Why its Not Okay to Force an Introvert to be Outgoing - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Why it’s Not Okay to Force an Introvert to be Outgoing - Introvert Whisperer Why it’s Not Okay to Force an Introvert to be Outgoing If you are an introvert, it’s likely that you’ve caught yourself using it as an excuse for not doing something. The tends to be a great deal of misunderstanding when it comes to introversion, even among self-proclaimed introverts: many people believe that introverts are not outgoing and like to keep to themselves. And while that may be true of some introverts, a lack of in-your-face personality does not necessarily mean that someone is an introvert. Rather, people who are introverts require time to process, restore energy, and be with their thoughts more than they need to heard externally. So what happens when an introvert is pushed to share externally? Let’s find out. People who derive a great deal of energy and excitement from social gatherings, parties, workplace meetings, and even standing in line at the grocery store are extroverts. These people love to interact with others and draw a great deal of their energy from the people and things around them. Introverts, on the other hand, can be alone with their thoughts for days on end and don’t require much interaction with others to feel good about themselves or restore their own energy levels. So when an extrovert is trying to coax an introvert into doing something they don’t want to do, things can fall apart pretty quickly. Pushing People Creates Anxiety For starters, introverts often become anxious about social situations where they don’t want to be. This doesn’t mean that introverts are more likely to suffer from anxiety, but rather that they don’t feel comfortable in large gatherings or with many people. They tend to thrive in one-on-one situations and are happy to transfer and share energy with one or two other people at a time. By encouraging introverts to go outside of their comfort zone despite the best of intentions you are not actually helping them. And it’s not okay to push your energy-seeking ways on people who prefer their own company or the company of one or two other people at a time. Meaningful Interactions are Personal Next, when you try to force an introvert to be outgoing in a social situation, they are unable to connect with people in a way that is meaningful for them. Many business owners are actually introverts, despite all of the necessary outgoing skills that are required to make a business grow and thrive. And again, that has nothing to do with their inability to be outgoing, but rather the way they interact with information and other people. So if you are trying to get your introvert, business owner friend to share a co-working space, they might sign up, but prefer to work at their own table. Stop Setting Expectations of People Finally, forcing introverts to be outgoing means that you have an expectation of them that is not aligned with their own expectations of themselves. While it’s not an ideal conversation to have, you need to ask yourself and maybe your introvert friend, if your relationship is really what you hoped it would be given that one person is not doing or saying the things you want them to. Introverts don’t need to look outside themselves for validation or excitement, while extroverts are constantly on the hunt for someone to look at them and acknowledge their presence in the world. It’s not true that opposites attract when one person is sucking the life out of another trying to get them to conform to a certain way of being. Learn to Respect How Others Interact in the World It’s not okay to determine how others should act, whether they are introverts or not. As a society, we have to let go of expectations of others and allow them to find their own way in the world. This is one of the hardest things for people to do, though, because we all have a tendency to look at someone, judge them for what they are currently doing, and make unwarranted, uneducated, and unsolicited suggestions about how people are living their lives. It’s dangerous to assume that someone can “turn it off” or “turn it on” because everyone is different. When we can respect the way people go about living and interacting in the world, we become much more harmonious and happy with our own life, not to mention the lives of others. How to Help Introverts While many introverts are quite independent and confident in their interactions in the world, you can be a friend and supporter of someone who is introverted by respecting their wishes to be allowed to be alone from time to time. Rather than try to get them to see how they’ll miss out if they don’t go to the party on Friday night, show your support by acknowledging that they need their personal space and time. That goes a long way between friends, colleagues, and associates who want nothing more than for someone to understand they are not “shy”, they are introverted. Author Bio: Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.  I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.  In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression. Get your copy now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Online Community For Young Writers

Online Community For Young Writers Young people interested in writing have a new home, and its Figment.com. The site launched in early December, calling itself an online community for young writers to share work samples, receive feedback from other young writers, read and explore new, young fiction writers. Jacob Lewis, a former managing editor at the New Yorker, and Dana Goodyear, a staff writer at the New Yorker, created the site, originally envisioning it to be a similar to a social network site, like the young adults literary Facebook. However, the two noticed that young adults didnt want another Facebook. What they wanted, was to read and write and discover new content, but around the content itself, said Lewis, quoted in an article in the New York Times Figment is a free platform for young adults, encouraging them to write and read new fiction. The site also includes a mobile platform where aspiring writers can read and submit work, ranging from poems to short stories and novels. This idea came from Goodyear in 2008, when she wrote a 6,000-word article for the New Yorker about young Japanese women who were writing fiction on their cellular phones. Since then, the two have been promoting Figment at schools, literary organizations and libraries throughout the nation, recruiting several hundred students who would be willing to participate and post literary work. We wanted people to be able to write whatever they wanted in whatever form they wanted, Lewis told the New York Times. We give them a piece of paper and say, Go. He noted that people have posted work, including fantasy, science fiction, biographical work, and long serial novels. Theres a very earnest and exacting quality to what theyre doing. Many publishers will be paying close attention to Figment and the most popular work on it, trying to glean key insights into the literature young adults gravitate toward and introducing them to certain books and work. Lewis said that he hopes figment can at least capture a million users, serving as an opportunity for publishers to pluck young talent out of and promote their own authors by publishing novel excerpts. For publishers this is an amazing opportunity to not only reach your consumers but to find out really valuable information about how they are reading, Lewis told the New York Times. Figment has already signed on a few publishers, most notably Running Press Kids, a member of the Perseus Books Group. They will provide a novel excerpt from Purple Daze, a historical novel for young adults by Sherry Shahan.

How is the STAAR Scored

How is the STAAR Scored What is the STAAR? The STAAR is the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. The STAAR replaced the TAKS in 2012. This exam tests students at multiple stages of their education in mathematics and reading (grades 3-8), writing (grades 4 and 7), science (grades 5 and 8), and social studies (grade 8). There is also an 'end of course' test (similar to the Regents Exams in New York) at the conclusion of Algebra I, Biology, English I and II, and U.S. History. These assessments compare student growth across the state with the desired and expected learning outcomes. They are now required for graduation. Here are some essentials for the new STAAR teststhat you may want to take look at. How is the STAAR scored? All scores fall within three categories: advanced, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory academic performance. Individuals must earn a satisfactory or advanced mark on end of course (EOC) exams in order to graduate from high school with a diploma. Students with special education or English language needs may receive modified assessments. Each tests rubric is available via thestate website. Raw Score versus Scaled Score Each STAAR report includes a raw and scaled score. The raw result consists of the number of questions that a student answers correctly, with one point awarded for each problem. The scaled score takes into account the difficulty of the test version. Note that the scaled score fluctuates with the levels of academic performance each year. 2012-2014 is within the first testing phase, and thus, the scale has slightly lower thresholds for satisfactory academic performance. Advanced academic performance remains consistent. The score report also includes an analysis of an individuals strengths and weaknesses within the test. Preparing for the STAAR Many strong students struggle with standardized testing, but they cannot graduate with unsatisfactory STAAR scores on their EOC exams. Though the state releases some test content, preparing for a strictly timed and high stakes exam involves more effort. Timed writing or reading drills will assist individuals in gaining control of testing situations and developing confidence. Reading and understanding the rubrics for each test is also an important technique. You may want to consider a STAAR tutorto help you prepare. As a whole, this assessment system is still new to the state of Texas and it has been heavily scrutinized, as all new exams typically are. However, as the tests are increasingly regulated, additional materials should become available to schools, students, and teachers.

5 Things You Must Do to Convey Your Personal Brand To Someone Who Doesnt Yet Know You - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Things You Must Do to Convey Your Personal Brand To Someone Who Doesn’t Yet Know You - Introvert Whisperer 5 Things You Must Do to Convey Your Personal Brand To Someone Who Doesn’t Yet Know You If you are a job seeker, you already know the challenges you face trying to get the attention of hiring managers for both your resume and you.  For the most part, we have to rely heavily on our resume or LinkedIn profile to bubble to the top and dazzle. No matter how you magically attract the hiring manager to you, the challenges is to quickly and powerfully distinguish yourself.  You need to convey your personal brand to stand out and be memorable. Use the Right Amount You want to think about your Personal Brand like the seasoning to a meal. (Tweet this!)  The seasoning is the thing that transforms an entrée from plain to Italian or Greek.  As with seasonings, you can’t be heavy-handed.  You don’t pile on an herb without dire consequences, nor do you add such a small pinch that you have accomplished nothing.  Look for opportunities to inject a word or phrase throughout your job search tools. Repetition Reinforces With items like your resume and LinkedIn profile, you want to add words and phrases in multiple forms, several times that reflect your Personal Brand.  Repetition is how we learn and the reader of your information is essentially learning about you. Word Usage Creativity The repetition you are going after is the Personal Branding concepts you want to convey but you must be cautious not to overuse any single word or phrase.  This becomes redundant and boring for the reader, who will quickly get lose interest and move on.  Let me give you an idea of how this might work. Let’s say you want to convey that you are dynamic.  Dynamic is the sort of word that isn’t overused in general but is unique enough it’s easily remembered.  If you repeated the use of that word a few times in your resume, the reader would start losing focus and quickly dump your resume.  If you check the dictionary, you find the following words associated with “Dynamic”: vigorous, energetic, aggressive, assertive and forceful.  Any or all of those words could be used to help reinforce the idea that you are a dynamic person.  You can use different words to keep it interesting to read and still portray your Personal Branding idea. You do frequently see a list of overused and meaningless words. (My personal pet peeve phrase is “people person”, seriously? What does that mean?)  I suggest that if you are working to strongly brand your job search materials, you find some of these lists so you can avoid the use of those words. Consistency Everywhere, All the Time Although your resume and LinkedIn profile is the main thing you need to stamp with your Personal Brand, you have other things you need to pay attention to in this process.  Everything that represents you must be consistent and in alignment with the picture you are portraying.  You never know what someone will look at to make a quick assessment about you.  Here are some of the additional things you need to pay attention to for portraying your Personal Branding: Business cards All social media Your elevator speech The items on this list don’t have enough space to allow you to portray much more than one Personal Branding idea.  That’s ok because you have to remember that the people that don’t know you will still learn a few things about your Personal Brand from one sentence. Your Job Interview We don’t always think about our job interview as a place to reinforce our Personal Brand, but what you say about yourself speaks volumes.  No one can guess what you bring to the party; you have to fold in your Personal Branding as you respond to various questions. The interview is more than just your qualifications; it’s about you as a person and future co-worker. If you repeat your Personal Branding concepts across all of the various platforms you use and are consistent with everything a hiring manager reviews, you will be more than a piece of paper or a job title.  You will be a person they want working for them. Go to top Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.   I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.   In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression.   Get your copy now: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential. What are some areas of your Personal Brand that you’d like to work on? Share your thoughts in the comments! This post originally appeared at FlexJobs. Image Source

Translation Card Game

Translation Card Game By Derivative work: RodelarOriginal: User: André Costa (WMSE) Own work based on: Translation A till Ã…-colours.svg, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55643225 English has borrowed 60% of its vocabulary from French over the centuries. Some words have entered English almost unchanged. Some loanwords are unrecognizable. Some words look the same in both languages but are used in different ways. False Cognates These false-friends or faux-amis are often referred to as false-cognates, from the Latin co  for together and natus for born. These words were born together, but have gone their separate ways ever since. Examples abound. Heres one. Réunion is a plain old meeting in French, but a reunion is a special kind of get-together for people who have been apart for many years. The two words look and sound similar, but they are not translations of each other.   Learning about false-cognates can be extremely boring if presented as a list of translation facts to memorize. However, turn false-cognates into a translation card game, and students will love every minute of the lessonteaching and correcting each other, laughing and smiling the whole time. English-French Translation Card Game To help my students with the confusion produced by false-cognates, I have created a test, a chart and translation card game. This card game was taken from my English Second Language textbook for college students in Quebec called  Actively Engaged Online.   Free Download French-English Translation Card GameDownload For a grammar checker that can detect many false-cognate errors, try the Virtual Writing Tutor.   Please follow and like us:

Get On - Phrasal Verb of the Day

Get On - Phrasal Verb of the Day Todays phrasal verb of the day is: Get OnInfinitive form: Get OnPresent Tense: Get On/ Gets Oning form: Getting OnPast tense: Got OnPast Participle: Got On/ Gotten OnGet On is an English phrasal verb which can either be separable and inseparable depending on the context. It can be used in eight different ways:When you move your body and either stand, sit, lie, kneel, etc. towards something [inseparable]1. The robber told the hostage to get on his knees, while the rest were told to get on the floor.2. When I was little, I had to get on a chair in order to get something. Now that Im older, I still need to be getting on a chair, only this time, its a smaller chair.When you get onboard a train, bus, airplane, etc. where you walk to your seat [inseparable]1. Ben and Jerry got on the train to visit their mother in Oregon.2. We need to get out of here quick, so, get on the bus right now, hurry!Note: You do not get on a car, because when you get in, youre directly lead to your seat, unlike t he transportation mentioned above where you have to do otherwise.When you leave1. I should be getting on, my girlfriends waiting for me in the car.2. I need to get on now, see you guys later!When you are trying or wearing clothes on [separable]1.  Oh gee, if I gain one more pound, Im afraid I wont be able to get my old jeans on.2. Can you get this on for me? Ive always wanted to see how you look in that beautiful dress.When you have a good relationship with someone1. Hows it getting on with your new friend?2. I have always got on well with my colleagues. In fact, were all going on a trip together soon.When you continue doing something1. Francis mother to him that he needs to get on with his homework before he is allowed to leave the house.2. Stop talking and concentrate! You need to be getting on with your reading.iframe width=560 height=315 src=//www.youtube.com/embed/7L7SWSdjbM8?rel=0 frameborder=0 allowfullscreen/iframeExercises: Write your answers in comments and we will correc t them.Fill in the gaps from the video above:Lets go anyway, yeah. Lets skip the getting married a bit because that seems to be a problem, have the honeymoon, and see how we ____ __.Do you find yourself having a hard time getting on with somebody? Why and what happened?Complete the sentences below with the correct form of Get On.1. If you want to make it on time here, you need to ____ ___ the train that leaves at exactly 4 P.M.2. I guess it is safe to say that I ___ __ well with my bestfriend. Weve been in each others life for more than a decade.3. An old superstition says that the bride shouldnt ____ the wedding dress ___ until the day of the wedding itself. Are you kidding? I mean, how is the bride supposed to know if its the right size? I say we stop this and _____ ___ with it anyway. Go ahead, try it out.4. By the time the police arrived at the crime scene, the suspects have already ____ __ the bus. The police never gives up, however, and decided to ____ __ with the chase.5. How are you _____ ___ with your first day at the gym?Change the example sentences above to negative sentences (or positive, if the sentence is already negative). Then change them to questions.

Does your kid have all the back to school supplies he needs - ALOHA Mind Math

Does your kid have all the back to school supplies he needs Now that summers coming to an end, it’s time to start thinking about the back to school checklist. This means that it’s time to start putting together the back to school supplies. Depending on how old your kid is, you may need to send a slightly different set of items, but here are some of the school supplies that you absolutely cannot do without: A good backpack: The backpack you choose should be sturdy enough to hold all the items your kid needs to keep in it, but not so bulky that the weight of the pack, on its own, starts to weigh down the child. There are a lot of options available, and if you take your child along she can choose her favorite color too. Hygiene related:If your kid is old enough to open a bottle by herself, then a hand sanitizer is one of the first things to add to your child’s backpack. If you think your child may not be able to handle a bottle, look for sanitizing or anti-bacterial wipes that come in an easy to handle pack. It is important that we teach children how important it is to clean their hands at mealtimes, especially after they have spent time on the playground. Back to school supplies.Photo courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccafeind/7571121124/ 2 or 3 pocket folder: If you are putting together school supplies for high school, your kid might have more papers to organize and bring back from school, so you need to choose the type of folder accordingly. A good folder is necessary to bring back homework and any other required sheets of paper, so that these don’t get crumpled and lost in the recesses of the backpack. Writing supplies: A good sharpener is a must, though younger children may end up sharpening more than necessary this is a phase all parents must go through. Other than this, sharpened pencils, an eraser, a ruler and coloring supplies are the basic necessities, it would be a good idea to mark or label all of the above to reduce loss of such small items. In case of kindergarten school supplies, most of this may be supplied to your kid in class, so you need not pack as many items. A recent article in The Chronicle talked about how the amount and cost of school supplies has gone up in recent times. A lot of these may b e available at your local large stores where they offer a discount on school supplies at this time of the year. Do take your child along when you shop, as they slowly start understanding the value of things as they grow up. Our classes at Aloha are a great addition to what your child learns at school. Do check out our website for more details: http://www.aloha-usa.com Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/aloha.usa and on Twitter: @AlohaKidsMath for constant updates and tips for your child’s education and development

10 Proven Tips for Successful Working with Children with ADHD

10 Proven Tips for Successful Working with Children with ADHD Although the parents of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are probably tired of listening to the educators’ complaints about the specific needs of their children, it will not be superfluous to once again describe the shared characteristics of the hyperactive children. Here are some tips for working with children with ADHD, which from my experience have proofed to be very helpful: 1. Setting Expectations Just like with every child and even adult, one of the first things that needs to be done is to set limits and expectations. The rigid rules are extremely important. The child needs to clearly understand what is expected from him or her. The educator or the parent may effectively use role play in order to demonstrate the right as well as the wrong behavior. The expectations may be less at the beginning, then they can gradually expand. Visual tools like icons, visual schedules, and posters are extremely beneficial. Visual icons can be used as silent rule reminders and minimize the risk of setting the child off. 2. Self-regulation Skills are Crucial The best thing that parents and educators can do is to work together in teaching the child how to self-regulate his or her own behavior. As its maturity level progresses, the child will be able to acquire more and more self-regulation skills. Examples are: following their visual schedule; having a planner; teaching them emotion management and problem solving coping strategies, and strategies to ignore distractions; teaching them how to take turns; and working on following direction activities which will help them learn how to focus better during work time. This is only a small list of the various means that can help teaching the crucial self-regulation skills. They help the child to get more and more independent. 3. The Key is the Assessment The hyperactive children have to be positively reinforced at all times. They are highly sensitive and pick up more than we expect, so try to avoid criticism and especially sarcasm. Our body gestures, facial expressions, along with the words we say are the most important feedback for our little and not so little hyperactive friends. Praise the child whenever it is deserved. Emphasize on their achievements. Rewarding the positive behavior instead of punishing the negative is the best way. Find what is reinforcing. If positive reinforcement system of some sort is used either at school or at home, make sure that the child clearly understands how it works along with what are the expectations as discussed earlier. Examples of positive reinforcement systems would be: points system, token system, or just a simple checklist. Even something as simple as a sticker chart can be unexpectedly beneficial. 4 Stick to Routines Children with ADHD do not like changes. In order to be able to effectively practice the skills that they’ve been thought, they need to function in an environment which does not require them to adapt frequently. Let’s be honest, not very many adults enjoy constant change either. The reason is anxiety, and anxiety as we all know does not help learning. An updated visual schedule can work miracles for both children and adults. 5. Minimize Distractions It’s not hard to find out that your hyperactive friend will work a lot better if you accommodate his or her environment by minimizing the existing distractions, and even by trying to avoid the future-coming once. In situations that require intense attention, the hyperactive child should be kept away from distractions as much as possible. 6. Give Them a Choice Ok, if you, just like me have found out that there’s no way to make your little friend stop tapping or stumping his/her foot, it is not going to hurt anyone if you give them a choice of coping strategy. Many children who cannot stay still sometimes need just a fidget toy, or a silly putty to squeeze. However, just like with everything, some expectations need to be set. The consequence of not meeting the expectations can result in taking away the strategy, or it can be used for a certain amount of time only. Visual timers are the best helpers. 7. Take Frequent Breaks Fatigue increases the manifestations of hyperactivity. Breaks will stop the child’s anxiety and frustration from building up and will keep them motivated. Make sure that breaks are limited, otherwise they quickly stop to reinforce and start being taken for granted. Little bonuses of free time can also be used as extra motivation by rewarding the good behavior with stickers and tallies. Again, visual timers and tools are the best. 8. Let Them Play Outdoors Provide opportunities for children to properly get rid of their excess energy and improve their health by playing outside. There’s nothing better than fresh air which will also help them to focus better after the break. If the weather is nice, try to choose outdoor activities over technology breaks. 9. Help Children Visualize the New Material Introduce the new information through demonstration and a variety of other methods to visualize. Examples are graphic organizers, diagrams, and outlines. Various innovative methods of teaching will help the children focus and remember better. They will also make your lesson more interesting and attention catching, which is exactly what your hyperactive friends need. 10. Success Requires Team Work Consult with more and different specialists that are involved in the child’s education. The benefit is that every professional who works with the child can contribute to his or her learning. In conclusion I can say that this is just a short list of all the different strategies that can be used to help children with ADHD focus and therefor learn better. Feel free to experiment and find your own. The main thing is to care about the child and to create a strong and unique bond. Just remember, any child can make a progress. It’s only a matter of effort and care!