I decided that this summer, I would use the time to center myself. Due to my spouse’s work schedule, fuel prices, and lack of funds, I made the decision that this summer would be spent around the house. I had (still have) a sizable list of projects that I wanted to complete, and a stack of academic frontiers that I wanted to cross. So here I am, at the mid-summer point, and I have to admit out loud my lack of accomplishment.

I’ve seen some movies, played computer games (yes, at 49 I’m a pretty accomplished “gamer”), watched the deer eat my neighbor’s garden down to ground level, and have accomplished little else. I woke up this morning in a panic. Summer is half over, and I still have my unattainable list of projects!

After frantically wandering from room to room while breathing into a paper bag I began to come to my senses. If my psyche demanded some “down time”, maybe that is exactly what I needed. Teaching is a unique profession in many aspects. I have often wondered why, when I was working my “corporate” job for many years, I would work 60 hours a week and still have energy to go out and paint the town. I remember staying up late, running on pure adrenaline, catching a few hours sleep, and hitting the streets with my sample case the next day.

These days, sometimes after finishing my day in the classroom, all I want to do is nap! Now I will concede that I am older, but teaching takes a toll on the human psyche that no other job demands. I still perform with a stringband on weekends, and I have often compared teaching to performing. Except that every 45 minutes, the band gets to take a break and disappear from the stage. During my work day at school, I often feel like I am on stage for a full day, without a minute out of the spotlight.

Students have always been quick to point out the smallest thing out of place in my world, a spot on my tie, my socks don’t match, bags under my eyes, “Teacher, you have a zit!”. I often wonder if this feeling of being under the microscope is unique to my profession, or if anyone else has the same experience. I am a veteran of the Air Force, and I recall the same feeling after a long period of training exercises and inspections. I would be remiss however if I didn’t point out that the rewards from teaching far outweigh the negative aspects. I have worked many, many jobs in my life, from dishwasher to sales-trainer, and I have never experienced the same fulfillment that I get from a group of young people passing through the “dark tunnel of not knowing” and all of a sudden, getting it. (Now I’m not sure how much I contribute to many of these moments, but it’s really neat seeing it happen).

Stephen Covey, in his series of books about the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” speaks about the important habit of “Sharpening the Saw”. He states that the need to recharge, and rejuvenate is just as important as the ability to stay on task or to set priorities. If we as teacher, don’t stay sharp, our students suffer.

Oh well, exercising my brain has made me hungry, and I think Oprah is on. Maybe I should rent a video tonight. See you all in September.

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Parents - Paying for College? Do the Math First

(ARA) - In these challenging financial times, parents make certain sacrifices to ensure they can navigate the crunch and provide their children with the things they need most. Given the frequent need for sacrifices when it comes to paying for college, parents owe it to themselves to make sure they focus on value.

Securing the right education at the right price means “doing the math” to determine the real cost of a college education. While the reality check may not be pleasant, it can lead to considerable money-saving decisions when it comes to funding a child’s college education.

A few smart, simple rules can help families determine a realistic number to start budgeting for.

Math Rule 1 – Know Your Estimated Total Costs
Tuition is just one part of the total cost of college. It’s important to factor in books, meals, housing, transportation and other expenses (even decorating the dorm room) when making a college financial plan. Your school should be able to provide helpful information on costs. Meanwhile, here are a few insights that may help:

* Four-year public college – If you’re in-state, the average budget is about $18,000 per year, of which tuition and fees are $6,185. The average out-of-state budget should be about $28,000, of which tuition and fees are $16,640. Students considering a public college should be mindful that tuition and fees are approximately one-third of their total budget.

* Four-year private college – The average budget should be about $35,000 per year, of which tuition and fees are close to $24,000. Students considering a private school should consider their tuition and fees as just over two-thirds of their total budget.

* Two-year college – The average estimated budget for a two-year college is about $13,126 per year. Tuition and fees are just $2,361 of that amount. Students considering a two-year college should understand that tuition and fees are approximately 20 percent of their total budget.

Math Rule 2 – Know the Impact of One Percentage Point of Interest and Shop Around for the Best Rate on Student Loans

If, after determining the total cost, you and your child decide you need to borrow, keep in mind that even a small change in rate can make a substantial difference in the overall cost of a student loan. For example:

* A $10,000 private student loan that has an average percentage rate (APR) of 8.69 percent will cost $20,512 in interest if you defer payment until after graduation.

* Meanwhile, a $10,000 private student loan with an APR of 6.92 percent will cost $14,797 in interest if you defer payment until after graduation.

In other words, a less-than-2-percent difference in the rate of interest on a $10,000 loan translates to a $5,700 difference in the amount you’ll have to repay.

Math Rule 3 – Understand the Impact of Your Repayment Decisions

Using the same examples above, recalculate the interest payments if the borrower starts repayment on the student loan immediately.

* The first loan’s total interest owed is reduced to $11,056, a savings of nearly $9,500 in overall interest paid.

* The second loan’s overall interest amount paid reduced to $8,420, a nearly $6,400 difference.

Because payments need to be made consistently, it may not be realistic for many students to start repayment immediately. However, knowing that interest accrues during the deferment period and that you have to make it up by paying it back later should help parents and students make smarter borrowing decisions.

Student loan company MyRichUncle offers handy tools for prospective borrowers. One tool, called the APR Monthly Repayment Calculator, provides student loan borrowers a new process where they can view examples of private student loans and repayment from several different vantage points, including the cost difference between different repayment terms, different repayment options and the impact of different interest rates on the overall cost.

For more information on student loans and for online tools, visit www.MyRichUncle.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Your Kids Are Too Young to Have Back Problems

(ARA) – When your kids come home from school, are they literally weighted down with homework? Wearing a backpack so heavy, they are slumped over and leaning forward when they walk? That’s how 10-year-old Marquiese Jackson of Wichita, Kan., used to look every day.

“He’d come home from school very tired, with his shoulders slumped and kind of drooping. When he started experiencing back problems and complaining about headaches, I decided it was time to bring him to the doctor,” says the boy’s mother, Eileen Ward.

Marquiese is not alone. According to a Simmons College report, 55 percent of students carry more than the recommended guideline of 10 to 15 percent of their body weight around on their backs. Whether it’s because the child can’t get to his or her locker during the day, or simply because he is a pack rat, Dr. Jerry DeGrado, the National Backpack Safety Chairman at the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations, says it’s a huge problem.

“Numerous studies have shown that putting a lot of weight on shoulder straps causes problems with the neck, mid back and low back. It is also to blame for headaches, fatigue, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs and complications for kids who have already been diagnosed with scoliosis of the spine,” says Dr. DeGrado.

When he first saw Marquiese, Dr. DeGrado did an adjustment on his back which offered immediate relief; then told him and his mom that things had to change. “I told his mother to think of it this way. Your son weighs 65 pounds and is carrying 30 percent of his body weight or 20 pounds on his back. If you weighed 150 pounds that would be like you carrying 46 pounds around with you all day.”

After offering that explanation, Dr. DeGrado then recommended that Marquise do the following:

#1 Lighten the load.
This can be done by taking all non-essential items out of the backpack and simply leaving them home. Then rearrange the books and folders the child does need to carry, placing the heaviest materials closest to the child’s back.

#2 Purchase an ergonomically designed backpack for your child that will redistribute weight to promote an upright standing position and keep the spine straight.

Of all the ergonomically designed packs on the market, the one Dr. DeGrado likes best, and has on display in his office, is the AirPacks System by Core Products International. Developed by orthopedic professionals, the pack is clinically proven to reduce stress on the body by up to 80 percent and lighten the effective load by up to 60 percent.

To demonstrate how effective wearing the right backpack can be, Dr. DeGrado put Marquiese’s 20 pound pack inside an AirPacks, then handed it back to him and asked him to put it on. “The pack felt so much lighter, my son was convinced the doctor had taken some of his books out and hidden them somewhere,” says Ward.

The secret to the Airpacks’ effectiveness at reducing back strain is its inflatable lumbar air cushion and wide foam-cushioned shoulder straps. They work together to redistribute weight from the shoulders to the hips and lower back, promoting an upright standing position.

“Once Marquiese started using the AirPacks, he stood up straighter, stopped complaining about back pain, and said his load actually felt lighter. I’m very happy with the results,” says Ward.

Airpacks are available in many doctor’s offices throughout the country, or you can purchase one direct from the manufacturer at www.CoreProducts.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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The CSI Effect: Drama Raises Interest in Criminal Justice Careers

(ARA) - Now in its eighth season, the Emmy award-winning investigative drama CSI draws a weekly audience of about 20 million viewers. But CSI is more than simply entertainment. With such a large viewership, this popular crime-solving show is having an impact on the field of criminal justice — both good and bad.

Repackaging violent crimes into glamorous 60-minute episodes of successful, tech-savvy crime solving, CSI may actually be artificially raising the expectations placed on forensic science. In fact, one study finds that “The CSI Effect,” is altering what crime victims and jury members expect of courtroom evidence. Another study finds that it may also affect the way criminal trials are conducted, with prosecutors expected to present greater amounts of forensic evidence in court to meet a burden of proof. In fact, a 2005 article in the Washington Post reported that, because of shows like CSI, juries now require proof beyond all doubt for a conviction.

Nancy Lee Oesch, criminal justice programs director, Everest University, South Orlando Campus, states that shows like CSI can create unrealistic expectations of the field of criminal justice. “Shows like CSI present crime-solving as something quickly-accomplished or easily proven with advanced forensic technology. But unfortunately we know that in the real world, solving crimes and establishing evidence to meet a burden of proof is really much more complicated.”

In addition to creating a demand for more forensic evidence to convict criminals, some also fear that shows like CSI can actually help criminals learn tactics to evade detection by revealing the process crime fighters use to identify and convict them.

Despite these potential problems, CSI is still one of the most loved shows on television and its popularity may also be having positive effects on the criminal justice field. In addition to raising awareness of the industry, and increasing its prestige, many schools of criminal justice have found that with all the interest, shows like CSI are drawing more potential students to criminal justice careers.

“We have actually found that enrollments in our criminal justice programs have risen as a result of criminal shows such as CSI,” states Sheriff Kevin Beary, Orange County sheriff and adjunct instructor, Everest University, South Orlando Campus. Of course not all careers in criminal justice involve the glamour of forensic analysis as depicted on TV, but all of them play a critical role in crime solving and prevention, says Beary. “Shows like CSI help bring much-needed attention to the important work of professionals in the criminal justice field,” he says.

A degree in criminal justice can lead to a wide variety of careers in crime prevention and corrections, including police officers, detectives, probation officers and correctional treatment specialists.

“In our classes, we always stress that even though you can’t expect the glamour of television, this career path is essential in helping keep our society safe,” says Oesch.

In addition to attracting more prospective students, crime-solving shows like CSI are also having an impact on the training needed to succeed in the legal industry,” says Professor Kinney, chairman of the paralegal studies department at Everest College, Arlington, Virginia Campus. Professor Kinney says that the public’s rising expectations of forensic evidence mean that all types of legal professionals — not just lawyers, but also judges and paralegals, need a better knowledge of forensics.

As a result, he is in the process of developing a text for paralegal students in the area of forensics. “I am writing a book called ‘Forensic Evidence For Paralegals,’” says Kinney. “The book will be the only one of its kind and lawyers and judges will be able to use the book as well. Not just lawyers, but also paralegals, need to know about this important science,” adds Professor Kinney.

It is clear that while CSI might be just Hollywood fiction, its effect on the criminal justice field is very real.

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