Author Archive

How to Steal a Penny Revealed!

October 22nd, 2008 by Harold

A couple weeks ago on TeachStreet TV we saw the exciting demonstration of how to steal a penny. This week we have the long anticipated revelation of how to do this magic trick. Try it out on a friend and let us know how it went in the comments section. Interested in learning more cool magic tricks? Check out these great magic classes on TeachStreet.

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How to Steal a Penny!

October 10th, 2008 by Harold

A penny saved is a penny made rings truer than ever in our current economic situation. Here at TeachStreet we want to equip you with all the learning tools you need to weather any economic situation. Perhaps you need to understand your finances better or need some help getting out of credit card debt TeachStreet is here to help!

In this episode of TeachStreet TV we have our wonderful new intern, Grace helping me demonstrate how to save… I mean steal a penny.

Stay tuned for next weeks episode to see the explanation, or better yet subscribe to our blog via RSS or email for your convenience.


How to Nail the Job Interview

October 3rd, 2008 by Harold

Other than getting married, interviews can be one of the most nerve racking activities in our adult life. Having gone through several interviews myself, I had the recent privilege of being on the other side of the interview table and compiled a list of tips that I hope will help you land your next job.

What not to do in an interview

Resumes:

  • Take the time to tailor your resume to the job. Look over the job description and highlight key activities in your resume that map best to the job description.
  • Be concise. Tons of resumes will hit the desk of the recruiter, so try be concise and avoid huge chunks of text.
  • Have someone review your resume. The more eyes the better, other people will be able to check for spelling, grammatical errors, and provide valuable feedback.

Interview:

  • Pay attention to the small things. Be sure to have a firm handshake and good eye contact throughout the interview. Small things like playing with your jewelery, posture, energy level all give off either good or bad vibes to the interviewer.
  • Be yourself. The interviewer is trying to get to know the real you in the hour that they have. Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable when they ask about your weaknesses. None of us are perfect and the interviewer wants to know what you need to work on and more about your character.
  • Be genuine. Do your research about the company and be genuinely interested and excited about the position. Passion can’t be faked.
  • Relax! Take a walk, meditate, clear your mind before the interview. Have a good time in the interview by getting the interviewer to smile and laugh. The interviewer is hoping that you will do well and be the perfect fit for the job!

There are always great interviewing classes on TechStreet. Also check out our job page, TeachStreet is always looking for good talent!

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How to Live More Green

September 25th, 2008 by Harold

Going green has been all the rave the last couple years. Huge corporations are moving to greener office environments, families are turning last nights dinner into tomorrows compost, it seems like everyone is going green.  Feeling blue that you are left out of the green? Fear not TeachStreet is here to educate.

Image by meaduva

  • Skip the meat:
    Try going vegetarian one day a week. If you factor in the energy to raise the cattle and transport the meat It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef.  That is 40 times more water than is used to produce 1 pound of potatoes. Check out  Vegetarian Chinese Cooking or Sunny Vegetarian Soiree for some tasty vegetarian recipes.
  • Don’t let it run:
    When brushing your teeth, washing your face, or shaving don’t let the water run. You can save 150 gallons of water month or 1,800 gallons a year!
  • Grow it yourself:
    Why not start your own garden? Starting a garden only costs a couple packets of seeds and some garden tools. Not only will you be saving money and having he freshest veggies you’ll be cutting down a trip to the grocery store and the packaging material that comes with your fruits and vegetables.

Want to learn more? Check out Create “Green” Home ProductsBeginner’s Guide to Organic Composting, or  Organic Gardening. If we make one or two small changes to our daily routine we can all become alittle more green.

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Vote For Our October TeachStreet Events

September 19th, 2008 by Harold

Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have other ideas or you’d like to help coordinate a TeachStreet event.


Happy Hour Video

September 18th, 2008 by Harold

The TeachStreet team had the pleasure of hosting a Happy Hour event to meet some of the wonderful teachers on our site.  We got some great pictures and video. Thanks once again to everyone for coming out!


TeachStreet TV: Happy Hour with TeachStreet Teachers - Seattle, WA from TeachStreet CDT on Vimeo.

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How to Hit a Golf Ball 250 Yards on Your Knees

September 12th, 2008 by Harold

Golf can be one of the most frustrating sports period! We spend hours at the driving range tweaking our swing, purchasing the latest and greatest equipment in hopes of hitting a little white dimpled ball into a hole! In spite of all the divots and many hours looking for lost balls, it only takes one sweet shot that keeps us coming back for more.

I met up with a good friend of mine and local golf instructor Andy Steinle for some tips on how to improve my golf swing. Andy, has been playing golf for over 15 years, participated in hundreds of tournaments, and taught many students to enjoy the game of golf. What sets Andy apart is his infinite patience and creative teaching techniques. For example I had a bad tendency of leaning forward on my down swing causing my ball to veer off to the right. Andy put two tubes of ChapStick under each of my feet to prevent this forward motion forcing me to sit down on my down swing. The results were tremendous! The ball was flying straighter and I was striking the ball clean.  The only problem now is I carry two tubes of ChapStick with me wherever I go!

Check out the video of Andy giving some helpful tips and hitting the ball on his knees.


TeachStreet TV: Hitting a Golf Ball 250 Yards on Knees - Bellevue, WA from TeachStreet CDT on Vimeo.

Still frustrated after playing golf? Try taking a mediation class or maybe a anger management class will do the trick. See you on the greens!


How to Become a Math Whiz

September 5th, 2008 by Harold

Photo exrorro | School Bus

With the start of school under way for many students around the country, TeachStreet would like to offer some handy math tips that will ensure an A+ on the next report card.

Multiplying by 9, or 99, or 999

Multiplying by 9 is really multiplying by 10-1.
9×9 is 9x(10-1) which is 9×10-9 which is 90-9 or 81
Example: 37×9 = 37×10-37 = 370-37 = 333

To multiply by 99, you multiply by 100-1
Example: 83×99 = 83x(100-1) = 8300-83 = 8217

To multiply by 999, you multiply by 1000-1
24×999 = 24x(1000-1) = 24000-24 = 23976

Multiplying by 11

To multiply a number by 11 you add pairs of numbers next to each other, except for the numbers on the edges.

Example: 251×11 we will work right to left:
Write down 1, add 1 to its neighbor 5 = 6 (write this to the left of 1)
Add 5 to its neighbor 2 = 7 (write this to the left of 6)
Then write down 2 to the left of 7 = 2761!

Example with carrying: 487×11
Write out the sum and edges: (4) (4+8) (8+7) (7)
Going from right to left we write down 7
Then we notice that 8+7=15
So we write down 5 and carry the 1
4+8 = 12, plus the 1 we carried = 13
So, we write down the 3 and carry the 1
To the leftmost digit, 4, we add the 1 we carried.
So, 487×11 = 5357!

Interested in more one on one math help, try taking a class from one of our tutors: Overqualified Math Tutoring or Math Development Tutoring. Already a math whiz, but need help with test taking? Or how about picking up a new language? Good luck with the new school year!


How to grill the perfect steak

August 27th, 2008 by Harold

With labor day fast approaching this weekend, many of us will be firing up the barbecue one last time and what better way to say goodbye to summer than with a perfect juicy steak.

Steaks can vary in price from a couple dollars to hundreds of dollars. We are here to help educate you on finding and preparing the perfect steak without breaking the bank. When selecting the perfect steak the two most important factors are the cut and grade. The most common cuts are:

Rib eye - Great tasting but not as tender as some of the other cuts of meat

New York strip - Very tasty and tender

Fillet mignon - Is the leanest and most tender cut but does not have as much flavor

The next thing to look for is grade. Grade is determined by the age of the cow and the marbling. The more marbling a steak has the juicer and more flavorful it will be. Be sure to select meats that are between 1″ to 1.5″ thick and that the meat is a bright red color while the fat is a creamy white. The USDA grades meat as prime, choice, and select with prime being at the top and choice at the bottom. Choice cuts are the most affordable steaks for grilling and can easily be found at grocery stores, while only 3% of all beef is graded as prime and can only be found in restaurants and select butchers.

Now that we have selected the perfect steak lets prepare the steak and hit the grill!

  • Coat both sides of the steak with sea salt and coarse ground pepper.
  • Heat up your gas barbecue grill on high for 10 minutes. We want to get the barbecue nice and hot so when the steaks hit the grill they will start forming a crispy layer to lock in all the juices.
  • Move the heat down to a medium high and put your steaks on the grill. Close the lid and as tempting as it might be, don’t touch the steaks!
  • After 5 to 6 minutes flip the steaks. Remember to use tongs to flip the steaks, forks will puncture the meat and let all the juices out.
  • After another 5 to 6 minutes for a medium rare steak remove the steaks and place on a plate. Let the steaks sit for 5 minutes allowing all the juices to redistribute.

Photo: roland | Steak

I hope you are able to enjoy this labor day weekend with good friends and good food, but if you find that you want to expand your culinary repertoire I would recommend checking out some of these fine cooking classes that are offered through TeachStreet:


Learning Natural Horsemanship, and introducing TeachStreet TV!

August 19th, 2008 by Harold

Here at TeachStreet, we really love building the website and building the community, but learning new things - that puts us over the moon! And meeting teachers who make a difference in students’ lives, being able to experience their wealth of knowledge and gift for sharing their passion with others, reminds us daily of the great potential for a strong community of lifelong learners. We thought, why keep all this rich stuff to ourselves? Why not share with you some of these awesome experiences?

Annie the intern and our resident data whiz and talented videographer, Harold, went to Bothell, WA last week to check out Horse Haven at Bear Creek. Not only do they rehabilitate horses, they also have a wealth of classes based on the idea of Natural Horsemanship. Plus, they’re adding some really exciting classes this fall, including one we sampled on our trip.

Robyn Smith, the facilities director and teacher has teamed up with Dawn Spiegelberg of Bodywise BodyWork to bring you a class focused on working with horses to find proper body alignment for all pursuits. Especially for those of us hunched over keyboards typing furiously away at blog posts, this class was incredibly enlightening, and in less than an hour, it changed my perspective on everything from how I sit at work to how to more effectively ride my bicycle.

Both Robyn and Dawn come from completely different backgrounds, but compliment each other with their incredible knowledge of horses and the human body and their holistic approach to day to day life. Improving the body and spirit of not just the human, but the horses they are working with as well. Horse Haven at Bear Creek is a very special place, and we hope you get a chance to check it out!

TeachStreet TV: Horseback Riding - Bothell, WA from TeachStreet CDT on Vimeo.