Lingua Translations

Henry Brooks Adams said, “A teacher affects eternity – he can never tell where his influence stops.”

A workshop is a life-changing opportunity for everyone. Some attendees may learn nothing but may meet someone important to their future. Some attendees may feel they’ve learned nothing but, years later, that workshop information aids them. No matter what we do to help the learning, it is up to attendees whether they take up the opportunity or not.

So, let’s make it as amazing as possible but not get too upset if some attendees don’t see the value that everyone else did – be a little gentle with yourself. Let’s see what we can do to make it an amazing event, anyway!

1. Preparation

Be there early, set up, make sure you have more than you need for attendees (paper, pens, crayons, seats, desks, food and drink) and make sure all the equipment you need works – overhead projector, data-show, whiteboard pens and duster (eraser), microphone, music, wall posters, your advertising material for your next workshops, your business cards, assessment forms.

2. Welcome

Introduce yourself to every attendee as they come in (or have someone in your team do this) as they’re coming into your space, your “home”. As guests, they’re unsure, fearful even. Start relaxing them before the workshop starts and they’ll participate earlier on. This makes it easier for you… and them!

Start with an ice-breaker (see my article called Running Workshops – Great Ice-Breakers) so they can feel more comfortable with you, the other attendees and the venue.

The Principal’s Role in Rural Schools

“Leadership is influence…[and] the ability to obtain followers.” (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006, p. 569)

Principals of rural schools spend a large percentage of their time teaching cross-age, multi-grade students (Starr & White, 2008). As recent legislation and litigation continue to place more responsibility on the principal, site level responsibilities challenge the constant, increasing role of the administrator (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006).

Most principals in rural schools get little in the way of administrative support, ancillary personnel, and ground staff (Starr & White, 2008). While principals in larger schools are able to delegate and share in management tasks, this is not a luxury afforded to their small rural counterparts (Starr & White, 2008). Regardless of the size of the school, principals still have a moral obligation to comply with federal and state standards. The ethical behavior of educators, write Rude & Whetstone (2008), is a driving force that ensures balance.

Statement of the Problem

A rural school district is classified as such in that all of the schools in that particular district are located in counties with a population density of fewer than 10 persons per square mile and was identified as rural by a governmental agency (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006). Due in large part to declining enrollment, loss of resources, and loss of population, most school districts across America, rural schools and district are confronted and faced with continuous challenges (Patterson et al.., 2005). Additional barriers involve resistance to change, economic challenges, and geographic challenges (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006).

Today we live in a time that requires each of us to evaluate, as well as re-evaluate just what our future is going to actually hold. Many people have been affected by the housing collaspe, the massive job losses, as well as the banking industry going in the toilet. When the beginning of a new year comes around many people decide to make a resolution, or a commitment of some sort to do better than the year before. It’s going to be 2010 in about 2 weeks, you are not to late, if you look within yourself there are a number of things that you’ve learned, in your lifetime.

The World is hungry for the knowledge that you have within, what is that knowledge you may be asking. Let me give you just a few examples of what I mean. Since the invention of the Internet, information is accessed at the speed of light, any topic you want to learn about is only a Google search away. Now let’s assume you were raised on a farm, there are things that people from the city wouldn’t have a clue about. Or perhaps your first job was in a fast food restaurant, there are things that have to be done a certain way in order for the business to run effectively. All those are skills that you possess within yourself, all that is necessary from you is to bring it out on paper just like this.

If you want to start your e-book business, you should select the right e-book topics. Coming up with a topic for your e-book may be a challenge to you. But it is unnecessary to worry about it, for there are many topics for you to write about. You just have to choose a topic you know about. Here are some topic ideas for e-books.

Topic on parenting – you can share your parenting knowledge in an e-book. It is a great topic for an e-book. You can tell your questions between you and your children and then find answers to these questions. You also can write an e-book about things someone told you about being a mom, or dad. In addition, topic on home business is a good idea. Lots of parents are now looking for work-at-home opportunities and your information will be welcomed. Your e-book on how to work at home while caring for your children will certainly be in huge demand.

Topic on computer – you can share your computer knowledge in an e-book. In these days, many people are in trouble as to how to protect themselves from viruses and spy ware. You can write an e-book explaining some useful technique or recommending some anti virus software you have used. Besides, you can include your e-book some tips about upgrading the computer. Whatever you know how to do on the computer could be turned into an e-book.

The age-old vision of the artist or writer toiling away at his craft, alone and hungry and living in compromised conditions, is certainly an enduring one, and it is also one that most artists and writers readily reject if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, most developing artists must endure at least a period of abject poverty as they hone their craft and struggle for recognition. The public, rather than support society’s creative brain trust, customarily engages in mocking those who have not yet achieved notoriety, while often lavishing ridiculous rewards on those who are fortunate enough to be underwritten by large publishing and promotion interests. The late (and beloved) writer Kurt Vonnegut often reiterated the sentiment that he considered himself incredibly lucky, because he personally knew at least a dozen writers who were every bit as talented, or perhaps more so, than he was and had achieved no recognition whatsoever (not to mention no financial rewards).

Without a doubt, a certain amount of luck is involved when a writer signs a contract with a major publisher. Many aspire to such recognition (worthy or not), because what artist does not wish his work to be exhibited to a large audience? In this age of high budget promotion, mass media, and instant gratification, it is easy to forget that such works as Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen were originally private publications for the benefit of the authors and their friends and families. In fact, the list of self-published titles, and writers who acted as their own publisher, is quite longer than one might expect: