Beat Procrastination Once and For All

If you’ve found yourself putting off important tasks over and over again, you’re not alone. In fact, many people procrastinate to some degree – but some are so chronically affected by procrastination that it stops them fulfilling their potential and disrupts their careers. Follow these steps to deal with and control procrastination:

Wake up early

The nicest part about waking up early is that it is quiet and still. You can concentrate on a few big tasks as soon as you get up and get a bunch of work done that would have taken many more hours during the bustle of the day.

Go to sleep early

You can’t wake up early and work if you don’t get to sleep early. We need to recharge and being tired is definitely a motivator to keep procrastinating.

Clean and clear as you go

Sometimes we see how big a mess is in our lives and rather than do anything about it, we procrastinate. If you spend 15 minutes a day or just clean and clear things as you go (email, physical cleaning, tasks, etc.) the load of things to do isn’t as big.

Cut the cable

Sitting in front of your TV isn’t a good thing (all the time). Beat procrastination (as well as save some money) by getting rid of your cable.

Follow a task list

It’s hard to get stuff done when you don’t know what to get done. Have a task list with you to make sure that you have the right things to do at the right time.

Time yourself

One good way to get to work is to set a specific time for yourself to work. Say, 25 minutes (ie. Pomodoro Technique). After the set amount of time, rest and do whatever you want for a little bit. Then work for a set of time again.

Track yourself

One of the best ways to know where you are spending your time and find free time to beat procrastination is by tracking yourself. There are a host of apps for doing this. Find your weaknesses and change them.

Create a playlist

Jam out to some music to beat procrastination. Create a “beating down procrastination to a pulp” play list that puts you in a state of flow with your work.

Set “goals” for the day

At the beginning of each day identify a handful of things that you want to accomplish. Some say three things. It depends on how large the tasks are. Set a limite for yourself and work on each of them until they are done.

Just do it

We have all heard the excuses. So, rather than make up new ones, just hunker down and get to work.

Educational Christmas gifts for children

Play time; it really is a crucial factor in the development of your child's cognitive ability. Not only does play time help develop good social skills through bonding with parents and friends, it can also improve decision-making skills and subject specific knowledge, depending on the toy or game.

Kerri Atherton, of the British Toy and Hobby Association, said: "If you want to spark an interest in a particular educational subject area, then educational toys can enhance children’s understanding of it by providing a fun and entertaining play experience to learn in. Educational toys retain children’s interest for the subject by engaging them in a way they naturally enjoy.”

With stores regularly stocking a range of toys and games specifically designed to get children engaged in a particular subject, learning at home has never been easier. To help, here is our Christmas gift guide to some great options.  

1. 56 piece building blocks

Encourage learning with this set of building blocks of different shapes; featuring numbers, letters, pictures and colours to encourage imaginative play and improve the hand-eye coordination skills of children. Use the blocks to make up sums, words, pictures and stories to inspire learning at play time. These blocks are also great to use in group play, to show children how to successfully work as a team whilst improving social skills. 56 piece building blocks, £16.99, Educational Toys

2. Kid O Sort Shape House

Inspire children to learn the names of different shapes and colours, as they match the solid blocks to the cut-out shapes of the play house; all colour co-ordinated. Children match each form to the coloured cut-outs to assemble a chimney, the windows and doors, and successfully build the play house. Kid O Sort Shape House, £28.95.

3. Big Jigs Triangular Activity Centre

This wooden triangle activity centre has no detachable pieces, which makes it ideal for travelling. With five sides, the toy is multifunctional, with each side sporting a different type of learning activity in the style of a game. One side teaches sorting and counting by matching animals. There is also a side of chalkboard to practice writing. The activity centre also features an abacus, and letter and picture blocks for alphabet practice. Big Jigs Triangular Activity Centre, £28.99, Big Jigs

4. Light and Sound Drum

One for all the senses; children can roll or bang the drum to discover fun sounds and brightly coloured lights. The drum stimulates the senses and encourages crawling and walking, making it great for physical development and hand-eye coordination skills. Light and Sound Drum, £15, Early Learning Centre

Ages three to five years

1. Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set

The Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set has won two awards since being released in January. The toy introduces children to maths, engineering, science and technology using 'Colby', a robot mouse, for hands-on learning. Children program the mouse to a sequence through maze formations to get the cheese. Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set, £50, Mothercare

2. Pop to the Shops

Great for ages five and up, this interactive shopping game introduces children to personal finance. By handling fake money and coins, children learn through practical activities. In the game, children are shopkeepers, while the objective is to complete a shopping list without over-spending, they pick up a card and move from shop to shop buying items on the card until they have collected everything they need. Pop to the Shops, £10, Orchard Toys

4. Janod Garden Maxi Activity Centre

More suitable for three to four-year-olds, there is a shape sorting side for children to develop their recognition skills, a side featuring moving animals and a puzzle to test children’s cognitive abilities. Janod Garden Maxi Activity Centre, £49.95, The Toy Centre

Ages five to eight years

1. BrainBox Maths Memory Game

Developed by a primary school teacher with over 30 years experience in the classroom, BrainBox Maths Memory Game is designed to improve your child’s memory, a fundamental tool in learning. It's also designed to make the sometimes difficult concepts of mathematics fun and easy to remember for children. BrainBox Maths Memory Game, £9.99, John Lewis  

2. LeapReader Reading and Writing System

A good introduction to reading and writing for your child. Use the interactive pen to guide letter strokes and sound out words while reading along with the story,  children touch pages or words to hear them read aloud, sound out words and play words to build vocabulary and comprehension. It also gives stroke-by-stoke guidance by tracing letters, numbers and words on special paper for mess free writing. The books range from Disney to LeapFrog own titles and have lively character voices and fun sound effects. LeapReader Reading and Writing System, £29.99, Smyths

 

Creating Quality Time With Your Kid

As l glanced at my schedule for the coming weekend, I was shocked at how busy it is! Two wedding parties, one public speaking engagement dominate the landscape, along with a list of household chores ( household chores? Yes, I do that to support my wife!) and errands longer than anyone would face. All these are supposed to be my day off! The Bible says that children are inheritance from God, and blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. Not only have I found that to be true, but I have also discovered that the fuller my quiver gets (I've got arrows), the harder it is to find the time to give each child the attention he needs and deserves.

Can you relate to this? If so, here are ten things you should do to develop good relationships with your kids and make them happy in spite of hectic schedule:

1. PRAY TOGETHER
Prayer is important for families. You cannot do anything without prayers. Whether at meal times, before you go to bed or when you wake up, it is important.

2. BE AVAILABLE
Our children need to know that they are important to us. You children have permission to call you on your cell phone or at work anytime if they need to. You will find out the best quality time at night when your kids go to sleep and you just lay down next to them and talk about their day.

3. EAT TOGETHER
As much as your schedules allow, try to have a meal together as a family. This is one of the greatest times to reconnect and recharge after a busy day. It is your chance to celebrate victories, to help each other through the tough times, to do a short devotional, laugh, to cry (if need be), to tell a joke, to hear a story, to sit and feel part of a family.

4. HELP YOUR CHILD DEVELOP GRATITUDE
Many people think they can't be grateful until they're happy,

meaning until they have something to be grateful for. But

look closely and you'll find that it is the opposite: people are happy

because they are grateful. People who describe themselves as

consciously cultivating gratefulness are rated as happier by those who know them, as well as by themselves.

Children don’t have a context for life, so they don’t know whether they are lucky or unlucky, only that their friend Michael has more expensive sneakers. But there are many ways to help children learn to cultivate gratitude, which is the opposite of taking everything for granted.

5. SUPPORT YOUR CHILD TO PRIORITIZE RELATIONSHIPS
Research shows that people who are happiest have more people in their lives, and deeper relationships with those people. Teach your child that while relationships take work, they're worth it.

6. NICKNAMES
Learn to give and address each child by a nickname that no one else has. Remember that nicknames are given as special tokens of your affection, so, anyone can call them by the given names but only you can call them by their nicknames. You should let your children know that they hold a special place in your life and that you love them uniquely, equally and individually.

7. PUT THEIR ACTIVITIES INTO YOUR SCHEDULE
Try and get involved in your kids' practices, games, school assemblies, and other important events that you don't want to miss. You may not be able to make all of them, but as much as possible, be there to cheer them on. And if you can't be there, remind them of their big day so that you can all talk about it later.

The old saying that laughter is the best medicine turns out to be true. The more we laugh, the happier we are! It actually changes our body chemistry. And here’s a wonderful tool: smiling makes us happier, even when we initially force it. The feedback from our facial muscles informs us that we are happy, and immediately improves our mood. Not to mention the moods of those around us- so that feedback loop uplifts everyone.

8. ALLOW FOR SUCCESS AND FAILURE
Of course, if you really want to bolster your child's self-esteem, focus less on compliments and more on providing him with ample opportunities to learn new skills. Mastery, not praise, is the real self-esteem builder.

Fortunately, when it comes to the under-4 crowd, nearly everything they do is a chance to attain mastery- because it is all new to them: learning to crawl, walk, feed and dress themselves, use the potty, and ride a tricycle. Our challenge is to stand back and let our children do for themselves what they're capable of. The great mistake good parents make is doing too much for their children. While it can be difficult to watch our kids struggle, they will never know the thrill of mastery unless we allow them to risk failure. Few skills are perfected on a first try. It's through practice that children achieve mastery. And through repeated experiences of mastery, they develop the can-do attitude that lets them approach future challenges with the zest and optimism that are central to a happy life.

9. HELP HIM LEARN HOW TO MANAGE MOODS
Most people don’t know that they can choose to let bad moods go and consciously change their moods. But practice in doing this can really make us happier. Of course, we aren't talking about denial. The first step is always to acknowledge the upset feelings, snd let ourselves feel them. So with your child, simply empathizing with her upset feelings will help them start to evaporate. But there are times when we just stay in a bad mood, rather than nurturing ourselves through the upset, or choosing to change it. That is just a habit that our brain has gotten into. If you can practice monitoring your own moods and shifting them, through acknowledging the feelings, allowing yourself to feel the emotions, correcting any negative thoughts that are giving rise to the emotions, and nurturing yourself, you will be re-wiring your brain. And as you practice this and get better at it, you can teach these skills to your child.

10. HELP YOUR CHILD FIND JOY IN EVERYTHING
Studies show that people who notice the small miracles of daily life, and allow themselves to be touched by them, are happier. Daily life overflows with joyful occurrences: The show of the setting sun, no less astonishing for its daily repetition. The warmth of connection with the man at the newsstand who recognizes you and your child. The joy of finding a new book by a favorite author at the library. A letter from Grandma.

As Albert Einstein said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

Our children learn by our example what is important in life. Let us, pray, and trust in God for a better home front which lead to a better country.

NO FAMILY, NO COUNTRY; SOUND FAMILY, SOUND COUNTRY!

published byADEOGUN JOSEPH KAYODE, the Nigerianvoice

‘Is It Safe?’ Foreign Students Consider College in Donald Trump’s U.S

At a college fair on Wednesday at the Le Méridien hotel here, 20 American universities made their pitches to aspiring students, many of whom had long hoped to study in the United States. But as the students checked out presentations from colleges ranging from the State University of New York at Binghamton to Abilene Christian University in Texas, several expressed concerns about going to America under a Donald J. Trump administration.

“It’s the main topic of conversation among my friends,” said Palak Gera, 21, who is applying to graduate programs in pharmaceutical science in North Carolina, Illinois and North Dakota. “They don’t want to apply to the U.S. under Trump.”

Aman Kumar, 18, who is looking at universities in California, said, “In his campaign, he’s discriminating against Muslim and other brown and black people,” adding, “I’m thinking of applying to Canada.”

This year, the number of international students in United States colleges surpassed one million for the first time, bringing more than $32 billion a year into the economy and infusions of money to financially struggling colleges.

College admissions officials in the United States caution that it is too early to draw firm conclusions about overseas applications, because deadlines for applications are generally in January and February. But they are worried that Mr. Trump’s election as president could portend a drop in international candidates.

Canadian universities have already detected a postelection surge in interest from overseas.

“We have seen an increase in applications from the U.S. and from international students in the last week,” Jocelyne Younan, the director of global undergraduate recruitment at McGill University in Montreal, wrote in an email. “We’ve also seen an increase in students inquiring about McGill on social media.”

Traffic on a University of Toronto website for international applicants surged the day after the election, officials there said — and most of it came from Americans. “Visits to our recruitment website from the U.S. are typically around 1,000 a day,” said Ted Sargent, the university’s vice president, international.

Sokoto establishes agency for girl-child education

As part of renewed efforts to enhance access to education among females in Sokoto, the state government has announced the establishment of an agency girl-child education.

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal made this known during a meeting with officials from the Nigeria Office of UNICEF and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

“The new agency will coordinate all issues related to female education from basic level to tertiary level. Officials of the agency will also interface with local and international stakeholders to properly monitor progress of our girls in schools and what needs to be done to boost enrollment, retention and completion of all girls in schools in Sokoto state.

Welcome to VickyWeck An Educational Consult: Why Being Late Is Bad For You And How To Overcome ...

Welcome to VickyWeck An Educational Consult: Why Being Late Is Bad For You And How To Overcome ...: Tardiness affects more than just an employee's paycheck. Late employees, especially those who come in late often, impact multiple are...

Why Being Late Is Bad For You And How To Overcome The Habit

Tardiness affects more than just an employee's paycheck. Late employees, especially those who come in late often, impact multiple areas of the business, including other employees and the company's bottom line. Employers must handle frequently late employees quickly and in accordance with a set lateness policy to prevent the situation from escalating. The use of a clear late policy in writing and available for all employees to view ensures everyone is treated the same.

Productivity Loss

An employee who isn't working when he's supposed to is an immediate loss of productivity. Routine interruption may throw other employees off, particularly those who rely on the late employee to do parts of their jobs. Frequently, late employees hinder productivity on a bigger level than an employer might initially realize. For example, an employee working on a project who is late 10 minutes each day for a week loses nearly an entire hour of work. If another employee needs the late person to do his project part, he may lose nearly as much work time despite being punctual.

Negative Morale

Frequently late employees may lower everyone's morale. The late person isn't following the rules and may lead other employees to feel angry about the unfairness of the situation. The morale of immediate co-workers may plummet because the employee's lateness puts stress on them, especially if they have to cover for the late employee or fall behind in their own jobs.

Customer Dissatisfaction

Late employee disruptions affect time-sensitive areas of the job, such as customer service. If an employee is late and doesn't make a delivery to a customer on time, for example, the customer may end the relationship with the employer. A late employee who is supposed to open a location at a specific time may lose customers if she's not there when she's supposed to be. Multiple incidents of poor customer service will affect the employer's reputation and may discourage potential customers.

Management Problems

Allowing one or more employees to come in late frequently can undermine the employer's management team. Other employees may begin to feel as if the rules don't apply to the late employee and come in late themselves. When management consistently lets someone slide, other employees may lose respect for the people in charge.

Overcoming Lateness

Transforming yourself from chronically late to perfectly punctual is a big task. It is important to make deadlines non-negotiable, “like a promise to yourself.” Start with something easily attainable, like vowing not to hit snooze tomorrow — not even once. If you can’t commit to a small inconvenience like that,you are not ready to tackle your chronic lateness. Before jumping in, try an experiment: Get somewhere on time. Just once. Just to see how it feels. Note your reaction. Are you relieved or anxious? Proud or bored as hell? Then work your way up from there.

Step 1: Relearn to tell time.

Every day for two weeks, write down each task you have to do and how long you think it will take. Time yourself as you go through your list — showering and dressing, eating breakfast, driving to work, picking up the dry cleaning, doing the dishes — and write the actual time next to your estimate. Many people have certain time frames cemented in their brains that aren’t realistic. Just because once, five years ago, you made it to work in 12 minutes flat doesn’t mean it takes 12 minutes to get to work.

Step 2: Never plan to be on time.

Late people always aim to arrive to the minute, leaving no room for contingency. Say you need to get to work at 9 a.m. You assume it takes exactly 12 minutes to get to work, so you leave at 8:48. If you miss one traffic light or have to run back inside to grab an umbrella, it becomes impossible to make it in on time. Don’t chance it. You should plan to be everywhere 15 minutes early.

Step 3: Welcome the wait.

If the thought of getting anywhere ahead of time freaks you out, plan an activity to do in the interim. Bring a magazine, call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, or go over your schedule for the week. Make the activity specific and compelling, so you’ll be motivated get there early and do it.

published by job.naij.com

Welcome to VickyWeck An Educational Consult: All prison Imates in Nasarawa State must get good ...

Welcome to VickyWeck An Educational Consult: All prison Imates in Nasarawa State must get good ...: Mrs. Ramatu Ajuji-Abubakar, the Commissioner for Education in Nasarawa State, on Thursday, said that the state government was contemplat...

Modern Ways to Communicate with Parents

According to research by Education world, Parental engagement is a critical component for student success. Everyone who works in a classroom setting can agree with this fact.

Many people are trying to get in on finding new ways to improve parental engagement, including everything from mobile apps to even legislation.

For example You probably would have heard of one Mississippi legislator’s attempt to force educators to “grade parents,” a controversial attempt at making parental engagement mandatory in the state’s schools.

For teachers who want to keep grading for their students, there are plenty of other modern ways teachers can look into better engaging with parents. Check out some of the ways below. 

ClassDojo: Parents,teachers, principals and school leaders can connect on ClassDojo, and create an incredible school community together. Teachers can instantly share photos, videos and updates with parents. I first learnt about it at the Regent School.

"FreshGrade: is the 'Facebook' (FB) for students, teachers and parents. Through real time photos, video and reports, your child’s daily activities, achievements and yes, pitfalls are sent to a personal updated data stream for you to see,” according to Fox Business.

Bloomz: is an app that lets teachers talk to parents at any time. The app is already used in 10,000 schools. It has found success in capitalizing on the need of teachers to better engage with parents including throughout the school day.

Parenthub: is another app that allows schools to create channels for classes, sport groups and after-school clubs.

Engagement happens in one step: as soon as parents subscribe to the channel, engagement immediately begins!

According to parenthub’s website, the channel provides teachers and administrators the opportunity to “add in web links and attachments to give parents access to handy learning resources to use with their children.” Not to mention event invites sync immediately into subscribers’ phone calendars, meaning they never miss an update on an important date.

Brightwheel is very good for early years’ teachers.  It offers teachers the option to provide parents with daily automated reports. Soon enough, the app will even allow parents to check-in from their own device to see how their young ones are doing in the new classroom setting.

The app touts itself as being an app that enables strong language development at home as parents can easily talk to their children about their day without having to worry about their kids being tight-lipped after a long, eventful day of learning.

All prison Imates in Nasarawa State must get good education.

Mrs. Ramatu Ajuji-Abubakar, the Commissioner for Education in Nasarawa State, on Thursday, said that the state government was contemplating education for prison inmates in the 2017 budget.

Ajuji-Abubakar made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.

According to the commissioner, the move will ensure that inmates in all federal prisons in the state are properly reformed, in line with global best practice.

She said that even though the prison is a Federal Government establishment, the state government is a stakeholder, hence, the desire to provide for the education of inmates.

The commissioner said the modern prison yard is supposed to be a place where inmates are reformed morally, and learn one skill or the other, and be educated.

“The education would be at no cost to the inmates because the state government has made education free from primary to secondary school levels,” the commissioner said.

Education must top governments’ priority list, says Oshiomhole

According to the Guardian,Governor Adams Oshiomhole says education must top the priority list of governments at all levels, if the country must make any headway. Speaking at the 20th convocation of the school, where seven finished in First Class Division for the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 sessions, Oshiomhole urged management of universities to, on their parts,  ensure that schools are not shut saying shutting down schools affect Nigerian students’ abilities to compete with their foreign counterparts that enjoy uninterrupted academic calendars.  
 
“There are many universities that are on strike, and ASUU has cleverly reversed the conventional adage, or even law, which says, ‘no work, no pay’. Now, ASUU members find themselves saying to now say, ‘no pay, no work’.

“As we speak, I am sure there are a number of universities that are not working because the states have not paid them, and also I am aware of reported cases of some state governments saying straight away to the universities that they are not going to be able to pay more than a fraction of the subvention that they have been paying on account of the current economic challenges. For me, I am clear that if the Nigerian state defaults in every aspect of its obligation to the people, the Nigerian state, federal and state governments, must never default in its obligation to ensuring that teaching and learning never stop

I Wish My Teacher Knew…

I saw this article and I love it... "I wish my teacher knew"

One day, third-grade teacher Kyle Schwartz asked her students to fill in the blank in this sentence: “I wish my teacher knew _______.”

The results astounded her. Some answers were humorous; others were heartbreaking. All were profoundly moving and enlightening. The results opened her eyes to the need for educators to understand the unique realities their students face in order to create an open, safe, and supportive classroom environment. When Kyle shared her experience online, teachers around the globe began sharing their own contributions to #IWishMyTeacherKnew.

Kyle’s book tells the story of the #IWishMyTeacherKnew, with dozens of students’ handwritten emotional and insightful responses throughout.

Below are a few of the many Tweets that made Kyle’s concept go viral….

How to start a community service learning project at your school.

Community service learning projects can teach lessons that last a lifetime. For students, these school projects build character strengths like leadership, gratitude and kindness. For community groups, they bring an infusion of energy and resources. Ready to start a community service learning project at your school?

Below are 5 tips for a successful community service learning project at your school recommend by Laura McClure on October 18, 2016 in TED-Ed Innovative Educators :

1. Schedule time in class each week for students to discuss, reflect, and work together on the project.
2. Encourage students to seek a deeper understanding of the issues involved via research and observation.
   
3. Plan a field trip for students to meet and talk with people helped by the community organization
4. Guide students to develop meaningful interview questions for their field trip.
5. Incorporate student input throughout the project cycle — from identifying small ways to help the community organization each week, to scheduling a field trip.

Bonfire Night Craft and Art Ideas

Bonfire Night is a name given to various annual celebrations characterised by bonfires and fireworks. The event celebrates different traditions on different dates, depending on the country. 

In the UK, Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes is celebrated on November 5th and the night skies are filled with colour. It's a special day in honour of a historic event. On November 5th people remember the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament by celebrating ‘Bonfire Night’. 

All over Britain there are firework displays and bonfires with models of Guy Fawkes, which are burned on the fire. 

With bonfire night fast approaching, here are some inspired tips on Twinkl  that you can use to make some sparkly art and bangers of crafts. Have a look at the details at the twinkl website.

Play dough

Firework painting

foil Sparklers

Hand print

Paper plate Cathering

If you would like to have a feel of it in Nigeria,there are few top British schools I can recommend.

1. Regent School,Abuja

2.BIS e.t.c

Classroom Inspiration

Minister reads riot act to teachers over WAEC, NECO

The minister of the Federal Capital Territory Muhammad Bello has said principal of schools that do not attain 50% success in WAEC will be sacked.The minister said the 30 percent success recorded in 2016 WAEC and NECO in FCT schools is no longer acceptable.

In his meeting with the principals in Abuja, Bello mandated all schools to attain a 50% success in the African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) in the next academic year. Represented by the FCT permanent secretary Babatope Ajakaiye, the minister said, the 30 percent success recorded in 2016 WAEC and NECO in FCT schools is no longer acceptable. 

The minister said: “The mandate I will give you that goes with sanction; for this new session, every principal must be determined that for WAEC and NECO in 2017, any principal that does not achieve 50 percent success should just quietly leave that school because the principal is going to be removed.”

What makes you a Professional,is your Degree?

Teachers around the world make several complaints about how the society treat them like a glorified babysitter.We think of ourselves as professionals because we have taken the courses and extra training, as well as passed state and national tests required to gain a teaching certificate. Education is a learned career requiring more than a high-school diploma and even additional training beyond college courses. Yet being a professional is more than just a degree and certificate hanging on the wall. It shows up in the clothes we wear, our attitude and demeanor, and in the ability to discern effective materials and strategies used in the classroom.

CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN (OR WOMAN)

Whether our students, their parents, the community, and society at large view us as professionals is up to us. When we wear lay-about clothes, such as stretch pants with a t-shirt, jeans with holes, too-short skirts, and other types of clothes worn purely for comfort's sake, we do not portray an image of professionalism. With the type of job we have, it is important to be comfortable. That goal can be accomplished with stylish and appropriate clothes, however.

Why is that important? Two reasons: The first is that when we dress nicely, we put ourselves in a professional frame of mind. Second, the clothes we wear reflect our attitude and work habits.

ATTITUDE MATTERS

Another aspect of being professional is our attitude and outward demeanor. In fact, our outward demeanor is a reflection of the attitude within. When we have a positive attitude towards our job and our students, it is reflected in the smiles we give. It shows up in our willingness to cooperation with our colleagues and in our helpfulness to students and parents.

When we have an attitude of confidence in our abilities, it is reflected in our eye contact with others and in our body language. People who are confident tend to stand taller and act with purpose. A positive attitude and confidence in oneself portray a sense of professionalism that is perceived by others.

What is your attitude toward teaching, and how does it show up in your daily mannerisms? How confident do you feel in the job you perform? Do you stand straight and tall, look people in the eye, and act with purpose? As a new teacher you might not be feeling particularly confident in yourself right now and that's okay. We all go through times where we question ourselves. Remember, people who are confident are not always right. They make mistakes. But they always strive with purpose to do their very best.

THINKING COUNTS

A third characteristic of a professional is discernment about the materials used and strategies followed. Like doctors, lawyers, and accountants, educators are required to attend additional classes and training to continue their education. Research is constantly being conducted and strategies are constantly being introduced in the field of education. As professionals, it is our duty to thoroughly check out new information and learn as much as we can in order to determine whether a particular program or strategy is appropriate for use in our classrooms.

It also is our responsibility to test and evaluate new methods introduced in our school. Dismissing a new idea immediately is not the act of a professional.By the same token, accepting an idea simply because it is new also is not the act of a professional. Being a professional educator means that you read, learn, test, and question the information and methods used in your classroom to determine whether they are correct and appropriate for your students. Remember that our business involves human beings and every human being is different.

If we want others to treat us as professionals, we first must portray ourselves as such. That is accomplished through our clothing, attitude, demeanor, and discernment. Administrators, students, parents, and members of the community view the signals we exhibit and use them to determine whether or not we are professional.

Ways to Save Money This Back-to-School Season

Hi Dear readers, good to see you again in this new academic year.
As an educator, you know the challenges that come with having to spend a lot of your own money annually on school supplies for your classroom. Since you’ll likely be buying and replenishing supplies throughout the school year, saving money where you can before going back-to-school is critical, and I want to share some ways you can be more financially savvy this time around. You can save money this back-to-school season by:

Taking Advantage of Year-Round Discounts Available to Teachers

There are a good number of companies out there that provide discounts to educators year-round. Don’t forget about these places this back-to-school season because you got distracted by the bright and shiny offers from places advertising their season-specific deals. If you’re in need of new classroom attire, for example, clothing,furniture,stationary e.t.c online stores  provide educators with discounts on in-store purchases all year round.

Buying Supplies Wholesale

As you know, the need for school supplies persists year-round, not just during the start of the year. For this reason, buying the things you need most throughout the year might be a good thing to do in bulk. It’s a costlier method upfront, but will save you a lot by the end of the year if you’re smart. A site like OrientalTrading.com is a favorite of educators for this purpose, but there are tons of places that offer bulk school supplies as well. 

Not Forgetting to Check Your Closet Before Shopping

It’s a simple tip, but you’d be surprised how helpful it actually is. Before you even set out to purchase a single supply, check to see what you already have first. There might be a couple things from last year that are still usable that you tossed aside during your summer-vacation-excitement. But if you have it, why buy it again, right?

School Feeding Programme For Launch

According to an online report,the presidency has said that Nigeria’s first national Home Grown School Feeding programme which would affect about 5.5million Nigerians in the first year of its operation would be rolling out soon in several states.

Senior special assistant to Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, stated that, in the final rounds of preparation for the commencement of the free school feeding programme for primary school pupils, the federal and state governments would review the strategic plan for the rollout of the scheme which is part of the N500bn social investment plans of the Buhari presidency.

He said, “The strategic plans runs until 2020 and forms the cornerstone of the nationwide Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme which, when fully realised, will provide a nutritious hot meal a day to over 24 million primary school children.

Private Schools Should Support Public Schools- El-Rufai

The Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai has called for synergy between private and public schools to aid the development of educational sector.

He explained, “ this could be in form of teacher training or infrastructure deployment, any form of capacity deployment that  private schools can do,  its important for us to support every child in Nigeria have qualitative  education.”

He gave this advice last weekend during the graduation ceremony of the second set of senior secondary school students of The Centagon internation School, Abuja.

El-Rufai who was represented by his chief of staff, Hadiza Bala said there’s been a decay in Nigeria’ public system up till now, with the  quality of education in public schools dropping.

“So we are calling on private schools to see how they can give back by supporting public schools..

Five-year jail term for lecturers who sexually molest students

Almost every other day, reports of lecturers sexually harassing their female students, come out of our ivory towers. In Nigeria’s extant penal code, consent or the lack of it is a critical factor in proving a rape case. This perhaps explains why philandering lecturers always escape the noose in court and their victims sentenced to life-long trauma. A bill before the National Assembly is seeking to make the ability to prove the act of rape enough to send a culpable lecturer to jail.

Lecturers that engage in sexual relationship with students would henceforth bag a five-year jail term if a bill in the Senate, seeking to completely prohibit any form of sexual relationship between them and their students is passed and assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege (Labour-Delta Central) and co-sponsored by 46 other senators, seeks to completely prohibit any form of sexual relationship between lecturers and their students, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

It will be recalled that mid last year, a part-time lecturer at the University of Lagos, Afeez Baruwa, allegedly raped an 18-year-old girl seeking admission into the University of Lagos.

But Baruwa, who carried out the act inside a study room in the institution, told the police that he did not rape the lady, insisting that the sexual intercourse between them was with mutual consent.

It was said that the father of the victim allowed his daughter to accompany Baruwa to the school on July 23, 2015 to follow up on her admission processes. Baruwa and the victim’s father belong to the same landlords’ association in the Abesan, Ipaja area of the state.

The benefit of the bill is that it imposes stiff penalties on offenders in its overall objective of providing tighter statutory protection for students against sexual hostility and all forms of sexual harassment in tertiary schools.

The bill provides a compulsory five-year jail term for lecturers who sexually harass students. When passed into law, vice chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics and other chief executives of institutions of higher learning will go to jail for two years if they fail to act within a week on complaints of sexual harassment made by students.

The bill expressly allows sexually harassed students, their parents or guardians to seek civil remedies in damages against sexual predator lecturers before or after their successful criminal prosecution by the state. What is your view about the bill?