sense of humility and help you realize that theres more to this world than your problems. Give these student stress tips a try. I hope they help you out.

A Pen Pal Exchange for Communicative Writing Practice

A Pen Pal Exchange for Communicative Writing Practice More on pen pals: Start a Pen Pal Exchange project for studentson the Virtual Writing Tutor. For instructions on how to create a pen pal exchange for your students, check out these step-by-step pen pal exchange creation instructions for teachers.Click here for an article on pen pals that students can read to introduce them to the concept of pen pal writing. For ESL/EFL instructors teaching beginners, finding authentic and meaningful communicative writing tasks can be difficult. One challenge is figuring out how to keep a substantial conversation going. Social media posts are often short, eliciting short comments and likes. Emails are often utilitarian vehicles for conveying digital information, with file attachments, or for making requests. They do not lend themselves to extended, deeply meaningful exchanges that sustain students interest over long periods of time. Blog writing and hypertext narrative writing tasks are different, but these are written equivalents of monologues, a type of one-way communication for broadcasting to the masses. And yet, Applied Linguistics has taught us that languages are best taught by maximizing the repeated exchange of meaningful messages with a focus on form, right? Isnt it strange, then, that when we teach writing, many of us teachers focus primarily on structure, form, accuracy, and critical thinking? Strange, but unsurprising because engaging, meaningful, focused, authentic writing tasks are hard to come by. How can we make writing meaningful, repetitive, form-focused, and engaging for learners? Languages are best learned through an engaging and repeated exchange of meaningful messages with a focus on target structures Instead of resorting to 5-paragraph essay writing activities, a discourse model that does not exist in the wild, we can support the development of Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) with online pen pal writing tasks instead. Think about it. Pen pals usually live far from each other and so try to convey theirday-to-day lives through letters. Pen pals often try to communicate who they are, their culture, their family, food, holidays, and life eventsthis is all basic, interpersonal stuff!So pen pal writing projects seem really well-suited for learners trying to develop their BICS. The obvious problem with pen pal writing is that it takes a long time before letters in the mail arrive where they are going, and longer still to get a reply. There are only so many weeks in a semester, so pen pal writing is impractical for instructed language learning contexts. It is something a learner might do in addition to an English Second Language course, right? Maybe not. Maybe there is still a way to integrate pen pal writing into an ESL course. Maximizing Repetitions Sending letters internationally takes about two weeks. Pen pals cannot, therefore, expect more than one letter a month. In terms of maximizing meaningful, form-focused repetitions, college writing teachers wont get much in a three-month English Second language course. Something needs to be done to maximize the number of exchanges. A colleague of mine gets students to write messages to anonymous pen pals in their Hilroy notebook as informal writing practice. He collects the notebooks and redistributes them to students in another group on a different day. They write replies or questions, and he collects them back up again and returns them to the original author. It is a lot to keep track of, but the students enjoy it he saysand I believe him! At theend of the semester, he arranges for the pen pals to meet each other at an end-of-semester party. The Pedagogy of Notebook Pen Pal Exchanges For the record, I love the idea of notebook pen pal exchanges because of the meaningful exchanges it produces. However, I have not implemented this activity in any of my courses because I cant figure out how to ensure that it prepares students for competency-based writing evaluations in a direct and coherent way. General, unfocused language practice is not the highest expression of good CLT pedagogy, is it? Here are a few thoughts on my pedagogical concerns with notebook pen pal exchanges at the college level. Later, I will propose a solution that should improve upon this otherwise excellent activity. Not evaluated: Since this type of pen pal writing is framed as informal writing practice, it doesnt count toward the students final score. What counts instead are formal essay assignments during midterm and final exams. As such, pen pal writing reduces the cohesion of a course. Students pen pal writing does not prepare them for writing that counts. Since the meaningful exchange does not prepare students for competency-based evaluations, its value is restricted only contributing only to general proficiency and a reduction to writing apprehension.Feedback on errors:Giving corrective feedback on weekly writing has proven impossible for my colleague. There is just too much writing to correct, so he doesnt. This makes pen pal writing ineligible for evaluation. If students dont get formative feedback, pen pal writing tasks cannot be used for summative evaluations.Feedback on target structures: Students are invited to use the grammar from the lesson, but there is no follow-up on theuseof th e targets.Drop-outs: Some students go missing for a week or two. Sincehe keeps the notebooks in his office, students cant participate in the exchange if they are absent. Some students drop out of the course and notebook pen pal exchanges become difficult to manage. Some students complain that their pen pal is delinquent. the teacher is quick to pair students up or substitute another pen pal who also lost a partner. Designing an Online Pen Pal Exchange for ESL Learners Whats needed, obviously, is a system that can match up students in the same class and or in other countries. Also, there needs to be a way to provide fast feedback on spelling errors and grammar errors, so that students can get help with their extensive grammar errors. Indeed, it would be useful to know if students are writing more than the minimum number of words. Short messages wont do. Finally, there needs to be a way of ensuring that students use the grammar and vocabulary that they learn in their lessons because of the problem of grammar avoidance. The VWT grammar checker robot can help Sounds like a job for the Virtual Writing Tutor, right? The Virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker can already, count words, check spelling and grammar, and check for target structures. All thats needed, then, is a way to match students up and track their progress. Introducing the Virtual Writing Tutor Pen Pal Exchange Project. Designed for ESL teachers, by an ESL teacher, the system can match up students within the same class or from different classes taught by other teachers. All they need is a free account. It can also, check spelling, check grammar, check for target structures, add voice recordings and photos, and automatically score each pen pal message based on criteria defined by the pen pals teacher. Find out how to create an ESL pen pal exchange on the Virtual Writing Tutor. Please follow and like us:

Tips on How to Weather the Midterm Storm

Tips on How to Weather the Midterm Storm Weathering the StormThe young scholars. The creme of the crop. Know-it-all by nature. The future of the world lingers in the wit of our decisions. Doused in our fearless, yet uncertain, egos, our humanity remains intact. And like all larger than life figures, we have our shortcomings and flaws. With this, we fall victim to the infamous “Midterm Misery”. It is the middle of the semester, and most of us feel the peaking of our breaking points. Assignments are getting lengthier and deadlines are approaching..Collectively, we walk a tightrope of performing our best in class and securing our sanity. Stress builds, sleepless nights, cramming and retaining information to apply it on an exams, we become the mechanical dispensers of knowledge. Here are 5 life hacks and reassurances that everything will be fine. Study to understand, not just to regurgitateInformation is easier to remember if it makes sense. Even though memorization seems to play a key part in learning, it has definitive use unless it can be can be understood and applied. You will find that most information can be memorized naturally if understood. Just try it. Adopt a study habit that allows you to use your comprehensive skills. You will see that the memorization comes more naturally when concepts are understood.Understand that pressure can be beneficialHere is the thing. As humans, we are able to perform our best and tap into autonomic responses on cue when we are under high pressure. Referring to Nixon P. Stress Response Curve (1979), as stress increases, so does performance. So what does this mean? When the pressure is on, we tend to not overthink or overanalyze anything, we naturally act accordingly. When applying this concept to schoolwork, we can began to apply the information we learn in an easier thought process. Let your body and mind do the work for you, Pressure is normal, and our bodies are naturally ready to respond to it. So in a way, we are in control, whether we know it or not. Keep an eye on your bodyWe love Starbucks. Energy drinks give us a jolt. We indulge in anything that will help heighten our senses and keep us energized. And though this is ideal behavior for us as college students. We must be mindful that over consumption could be harmful to our bodies. Remember, our bodies are naturally equipped with the chemicals it needs to help us function naturally. Let us not throw off the functionally by drinking too much caffeine. One cup could suffice. Try balancing your meals and getting plenty of rest at night. Our bodies are like clocks, let us keep them oiled and ticking. Realize your potentialThe only thing keeping you from making the grade you want...is you. Okay, well maybe your instructor can throw in a few twisted challenges, but you can top it! We must understand that we execute tasks at our full capacity IF we are aware of the extent of our capabilities. But wait….what if we are not exactly sure of how much we are capable of? Well, give a stab at it. It is okay to remind yourself every now and again, “I got this”. You are in total control of your situation.It is only a matter of timeLooking at your course syllabus can be quite intimidating. But what is more rewarding than putting an X on those deadlines as the semester progresses? The only thing that separates where you are and where you will be in the semester, is time. And as time suspends, we must perform accordingly. Get a head start on a some readings, or pitch some ideas for an upcoming paper. Surely soon, these things too will be crossed off of your “to do” list. In closing….We are halfway through the semester and in the eye of the storm. Brace yourself. Push through. Do your best. Weather the storm. Cheers!!-Kendra D. Scott

More than half of Teachers still haven`t received their promised pay rise - Tutor Hunt Blog

More than half of Teachers still haven`t received their promised pay rise More than half of Teachers still haven`t received their promised pay rise More than half of Teachers still haven`t received their promised pay riseSchoolsAt the end of last year a pay award was handed out by the government, which promised to grant a pay rise for all teachers - 3.5 per cent increase for those on the main pay scale, 2 percent for those on the upper pay rate, and 1.5 percent for leadership teachers. The Country`s main teaching unions were extremely displeased with the proposal, and issued a joint statement rejecting the offer, complaining that, with rising living costs, and inflation at 2.4 per cent, the proposal actually amounted to a real term pay cut for 60 percent of teachers. Some four months later, it seems that the majority of teachers haven`t even received their promised pay increase. A survey of 6900 teachers in England carried out by NASUWT, revealed the shameful information that 57 percent of teachers have yet to receive any rise to their salaries. Chris Keates, the NASUWT general secretary expressed what must be the view of teachers across the country: `Teachers are rightly angry and frustrated at the seeming indifference of ministers to ensure they are recognised and rewarded fairly for the work they do.` `It is yet another illustration of the reason why the education service is facing the worst teacher recruitment and retention crisis since World War Two.` It pains me to have to say it, but as an ex teacher myself, hearing news reports like makes me glad I got out of the profession. It seems teachers are expected to be everything these days: social workers, councillors, child minders, and all this with an ever increasing amount of administrative work to complete. Many of my friends are in the profession, and most of them certainly exceed 70 hours of work a week. To hear that the majority of them haven`t yet received the promised pay rise, paltry as that may be, certainly is disappointing. The survey revelled that 58 per cent of the teachers were `angry` or `really angry` about their pay - one only wonders what other adjectives were available - and also believed that they had been unfairly treated by the government. My wife works in the finance sector, and I`m certain that, if she had been guaranteed a pay rise in writing, she would have received it. The funds certainly seem to be in available to cover the pay rise - £187 million were pledged to cover 2018 through to 2019, along with another £321 million for 2019 through to 2020. As most people know there is a huge recruitment crisis in the teaching profession. This is despite the fact that nearly half of all adults in the UK believe they would be a good teacher. A recent `Get into teaching campaign` put out by the government revealed the confidence the majority of the population have with the prospect of becoming a teacher. How then can there be such a recruitment crisis, given that so many of us believe we would be well suited for the role? The answer is down to stories like this one: hard working teachers being promised a measly pay rise, and then months later more than half of them not receiving it. How is that supposed to entice people into the profession? Over the last 20 years the workload of teachers has increased dramatically - in March last year a Department for Education research paper said that teachers are experiencing `unmanageable` levels of workload, and many senior leaders frequently described their role as `crisis` management. The research also disclosed that `teachers said that their level of workload was only manageable because of the long hours that they worked.` As I commented earlier in this article, many of my teacher friends work in excess of 70 hours a week, marking and making lesson plans during weekends and holidays. We want to attract those who are best able to teach to the profession, not those who are best able to endure low pay, and a herculean workload. The future of our country is built on those who educate the next generation - if we continue to demand more and more from them, making their working conditions ever more pressurised, while denying them promises of any improvement to their financial remuneration, we are certainly building up problems for the future. 13 months ago0Add a Comment

How to Speak 10 Languages Without Losing Your Cool

How to Speak 10 Languages Without Losing Your Cool How to Speak 10 Languages Without Losing Your Cool Is it an addiction?Maybe its just insanity.Nobody knows.The result is the same either way you look at it. Once you learn one language, youll want to learn another.And another. And another.Heres a little secret: If youre going to get addicted to something, let languages be your vice of choice.The only side effects are enhanced cognitive function and long-term brain health.But how can you feed your addiction? Once youre driven to learn 10 language or more, whats the best way to go about it?In this post, well show you tips for pairing languages, scheduling study time and more secrets every aspiring polyglot should know. Is It Even Possible to Learn 10 Languages?Short answer: yes. Many polyglots say theyve learned 10 or more languagesâ€"its been said that the 19th-century priest Giuseppe Mezzofanti spoke 50 languages!Was he fluent in all of them? And what does it take to say you can speak multiple languages, anyway?Thats a more complex question.In the article linked above, University o f California Berkeley linguist Claire Kramsch argues that because of all the cultural nuances that come with a language, you must live the language in order to truly speak it. That requires long-term, in-depth contact with the language and its speakers. Kramsch estimates that you could really only  live in four or five languages, tops.That makes sense. Its hard to keep languages fresh in your mind if you dont regularly use them. Just trying to keep four or five fresh is a hefty undertaking.However, consider your personal goals for learning 10 languages. Do you need to have complex philosophical discussions in each one? Or do you want to know enough to travel, meet new friends and watch movies without confusion?The important thing is to weigh your language learning goals against your own needs, to identify the type of fluency thatll work for you in each of your 10 chosen languages.Everyone has their reasons for wanting to be a master of language. It could be for career advancement, t ravel, communicating with a multinational family or just a passion for learning. It doesnt matter.If you want to learn 10 languages or 10,000 languages, then its what you should do and dont let anyone try to make you feel bad about it.Inspiration for Aspiring PolyglotsThomas Edison. Harriet Tubman. Albert Einstein. All of these crazy people accomplished things that others could only dream about. So why cant you?Aim for as many languages as your heart desires! If youre willing to go for the gold, then go for it. You wouldnt be the first. Take a look at the comments from these language superstars  about being multilingual.No language is justly studied merely as an aid to other purposes. It will in fact better serve other purposes, philological or historical, when it is studied for love, for itself.  J.R.R Tolkein, who spoke more than a dozen languages.Nothing is impossible. Audrey Hepburn, who spoke six languages.The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how hig h you raise your foot.  Benny Lewis, who speaks seven languages and counting.Be firmly convinced you are a linguistic genius.  Kató Lomb, who spoke 16 languages.How to Speak 10 Languages Without Losing Your Cool1. Adjust Your ExpectationsThis is probably the most important step to keeping your sanity. There are many language learners out there who strive for perfection. Theres nothing wrong with that, especially if youre focusing on one or  maybe  even two languages.However, once you get past that, being a perfectionist (i.e. striving for native-like fluency on every single language) isnt practical.Instead, set small goals for yourself. Slow and steady wins the race. Its a cliche, but that doesnt mean its not true. If you try to achieve ultimate mastery in a short time youre only going to disappoint yourself.For example, set a goal to learn 20 new words or phrases per day, or schedule an hour of practice for one language on Monday, another on Tuesday, etc.Taking this approach will get you where you want to be much faster than if you try to race against the clock. Youll be surprised to see how much you retain if you just pace yourself.2. Go with What You KnowThis goes against all things millennial. Were always trying something different. We love stepping outside of our comfort zones. When youre trying to learn several languages, though, its okay to stay in your comfort zone. The comfort zone will make your life a thousand times easier.So, if you have  any experience or familiarity with a foreign language whatsoever then put that language on the top of your learning list. Thats your starting point.For example, if you know a few phrases in Spanish from a trip you took last year, then start with Spanish. If you had a little French in high school but forgot it, then start with Frenchâ€"itll come back to you.You can also start with languages that are similar to what you already know. For example, if you speak Spanish, another Romance language like Portuguese or Ita lian would be a great next step.  If you speak a Scandinavian language, learn another Scandinavian language. Youll find its much easier to adjust to some of the rules, because many of them are the same.But what if you only speak English? Youre not out of luck. Again, you can always start with Spanish, because its been said that its one of the easier languages to learn for English speakers. But if you want to take the road less traveled, then perhaps you might want to try Afrikaans or Dutch.Those languages are very similar in their structure to English even though it might not seem like it at first glance.3. Pair Up Your Target LanguagesIf youre even thinking about trying to learn 10 languages then youre probably just ambitious by nature, and not afraid of a little challenge.If you want to get to 10 languages more quickly, try learning two of them at a time. Will it be easy? Of course not, but there are ways to make it less miserable.It may seem crazy after our tip above, but it can actually be best to combine completely unrelated languages for simultaneous learning. Something like Portuguese and Farsi or Spanish and Mandarin.The idea is to minimize overlap and confusion between your language lessons and practice.  You want the languages to be worlds apart so that theres no chance of muddling them up in your brain.How does this look in practice, especially bearing in mind our tip above?Well, you can try to learn two languages that are both somewhat familiar to your native language, but in different ways. For English learners, you might try French (which shares a ton of vocabulary with English) and Dutch (which is from the same language family as English).You could also start with a language thats familiar to you, then throw in a wildcard for simultaneous learning.Setting the schedule is the trickiest part. If youre going for two languages at a time, make sure to leave some time for practice at the beginning and end of the day to squeeze them in. Or study each l anguage in a different environmentâ€"maybe one at home and one on your commute. You get the idea.Only you know what your day looks like. Spread out your study time so that youre not studying both in one marathon study session, because even if the languages are different, youd risk overworking yourself and burning out.4. Immerse Yourself in Each LanguagePart of learning a language is being entrenched in the world of the native speakers. How do they think? What do they eat? What music do they listen to? What do they find rude? What do they find humorous? What kinds of idioms do they use?So how do you actually immerse yourself in your target languages and start answering these questions? Here are some tips to get you started:Spend some time in a place where they speak your target language. This is the total immersion option, where you  have no choice but to use the language every day, sink or swim.Check out immersive language learning tools like FluentU. What makes FluentU great is the access to authentic, entertaining videos in a range of target languages. But better yet, each video comes with flashcards, exercises and interactive captions. That means youre actively building your vocabulary while absorbing languages the way native speakers really use them.Its super easy to switch between languages on one account, and with the FluentU mobile app for  iOS  or  Android devices you can squeeze in some practice anytime, anywhere!Get a language exchange partner (or two, or three or ten!).  There are several websites that can connect you to native speakers in other countries or even in your own community. Try these fun language exchange apps for starters!5. Be Okay with Being a CopycatDifferent languages have different sounds. Obviously, right? Let me go a step further.These sounds come from the different ways we use our mouths and throats. Some of its very obvious like the rolled r in Spanish or the guttural throat sounds of Arabic. Then there are the subtle, more nua nced differences such as how we move our mouths, or where we place our tongues.Some people find it very difficult to adapt to these strange new sounds and thats fair. Its the reason why people have accents when they speak a different language. This stuff is just hard to master.However, you can try. The key is to observe and mimic. When you watch native speakers talking, pay close attention to how they move their mouths and jaws. Even pay attention to their hand movements.Many of these natural inclinationsâ€"that native speakers arent even conscious ofâ€"can help a great deal if youre trying to achieve native-like fluency in another language.This technique probably works best when watching target language videos. If you do it in person, unless the person understands what youre trying to accomplish, youll most likely just weird them out.6. Get Over EmbarassmentRemember just a few moments ago when we were talking about accents and sounds? These often become a source of embarrassment fo r many language learners. People can feel foolish when they try to mimic foreign sounds that theyre not used to making.Let go of the idea that people will point and laugh at you if you have a funny accent or make a mistake. First of all, its just not realistic. It almost never happens.Second of all, its a huge mental block that can prevent you from learning one language, let alone 10. Just accept right now that there will be times when you mispronounce a word or make some other frustrating mistake. Its part of the learning process.The good news is that as you practice more and more different languages, youll have an easier time tackling unfamiliar sounds. On the most basic level, youre exercising your mouth, strengthening your tongue. Youre teaching it to twist and contort in new ways that your native language never required. With practice and with each new language, itll get easier.7. Practice Multiple Skills Every DayWe click on these articles hoping that someone will finally have the answer to making us fluent overnight, but it all comes back to practice. You just have to do it. And you have to do it the smart way.Lets say your language practice consisted only of drilling vocabulary flashcards in 10 languages every day. Your memorization skills might be top-notch but could you order coffee in 10 different countries and be understood? No.Its important to try and get listening, reading, speaking and writing practice in your target languages regularly. That doesnt mean you need to practice every single language every dayâ€"rather, when you practice each language, you should focus on strengthening all four major skills.You can keep a language diary with entries in different languages every day. You can pick a novel in a new language to read each month. You can watch movies every weekend in one of your target languages. The options are endless!However you decide to tackle this, make sure you enjoy it. When you reach your goal, itll have been so worth it. So go f orth and good luck! And One More ThingIf youve read this far, you must be serious about language learning, which means you should know more about FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes f or Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.