Noah and Joseph McVicker are the inventors of the all time favorite toy named “Play-Doh”.

In case you didn’t know, it was originally designed to clean wallpaper!

So that’s a hint of history; now let’s get straight to my favorite easy Play-Doh recipes to make at home.

1. Long Lasting Play Dough Recipe

This one can be prepared in 15 minutes or less and can be stored for months. It makes enough for 2-4 children to have a good sized lump to play with.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup salt
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• food coloring

Directions:
Mix in flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium pot. You can then add in the water, oil and food coloring. Cook it over medium heat until the mixture forms a ball in the pot. Let it cool and then knead until smooth. Store it in an airtight plastic bag or container.

You can replace the food coloring with ‘Kool Aid’ instead for a great smelling variant.

2. No Cook Play Doh Recipe

This one’s an uncooked variant for those who want to avoid the ‘cooking bit.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of plain flour
• 4 tablespoons of ‘cream of tartar’
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 1 cup of salt
• 2 cups of boiling water
• food coloring

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl knead it well and it will come together really nicely. You can put a lot of different things in it such as glitter and sand.

To make it smell nice and last longer put a couple of drops of peppermint oil in it.

3. Play Doh Recipe Without Cream of Tartar

This recipe uses no cream of tartar, and needs no cooking either. It won’t be as smooth as other recipes. The alum helps prevent mould and makes it last longer (a week or two) but could also be left out if you’re stuck – it will still last a few days if kept in the fridge.

Ingredients:

• 2 and a half cups of flour or more
• half a cup of salt
• 1 tablespoon alum (a preservative available in grocery stores)
• food coloring

Directions:
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Stir all together in a glass measuring cup the following ingredients: alum, water, oil and add to the flour and salt mixture. Knead well until doesn’t stick to your hands. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag.

4. Another No Bake Play Doh Recipe

Then last but not least, another cooking free version.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of plain flour
• 4 tbsn of cream of tartar
• 2 tbsn of cooking oil
• 1 cup of salt
• food colouring of your choice
• Instead of 2 cups tap/room temperature water, add in 2 cups of boiled water from kettle.

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix in all the ingredients until it starts to combine. Being careful the water is not too hot, get your hands in and bring the mixture together into a ball.

If it seems too wet, you can add in more flour until it’s good. But if gets too dry and starts cracking, add a bit of water until you gets the right consistency.

You can keep it in an airtight container or bag. It the weather is hot you can pop in in the fridge.

Extra Play Doh Making Tips

Involve your kids when making the play doh – obviously be careful around the hot water – they do enjoy creating it too, and can learn a lot out of this activity too.

Just also make sure to remind them not to eat it – it is very salty, may contain glitters and sand; and will have been played with on all sorts of different surfaces, so may have picked up all sorts of dirt!

This great toy has been a favorite of everybody, and has sparked many creative ideas to a lot of tots around the world.

Happy Play-Doh ing!

This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at Easy Homemade Play Doh Recipes.

Of course, nobody likes to admit this, but often even the most well meaning childcare professionals face an almost insurmountable obstacle in the way of their efforts to educate and enrich children’s lives. I’m talking, of course about their parents.

Of course, the ways parents can make your job are nightmare are as numerous as the parents themselves, but broadly, here are some of the more offensive you’re likely to come across.

The Loud and Sweary

If you’ve ever been a student, or just straightforwardly unemployed, then at some point you will have seen an episode of Jeremy Kyle, where people solve their intimate personal problems by going on national television and shouting bleeped out swearwords at each other until security is forced to come and drag them away. For some reason quite a few people seem to enjoy watching this while they eat their breakfast, and many of them must lightly chuckle to themselves, wondering what it would be like if there were people like that in real life.

Well if you’re working in childcare you’re going to meet those people, who will shout and scream, swear at you and threaten you without letting you get a word in edgeways.

The way to deal with these parents is to think of them as a shaken up coke bottle, take the lid off, let them explode and eventually all that froth will reduce to a damp, fizzy trickle. Once they’ve run out of steam, tell them that you understand why they’re angry and you want to help, then ask them a simple question that will make them think, such as “How was your child at breakfast this morning?”

You can’t be angry and think at the same time. If they continue to go ballistic, ask them to come back when they’re feeling calmer. If they still don’t calm down, warn them that if they don’t calm down or leave you will have to call the police. Finally, in a loud voice from the door ask a member of the office staff to call the police. In these circumstances the parent risks being done for harassment and receiving an £80 fine.

The Snooty

Of course, one thing that’s worse than parents who act like they’re in an episode of Jeremy Kyle are the parents who think all the other kids’ parents are out of an episode of Jeremy Kyle. The upwardly mobile ones who believe their darling ray of sunshine could never do anything wrong, and if they did it was probably the fault of one of those working class children that you carelessly allowed to get near them. If a discussion with these parents doesn’t go exactly as they want, they’re very likely to involve their sister-in-law who’s a QC, or simply use ominous but vague phrases like “We will have to take matters further”.

If, God forbid, their child is actually misbehaving so much they can’t deny it’s happening, it’s because they’re not being challenged enough for their preternaturally intelligent child brains. In the worst possible cases, they might actually use the phrase “Indigo child.”

The first thing you need to do with this species of parent is listen very carefully to everything they say. They really hate not being listened to. Once they have finished their doubtlessly extensive rant, give them something. Find something you can apologise for, even if it’s the old stand-by “I’m sorry you feel that way…” Immediately follow this up with concrete steps that you will take right after the conversation, and arrange a future meeting to review how things are going.

The goal here is to let the parents tell themselves a story about how important they are. It will go something like “I went to see the teacher myself and told them X and now they’ve changed it so Y”. Finally, however the conversation goes, always, always remember to say something flattering about how wonderful their little sunbeam is.

The Hypochondriacs

Having a kid is massively scary, especially where the newspapers, TV and, dear God, the entire Internet are constantly and happily reading you a lengthy list of horrifying things that could happen to them. This is understandable. So if you’re responsible for a child’s care you will most likely, at some point, get a parent who is absolutely convinced their child has some sort of rare medical problem or special needs.

This is one of the trickiest kinds of parent to deal with, because there’s a fine line between parents who worry too much or have just read too many issues of the Daily Mail, and parents who border on being Munchausen’s by proxy. These parents may also come to you with tales of how much their child hates it in school, when you can quite see them laughing and playing and getting on with their school work just like everyone else. School anxiety is a genuine condition – but it often applies more to the parent than the child.

In these situations it’s essential that you cover yourself. These parents will go to extreme lengths to prove their case, so you’ll want to bring in outside agencies to get the child properly assessed.

Meanwhile you’ll have to spend a lot of time listening to the parents, and make sure you write absolutely everything down, and have two people present at all times to that everyone is clear about what has been said and agreed. During class, gather as much evidence as you can, including plenty of photos of the child happy and smiling and doing things the thinks they can’t do.

Essentially with these cases the parent is looking for attention, so to protect the child you have to gain the mother’s trust (it is usually the mother) and give her the attention she needs, while ensuring you do what is best for the child.

About The Author
Charles Reybreck is a writer and social activist who blogs primarily about childcare and nursery assistant vacancies.

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This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at The Worst Parents You Meet In Childcare.

Sometimes it can be difficult to develop the relationship you want, so here are some tips for better communication between you and your child’s teacher.

Meet Them Early

Introduce yourself to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. You don’t necessarily have to wait for back-to-school night. Come to the classroom and meet her. Express your desire to help in any way that you can, and provide your contact information, including your cell number and email address.

Find the Best Method

If you want to have good communication with your child’s teacher, you need to find out the best method to communicate with them. Ask them how they prefer to talk, whether it be through phone calls, emails, or notes. Also ask when is the best time of day or week for you to call them or meet them in person. Respecting their schedule will allow you to have better quality communication.

Learn Classroom Expectations

When your child is in school, they have a set of rules to follow. Find out what the rules are, and find out what the teacher expects of her students. What is the daily routine in the classroom? What behaviors are highlighted? What are rewards for doing well, and consequences for behaving poorly? You’ll be able to understand the teacher’s expectations and help enforce them at home, too.

Check In Regularly

There might be parent-teacher conferences a few times per year, but you shouldn’t wait for them to check in with your child’s teacher about their progress. Call the teacher every couple weeks or so, or at least once per month. Ask how your child is doing, what areas they could use improvement in, and if there is anything you can do to help.

Participate When Possible

It’s a good idea to be an active member of your child’s classroom. Lots of teachers appreciate a parent’s desire to help out, so show yours and follow through. They might need parent volunteers for field trips or special events. They might need supplies for projects. Whatever it is, do what you can to participate.

Voice Concerns Early and Respectfully

If you have any particular concerns, whether it be about something the teacher is doing or something else, talk to the teacher as soon as possible. Don’t wait for things to escalate any further. Always approach the teacher in a respectful manner. Do not get angry or be accusatory. Be open to hearing their side of the story or their opinions.

Don’t Go Over Her Head

Your child’s teacher has direct authority over her classroom and your child. If you have a concern about something, go directly to her. Do not circumvent her and go to the principal or other superior without talking to her first. It’s disrespectful and won’t help you build a better relationship.

About The Author
Mark Weatherford is a high school English teacher and father who loves to give advice in his free time. He is an outspoken advocate of grammar checkers and always encourages his students to proof their work with them to ensure their work is clear, concise, and abides by all the proper grammar rules.

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This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at Tips for Better Communication Between You and Your Child’s Teacher.

If you’re considering this idea, here are four tips you can share to your class.

Use Some Fancy Paper

Mothers won’t mind the paper your students will write on at all. Even a sincere message on a slightly crumpled page torn from a notebook will be much appreciated. However, it will be more heartwarming if they use some lovely yet affordable stationery paper they can buy at a nearby shop.

Better yet, if they’re willing to squeeze their creative juices, they can make her a handmade card or a unique scrapbook. Each second of effort will make her feel extra special.

Communicate Gratefulness

Some of your students might find it difficult to draft their message for their mother. If they need some ideas on what to say, suggest writing about gratefulness.

Many mothers feel they’re not appreciated for the ordinary chores they accomplish like cooking, washing clothes or making lunchboxes. Ask your students to note that they value their mother’s love and contribution to the family.

Doodle

For artistically gifted students, they can convey their message with or in the form of doodles. A mother getting a work of art from her child won’t only be pleased because of the exerted effort; it will also make her proud that her offspring knows the concept of colors, lines and art.

Besides, a drawing is really fun and interesting to look at. Mothers can frame and post it in the house if they wish so.

Insert Petals

Jostein Gaarder in her book, The Christmas Mystery said that “Flowers were part of the glory of heaven that had strayed down on earth.” Won’t it be a good idea to let mothers feel that glory?

Tell your class that inserting dried, fresh or scented petals in the letter will trigger warmer, lighter and more positive emotions. If they have extra coins in their pocket, you can also encourage them to buy a stem or a basket of wonderful flowers.

The most important tip you can share to your students is to write their letter with utmost sincerity. Let the words and effort spring from their heart and everything will be just perfect.

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2. Writing Teaching Tools for Homeschoolers

This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at Writing a Letter for Mother’s Day.

Yes, the state does send you books and other educational pieces to help you teach these subjects, but sometimes you need other tools to help ensure your children get a good grasp of the concept.

One area that homeschoolers seem to have trouble with is teaching writing. There are so many factors of writing, including spelling, grammar and composition, that it can be difficult to know where to begin and what will work best. Using the following tools will help homeschoolers teach writing.

Educational DVDs and Videos

If the lesson is boring, children will lose focus, and your efforts to teach them how to write will be worthless. Children like to be entertained, and it’s important to reach them while also entertaining them. Using educational DVDs and videos can really help teach children how to write while also providing a sense of entertainment. They can relate to the characters and pay attention to the story while also taking in the information that is being shared on how to write.

There are plenty of educational movies that you can find on the Internet or through your local library, and they can really help a child understand certain writing elements.

Workbooks

Children learn through doing, so it’s important to give them workbooks to help them learn. Workbook pages usually don’t take much time, and they reinforce the lesson while challenging your child to demonstrate what they learned. Some workbook pages can be fun to do and may incorporate another activity into it, such as coloring.

Madlibs

Madlibs are a great tool to use to help children learn parts of speech. Children may have trouble learning the difference between adjectives and pronouns, and a Madlib can help them comprehend the difference. Not only will they be learning, but they will also have fun doing it.

Creative Writing

Children love to tell stories, and you should use this to your advantage when teaching children how to write. Let them write their own stories, and use their creations to show them what they excel at and what they need to improve on. This can also help you determine areas of weakness, and you can create lessons that focus more on these areas.

Children also learn the most effectively through trial and error, and creative writing enforces this concept. When you show a child what they have done wrong, it will help them recognize the issue and eliminate it in future writing pieces.

Though writing can be a challenging topic to teach since it incorporates so much, there are plenty of tools out there to help make the process easier on you and more enjoyable for your children. The less stressed you both are will result in better learning experience.

About The Author
Mark Weatherford is a high school English teacher and published author who loves to give advice about education. He is a lunatic about proper grammar usage and he often encourages his students and friends to proof their work with a grammar checker. He teaches grammar rules in his class but finds the kids could use some extra help with editing.

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This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at Writing Teaching Tools for Homeschoolers.

An MBA is a form of postgraduate masters degree that is orientated towards the business sector. Originating from the United States, MBAs are available in UK and American business schools and universities. The qualification is quite general and includes disciplines such as accounting, marketing, finance and human resources, taking into account all the major functions of a business.

MBAs are not only postgraduate, but also post-experience. Most MBA students will bring at least three to four years of work experience in a management role with them. More popular and accredited courses could ask for up to ten years experience.

MBAs are one of the most expensive options of masters degrees; they range from around £50,000 to £80,000 in the UK and there is generally not any funding available (although some employers part fund MBAs as a training scheme for employees).

How Can I Do an MBA?

Traditionally, MBA courses are taught full-time at a participating university or business school. These courses can range from one to two years.

However, as most MBAs require prior experience, there are ways that you can carry on part-time or full-time employment and complete an MBA concurrently.

Part-time courses generally take around three years to complete and can be balanced alongside part-time employment (although some may find the competing workload a struggle).

Those in full-time employment who cannot afford to reduce the hours they work can sometimes engage in online classes, generally carried out in the evenings. This method will naturally take much longer to complete. Depending on how much spare time you have to carry out online work, it could take 60 months or more to complete an MBA online.

What is the Value of an MBA?

It has been hotly contested in recent years whether MBAs are worth the incredible price postgraduates pay to complete them. A common criticism is that many MBA courses are theory based and are restricted to using traditional tools such as lectures and case studies to impart knowledge, therefore leaving students ill-equipped to deal with real life situations and lacking in necessary leadership skills.

It is possible that some employers are beginning to question the value of an MBA as students come to them able to solve complex business problems but lacking in skills such as public speaking and character skills. However, many business schools have altered programmes to combat such criticism. These new programmes focus on problem solving, ethical and social responsibility and the process of decision making as well as standard, theory based business problems.

Also, despite recent criticism, graduates possessing an MBA qualification are still consistently the highest paid graduates. Many senior level positions will openly state that they require an MBA qualification, so if you are looking to obtain a job in a specific area which you know requires an MBA, there is no side stepping this masters degree.

Where can you Get the Most Value out of an MBA?

An aspect of MBAs which has been widely agreed upon is that the value of an MBA is very often relative to the standard and respectability of the institution it is obtained from. Only MBAs from the very best business schools and universities can guarantee any kind of employability. An MBA from a poor institution, in an increasingly competitive job market, will not be worth the fees paid to complete it. It is therefore advisable to apply for an MBA only from AMBA (Association of MBAs) accredited institutions.

As reputation is often the most important factor in choosing where to study an MBA, check that the institution has good links with both local and international companies. It is also advisable to find out what kind of employment their alumni have entered in order to gain a good idea of where you might be heading.”

About The Author:
Amy Harris is a writer for FinancialTraining.co.uk – which helps British and international students find the right financial certification courses located the UK. Amy is an American expat herself and loves helping people find their dream job, no matter where in the world it may be located.

This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at What Is The Value Of An MBA?.

“We are all staring

Figuratively speaking, the line above is the main purpose of integrating global citizenship education in the academic world. Everyone, regardless of race, religion and group, lives in one big community based on absolute values.

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This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at Global Citizenship Education – NZ Model UN Teachers’ Workshop.

Of course not! We can teach our kiddos simple how to’s and help them take care of the planet we live in; not only for a day but for each and every day.

Recycle

Ask the kids to help out in putting together and organizing used glass, plastic, aluminum bottles and containers in different bins for recycling.

It can also be a good activity of sorting and comparing things such as glass, plastic and aluminum.

You can also ask them to keep old newspapers together in one container. Afterwards, you can then drop the items off to a waste management company/facility.

In this way, kids get to learn the importance of recycling and how it can benefit our mother Earth.

Composting

Instead of adding to the volume of materials sent to landfills, ask your kids to help out by placing food and yard scraps in a compost bin. You could build a heap without a bin, but a fairly cheap bin from garden stores or nurseries will look neater and likely be more accepted.

In this way, you can also now also produce valuable fertilizer for trees or garden areas.

Beyond Recycling

We may not be aware of it, but some if not most of our “junk” could be other people’s treasure.

Some organizations such as libraries, daycares, elementary and preschools are in dire need of arts and crafts materials.

Instead of throwing, we can donate them items like empty milk jugs, styrofoam, containers from ice cream or instant noodle cups, egg cartoons, old CD’s, magazines and newspapers, empty paper towel tubes, old fabric and many more.

But do make sure they are clean before attempting to donate them.

Efficient Way of Shopping

Instead of having a lot of bags around, when shopping you can ask assistance from your kids. And you can each carry around an eco-bag/canvas bag. Of course they can carry the lighter and less delicate items.

You can also assign them as ‘runners’, to help you find products. It’s fun for them, and quicker for you.

Let them look out for products that have a recycle logo on it too (the one that looks like a triangle of arrows chasing each other), meaning they are made from recycled materials or packaged in recyclable containers.

Walk your Talk

Set an example to children in the best way possible to show respect for our planet. Let your actions be emulated by them like:-

• Don’t let the tap run while bushing one’s teeth.
• Turn off the lights when leaving a room.
• Do not litter.
• Don’t just throw away things that are recyclable.

Not only it’s an enjoyable activity to do together but it makes mother Earth happy as well.

So don’t forget make everyday an Earth day!

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This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at Make Everyday an Earth Day.

Because this is often the assumption, many students have considered grades as their main motivation for learning at school. While it isn’t the worst idea, it somehow overlooks the benefits tests can give.

How Do Students Benefit From Testing?

Tests are mainly constructed and administered for the purpose of acknowledging and improving the students’ performance. They exist to serve as an instrument in helping students reach their maximum potential.

Is her reading comprehension skill better than others in the class? Then she can be assigned to tasks that involve thorough analysis of written words. Does he always flunk his trigonometry quizzes? Then he probably needs tutorial sessions at least once a week. Does she exhibit extraordinary competence in actual PE tests? Then she should be encouraged to join a sports club to develop her interests.

How Tests Help Teachers

Test construction is not as easy as it may seem. Teachers may sit or observe during testing, but the preparation and the evaluation take much effort.

For instance, an essay test might be just be a two-question quiz but going through the answers without any biases needs formulation of rubric standards. On the other hand, a good multiple choice test might be too easy to check but thinking of the appropriate questions, homogeneous choices and effective distracters can be mind-boggling and exhausting, too.

But just like what tests do to students, test construction improves the skills of teachers. It isn’t just a simple question-and-answer portion. Teachers also have to ensure the tests are valid and reliable. They have decide on the structure and length.

Another benefit they get is knowing how effective their classroom instructions are. If many pass the tests, it can be assumed that students understood the lesson well.

How Tests Define School Standards

Tests are significant to schools because the results tell how far their students have achieved in terms of their standards. Determining this information is necessary in curriculum development or review, in resources allocation and in faculty training.

Results of large scale assessments also evaluate the kind of training schools provide to their students. As you notice, institutions always take pride in their students who top district, regional or national examinations and matches.

Given this information, testing should not cause fear or worry among students. It is an essential part of the learning process as everyone benefits from it.

This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at What are Tests For?.

But, anyhow, to the point at hand: information is abundant; it is everywhere—across the internet, within social media, and on the tablets and smart phones and a myriad of other mediums we carry with us each and every day.

This abundance of information also plays a vital role within education, and higher education more specifically. As knowledge is gained, progress is made. For example, the new information the scientific community gleans is often used to push forward with a specific study; or, on the other hand, new information can be used to establish an entirely new method and area of study.

The same principle can be applied to higher education. New methods and areas of study are popping up everywhere. College students can now get a degree in Social Media or Virtual Assisting or Renewable Energy Engineering. A mere decade ago these weren’t even options. They may have existed in certain ways, but they did not exist as degree programs within universities worldwide.

In addition to new areas of study, specialties are increasing. This produces a genuine smorgasbord of academic options and concentrations, minors and majors, supplements and complements. Students can study and pursue careers in specific medical vocations like medical coding or medical billing. Students have opportunities to get a degree in online media or web design.

The opportunities are seemingly endless. The thirst for knowledge and to establish individuality begets more knowledge. More knowledge begets specialty. Specialty begets opportunity. Opportunity begets student success and achievement, both within the classroom and within a chosen career.

Because, at the end of the day, this is what we want: opportunity. We want students to have a chance to evaluate the options and earnestly discover what is best for their specific and unique needs.

About The Author
Non Wels is the Marketing Copywriter at Allied Schools, wherein he writes about Allied’s many online learning options for high school and university level students, including Medical Coding, Real Estate, Green Energy and Medical Billing.

This is a post from How To Be a Better Teacher - ISTANZ. You can read the full original post at Information, Specialties and the Opportunities Created.