Are guidance counselors facing burnout?

At most local high schools, counselors used to check in with students to make sure they were taking the right classes and had the grades they'd need to graduate on time. It's not that simple anymore. High school counselors across the country face growing caseloads. At the same time, students need their help more than ever -- whether it's applying to college or meeting more complex graduation requirements.

The American School Counselor Association recommends a student-to-counselor ratio of about 250 to 1, but it's nearly twice that at many high schools. In addition, counselors have to help students with a growing array of personal struggles. Many are homeless or living in poverty. More experience mental illness or have more complex medical or developmental disorders. Details from the Seattle Times.


Tags: Counselors, Education, Education by Sistrunk

Shopping for that special day

This guest post is from Lu Beck.

I'm a mom with two kid. Holiday shopping, especially for Easter or Valentine's Day, involves buying candy and maybe a small toy for them. I try to remember my husband and find something that he'll really enjoy, but money is tight and often we choose to do something together for the holiday. Instead of surprising each other with flowers or chocolates, we often go out to dinner together.

It's nice to have a date night with just the two of us; doing this allows us to reconnect. Parenthood doesn't often allow for alone couple time, so for Valentine's Day we really try to have a night out together. I usually surprise my kids earlier in the day with their gift. My kids are great and are appreciative of presents that they receive. This Easter I may surprise my husband with a small, affordable present. I was thinking maybe a CD or a movie. I usually shop at Target or Wal-Mart for these types of gifts. I may look for a romantic movie or CD to celebrate the spirit of the holiday.

I'm glad I added my home security alarm to my home a year ago. I always set the alarm from http://www.Allhomesecurity.com before we leave the house to go to dinner and I can feel confident that our home is in safe hands.

Involved parents = student success

All parents want their children to succeed in school. Research reveals that children whose parents are involved in their kids' education are more likely to succeed. But for many parents, it is hard to know how or when to start.

Today's parents work long hours, extra jobs and must handle a host of other responsibilities. Resources such as Parent Information Resource Centers (PIRCs) offer assistance in many states. Many community centers also provide help. By all means, do not overlook your child's school, which can provide a wealth of information.

Education starts at home. Kids spend most of their waking hours outside of school. Rose Jackson-Beavers, an author and director of parent services for the Parent Engagement and Empowerment Center in St. Louis, believes that even busy parents can take an active role in their child's education. According to Jackson-Beavers, the benefits of ongoing parent involvement are substantial.

"A parent's opportunity to get involved in their child's education doesn't end the moment that child walks into the classroom," said Jackson-Beavers. "Studies show that children with involved parents have more positive learning experiences. This translates into better academic performance, higher grades and test scores. I know our parents can make this happen with a little help."

Here are tips on how busy parents can work smart:

- Send your child to school well-fed and rested.
- Stay on top of homework.
- Attend open house or back-to-school night at your child's school. It's the perfect time to meet your child's teacher. If you have to work, schedule a meeting with the teacher at another time.
- Go to parent-teacher conferences.
- Each day, ask your children what they are learning at school. Discuss it with them or have them explain it.
- Set high expectations for your children. Encourage them to do their best.
- Get involved in your school's parent-teacher organization, and find out other ways you can support your child's school.

Missouri parents offer their own advice on best practices. Kim Brand is the mother of a middle school student. She also taught elementary school for 22 years in a suburban school district. Family friends notice that Brandon and her daughter, Maggie, always work together as a team. They even tackle homework at the hair salon!

"I learned right away to be the best teacher you could be for your child at home," said Brand. "Don't ever stop working with your child. Anytime my daughter has homework, I am involved in it." Brand emphasizes that the effort comes with rewards. Maggie now carries a 4.0 grade point average.

Another mom, Leslie Smith, encourages parents to establish ongoing communication with their children. Kids will talk to me before they will talk to their mom or dad," Smith stated. "They are afraid to talk to their parents." Smith says it is important that parents listen to their kids.

Dee Crump has the experience of being a mother, a grandmother, and a foster mom. She says that when she was raising her own children, her job made it difficult for her to be active in school.

Nevertheless, Crump emphasizes, "You definitely need to develop a relationship with the teacher. Let the teacher know that you really care about your child's education."
Crump, who is proud of her adult kids, now raises two foster children.

Bottom line: When parents are involved in their children's education, kids do better in school.

Additional Resources:

• Parent Information and Resource Centers
  
• U.S. Department of Education
  
• National PTA
  
• NEA Parent Resources
  
• National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education
  
• Parents as Teachers

Tags: Education, Parents, Student Achievement, K-12, Sistrunk World

Website offers the skinny on auto repair

A relative recently gave my daughter her first vehicle. It's a few years old and has been sitting for a while. Of course, it needs repairs. My daughter's a novice when it comes to repair shops, so her dad and I are giving her tips on how to deal with auto repair shops.

Hubby and I will probably pitch in financially to help. Routine maintenance is important, we've told our daughter. Hopefully, we won't be emptying our bank accounts to get this car into shape.

If you live in the Dallas area, online assistance is available to help you identify shops that provide Dallas auto repair. RepairPal.com offers a number of free resources. For instance, if you need a brake job, all you have to do is fill out an easy form to learn the estimated cost. In addition, you can quickly locate auto repair shops near you.

RepairPal.com also offers owner ratings and reviews on virtually any type of car or truck. One of my dreams is to buy a used truck as our second vehicle, so I’m definitely interested in this feature.

Say, for instance, you owned a Chevrolet Silverado. Enter the year of your vehicle on the online form, and discover lots of valuable information. Read other owners’ reviews and ratings. With a few mouse clicks, you can learn common problems associated with the vehicle. You can even check for automaker recalls.

RepairPal takes the mystery out of auto repair. The site is user-friendly and free. If you live in Dallas, check it out.


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Football!

Guest post by Lenny McKnight

Yea! Football season is finally here! It is our five-year-old's first year playing flag football. We are so excited to watch him! He has been talking about this all summer!

I tell ya, there is some serious planning before we can even get out the door, though. Knowing that we are going to spend all day at the fields, we have to pack the coolers, bring the lawn chairs, get everyone dressed and ready, set the house alarm system (click here for more), and head out the door before 9:00 a.m. It is quite the task for all five of us, but we love it!

This past weekend was his first game, and he did great! He is still learning the rules of the game, but he had such an awesome time. It is so fun to see all of the little guys out there chasing one another. Sometimes they were running in the right direction, and sometimes they weren't. You couldn't help but laugh and cheer for them anyway. He and his friends even do a touchdown dance in the end zone.

What a great memory! I can't wait to watch him again next week!

Mother Teresa, 'A Gift for God'

One of the people I admire is Mother Teresa. She led a selfless life of a servant and inspired many. Over the years, she witnessed horrific poverty, suffering, and death.

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India in 1950. For some 45 years, she toiled among the poor and mentored other nuns. Much of her work was in Calcutta. Her order worked in more than 25 countries throughout the world.

One of my favorite Mother Teresa quotes comes from her book of prayers and meditations, titled A Gift for God:

Put yourself completely under the influence of Jesus, so that he may think his thoughts in your mind, do his work through your hands, for you will be all-powerful with him to strengthen you.

Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace prize in 1979.

Fighting childhood obesity

Now, more than ever, keeping children healthy should be a priority of all adults. Kids who are active at age 5 are more apt to stay lean at age 11 even if they don't remain as active. This effect is called "banking" because children benefit later on. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends kids get at least one hour of physical activity every day.

The benefits of watching reruns on high-speed Internet

This guest post is by Joyce Wellington.

Watching reruns on television was once associated with a kind of existential languor, as if all other opportunities for joy had been exhausted. But the advent of reruns on high-speed Internet has glorified this pursuit, and turned it into an activity that is not only fun, but in many ways, spiritually redeeming. How else to explain the delight of being able to watch the last season of Denis Leary’s ‘Rescue Me’ on your own time table, in the last few minutes before the exhaustion of the day overtakes you? Or better yet, as a mid-afternoon treat, after a particularly vexing bout with some tedious work-related affair?

Satellite Internet and television providers such as Hulu.com have made it possible to watch virtually any rerun of any show at any time, in any pocket of the world. You don’t have to linger around your television, hopeful that something you enjoy and savor will appear. On Hulu.com, you simply select the rerun you want to watch, and then enjoy it. The connection speed on Wild Blue, for instance, renders a clear, vibrant, and uninterrupted picture, accompanied by impressive, fully realized sound.

Of course, Hulu.com has an entire back catalog of movies and other short films that you can view at any time. With high-speed Internet television, you can catch up on all of those series you missed because you were too busy working. As viewing television online becomes an increasingly popular activity, the notion of watching a show a few years after its initial air date is completely socially acceptable. The commercial interruptions are minimal, and the social standing and clever references you gain as a result, invaluable.

Thanks to Hulu.com and other high-speed Internet television providers, you can once again stride around your office with the confidence of a fully informed pop culture consumer.

RepairPal.com, the free online guide for car owners

My husband loves his Saturn. He says it's arguably the best car he's ever owned. Like many Saturn owners, however, hubby is grieving because GM decided to discontinue the line. But that's another story for another day.

As any car owner knows, auto parts wear out – even if you’re good at performing scheduled routine maintenance. Repairs, such as brake rotor replacement, are sometimes necessary. If you’re like me, you hope that the mechanic does the job quickly and professionally – and that you don’t have to sacrifice your next two paychecks to pay for the work.

If you live in the Dallas area, online resources are available to help you identify shops that provide Dallas auto repair. RepairPal.com offers a great deal of free information that's useful to car experts and novices alike. For instance, if you need a brake job, all you have to do is fill out an easy form to learn the estimated cost. In addition, you can quickly locate auto repair shops near you.

RepairPal.com boasts other cool features -- owner ratings and reviews on virtually any type of car or truck. My husband and I are in the market for a second vehicle, and we try to make informed decisions.

Say, for instance, you owned a Chevrolet Silverado. Enter the year of your vehicle on the online form, and discover lots of valuable information. Read other owners’ reviews and ratings. With a few mouse clicks, you can learn common problems associated with the vehicle. You can even check for automaker recalls.

RepairPal takes the mystery out of auto repair. If you live and drive in Dallas, auto help is just a few mouse clicks away.


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A salute to spring

A salute to spring

To walks
To strolling
To kicking rocks across the street
To holding hands
To silly jokes
To laughter for no particular reason

To incredibly blue skies
To astoundingly white clouds

To nights so black
To stars so twinkly
To the man in the moon smiling down

To clearing a patch and planting seeds
To tomatoes free from tomato rot

To rainy days
To stormy nights
To cold mornings

To hot coffee
To bologna sandwiches
To chocolate chip cookies

To happiness
To spring

- Unknown -

Toshiba America: Grants for math and science

Toshiba America Foundation (TAF) is currently accepting applications for grants to support innovative projects designed by math and science teachers to make their own classrooms more exciting and successful for students. The grants to encourage teachers to improve instruction for students in grades K-12. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: Grades 7-12. Deadline: August 2, 2010. More info

Just who is Deb?

I've been publishing on this site for a few years, writing about education, business, technology, and current events. This blog continues to be a work in progress and reflects my eclectic interests.

In 2010, you'll likely see a more personal side of me. So who exactly is Deb?

I’m a writer whose world historically has revolved around her work and children. My personality is complex, according to those close to me. I’d like to think I’m perceptive. Others may argue convincingly that I’m from another planet!

I possess two distinct personalities. One side of me wears my heart on my sleeves. The other side, which I try to keep hidden, may chew you up and spit you out, if provoked.

On some occasions, I've been accused of being an ice princess. To others, I'm the girl who wants to save the world. I imagine that the real me is somewhere in between.

I learned a very important lesson when I was small: It's up to me to believe in myself. It would be a lesson I would pass on to my children and a key to my own survival in the rat race.

Visions of France and Italy

My husband loves to travel. He began acting on his love for faraway places as a young adult. We've been married only a few months, and I realize that I have a lot of catching up to do!

Hubby knows that one of my dreams is to go to France. Neither of us is into the traditional tourist sites, so a bed and breakfast just might foot the bill.

When it comes to accommodations, first on my list would be Apartment Paris. We've discovered BedAndBreakfastParis, an online site for booking apartments in this romantic city.

The home to the Eiffel Tower is not the only place we would like to visit. When I think of Apartment Cannes, I envision luxury accommodations -- perhaps a villa with a wonderful view of the sea. I hear the the south of France is just beautiful.

If we don't make it to Paris or Cannes, I'd be thrilled to book accommodations at another romantic destination. FreeReservation.com has the hookup for Apartment Venice. I've discovered a free online directory that lists dozens of available apartments.

Whether I go to France or Italy, I can't lose.

The 411 on urban legends

One of my biggest pet peeves is receiving urban legends and hoaxes via email. My favorite site to use in researching such stories is Snopes.com.

Snopes has compiled it's "25 Hottest Urban Legends." According to the website, Barack Obama, cell phones, and missing child alerts are among the current hot topics.

To learn more about the popular email rumors, and whether they're true, click here. If you're not familiar with Snopes.com, I encourage you to click through the site. Bookmark it. It's a great reference.



Tags: Urban Legends, Email, Internet, Technology

Creativity

You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.
~ Nietzsche ~

Thoughts give birth to a creative force that is neither elemental nor sidereal. Thoughts create a new heaven, a new firmament, a new source of energy, from which new arts flow. When a man undertakes to create something, he establishes a new heaven.
~ Philipus A Paracelsus ~


Don´t ask what the world needs.
Rather ask – what makes you come alive?
Then go and do it!
Because what the world needs is people
who have come alive.
~ Howard Thurman ~

Talking to your children about Haiti

When catastrophic events happen, such as the recent earthquake in Haiti, children often turn to their parents for explanations and reassurance. The Father Factor, which is published by the National Father Initiative, offers constructive tips on how to get the conversation started.

After having that chat with your children, do something else positive. Send a donation to the Red Cross to assist the relief effort. Contribute online to the Red Cross, or donate $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999."

If you have an American family living in Haiti and you're seeking information, contact the State Department at 888-407-4747.

Wanted!

More to improve and fewer to disapprove.

More doers and fewer talkers.

More to say it can be done
and fewer to say it's impossible.

More to inspire others
and fewer to throw cold water on them.

More to get into the thick of things
and fewer to sit on the sidelines.

More to point out what's right
and fewer to show what's wrong.

More to light a candle
and fewer to curse the darkness.

- Author Unknown

Delaware educators hope early intervention will help reduce dropout rates

Delaware schools are looking for early signs of dropout risk. The Delaware News Journal reports that the state department of education will begin a new study in January. Educators will analyze math and reading scores, as well as attendance. They hope that early intervention will identify students at risk for dropping out. Read more>>

Website takes the mystery out of auto repair

I love my Toyota Camry. It’s one of the most reliable cars I’ve ever owned. However, as any car owner knows, auto parts wear out – even if you’re good at performing scheduled routine maintenance.

Let’s face it. Repairs, such as brake rotor replacement, are sometimes necessary. If you’re like me, you hope that the mechanic does the job quickly and professionally – and that you don’t need to empty your bank account to pay for the work.

If you live in the Dallas area, online assistance is available to help you identify shops that provide Dallas auto repair. RepairPal.com offers a number of free resources. For instance, if you need a brake job, all you have to do is fill out an easy form to learn the estimated cost. In addition, you can quickly locate auto repair shops near you.

RepairPal.com also offers owner ratings and reviews on virtually any type of car or truck. My son is a truck owner, so I’m going to give him a heads up on this feature.

Say, for instance, you owned a Chevrolet Silverado. Enter the year of your vehicle on the online form, and discover lots of valuable information. Read other owners’ reviews and ratings. With a few mouse clicks, you can learn common problems associated with the vehicle. You can even check for automaker recalls.

RepairPal takes the mystery out of auto repair. The site is user-friendly and free. It doesn’t get much better than that.


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