How will our teenagers function in the “real world”?

There is so much going on out there, and teens are pretty clueless of how they appear to us “adults”. They think they know how they want to be perceived, yet the girls are wearing the shortest tightest skirts, (I can’t imagine how they can even sit down) or the boys have their jeans hanging way down below their belts. For the most part, their communication skills get worse every day as they submerge themselves in their world of text messages, inserting the word “like” into each sentence, and abbreviate everything. They have no idea how to look someone in the eye, shake hands or even speak up with something other than “wassup”. With budget cuts getting worse every day and class sizes getting bigger, how can we get to these kids and teach them what they need to know about survival? The teachers can’t do it, they’re stuck with curriculum that must be taught and then tested. The curriculum is old and for the most part outdated. The teachers are underpaid and have no incentive to inspire. The kids are bored and don’t listen and as a result our drop out ratio is higher than ever. This is our future folks – these kids will one day be running our country and making decisions that will affect a lot of us as we enter the later years of our lives. If you think life is scary now – just wait!

I’ve been taught that when you see a challenge, find a solution. So that’s what I’ve done. I’ve created a series of “classes” to teach life skills to teens. I’ve been fortunate, in that I have found a way to relate to teenagers, and they to me. Coaching and mentoring these kids feeds my soul, but more importantly gives them a new outlook with which to face life. I’m not saying that they’re all a mess, but there are way too many who are. I realize this is pretty brutal, but then truth usually is.

It starts with self esteem. Who are their role models? Who do you think are their role models and why? Is it Kanye and his rap or Lebron James and his focus? Are they listening and doing, or just doing without listening? Are they aware of consequences? Do they care? Do they know what a goal is? If so, do they know how to set and reach it? These are just the first few questions and answers that we dig into when I’m coaching. What makes a teenager tick? How can we motivate them to think and do something positive?

Teenage is a tough time, but we can help them to develop a sense of self and future goals. They can learn to think, act and even accomplish things they never thought about. One of my first students was a 16 year old high school mother with absolutely no self-esteem or thoughts that she could accomplish anything other than just getting through school, and even that would be a first in her family of 14! She grew into a confident, skilled, smart young woman and worked for me personally for 10 years! I’m so proud of her and who she has become, the family she is raising and the life she is enjoying.

If we can work together to produce a better curriculum for life then that’s what we must do. Contact me: Tish@talk2tish.com or Direct 310.867.3334

Let’s work together to create a better life for your kids! I know we can do it!

Mobile Communication?

My friend Stephanie founded SocialBling.com!  She is the first I know of to actually concentrate on Social Readiness!  Communication is key to a lot of us, and Stephanie has a wonderful way of doing just that. Mobile Liberation

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-michele/mobile

Check out this fabulous article she just published in the Huffington Post!

Let's Not Have an Educational "Hurricane Sandy"!

Although there are a lot of political discussions online, I have not participated.  This year’s election is so controversial and I can’t stand all the negative blasting between all the candidates.  However, there is one issue I’d like to talk about and hopefully my audience will hear me. PLEASE VOTE YES ON PROP 30!

Our schools, teachers, and students are suffering their own “recession”.  With budget cuts and overloaded classrooms, how can our “future leaders” get the education they deserve.  If Prop 30 does not pass, we will have an Educational Hurricane Sandy!  We will immediately begin teacher layoffs, the school year will be shortened, class sizes will increase and that’s just the public K-12 schools.  Let’s talk about our community colleges.  Our own local Santa Monica College has already cancelled their winter sessions.  If 30 doesn’t pass they will lose 500 more classes minimum!  A ripple down effect will hit local businesses who cater to the school district and college.

Santa Monica has proven that a small increase in sales tax will help the schools.  Thanks to Measures Y and YY we have increased financial support to our schools for the past two years through a sales tax increase.  Now we have a chance to do it again.  The monies will go directly to the schools!  It says so right in the bill!   

Here is the basic information direct from Sacramento:

What would passing Prop 30 cost?

• It would raise the state's sales tax by 0.25 percent (one-quarter cent) for three years, and
• It would raise marginal personal income tax rates on filers making over $250,000 (joint filers earning $500,000) by 1 percent to 3 percent for six years.

Where would the money go?

• Of that new revenue, 89 percent would go to K-12 education and 11 percent to California Community Colleges (CCC). Prop. 30 works with Prop. 98 in support of the California state budget.

What exactly is the impact if Prop. 30 passes?

• $500,000 in additional revenue, which translates to 31 class sections (8,460 student seats) more than we served in 2011-12.

What if Prop. 30 fails?

• An automatic cut to our district budget of $4.34 million on Jan. 1, 2013 (after we have already cut more than $8 million since 2008-09).
• The elimination of 8,460 more student seats per year from classes. We would have to cut 251 class sections, plus we would lose the 31 we could add if it passed, multiplied by the average enrollment per section of 30 students. We have already cut 45,060 student seats (1,502 class sections) since 2008-09!
• The elimination of the teachers to teach those classes; most part-time instructors teach more than one section, so at least 141 instructors would not be hired.
• We already have a selective hiring freeze in place, but jobs, wages and benefits would be at risk. Those are negotiable issues, but each would have to be carefully examined.
• Similar cuts will occur at the CSU and UC systems, affecting our students' ability to transfer on for four-year degrees. California students have the third lowest debt load of college grads across the country because thousands of them get their first two years in at the CCCs, which cost less than any community college in the country.

These are not threats.  These trigger cuts are already a matter of law. The current California state budget counts on passing Prop. 30 to avoid $1 billion in cuts to higher education. For California's 112 community colleges specifically, $548.5 million is at stake.

The students being turned away from our doors are our future nurses, firefighters, doctors and lawyers. They are new high school graduates who would be the first in their family to go to college, as well as laid-off workers who want and need to retrain for the jobs of tomorrow.

Let’s pass Proposition 30!

Here's Tish Working an annual Career Day! 2012

Working with High School Teens is the most rewarding thing I do!  These kids are actually starved for this kind of information.  Most of us don't have a clue what we want to do once we've graduated from High School.  Here we had an opportunity to bring in speakers from many different professions to interact with these students.

Police and Fire, Entertainment, Amusement Park, Environmental Opportunities, Accountants, Attorneys, Hospitality, Architecture, Non Profit, City Government, and Real Estate were just a few of the professionals sharing their career advice with students.

The students had lots of questions and really "listened" to what we all had to say!  It was very encouraging to hear questions like:  "What kind of education do I need for this job?"  "What kind of jobs can I get without a college degree?"  "What exactly is an entrepreneur and how do know that I would be one?"

All great questions!  Lots of different answers!  The success of the day was that the questions were asked and the participation was off the charts!

Bullying... Let's do something about it.

The recent violence and increase in bullying has most of us outraged.  Safety for our kids has to be our number one priority.  It shouldn't matter who is being bullied.  It's got to stop!  This is just a first step.

Last week, a freshman at Rutgers University killed himself after his roommate secretly recorded him with another male student, then broadcast the video online. It's just one of a number of teen suicides in recent weeks following cruel anti-gay bullying and harassment at school. Some of the kids were as young as 13.

Human Rights Campaign is calling on the Secretary of Education to keep students safe by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to school anti-bullying programs across the country.  I just added my name to their letter -- will you join me?

The Heart of our Teachers!

I am constantly amazed by our teachers.  Our childrens lives are affected each and every day by these fabulous individuals who are dedicated to their lives and futures.  Stop and take just a few moments to watch this video and remind ourselves of what happens after the bell rings!

Making a difference in the life of children.....

I've been working with children (mostly teenagers) for lots of years.  Encouragement to our youth seems to be something that is needed and unfortunately with today's economy, seems to be lacking.  At a recent Chamber Board meeting, I listened to a proposal from our local school district Superintendent as he explained how many teachers will receive pink slips, what courses will be cut, and how class sizes will increase.  A parcel tax was proposed and passed for endorsement almost unanimously for a special election by mail in May.  A temporary "fix" for now. So - what else are we going to do about the lack of education to the future leadership of our country?  I'm proud to be a part of Rotary International who puts great emphasis on literacy.  As this week is "Literacy Week", many of us have found our way to local elementary schools to "read to the students".  It was most satisfying to have those little faces full of attention as they listened to stories about everything from the alphabet to animals.  Not only are we lacking in the schools - but how many parents take (or even have) the time to just read with their kids.  I can remember back to my own childhood and my parents encouragement to read.  I started like most kids with Dr. Seuss, moved on to Nancy Drew, and from there, a continuous library of reading has been a good part of my life and learning experiences.  My mind opened up to all kinds of possibilities and dreams.  Adventures of story book characters kept me enthralled and as a bi-product improved my vocabulary and imagination.

So, here's where I encourage you, my readers.  Choose a school and volunteer.  Get involved.  Find alternative learning opportunities.  We have a wealth of life experiences to share.  So let's share it.  My kids are grown now with kids of their own.  They love reading and being read to.  My daughter was reading to my granddaughter while still swaddled.  Now, at 10 years old, Anya reads voraciously, sometimes 2-3 books at a time.

Don't wait for a week especially created to "read to our youth".  They need us now!  And that's just the beginning.....

Want to design a joyful 2010? Here’s a couple of tips....

I am thrilled to have a wonderful friend and colleague like Michele Lando!  I often refer to her as "the most articulate person I have ever met"!  She is an expert in so many areas, and has helped me numerous times with my branding and communications.  So, I am most excited to share with all of you her latest article on getting a head start on 2010!  I know we're all caught up in the holidays, but remember 2010 is only a few weeks away.  No matter if you're a student or adult, these handy hints are for all of us! Tish

After the decorations, celebrations and communion with family and friends, Monday morning will reappear.

My holiday gift to each of you: a few tips from the IndiBrand™ Individual Branding Workshop series.

Even in this economy. There is much to be grateful for:

The future is the present moving forward constantly. This means that whatever you envision for your future is being impacted by your choices right now—this very minute—and the next, and the next, and the next.

The future is connected to your present (which has just this instant become your past). As you consider what you want 2010 to be like for you, engage all of your senses. What do you want it to smell like? Taste like? Look like? Sound like? And feel like? The more visceral your imagination of your future, the more real it becomes and the easier it is to make choices in this instant and the next that truly support your goals for your future!

When I am considering my future I make sure I am specific and engage each of my senses across multiple areas of my life. Like good marketing, the more targeted I am in my focus on each area of my life, the more impactful my connection to it is! The more likely I will actually create it, and the more joy I experience in all areas of my life as a result. Following are some of the focus areas for my future. What are yours?

• Social: Relationships with family, friends, organizations
• Spiritual: Practicing faith, prayer, self-exploration and development, awareness of others.
• Romance: Husband, travel, celebrations
• Creative: Writing, music, ideation
• Health: Exercise, yoga, quiet time, food prep, breathing
• Professional: Contribution, self-growth, mentoring, learning
• Financial: Abundance, philanthropy, saving, planning, insurances, spending
• Play: Silliness, laughter, light-heartedness, outings, new experiences

There is always room for changing one’s vision. Don’t let your fear of commitment or your belief that you cannot control what the future holds, or anything else, get in your way. It’s the distinction between making choices that lead to something that fulfills you or not.

Author: Michele Lando, president of Skilset Communications, Inc., and author of the internationally acclaimed IndiBrand™ Individual Branding workshop series. To reproduce any portion of this article, you may write or phone 626-792-0032.