With the economy in the state that it’s in these days, I figured what better, more topical issue to address than saving money? Although rather than showcasing inexpensive piano lessons, or cheap yoga classes, I thought I’d enlist the help of our friends at one of the best parenting organizations around: Red-Tricycle.
Courtesy of Red-Tri, here are 5 tips parents and class takers alike to save money this holiday season.
Think Small. For this year’s holiday cards, take advantage of mini photo sessions at local retail shops with the area’s top photographers.
Get Crafty. Instead of buying a gift, knit a hat or scarf, put those tiny feet on ceramic, or frame your future O’Keefe or Monet’s masterpiece for a special holiday memento.
Recycle. Find the perfect holiday wear, gently-used toys and books at one of the many eco-friendly consignment stores throughout Seattle, Portland and San Francisco.
Bundle Up. Holiday entertainment doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Put some hot chocolate in a thermos and enjoy the wonderful sounds of the Christmas Ships. If you’re in Seattle, you can check out the festival from by the shores of Kirkland, Seattle or Gasworks Park.
Get Hip. Subscribe to Red Tricycle’s free email newsletters for more insider tips on holiday events, secret sales, weekend happenings, restaurants and other parent-friendly news. Red Tricycle’s San Francisco and Seattle editions will keep you in touch with what’s cool and new in the city, especially as it relates to your kid-focused lifestyle.
December 17, 2008 — Technology news website Read Write Web today named TeachStreet to the “Top 10 Web Apps of 2008″ list (click here), which recognizes the “latest and greatest Web 2.0 applications” on the internet.
With this list, Read Write Web highlights 10 of the most innovative, creative and forward-thinking new websites. Or as Frederic Larndinois of Read Write Web put it, the “top ‘real world’ apps that have made our offline lives easier in 2008.”
The websites featured on this list cover a wide spectrum of categories from finance tools, to travel resources, to education websites, but they all share two attributes: forward thought and consumer focus. So TeachStreet is both grateful to be recognized, as well as humbled by the quality of the other sites who made the list.
December is a perfect time to polish up on the art of the handwritten thank-you note! A handwritten thank-you note is a kind gesture and a habit your child will thank you for instilling. If your child is too young to write but old enough to express their feelings, you can write their thoughts, and they can sign or scribble their name. A note with the child’s own words will mean much more to the gift giver than a note from the mother expressing her hopes for how the child will feel about the gift!
Make it fun! If thank-you notes are presented as a chore, they will be seen as a chore! Because we have always made it fun, my four-year-old, loves dictating notes, even though she is not allowed to play with her toys until the thank-you is written. Start with fun supplies for your child to use when they write their notes. Make a thank-you box full of pens, crayons, paper or stationery, and stickers. Here are some age guidelines to prepare your child for writing their own thank-you notes:
0 to 2 years of age—Adult writes the thank-you note.
2 to 3 years of age—Adult writes the note, and child can scribble/decorate part of the note.
3 to 5 years of age—Adult writes a message from the child by using prompting questions. Child signs his/her name and colors the card.
4-plus years of age—Child writes note while adult helps him/her with spelling and wording. If a child is in the early stages of writing, let him/her write on the card. The parent can add a translation under a word that may be difficult for the recipient to read.
Remember, children model what they see. If they see you writing thank-you notes with little effort, they too will see thank-you notes as something that is easy to do. The act of writing thank-you notes is an important discipline to instill; the exercise of taking the time to sincerely express gratitude for another’s generosity (acts of kindness or gifts) is at the heart of the manner!
December 16, 2008 — From bloggers, to babysitters, to teachers, everyone has been hit by the recession. To shed light on opportunities for people in search of jobs during the economic downturn, Mashable, a technology website, today came out with a “Career Toolbox,” which is their list of 100 websites that are helping people find jobs (click here to read article).
In the “Career Toolbox,” Sean P. Aune of Mashable highlights TeachStreet as a site that will help you “launch a modern day job hunt.” In other words, even though there are still many companies looking to hire skilled employees, it is certainly no easier to find a job today than it was a year ago.
Whether or not somebody is a teacher, coach, instructor, expert, or enthusiast, the toolbox reinforces the fact that there are resources out there. And furthermore, it reminds us that TeachStreet isn’t just a place for teachers and coaches. If you have a skill, and you want to share that skill, you can start a business or supplement your income on TeachStreet.
In talking with friends and colleagues about how the sputtering economy is effecting their holiday planning, it seems that many folks are scaling back and also finding thoughtful ways to support the local mom and pop shops that are struggling. I was speaking to one friend this weekend who was buying books for her cousins at the the locally-owned Pioneer Square bookstore Elliott Bay Book Co. rather than at Barnes and Nobles.
Sustainable Seattle is also supporting this philosophy with it’s “Celebrate Local” campaign. It’s a pretty simple campaign with three core initiatives.
Once you find a local class that you love, fill out a pledge form and enter yourself to win a prize. Prizes include: Chinook book, a Celebrate Local book, tickets to local cultural events and more.
If you can’t find a class that works for you, feel free to visit Sustainable Seattle’s Blog for other ways to participate. Since the last update on December 8th, there have already been 50 pledges with 3 winners selected. The goal is to get 300 pledges before February 2, 2009.
We’re always keeping our eyes peeled for great things happening in the world of education, especially when the internet is involved.
Yesterday, our friends over at eduFire just did their first eduConference, “The Future of Education”. The discussions focused on what we can do the help the progression of education and the tools that are out there to enable us to do so. A rolling attendance of about 25-35 passionate folks chimed in with a ton of suggestions, opinions, thoughts, and humorous banter. We were also able to meet some great folks in the education world: Milton Ramirez, italki, and Cramster (if I missed anyone, let me know).
Jon Bischke presenting on Web 2.0 and Education
From learning the “5 Free Online Collaborative Tools” to “Why Web 2.0 Missed Education”, the combination of educational presentations to informative dialogues made this event great. Although the third presentation wasn’t able to come through due to technical difficulties, the colorful conversations were enough to keep this going. From opinions on utilizing different learning tools to thoughts on other organizations, like University of Phoenix and how they are “large and in charge”, there never was a dull moment. It’s funny, when you get a group of passionate folks in a room, although virtual, you always get some great dialogue.
Looking forward to the next eduConference, and eduFire — we’d love to present something too! Maybe along the lines of “How to Promote Learning Opportunities on the Internet?” or “How to Earn a Couple Extra Bucks During This Economic Downturn?”.
Taking business outside for the confines of the office walls can prove to be productive and profitable to any business. These social opportunities allow business relationships to operate on a more personal level, allowing business associates to get to know one another in different environments. Business associates will appreciate well planned communication regarding the event, and follow-up leading up to the event.
Think ahead and provide any information that they may need or want to know. For example, where will they park if it is not explanatory and will it cost them? What should they wear? If a client comes to an event and feels out of place (over or underdressed) they will not feel comfortable to mingle and therefore could be a missed business opportunity. Preparation will ensure a well run event, and will allow you to genuinely welcome your guests at their arrival. If you and your colleagues are not able to actively participate, and be mentally available to your guests it may cost you more than the time and money invested in the event itself!
Mixing business with pleasure? No matter how free your boss or co-workers are getting, it is always important to keep your composure. Especially if you are the host! Off color jokes, profanity, and gossip is always taboo in any social setting and even more so in a business setting. Remember, you are the only representation of your personal integrity. You never know when someone is uncomfortably going with the flow. The way you act, the things you choose to talk about could negatively concrete your social or business fate in the eyes of an on-looker. Respect is something difficult to earn, and unfortunately easy to loose! And if the situation should occur that you have gone over the line or business into self-indulgence pleasure, remember to earnestly apologize…as difficult as it may be!
One of the most common questions we receive regarding our Teaching English as a Second Language program is: “What can I do with a TESL Certificate?” At Washington Academy of Languages, we offer both a TESL Certificate and an ELL Endorsement. The latter is a state-regulated endorsement applied to an active Teaching Certificate. So, if a teacher would like to teach K-12 ELL in the public schools, they will need a Teaching Certificate as well as an ELL Endorsement.
The TESL Certificate, on the other hand, is offered for teachers who would like to teach ELL abroad or, where a certificate is sufficient, in the US. Our courses cover pedagogy strategies for all ages, and help our teachers build knowledge of first and second language acquisition theories. After earning the TESL Certificate, what do our teachers do?
Well, what don’t they do? We’ve had TESL-certified teachers teach all over the world! They use resources such as Education First to find job opportunities and Dave’s ESL Café to find not only jobs but also a community of English teachers who share their experiences and offer support and advice. There are public schools, private schools, American schools and evening schools, not to mention tutoring too! Sometimes, teachers combine a TESL Certificate with a Master’s Degree in another field (Education, Teaching, or Linguistics, for example) to teach in higher education here in the United States, or use the TESL Certificate to find volunteer teaching opportunities at community centers, immigrant resource centers, or places of worship.
With WAL’s graduate level certification in-hand, students should not have any difficulty finding employment abroad. Now, the only question is: “When will you start?” A new session begins in January!
I recently received an email from a parent asking how to find a music teacher for their child. This is a great question! In my experience as a Suzuki violin and viola instructor, I’d love to share with you about what you should consider.
1. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
Before you start looking, you need to know what you’re looking for. Here are some questions you should ask yourself before you look for a teacher:
What instrument will your child be learning?
What method are you looking for? Suzuki or traditional?
What are you willing to commit to in terms of time, schedule, practicing, and cost?
2. DOING THE RESEARCH
You are about to invest your time and energy. Research and asking questions are definitely worth the time and effort! These are the best ways to get a good base of information to start for the search:
Word of mouth Talk to parents who have had positive experiences with their child’s music lessons. What do they recommend? Why?
Visit Music Schools Look around your neighborhood and see if you can attend a concert or observe lessons. What do you notice about the quality and attitude? Is this consistent with what you are seeking?
Search online You can find tons of wonderful teachers online through various resources. Along with TeachStreet.com, you can find great resources like Suzuki Association, which is a great resource for Suzuki parents, teachers, and students. You can also search for a teacher by instrument and zip code to see who is in your neighborhood.
3. NARROWING THE SEARCH
Let’s say you’ve done your research, know what you’re looking for and have even found a few potential teachers. Before committing to a teacher, I would suggest checking out the following:
Background
What kind of background does the teacher have? Where and how have they learned to master their instrument? If they have a website, check it out! For example, my website, jackieschmidt.com, has my resume, teaching philosophy, studio policy and even video of my students! This gives potential students a chance to know what my teaching is like before we meet.
Working Style
What is this teacher’s working style and personality like? How will this match up with your child?
Specialization
If you are starting with a very young child, definitely seek out a teacher who specializes in this! Teaching music to young children is truly an art. Likewise, if you are looking for a teacher who takes on adult students or teenagers. There are a lot of teachers around and you want to find the best match for you.
Trial Lesson or Observe Their Teaching
The best way to see if the teacher’s working style and personality in action is to observe their teaching or to request a trial lesson with them. As a Suzuki teacher, lesson observation is one of the core beliefs of the Suzuki philosophy. For potential students in my studio here in Minneapolis, I offer an interview lesson (first, trial lesson) to them at no charge.
