Home Schooling Materials

 

 

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN SCHOOLING

KEY POINTS

Public education is the largest employer in this country. Some of the reforms, as a result of the critical reports issued in the early 1980s, have been successful while others have failed. The majority of the general public believe schools have stayed the same or gotten worse during the past five years. The purposes of today’s schools go way beyond the original purposes of religious and academic training. The melting pot theory has never been fully realized; many diverse cultural groups retain distinct identities and are represented in public schools. To improve the quality of teachers, many states have initiated reforms including competency tests, better salaries, merit pay, incentives, merit pay incentives, and stiffer entrance requirements into teacher education programs. Conservative groups played a major role in the educational reform move­ment of the 1980s. Changing enrollment patterns continue to create problems in planning for public educa­tion. The general future outlook for public education is excellent.

 

CHAPTER 1–INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN SCHOOLING

 

A.    OVERVIEW

Chapter 1 presents information regarding the status of public education in this country. Specific content focuses on the magnitude of education, current trends, effective schools, and future possibilities in public school programs.

 

B.    KEY TERMS–DEFINITIONS

A NATION AT RISK – this report issued in 1983 by a government commission called for far-reaching reforms.

ACCOUNTABILITY – responsibility related to quality of educational programs.

AFT – American Federation of Teachers, a major teacher union. The AFT has more than 825,000 members.

BILINGUAL EDUCATION – a component of multicultural education that focuses on attempts to teach English skills to non-English speakers. The students are taught in their native language until they become proficient enough in English to receive the majority of instruction in English.  In some cases instruction in the child’s native language receives equal attention with English.

CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT – calls for returning to the basic purpose of public schools such as:

a.   return to emphasizing the basic core of academic subjects;

a de-emphasis on extracurricular activities; an emphasis on moral education; inclusion of school prayer; more control of the education process by the family.

CRITICAL REPORTS – the most critical report was A Nation at Risk issued in 1983 by the National Commission of Excellence in Education.

CULTURAL PLURALISM – pluralists reject the traditional Americanizing function of the public school because it has meant assimilation and acculturation into the white, middle class pattern of American Society; a realization that the melting pot theory of American culture had not occurred and probably would not occur.

CURRICULAR REFORM – a back-to-the-basics reform movement started in the 1970s. Many believe the basic curriculum should have greater emphasis.

DECLINING ENROLLMENTS – changing enrollments have a major effect on the educa­tional system:

affecting state funding; impacting on the number of teachers needed; altering class sizes; causing redistricting of school boundaries; changing school plant needs.

HOME SCHOOLING – a conservative movement by parents to formally educate their children at home or in a small group setting.

MELTING POT – the theory that people from all cultures form a common bond.

MERIT PAY – a plan of providing extra pay for superior performance by teachers.

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION – a concept predicated upon a fundamental belief that all people must be accorded respect, regardless of age, race, sex, economic class, religion, nationalism, physical or mental ability; innovative ways for dealing with the education of minorities.

NEA - National Education Association, one of the two major teacher unions: NEA is the larger and more powerful of the two– with 2.2 million members nationwide.

NEW RIGHT – a coalition that includes traditional conservative groups and certain fundamentalists religious groups who advocate extreme viewpoints.

PUBLIC EDUCATION – free, government-supported schools open to all children.  Note: Resident alien children and illegal immigrant children are allowed to attend USA public schools.

REFORM REPORTS – critical reports issued in the 70s and 80s by education reform groups that listed many solutions to the problems faced by public education.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS – a division of public school programs within a state.

TAX REFORM – a tax reform movement that is funding increased taxes for educational reform.

THREE R’s – reading, writing, and arithmetic.

 

Total Number of School Districts in America

State

Total Number of Districts

State

Total Number of Districts

50 States and D.C.

14,367

Missouri

525

Alabama

127

Montana

465

Alaska

55

Nebraska

653

Arizona

214

Nevada

17

Arkansas

311

New Hampshire

164

California

999

New Jersey

582

Colorado

176

New Mexico

89

Connecticut

166

New York

709

Delaware

19

North Carolina

119

District of Columbia

1

North Dakota

234

Florida

67

Ohio

611

Georgia

180

Oklahoma

548

Hawaii

1

Oregon

233

Idaho

112

Pennsylvania

500

Illinois

905

Rhode Island

36

Indiana

292

South Carolina

95

Iowa

383

South Dakota

173

Kansas

304

Tennessee

138

Kentucky

176

Texas

1,044

Louisiana

66

Utah

40

Maine

228

Vermont

251

Maryland

24

Virginia

132

Massachusetts

248

Washington

296

Michigan

593

West Virginia

55

Minnesota

383

Wisconsin

426

Mississippi

153

Wyoming

49

Source:    U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics.  (1999).  Common core of data, national public education survey.  Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.  Adapted with permission.

 

 

SNAPSHOT FORECAST OF EDUCATION STATISTICS
(Estimations 2002/2003)

Public school enrollment, K-12, increased between 1985-2002. Private school enrollment has changed little over the past decade. Approximately 11% or about 6 million students attend private elementary and secondary schools. Elementary and secondary school enrollments will continue to rise. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten enrollment of 3- to 5-year-olds increased about 30% between 1990-2002. The enrollment of 5-year-olds in kindergarten programs has changed little since 1990. The enrollment rates of 5- to 17-year-olds has remained steady since 1990, about 96%. Practically all elementary-aged children are enrolled in school. The proportion of minority students in public elementary and secondary schools increased between 1990 and 2002. During this time, the proportion of Hispanics in public elementary and secondary schools increased at a faster rate than the proportion of African Americans. In 1976-77, 8% of children were educated in programs for the disabled compared with 14% in 2002. The proportion of 18- and 19-year-olds attending high school or college is about 63%. The proportion of 20- to 21-year-olds attending high school or college is about 45%. Total college enrollment has continued to grow since 1990. Much of this growth can be attributed to the increase in the number of women over 24 years of age attending college. Projections indicate that from 2002 to 2010, there will be an 18% growth in enrollment of persons 25 years age in college. Projections indicate enrollments of persons over 25 years of age in college will be stable from 2002-2010. The proportion of American college students who are minorities has been increasing. In 2002, about 27% are minorities. Graduate school student enrollment has been rising steadily. As of 2002, graduate enrollment rose about 20%. The number of women in graduate school has exceeded the number of men. The number of male full-time graduate school students increased by 22%. The number of elementary and secondary school teachers has risen about 25%. The ratio of pupils per public school teachers is estimated to be about 17 pupils per teacher. The ratio of pupils per private school teachers is estimated to be about 15 pupils per teacher. The average salary for public school teachers has remained steady over the past 10 years, reaching $39,485.00. The teaching force in public elementary and secondary schools includes 74% women and 88% non-Hispanics. Approximately 66% of teachers have at least 10 years of full-time teaching experience. The proportion of high school graduates who completed the full college preparatory program recommended by the Commission on Excellence was about 30%. The number of high school graduates totaled about 2.8 million. About 2.5 million graduated from public schools and about 300,000 graduated from private schools. Many students complete high school through alternative programs, such as night schools and the General Educational Development (GED) program. About 84% of all 25- to 29-year-olds have completed high school or its equivalent. The dropout rate in high school has declined over the past 20 years. The difference in dropout rates between the races has narrowed. The dropout rate for Hispanics remains high at 30%, compared to 8% for Caucasians and African Americans. About 90 million adults or about 21% of the United States adult population perform at the lowest levels of literacy. Adults with higher levels of educational attainment have higher levels of prose literacy. Adults aged 19-54 have higher average literacy attainment than those 55 and older. The differences in literacy between younger and older adults may be due to the higher level of educational attainment among younger adults. Americans are becoming better educated. Within the past 30 years the adult population graduation rate has increased from 54% to 84%. During the same time period, the proportion of adults with at least four years of college increased from 11% to 25%. The number of degrees conferred by institutions of higher education is estimated to be about 564,000 associate degrees; 1,176,000 bachelor’s degrees; 390,000 master’s degrees; 78,000 first professional degrees; and 44,000 doctor’s degrees. Women earn the majority of degrees at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree levels. Expenditures for public and private education, from preprimary through graduate school, are estimated at approximately 621 million. The expenditures of elementary and secondary schools are expected to total about $775 billion, while institutions of higher education will spend about $250 billion. The total expenditures for education are expected to amount to about 7.5% of the gross domestic product. The state share of revenues for funding public elementary and secondary schools grew through most of the 1980s, but in 1987 the trend began to reverse.

Between 1986-87 and 1993-94, the local share of school funding rose while the proportion from state government dropped.

By 2002, a greater proportion shifted back to the states as 47.5% of revenues came from state sources, 45.9% came from local sources, and 6.6% came from the federal government.

The estimated current expenditures per student in average daily attendance is about $6,951.00. After adjustment for inflation, this represents an increase of 15% since 1988-89. Private colleges are heavily dependent on tuition for revenues, receiving 43% from tuition. Public colleges and universities receive about 40% of revenues from state and local governments. Expenditures per student at institutions of higher education through the 1990s has been slow in growth. After adjustment for inflation, current fund expenditures of higher education per student rose about 16% between 1980-1981 and 1988-89, but increased only 8% between 1992-2002. Annual undergraduate charges for tuition, room, and board are estimated to be $8,218.00 at public four-year colleges and $19,980.00 at private four-year colleges. On a per student basis, adjusted for inflation, expenditures for scholarships and fellowships rose about 85% at public universities between 1986-2002, compared with 9% for instructional expenditures. On a per student basis, expenditures on scholarships and fellowships rose about 68% at private universities between 1986-2002. Research expenditures in public institutions of higher education rose by 31% per student at public universities and 36% at other public four-year colleges. Students at private colleges are more likely to receive aid than students at public colleges. College students obtain financial aid through a variety of programs; 56% receive some sort of federal aid, and 11% participate in work-study programs. Private colleges provide aid from internal sources to over half of their full-time undergraduates. For all full-time undergraduate public and private college students, the average student aid package from all sources totaled about $6,932.00 in 2002. Federal support for education was sizeable between fiscal years 1965-2002. Large increases occurred between 1965 and 1975. After a period of relative stability between 1975-80, federal funding for education declined approximately 16% between 1980 and 1985. From 1990-2002, federal funding for education increased by 29%.

Note:    Much of the information provided is available at the: United States Department of Education.  (1999).  Mini-digest of education statistics.  Washington DC: National Center for Education Statistics, (NCES).

 

C.    SOME PRECEDING THOUGHTS

How many pupils are served in public education in the U.S.?

Fifty-four million students for the 2002/03 school year; about 6 million students in private schools; about 40 million for the ’87-’88 school year in 15,713 school districts; 1985 was the first year in 14 years where there was an increase in enrollment; an additional 5.6 million students were in private schools.

What were the major criticisms voiced in the reports on education in the early 80s?Major portions of the public are functionally illiterate, as are many of our 17 year olds. Science and math participation was down as were science and math scores. More than 40% of our high school students were in a general curriculum rather than a college preparatory one. Students in this country spend less time in school and less time studying than in most other industrialized countries. Teachers were coming from the bottom of their graduating classes–both high school and college–partly because the pay was $17,000 on the average for a teacher with 12 years experience.

3.    What is the status of reforms initiated during the early 80s?

The very substantial and ever increasing dollars spent for education have not yet given us the results our children deserve.

What is the purpose of public education?

The original purpose was to teach students to read well enough to be able to understand their Bible readings. It evolved to teaching the Three R’s of Reading, wRiting, and aRith­metic. Now we expect our schools to teach everything from the basic R’s to include civic, vocational, artistic, and personal goal instruction and fulfillment.

5.    What goal is the Conservative movement playing in public education?

The New Right believes our schools have gotten away from their purposes and from traditional values. They are lobbying for

reduction or removal of extra-curricular activities (all of them); more academic emphasis; emphasis on moral education; reinstatement of school prayer; more family control of the educational process. They are attempting to write legisla­tion that the states can all copy. They want to promote creationism, to censor textbooks and library books, to promote interests of “Christian” schools, to end the unions and their influence, and to fight “secular humanism.”

Some Christian values promoted in the curriculum by the Conservative movement include:

promotion of two-parent families with the father working and the mother at home; sexual abstinence before marriage; abstinence from smoking, drinking, and drugs; the immorality of gay and lesbian lifestyles; forbidding abortion; patriotism; obedience to and respect for authority; politeness; courtesy; honesty; prayer; humility; reverence for God. What has been, and is emerging as, the federal government’s role in public education?

The federal government’s role has been one of a watch dog and a guide dog combined. It was supposed to ensure that the schools in all areas of the country were adequately run and adequately funded. The true failure has been in the short-sighted view of “adequate” achievement.

What is multicultural education?

It began as a movement to promote racial equality and harmony. Americanization has meant blending into/with the white dominant middle class. Correcting errors of omission, stereotyp­ing, and misinformation, as well as information dissemination, has been replaced/absorbed by multicultural education. Now the goal is to assimilate reliable cultural pluralism into the overall curriculum, a concept predicated upon a fundamental belief that “all people must be accorded respect, regardless of age, race, sex, economic class, religion, physical, ethnic origin, or mental ability.”

 

8.    What teacher organizations have influence in education?

NEA – National Educators Association

AFT – American Federation of Teachers

Many leading authorities believe these organizations are losing authority and influence. Many people be­lieve strong unions are a barrier to educational reforms. They have huge lobbying budgets.

9.    What are some characteristics of effective schools?

Strong administrative leadership that includes the principal:having a clear vision about the desired direction of the school; having a commitment to improvement of instruction; encouraging participative decision making; serving as a buffer for teachers so that they can devote maximum time to working with students. Safe and orderly environment that includes:working conditions that support the efforts of teachers to address specific problems of their students; environment conducive to teaching and learning. Emphasis on instruction in the basic skills including:the school having a commitment to the basic skills as instructional goals; basic skills being the foundation for higher order thinking skills. High teacher expectations of students to include:setting high performance standards for students; providing specific instructions and are sensitive to individual differences; using clear and appropriate rewards to recognize student work. Monitoring and reporting of student performance including:using systematic methods to assess student progress; aligning curriculum across subject areas and grades; matching curriculum, desired outcomes, and assessment activities. Necessary resources to meet objective including:making available sufficient personnel and materials in the school; providing sufficient time for instructional planning, staff development, and adapting new innovations; providing opportunities for professional growth. Culture of the school including:positive human interactions among students and teachers; continuous growth and development of students and teachers; state-of-the-art instructional practices and strategies for teaching and learning.

 

D.    DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES

1.    List some of the criticisms presented in A Nation At Risk.

23 million U.S. adults are functionally illiterate; 13% of all 17-year-olds & 48% of minority 17-year-olds are functionally illiterate; SAT scores declined from ’63 to ’80; science achievement scores of 17-year-olds declined in ’69, ’73, and ’75; remedial math classes in college increased by 72% from ’75 to ’80; number of students in general curriculum in high schools increased to 42%; 31% of high school graduates completed intermediate algebra; 25% of credits earned by general track high school students were in PE, health, remedial math, English, and work outside the school; students in other industrialized countries spend more time on science and math; 20% of all four-year universities had to accept all students from state high schools; 50% or more of credits to graduate could be electives in 13 states; U.S. students spend less time in school than many other industrialized countries;

m.  average school provided only 22 hours of instruction per week;

too many teachers came from bottom of high school class and bottom of college class; average salary for teachers with 12 years experience was $17,000.

2.    What are the status of the educational reforms initiated during the early 1980s?

SAT and ACT scores either dropped or remained static; minority students increased their scores; the graduate rate dropped between ’85 and ’86; average teacher pay had risen 38%; average pupil spending increased by 50%; twelve states instituted minimum competency testing for grade promotion and twenty-four other states planned to implement minimum competency testing.

3.    What is the magnitude of public education in the United States?

Public education in the United States is big business. Some of the emphasis of school dis­tricts and regulators needs to be taken off of the business end of things and concentrated on the education end of things. Some 54 million students are directly affected, along with the teachers and administrators. Suppliers, knowing they have a captive market, are allowed to gouge schools on a regular basis, just as they do other government entities. Our schools deserve a fair shake.

4.    What effect does declining enrollments have on schools?

affects state funding; impacts on the number of teachers needed; alters the class size; causes redistricting of school boundaries; changes school plant needs, buildings, and grounds.

Instructional programs are affected. The areas most affected are language arts, social studies, science, fine arts, and foreign language. This results in fewer course offerings and fewer professional positions in these areas.

5.    What is the role of the federal government in education?

Reagan’s White House began returning responsibility to the states and localities. As a re­sult, federal spending in education was reduced.

Again, the federal government’s role has been one of a watch dog and guide dog combined. It was intended to ensure that schools in all areas of the country functioned properly and were adequately funded. The true failure has been in the short-sighted view of “adequate” achievement. Presi­dent George W. Bush is planning to initiate numerous educational reforms during the 2000s.

6.    What are estimations for schooling in 2002/2003?

In the United States:

over 25% of the people are students or are employed by schools or colleges; of the approximately 250 million people there are:

1… 54.5 million students in public elementary and secondary schools;

 

2. . 14.3 million students in higher education;

 

3… 3.6 million faculty and teachers;

 

4. . 3.9 million non-instructional personnel;

 

5… 68.1 million total participants.

 

there are about 14,367 school systems; there are over 27,000 private elementary and secondary schools; there are over 3,500 colleges and universities; there are over 83,425 elementary and secondary schools; there are over 26,807 private elementary and secondary schools; there are over 2,127 four-year colleges and over 1,408 two-year colleges; there are over 1,532 private four-year colleges and over 440 private two-year colleges; about 28% of elementary and secondary students are African American or Hispanic while 17% of college students are African American or Hispanic; there are approximately 2,744,000 elementary and secondary teachers, of which approximately 2,391,000 serve in public schools and 353,000 serve in private schools; the average salary for an experienced teacher is $39,385, for a beginning teacher $28,515;

m.  approximately 30% of teachers are male; approximately 70% are female;

the dropout rate among African Americans 16 to 24 years old dropped from 28% in 1992 to 13% in 2002; for all 16- to 24-year-olds was 12% in 2002, down from 15% in 1992; in 2002, (persons between ages 25 and 29) – approximately 85.8 million persons earned high school diplomas (includes GED, equivalency certificates, etc.); 23.6 million persons had attained four or more years of college; in 2002, (persons between ages 25 and over) – approximately 80.1 million persons earned high school diplomas (includes GED, equivalency certificates, etc.); 21.5 million had attained four or more years of college; the education level of the adult population has been increasing since 1940; the education level among young adults (ages 25-29) has not increased significantly since 1980; in 2002, approximately 446,000 persons earned Associate of arts, associate of science degrees; approximately 1,044,000 persons earned bachelor of arts, bachelor of sciences degrees; approximately 320,000 persons earned master of arts, master of sciences degrees; approximately 39,000 persons earned doctor of philosophy degrees; approximately 72,000 persons earned first professional degrees: chiropractic, dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, podiatry, theology, and veterinary medicine degrees.

Note:     Much of the information provided here is available at the United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Digest of education statistics, 1999.

 

E.    REVIEW ITEMS

True-False Public education in the U.S. has been taken for granted for many years. All professionals agree with the A Nation at Risk report. Multicultural education began in the early 1980s. The reforms initiated during the 1980s were all very successful. The development of new technologies has not had a major impact on education. The tax revolt of the late 1970s was a continuation of a trend started in the mid-1960s.

 

 

 

Multiple Choice

Recent criticisms of public education began in the  _______. a. late 1960s      b. late 1970s      c. early 1980s      d. early 1970s Approximately _______ students are served in public schools. a. 25 million      b. 30 million      c. 75 million      d. 54 million The conservative movement advocating extreme viewpoints is _______. a. conservative pool      b. new right      c. far right
d. conservative coalition      e. oversight movement The tax reform bill passed in Massachusetts in 1980 was _______. a. Proposition 13      b. Proposition 2½      c. Proposition 191     
d. retrenchment The number of schools using microcomputers increased 16% in 1982 to ______% in 1988. a. 25%          b. 50%          c. 70%          d. 90%          e. 97%

“I like to plan my weekends around my golden girls and my sweetheart-

I like to watch my girls grow-

I like to be with them at the breakfast table-

I like to take them to schools and bring them back-

I like to take my family to summer vacations in summer resorts & beaches, to swimming pools, to yachting, to-

I want to earn my living working whenever I please”

There are no ending of “I like to…”

But reality right now is all of those “I like to” are not possible because I am an employee. I have to work hard and long hours on my boss’s instructions. I like it or not. And worse, boss use to cut off my weekend plans frequently for the sake of the company.

Are you among those people like me?

If yes. You are a good prospect of Self- employment. Many will think it is a risky step towards uncertainty. What if something goes wrong? It is a jungle out there!

They are dead right. So before you take this very important decision of your life you must consider many aspects to reduce the risk as much as possible. You are taking a bold step or a shaky step towards uncertainty to turn your dreams into reality depends on many consideration, self-understanding and preparation.

You must find ways to reduce risk of possible Failure.

How?

We will discuss that right here.

What Is There To Be Considered?

The first important step is to understand your-self.  Are you the type of guy who cannot live without socialization and during work enjoys the company of co-workers? Or are you quite content to work at home alone hour after hour sitting in front of your computer. You must judge yourself honestly because this one mistake can turn your success in to failure.

Let’s answer few questions here.

Are you type of guy content to work at home alone? Can you manage enough time to work in between managing your children? Can you manage your wife/husband to have you the privacy you need during work time. Can you make understand your wife/husband, your children (other than infants), your friends and your neighbors that your home job must be treated as same as any outgoing or office job? Are you able to design your working hours nicely fitted in between your household duties?

If the answers are yes you can consider yourself a good prospect for online home based business.

How to Minimize The Risks Towards Uncertainness

1. Do Not…I Repeat…Do Not Leave Your Current Job Fast

The most important is you must not take sudden decision or emotional decision to leave your current job and jump in to any home business opportunity comes towards you. You must have a concrete step by step plan.  You must keep your current job and work overtime one or two hours per day (may be late in the morning) and week days to start your online home business until it pays a fulltime income. This action alone will make your risk factor to zero. To do this you must be determined to achieve your goal because it might not be that easy to work extra time after a long office day.

2. Be Careful To Pick Up Your Online Home Based Business System

You must pick up your online home business v-e-e-e-e-r-y carefully. There are too many lucrative home business offers out there. There are some scam systems too. Do some research on each system and select the best one that suits you.  Pick up some Online Home business forums from Google search. Take free membership of few that you like. Warrior forum is a good choice. Participate in discussions in the forums. Ask questions. Follow those who are already successful. Ask them about the system you are about to take. Consult them what you have to do to make that success. Enough discussion with successful marketers you will grow the ability to pick up the right system for you and will be least vulnerable to fall in the trap of a scam system.

3. Read the Agreement of the Service Carefully

When you choose a suitable online home business choose carefully. Do not depend entirely on the great sales page where guaranteed money making system is offered and do not click “I agree to the terms and condition” to buy or subscribe the system. Read the terms and condition carefully. Before ensuring the system for you ensure that there is no terms and conditions which arise your suspicion. If suspicion arises, discuss it in forums and take clarification from experts.

4. Plan your Budget

Plan your budget as per your ability. This is too important. There are too many guys invest heavily first one or two months and becomes hopeless quickly not having a quick return. They give up easily declaring the system as scam.

5. Use the Power of Forum

Use the power and service of Forums. Forum is the place where home business owners discusses issues, helps each other, exchange services, chooses partnerships and joint ventures and many things more. I am repeating this issue to make you realize the importance of forum to home based marketers. The Forums are there to help you. Believe me, each member of forum hate to see you fail. So consult every move you are going to take at forum after picking up your Home business system. Consult which are the best ways to advertise. Consult where to invest your money to advertise. Express every feeling with every ups and downs of your business. Read others success stories and how they achieve them and plan your actions accordingly.

If you can stick with one or two forums and use its service, consult your every move, there is least chance for you to fail.

The Key to Success

Self motivation, determination and consistence are the key to success to every home based business success. One thing you must understand, online home business success will never come overnight. It is hard to roll the rock at first, need much effort and determination. But once the rock rolls it becomes easier to roll the rock faster. Consult Forums to make your self a daily things to do, take a note of it and repeat the actions day after day until you grab your full success. Once you are in a full time earning spree, you can relax a little bit.

You are Responsible for your Successes and Failure

Your level of successes will depend on your effort and time you are willing to give at your online home business and mainly on your determination and self motivation. Organize your business plan your daily routine and take action. That will ensure the success you are looking for. It is a marathon not sprint. So commit your self and be persistent, you will gain business experiences along the way that will make you successful. And success means financial freedom for you and your family.

In Conclusion

So what’s the difference? If I have to be determined, self-motivated, persistent, organized and so on to make a home business successful I would rather use these quality to my current job to reach at the top, to get promotion after promotion. You may be right. In fact in both occasion there is no alternative for determined hard work.

If you think that you will buy a secret formula from some one who discovered it and make money effortlessly you are dead wrong. Take from me: the only secret online business has is “there is no secret”. Contrary to the off line business or an office job: sky is the limit for an online home business. And you have the luxury to work from the comfort of your home at your will. That is the difference between an online home business and a conventional job.

Kids of all ages like to work on different craft projects. Craft projects can be an ideal way to enhance skills of kids especially during summer vacations. However, not all parents and teachers have the time, energy or creativity to come up with ideas on their own. To overcome this problem today one can find different type’s of kids craft book.

Kids craft book provides different project ideas for kids to make at home. Craft books can provide a break for parents from their kids to do their work. Crafts book are of different types

Preschoolers Crafts

Preschoolers love activity. They love to make things happen. A preschooler craft book can provide a perfect craft kits for young ones including mess-free paint kits, play dough and college kits. Some examples of preschooler crafts are
• Marble Panting
• Creating Spring Bookmark
• String Art Painting
• Mirror image painting

Elementary Crafts

Elementary Crafts are a perfect solution for a school child. The best judge as to whether your child can handle these crafts is you. Your goal is to have them enjoy themselves without getting frustrated. Some examples of elementary crafts are
• Recycled CD girl
• Button treasure box
• Painted snowflake picture
• Napkin butterfly

Crafts for kids 10+

Crafts for kids of age ten or above are quite popular. These books enhance skills of the young ones and help them to become more creative. They provide step by step guidance to beginners and are written in simple languages. Some of the examples of crafts for kids 10+ are
• Dressing up a plain napkin ring with seashells and flowers
• Create a doll using a badminton bird to display on your dresser or sit on a bedside table
• Recycled CD Sun catcher
• Paint a simple outdoor scene on a rock and use it as a paperweight or a decoration on a desk.

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offering the latest information on decorating books, visit them today for more
best buy decorating books.

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School Discipline, what and How?

Schools are the factories where the human beings are shapped, polished and developed. To perform any activity and to complete any job three types of resources (3Ms) are requited i.e. Men, Money and Material. But the most important one is the Men. Men are those who take the nations to the skies and make it undefeatable. It is the man who uses the Material and Money in the proper way to get the goals and objectives of the organization, department, party or institution.

The wealth of nations is the Human Resource. A country is reach or poor depends upon the level, type and quality of education and traing its people do have. Japan, Norway and other countries are at the top not for their rich and fertile lands, not for having the mineral resources, not for having the sky touching mountains and the rivers flowing in their lands but are at the top because of the quality of the human resource they have. If the natural resources would be important, the Oil Producing Arab countries would have been the world leaders but the facts are different. The leaders are those which can not produce even a straw, having no natural and mineral resources. This shows that the human beings men and women are more important than all other resource.

‘From where the human resource comes?’ is a hundred million dollar question. The answer is ‘it is the schools from where the human resources comes’. The teachers and instructors are the artist, mechanic and the machinists who prepare, polish and groom the new generation to replace the old age human resource and to become the leaders of the new era. Iqbal, the poet of east has rightly prayed as ‘Make the younger the teachers of the older’.

There is a great responsibility on the schools as these are the places from where the new generation comes to lead and run the affairs of the society. If schools are doing their jobs well, the nation will go up on the ladder of development. The first thing that a school needs for its success and to achieve its goals is the school Discipline. Without school discipline it is not possible to teach, train, instruct and prepare the young generation properly. The school discipline is the key to success but how the schools can be disciplined? It is difficult to answer this question in a single article but a few techniques are as under. But before going in details let’s define what the discipline is? Discipline means bringing the conduct of the pupil into conformity with the ideals and standards of the school. School discipline is not policing. It is an art of developing the attitude, habits, ideals of conduct and conduct in accordance with the rules and regulation and the norms of the school. The school discipline is essential because it gives the child security by telling Dos and Don’ts. It helps the students to avoid the feelings of guilt and shame as when the students know the Dos and Don’ts, they try to avoid the rule breaking and hence are honored by the fellow students and the school management. When they do right things, they are loved and are appreciated. In this way their social, moral, intellectual and cognitive growth takes place and they become good citizen of the society.

The discipline which is forced from the out side is not discipline in itself, it is order and orders are obeyed and honored in the armed forces and not in the civil societies. The true discipline is that come from within. The western societies which never came under the dictatorship or invaders do have an internal system of discipline which is termed as self discipline. The members of these society do not break the law even they are unchecked but the societies of east where foreign dictators governed and forced the people to remain disciplined have not succeeded yet to make a system of internal discipline or self discipline. The schools are the places where this system can be created and developed. Now come to the point that how this discipline can be created and developed? Here are a few guiding points:

1.       Bridging the Home school gap

The children when first come from the home to school, they find a lot of difference between the home and school. The difference of physical environment, the difference of social environment, difference of moral environment and the difference of learning environment are there. It is the duty of the school to bridge the gap. The educationists and the psychologists have discovered a number of techniques to bridge the gap.

2.       Know the reason if someone breaks the discipline

It is important for the school administration, management and the teachers to know the real cause if someone has broken the discipline. The important reasons could be:

The student want to know whether the caretaker will enforce the rules or he/she will ignore it
They experienced different set of expectations from the school authorities which was not familiar to them at home
They had not understood the rule/rules and hence they broke it unknowingly. The do not have accurate information.
The want to get attention of the school authority that we are here.
The show their power in front of their fellows and want to show that they are brave and do not care about the school rules
Perhaps they were awarded for the same action in the past and they did it to get reward again. Or they sere ignored previously for the same act and hence think that it is not against the law and policy of the school
They act by copying the elders.
The have done it by mistake and not willingly
There is some psychological reason behind this act of rule breaking

There would be 101 reasons for the act of indiscipline. It is duty of the authorities to know the reason and punishing the student without knowing the reason would be unjust and unkind act. It can make a student more indiscipline.

3.       Set clear and consistent rules

Clear and consistent rules should be framed and should be displayed in the school vicinity so that each and every student and even their parents can read and note the prevailing rules. The teachers should train the students to obey the rules.

4.       Make the environment safe and sound

Some times the students break the rules in fear. When the environment is not safe and sound they can break the discipline. This happens mostly in junior classes. The fear could be from the fellow students, the students of the higher classes, from the teachers and from the school building and furniture. It is necessary to make the school environment save and sound for the students.

5.       Show interest in the child’s activities

We often observe the mischief of the students but when they do good we ignore them. It is must to take interest in the activities of the children and appreciate them. This will help them to make their habits good and upto the mark.

6.       Make the teaching interesting

Teaching is an art. An artful teacher who uses the play way things and audio visual aids to make the teaching interesting never complains for the indiscipline of the students. Her students take interest in their studies and never cause a discipline problem.

7.   Set good example

The teacher is a model. She is the ideal of the students. The students copy consciously and unconsciously to their teachers. Hence to create good discipline in the students it is necessary to set good self examples as ‘The action speaks louder than the words’.

8.   Create warm and nurturing school environment

The school environment should be warm and nurturing. The school should be an attractive and loving place for the students. The school social environment should be friendly and fear free.  The student should feel no hesitation in the school and they should be given respect and honour. They should feel that they are being loved.  

New books – especially hardcover editions – are expensive. However, there are ways to locate both paperback and hardcover copies of books at a reasonable price.

Remember the great Pearl S. Buck novel that you read in high school? Now, years later, you want to find a copy so that you can read the story again. But you don’t want to pay full price.

What do you do?

You have decided to start collecting out-of-print book editions as a hobby.

Where do you start?

You are a student with a limited budget searching for used textbooks.

Where do you begin?

You are a passionate Anne Rice booklover. Her latest release has been out for a couple of months, and you want to find a used copy.

How?

If your needs are specific, you can start at an online site like AbeBooks.com. This website is terrific because it offers both used and new books from sellers all over the world. Each book’s condition is fully described. Shop around, and be sure to check shipping rates before you order. A $1 book may be more expensive through one seller than a $2 book through a competitor because of high handling costs.

A couple of other online stores specializing in rare and out-of-print books are BookFinder.com and Alibris.com. And Used.Addall.com has a service that will hunt through several sites at the same time.

Did you know that Amazon offers used books?

And of course, there is ebay. If you are careful to read descriptions meticulously – and only deal with vendors who have a high positive feedback rating – you can often find exactly what you need.

A would-be collector can visit garage and rummage sales, estate auctions, flea markets, second hand stores, and thrift marts.

Many libraries clear out paperbacks on a regular basis. Your library may also offer a book-exchange program. A quick phone call to the librarian can provide you with more information.

You may also find treasures at used bookstores, plentiful in larger cities. However, a savvy bookstore owner will be on the lookout for valuable editions. Expect to pay collector prices for rare publications.

Local educational institutions may cull old textbooks that are no longer required in the current curriculum. They are usually well worn and marked with underlining and highlights. However, there are good finds to be had.

Your local or online yellow pages can provide information on local resources. If you live in a small community and are planning a trip into a nearby city, find the yellow pages first and make some pre-travel phone calls. Advance preparation can save you a lot of gas, time, and frustration.

Remember – you don’t need to be a bookworm to enjoy a good book!

A home without books is a body without soul.

- (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house.

- (Henry Ward Beecher)

Books give not wisdom where none was before, but where some is, there reading makes it more.

- (Sir John Harington)

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.

Public school is not the right fit for all students. Sometimes not even private school is the right fit. All over the country and Cincinnati Schools families are looking for a different choice. Increasing numbers of students are making the decision to be pulled out of Cincinnati Schools and be home schooled each year. The image called to mind is usually one of parents teaching their obedient children in the quaint comfort of their own living room. But the home schooling culture, like so much in our world has been modernized and updated to the point where Cincinnati home schoolers are at no real disadvantage to students enrolled in Cincinnati schools.

Can home-schooled children have to same resources as those in Cincinnati Schools? There is a network of home schooling families that provides a unified front and pacing guide for students. The internet has facilitated group workshops, meetings, field trips and more so that home schooled students are given the opportunity to experience social learning excursions in the company of friends. Some teachers from Cincinnati Schools provided these students with reinforcement via the Internet and e-mail. Activities are organized and attended by many home schooled students ensuring that no individual is isolated from his or her peers throughout the school year.

Although Cincinnati Schools actually lose funding with each child pulled out of the district, they are trying to be a part of home schooling success. Cincinnati Schools have set up a web page for parental educators. Parents are in contact with other parents and are fond of setting up monthly online discussions. Questions can be answered and ideas floated. Teachers in the Cincinnati Schools offer methods and share lesson plans with home-schooling parents.

Teachers and specialists in the Cincinnati Schools are listed as resources for any overwhelmed home schooling novice. They can provide answers and guidance to any parent new to the program. Cincinnati Schools have piano instructors, violin players and local art teachers listed, in addition to the on call academic specialists.

There are legal requirements for pulling your child out of Cincinnati Schools. Notification must be sent to the superintendent of Cincinnati Schools and all required data must be filled out explicitly. The superintendent has the right to deny any request he receives, but the district appears to be pretty supportive of this alternative educational effort.

Cincinnati Schools understand and respect parental confusion when choosing an education for their children. It is a sensitive subject and more people every year decide that the grueling 8-hour public school day of Cincinnati Schools is not something they want their child to endure. The safety and comfort of home provides an encouraging environment that elicits and facilitates many aspects of learning. Although there are challenges, and things that home schools won’t get outside of Cincinnati schools, it’s easy to see the allure of this situation.

This is a great option for a home based business start. Many home inspectors are earning from $500 to $900 a day. As a home inspector, you’ll examine the interior and exterior of a home and give potential home buyers an objective, informed evaluation.

Home buyers rely on professionals for in-depth information about the property they’re purchasing.With offers often contingent upon a successful home inspection, it’s no wonder that the U.S.Department of Labor predicts a strong demand for home inspectors well into the next decade.

This can be high-paying job that allows you to take your home improvement skills to a diffrent level. Improve homes and businesses and make them more comfortable and efficient.

Since you don’t need special education, this will give you a good business start. Home Inspection offers you many benefits. Besides being your own boss, you work around homes and businesses.

There are many books and schools where you can get the training needed. To get the proper training, you should consult or join any of the different National Associations of Home Inspectors. Like Allied Schools. They have courses available to get you started. Here are the top 5 items I found in taking an online home inspector training. You’d increase your chances for success by focusing on a niche market.

Insurance coverage is a must to protect you from any possible risks. You can also start as an apprentice to an experienced professional in the field. This way you don’t have unnecessary expenses and can find out if you like this line of work.

Outher than that you are good to go. Good Luck!

The idea of running your own home business is more popular than ever before. There are hundreds of books and thousands of websites offering advice and ideas. It can be over whelming to choose which venue to pursue. When it comes to your home business choice it can be made much easier if the business does not require a large amount of capital and it is simple to start.

Searching numerous sites and scouring through home business books you will find that there are five simple to start business that will appear and reappear. These opportunities include a match making service, sewing and alteration service, cleaning service, pet sanitation service and a fitness consultant. With these services there is little money needed to begin and there are few supplies needed other that talent or experience.

Match Making Service

There are numerous sites offering to help you find your soul mate. There are quizzes and questionnaires to fill out. All of the information is calculated to find your true love. If you happen to be a good judge of character you could begin your own match making service. You can do interviews by phone or the Internet or meet with each person one on one. Then you could match the qualities of each individual for romantic connections. There have been several people who have made a successful income as well as found a great sense of purpose in this career.

Sewing and Alteration Service

Have you ever visited an alteration shop and received the bill and gasped aloud. Alterations can be pricey and you may have to travel a good distance to find a seamstress. There are several people who are taking advantage of this opportunity. They charge a much more reasonable price due to being able to run this business from home. You may not have even considered this opportunity before. After researching this job opportunity I myself became aware of a young woman who is only a block away from my own home running a home based alteration service. She is capitalizing on this golden opportunity.

Cleaning Service

This opportunity has been around for years and is becoming rapidly more popular as peoples lifes become busier and busier. With moms and dads working as well as running their children to and from school as well as activities practices, there is little room for house cleaning. This is also a great service for the elderly or those suffering from asthma. Many of these people are unable to vacuum or dust due to illness. You would not only be earning an income for yourself and your family but you would be helping others to fulfill a need.

Pet Sanitation Service

This is a professional manner of saying pet mess cleaner. Even the biggest pet lover does not enjoy cleaning up fecal matter out of their yard. For many apartment owners who allow pets, they find their apartment grounds swarming in waste. A pet sanitation service provides clean up of this product for a fee. This job may not be the most enjoyable but you have to admit it is not a complex position. Not only are you earning income and making the environment more sanitary, you will be getting plenty of exercise with all of the walking.

Fitness Consultant

Depending on what areas you provide services for, this may or may not require a degree or training. A person who has been a fitness trainer for a gym is not always required to have a degree. They do have to take training on muscle groups and nutrition. This training can be learned from books from your local library or research online. For those who are prior military men or women, they have had extensive fitness and nutrition training.

A job as a fitness trainer would be a key opportunity. You would however have to advise your clients that they see their physician for a check up prior to beginning a regimen. You want to understand if there are any illnesses or conditions that you should be aware of. Providing basic information and being a motivating force for people is generally what they are willing to pay for. Some one is needed to tell them to put down the chips and put on their walking shoes.

These five opportunities are available and truly are simple to get started. As long as you have the time and you put forth the effort you can begin your own home business in a short period of time.

You just spent eight hours making reports, filing papers, fielding phone calls, and placating your boss at the office.

When you get home, do you rest? Not really. There’s a dinner to prepare, stories to share with your husband, and doing homework with the kids.

Such a scenario is and will still be typical among working mothers, who balance the countless demands of career and home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The problem with this is that the children are the ones who are always at the losing end.

Why?

Because with parents, especially mothers, who are always busy with their work, they tend to take their children for granted especially on the aspect of education. They have this propensity to submit their children to school and believe that the institution could provide the best education for their children.

However, in today’s changing world, some parents realize that sending their children to school is no longer the best way in providing them the education that their children need. That’s why they have opted for home schooling in order to give their children the kind of learning that they want for their children.

In home schooling, most parents devote their time and try to provide their children the best education at home. They know that they are the ones who can provide the appropriate teaching approach for their children because they know their children best.

However, it does not necessarily mean that parents should devote more time to home schooling than they would do with their other chores at home.

It is true that home schooling needs time in order to come up with the best teaching approach that your children need. It is also through a committed schedule that you can identify the appropriate tactics that you need to employ in order to teach your children well. But it does not mean that you have to give your whole time to teaching your children through home schooling programs.

On its basic concept, home schooling uses the one-to-one teaching method; hence, it needs lesser time compared to the typical classroom setting. This is because with a more individualistic approach in teaching, most children would be able to grasp the concept easier and faster.

Then again, the amount of time to be allotted in home schooling will still vary depending on the many factors that may affect the progress of the teaching process.

Here is a list of some factors that should be considered in order to devise the proper amount of time needed in home schooling:

1. Learning style of the children

There are instances wherein the children’s learning style might affect the time requirement in home schooling. For instance, if your child can learn things at a much faster rate, then you only have to devote lesser time. However, if your child needs more time to grasp things that are being taught to him, then you have to devote more time in explaining to him or her the concept of the subject matter you are teaching.

2. The type of methods used

There are various teaching methods available for home schooling. Each has its own teaching approach; hence, they may vary on the time needed for the parents to devote on each program.

3. The number of children within the family

Just like in a typical classroom setting, where the number of students is generally bigger, having many children in the family would mean longer hours of teaching. This is because you have to incorporate in students what the subject matter is all about, and if one of them could not yet understand the idea, then you really have to explain the concept all over again.

4. The age of the child

The younger the child, the more time that is needed in home schooling. This is because younger children have the tendency to grasp the things being taught at a much slower pace compared to those who are already at higher levels.

On its total view, the time needed to commit in home schooling may be affected with these factors but the important thing is to have quality time for your children or students. It is not a matter of how much time you can devote in home schooling but more on how you have provided the time in teaching your children.

Home tuition can be a very good aid in assisting your child to establish better grades in school, no matter what is your child’s learning aptitude is. Most of the times when a child progresses to a higher level of class in school; he or she will most likely struggle to keep up with the pace of new learning.

Students who are struggling with their studies will find home tuition beneficial, as it will help them to understand and learn their school materials more thoroughly and easily. On the other hand, academically adept students will find that tuition can help them achieve far better grades and break through the level of excellence and learning well beyond what they could achieve without tuition.

Therefore, for any students, no matter whether they are struggling or doing fine at the moment, will definitely find that home tuition is a good aid to their learning. It will be a good choice for you to get a home tutor for your child.

With home tuition, you will need to hire a personal tutor to come to your house and tutor your child. For this case, you will be able to better monitor your child’s progress and get any feedback or suggestion directly from the tutor after every session.

If you plan to hire a personal tutor, there are actually three basic options. This first option is to hire a local student with expertise and a little experience in the tuition industry. This option will be very economical. However, you will risk a chance to have an ineffective tutor, depending on his or her expertise and experience in this area.

The second option is to tap on the power of the Internet. Internet has make communication between people so easy with technology such as broadband, emails, instant messaging, Skype, etc. But for this option, there are lots of disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is that email and instant messaging may not be effective for teaching when compared to face to face tutoring. Therefore, should you wish to take up this option, do consider properly.

The last option is to hire a professional tutor with reputable certification from academic bodies. This will most likely be the most expensive option because of their expertise and credential. However, if you manage to get a good tutor for your child, it will definitely be worth the money that you pay for him or her. These professional tutors will also have their own effective teaching methods, which will allow your child to learn more things faster in lesser time.

Home tuition is definitely a good aid for your child to improve his or her school work. Do consider hiring a personal tutor and help your child to break through a new level of excellence.