How To Get The Best Education Possible: Tip #99

How much personal information should I give to the teacher?  That brings us to tip #99.

Tip #99: Make sure your child's teacher is aware of any important issues your child is dealing with.

While you do not have to give every detail of private family issues, you may want the teacher to know about serious issues your child is dealing with. Such issues as a new baby, Illnesses, a divorce or separation, a remarriage, or a death. When your child is dealing with major stresses or changes in life it can affect the child's behavior and academic performance. It will also help the teacher to know how to handle certain situations or talk to the child instead of threats of discipline when behavior changes.

When the teacher is aware of major events going on in your child's life, it can help provide support and a sense of safety when the child needs to transition through the changes. Your elementary child won't always know or understand what should be shared and what stays with the family. The child will many times give details on any trouble at home. Despite your efforts to teach your child about keeping family issue private. Teachers are sometimes put in uncomfortable positions of knowing your personal family issues without your having told the teacher. It is best to inform the teacher of any problems that may effect your child's school performance.

Foods For Your Digestive Tract

If you have ever suffered with heartburn, lactose intolerance, or acid reflux, you know there are certain foods that just don't sit well.  According to an article in the August 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, there's plenty of stuff you can eat that actually aids a host of digestive conditions. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in your intestine and aid digestion.  They also keep naturally occurring bad bacterial in check and may help treat gastrointestinal illness.  Newcomers on the health radar screen, probiotics are the nutrients that allow probiotics to thrive.  You can get both from certain foods, and eating them together is a great way to ensure they're doing the most for your body.

Best probiotic foods: Yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese, fermented milks such as acidophilus milk and kefir, and fermented soybean such as miso and tempeh.

Best prebiotic foods: Artichokes, bananas, berries, almonds, barley, flax, wheat, oats, leeks, asparagus, honey, chicory root, garlic, onions, and legumes

Tips: Combine oats with yogurt in the morning for maximum benefit.  Not sure about your yogurt's probiotic status? Look for the National Yogurt Association's Live & Active Cultures seal (aboutyogurt.com) to see if your yogurt has enough to get a health benefit (100 million cultures per gram, or for frozen yogurt, 10 million per gram).

Help Your Children Stay Slim

It is a fact that we have a national problem of our children being over weight.  According to an article in the August 2010 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, below are some tips to help your child stay slim.

1. Beverage count! Get rid of sugary drinks like sodas, sports drinks, and punches.  Swap in almost-calorie-free options like seltzer with a splash of fruit juice.

2. Establish a rule that there will be not eating in front of the TV.  It's a fact that kids are more likely to overeat in front of the tube.

3. Pre-measure portions of snack foods.  Put snacks into small zip-seal bags rather than letting kids dig into a big bowl.

4. Encourage a good night;s sleep.  New Zealand researchers found that kids ages 5 to 11 who clock less than 11 hours nightly are more likely to be obese adults.

5. Set an example.  A study from Yale University found that children whose parents encouraged them to exercise (and sometimes joined in) maintained healthier body weights.

6. Limit salt. The more sodium lids consume, the more they drink - often in the form of sodas and juices that pack on pounds. Stay under the maximum recommended sodium allowance (2,200 milligrams for kids ages 9 to 13).

7. Encourage kids to split entrees from the regular menu when dining out. Kids' meals are notoriously high in fat, calories, and sodium. 

How To Get The Best Education Possible: Tip #98

The most important components that determines a student's overall academic achievements are the teacher's knowledge and expertise, socioeconomic status, and parental and social factors. Recent research finds that the most important factor that determines student achievement is the teacher's knowledge and expertise. This report proves that more money needs to be allocated for training and improving teacher instruction in our schools. That brings us to tip #98.

Tip #98: Make sure your child's teachers are highly qualified and a skilled instructor in the classroom, because all teachers are not equal.

It is not enough to just train teachers, but there must be support to see that the instruction and training is being implemented properly. Reading coaches, math coaches, and instructional specialist must continue to be trained and oversee professional development so that the latest researched strategies are being used correctly in the classroom.

Teachers who are unable to implement the new strategies and training, or unwilling to change current teaching methods, should be strongly encouraged to find a new profession. Research states that it really doesn't matter how many years a teacher has been in the classroom, but what makes the difference between an average teacher and a skilled and knowledgeable teacher is the willingness to train, change, and has a passion for teaching students. Today's teachers must be willing to plan and collaborate with other teachers and share ideas and materials. More importantly, because technology and students are changing so rapidly, the teacher must be willing to grow and meet all the changes.

With the positive partnership of parents, community members, a skilled faculty that continues to grow professionally, and the leadership of a supportive and visionary principal, all students should receive "The Best Education Possible".

How To Get The Best Education Possible: Tip #97

Technology is developing so fast, and as the adults, it is important for us to keep up. That brings us to tip #97.

Tip #97: Make sure you understand and stay informed about all the technology your children are using.

As an elementary school teacher, some of my students have a lot of skills and knowledge using many new and different technologies. Therefore, in order to stay in a position of control and authority, it is important for me to continue growing and get the proper training to keep up with my students. Likewise. as parents, you must know as much or more than your children know about using technology. If you don't, things will go on in your home that you will have no control of. Cell phones, texting, blogging, facebook, are all avenues that young people utilize and must be supervised. We have more children getting disciplinary actions for using cell phones and texting than any other infraction. More arguments and fights start over what has been said on facebook or pictures downloaded on cell phones. Teach your child the proper uses of these tools and life at home and school will be better. Below are some of the dangers of technology your children need to be aware of:

1. Predators use the Internet to trap young victims.

2. Young people use blogging, texting , facebook to bully

3. Sharing sexual pictures (sexton) with boyfriends or girlfriends will end up a disaster if and when the relationship ends (when pictures have been made public it has cause some young people to commit suicide).
4. Some universities and colleges are now looking at facebook and other social networks during the application process.

5. Future employers are also looking at the social networks before hiring.

6. Once you put or someone else puts anything on the web it becomes public domain and can be used in many different ways.

7. Anything on the web can be seen worldwide and by anyone!  Therefore, make sure they understand the importance of protecting their honor and reputation.

How To Get The Best Education Possible: Tip #96

With all of the worries about the economy, families can still enjoy fun entertainment together and stay on a budget. Why not start a family game night? That brings us to tip #96.

Tip #96: Start a tradition of family game night.

Here are a few tips in getting started on a family fun filled night:

1. Schedule it. Decide in advance which day will be the family game night.

2. Involve everyone in the planning. Let your kids pick the games or choose the snack.

3. Create a tradition. Establish an activity on game night that becomes a family tradition. (ex. family-favorite dinner, how teams are chosen, or who gets the first turn)

4. Remind everyone. Set up reminders to make sure game night happens. Put a note in kids' lunchboxes. This can help build excitement.

5. Keep a family scoreboard. Have a special scoreboard and post the family member who won the last game on the board or create a family crown that can be worn at the family dinner before game night.

6. Mix it up with special guest. Invite other families and have a family game night tournament. Or invite extended family members. Just have fun.

Here are a few all-time favorites and new games to consider:

Kids 6-8 - Pictureka! Sorry! Sliders, Operation, Monopoly Jr.

Kids 8-10 - Clue, Monopoly, Cranium Family Edition, The Game of Life

Kids 10-12 - Monopoly, Yahzee, Clue

Families with teenagers - Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, Scrabble, Cranium Wow, Jenga, Catch Phrase, Trivial Pursuit

For more game ideas, visit http://www.familygamenight.com/

How To Get The Best Education Possible: Tip #95

Learning how to manage money can start very early in a child's development. The reason so many families are in financial ruins is because they never truly understood how to make their money work for them. That brings us to tip #95.

Tip #95: Teach your child how to manage money.

There are some basic principles that every child should learn as soon as they start receiving financial gifts for birthdays, holidays, chores, or allowances. If you don't understand money take family financing courses at local community college, college Internet courses, self-help books, or any church or community financial courses. Below are 10 things your child should start as early as 3-5 years old and master by 18 years old.

1. How to save;

2. How to keep track of money;

3. how to get paid what you're worth;

4. How to spend wisely;

5. How to talk about money;

6. How to invest;

7. How to live on a budget;

8. How to exercise an entrepreneurial spirit;

9. How to handle credit; and,

10. How to use money to change the world

* list above from "Raising Financially Fit Kids," by Joline Godfrey.