Back to School Shopping Savings on a Shoe String Budget

Dr. Stephen Jones

Are you worried about your back-to-school shopping bill?  Shopping for back-to-school items can be a very costly adventure for most families. Some parents rush out to the store and purchase back to school items without a list. Unfortunately, a shopper can pay 20 to 30 percent more by not having a list and considering the cost of the items you are purchasing. You should have a shopping plan that starts early during the summer. The sales that you see at the end of the summer may not be the best cheapest price.

It is better to purchase back to school items when you can shop with patience.  When you’re in a rush to make a purchase and there is no planning involved you pay more.  One of my major recommendations is to plan your shopping dates.  If you have a plan you can avoid making unnecessary purchases and tips in your car or on public transportation. It’s amazing how many items you can add to your shopping cart that you did not intend to purchase. It's better to do your shopping before you go on vacation during August.  It seems that when most families return from a late summer vacation, classes are not far away.  If you do not have an inventory of the things you already have you will make costly purchases.   

Some shoppers stay away from the dollar store because they believe that these items are inferior.  There are tremendous savings right in the dollar store.  You can purchase binders, composition books, pencils, pens, crayons for a dollar each. Some of these items are perfectly good but other stores have sold them to the dollar store.  Start shopping at the dollar store and you will find some great savings. There are some other valuable back-to-school shopping tips to consider. Here are my top five:

(1)  Ask retailers about special back to school discounts.

(2) Shop in bulk and share with a group of friends (BJs, Cosco etc).

(3) Search for a good laptop on websites like Dell and Apple.

(4) Ask your local bookstore about their next sales day and check on Amazon.

(5) Check of items you have on your shopping as you purchase them.  

(6) Ask your friends where they are getting the best sales

(7) Use the App on your cell phone to catch sales, Staples, Office Depot or Walmart stores

Each year the number of parents who are shopping online is growing.  If you shop online many retailers offer discounts and free shipping. If you are disciplined, you will save money and purchase just the item you need from each website.  Some schools require certain clothes like Kaki pants and a green shirt.  These items can be found on clothing websites too.  The websites for Target and Walmart offer many of these clothing items.  If you do your research early you can find a lot of savings.     

These tips all work when you apply them.  Try something new and you will find that your savings ideas will explode.  The best way to enjoy your back-to-school experience is organizing a plan that you will follow.  Involve your children by getting them to make lists and look for discounts. You can give them points toward the purchase of something they want.  Getting a child’s participation will be a great way to make their new school year exciting.  You can look on the school website to determine the items that your child needs.  Every student wants to feel like they are prepared for the new school year.  Let your back-to-school purchases be catalyst for an exceptional new year. There is no time like today to get the best sales of the shopping season.

Dr Stephen Jones is a speaker education advocate and author of several college preparation books The Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate scholarship Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship G Guide. Add these books to your shopping list at http://www.DrJonesBooks.com

 

Dr. Stephen Jones Books

1.     Seven Secrets of How to Study 

2.     Ultimate Scholarship Guide

3.     Ultimate Parents Guide

4.     http://www.DrJonesbooks.com

 Dr. Jones Parenting Online Course

Parents course:  https://teachit.bz/parents

 Dr. Stephen Jones Podcast App

Join my podcast on the Anchor App which is titled Education Central 

https://anchor.fm/stephen-jones91

 

 

     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

 

Success Strategies for Principals and Other School Leaders

Principals and leaders who spend time working on self growth are frequently rewarded. Students and staff need a principal who will take time to invest in themselves and their school. Leadership work can be  be very stressful. Here are some things you can do to  be an inspired leader.

1. Never give up 

2. Come to work prepared to learn 

3. Be a servant leader 

4. Care about all the students, teachers and staff 

5. Teachers are your partners not servants 

6. Pray every day for wisdom 

7. Work life balance works 

8. If you are married, happy wife long life 

9. Stay humble it works 

10. Create a culture of success by continually acknowledging the accomplishments of students, staff and faculty. 

There needs to be a change in the way that schools are designed. 

Dr. Stephen Jones is a consultant, speaker and author at http://www.DrStephenJones.net or call 610-842-3843. hashtag

How Advanced Placement Courses Successfully Prepare Students for College

If you want your student to be better prepared for college, I highly recommend that they enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) courses. You may be asking why.  Students who enroll in AP courses are better prepared for the challenges and rigor that a college level course can bring.  Preparing students for college takes a lot of preparation and planning.  Too many students go to college with great enthusiasm and with little preparation. During the first few weeks of college some students realize that they are not prepare them. They start to realize that college requires long hours of studying, reading, solving problems and managing a schedule that is full of reading assignments.  If you are sending your first student to college an AP course can give your student confidence that they can handle college level courses.

Completing an AP course in high school can help your student to get over the anxiety that is common during the first six weeks of college classes.  Some students receive their first C grade or less while in their first semester of college and it is a tremendous shock.  This is especially true when the student has not received a grade of less than a B during their entire K12 experience. It’s sad to say that some students want to drop out after their first unusual grade.  Some students realize that they were not taught how to learn independently or to research knowledge on their own.

Students who are the first person in their family to attend college face unique obstacles. They do not know what to expect or how difficult it will be. There are many who have no counselor to turn to when it is time to apply to college. The counselor to student ratio is five hundred to one in some high schools. A student may not be steered toward an advance placement course if the parent is not communicating with their counselor.  It is important for each parent to be actively involved in their student’s high school education.  Always seek out the best courses for your student and get them tutoring when necessary.

I recommend community college courses for students who want to get a taste of college before attending undergraduate school. Community college classes can give your student a similar challenge that an AP course can provide. Also, a community college course can be a way for a student to catch up if they are behind in a certain course. For example, if you want to study engineering in college you will need to take calculus while in high school. If you are behind you can take a pre-calculus course during the summer and calculus during your senior year.  It is far better to take calculus during your junior year and AP calculus during your senior year if possible.

Some student’s classmates scare other students away from AP classes.  They tell them how long they study and the difficulty of the course content.  If you are their parent encourage your student and support them with resources and tutoring. It is worth it.  You are cutting down on the chances that your student will struggle while they are in college.  In fact, there is a prize at the end of every AP course. If your student scores a 4 or a 5 on the standardized AP course during May they are able to reduce the number of courses they take during college.

To succeed a college student must develop good study habits while enrolled in an AP course. It is a great way to prepare for college. Your student must devote their energy to earning the best grades in each class by meeting the expectation of the course. Students who are successful know that they must manage their time. Here are ten additional ways that a student benefit from AP courses:

1.  A reduction in the number of courses required during college

2.  Get in the habit of good time management for tests

3.  You will have some of the best teachers in your school

4.  You will have an early experience regarding the expectations of a college professor

5. You learn how to do advanced research

6.  You will share knowledge with some of the best students in your high school

7.  Get tutoring from some of the best teachers and students.

8.  Get preparation for a community college course.

 One of the best skills that a high school student can learn is how to focus on their goal.  There are always plenty of distractions in high school.  Focus on your goal to be excellent in all AP classes. Identify your distractions such as social activities, day dreaming, peers and sports.  Students who are willing to eliminate distractions while they are in high school have a great habit of doing the same while in college.  One of the biggest distractions in college is the freedom in your schedule when there are no classes.  I encourage all students to write down their goals in each AP class and to work hard to achieve them.

The decision to enroll in an AP course is a serious choice.  It can be life changing and have a positive effect on the rest of a student’s courses.  Acceptance into a college is just the beginning of a student’s career journey.  All the studying that a student is doing in high school lays the foundation for how successful his/her college experience will turn out. Now is the time to enroll your student in an AP class that helps with the transition from high school to college.

Dr Stephen Jones is a college preparation expert and author. Purchase copies of Dr. Jones’ books “Seven Secrets of How to Study, Ultimate Scholarship Guide or Parents ultimate Education Guide at http://www.DrStephenJones.net or email your school workshop/consulting questions too Learn@DrStephenJones.net

10 Things High School Students Must do During Freshman Year of College

For many high school seniors the final year can be a stressful time. High school students often struggle to manage their time. College will be an awakening for some high school students in terms of time spent studying. The best thing that a high school student can do is develop an academic study plan and follow it. Their freshman year will require 20-30 hours of studying each week. Here are ten tips to for freshman year of college:

1. Get a time management daily planner and increase your study time in your daily schedule. Study at least 4 hours each day.

2. Don’t procrastinate and study for examinations at the last minute. (Study 5 days before each examination)

3. Purchase books for all classes and begin reading them right away. If time allows read each chapter twice. Follow your syllabus and stay ahead.

4. Meet every professor in their office throughout the semester. Go to their office with prepared questions.

5. Get tutoring where appropriate

6. Get involved in study groups where students are earning A+ grades.

7. Focus on maintaining a positive attitude by reading motivational books or listening to recordings.

8. Organize and review your notes daily.

9. Ask your instructor questions right after class.

10. Go to the library to study and avoid friends who area distraction.

Get ready for college while you are in high school. Attend your colleges’ summer program before you attend. College will be the stepping stone to your future.

Dr. Stephen Jones is a college coaching and study skills expert. You can get a copy of his book the “Seven Secrets of How to Study” at http://www.DrStephenJones.net or to obtain college coaching for your son or daughter call 610-842-3843.

How Principals Reinvent their Schools

One of the critical aspects of transforming a school is innovative leadership.  The expectation that new and innovative ideas will be accepted will result in a successful school.  Why do some schools turn around while others flounder?  It is because some principals and teachers continue to lead the same way they did last year. They expect different results but they keep doing the same things that caused the school to have difficulties. Successful principals and teachers see change as a good aspect of their schools success. An effective leader must have a positive vision and measurable outcomes that inspire students to be successful. There must be a commitment to moving forward with new ideas and actions throughout the school year. Today is the day to get started by making the school a welcoming place where every student can thrive.

     The principal, staff and teachers in a school that’s progressing has very good communication and cooperation among the entire professionals who are running the school. The principal must refuse to let communication breakdown. When there is an expectation that all communication has a purpose it motivates everyone to raise the level of energy that is invested in student instruction. An improved school will come from everyone knowing how to carry out the vision of the principal and his/her team.  Teachers in this school should feel free to talk to each other and to develop some of their own strategies to improve each student’s academic success. This includes discussing the way that each teacher communicates their lessons to students.  The teachers must also feel confident that the principal understands them and takes time to teach students too. A principal who takes time to teach will have a better sense of what students are learning in their classrooms.

     The students must understand that everyone at the school expects them to do well.  There must be a strategy to totally abolish the culture of low expectation.  Students must be applauded and recognized for their accomplishments in the classroom.  A whole school culture can change if the students who maintain a “C” average are challenged and acknowledged for raising their performance to a “B” average or higher. Success is evident in a school when the principal and teachers make learning fun and engaging.  The school not only celebrates the success of its athletes but has a bigger celebration over students who excel in the classroom.  A school atmosphere can change so that athletes want to become a scholar athlete.  Better grades and academic performance will get all students excited about coming to school.

     There must be a level of compassion by the principal, teachers and everyone on staff.  A school must be a welcoming place that is aware of the neighborhoods and cultures that influence the students.  Schools administrators that ignore the child’s problems are ignoring that they are affected by a number of struggles at home.  The challenges that a student can face when there is one parent in the home are tremendous.  Even if the student has two parents it does not guarantee that they will focus their energy on the student’s academic success. The principal and teachers must understand these challenges and work on some solutions that help each student to position themselves to learn when they are in school.  There are some very bright students whose home situation is not good.  It is better to meet the challenge head on than to hope that it will go away.

    It is important to lead from the front and not from the back. What is meant by this statement? It is better to have a plan that the school is following than to constantly respond to conflict and problems that were never fixed.  When the principals, staff and teachers lead from the front schools become better.  The teachers are excited to come to school because they feel supported. The students get the benefit of the teacher’s enthusiasm.  The principals and teachers can be role models of what good leadership looks like.  They also inspire students to become leaders at the school and in their community. 

     Positive changes can come from principals, staff and teachers who know how to get parents involved in the daily life of the school.  Parents often do not know how they play a positive role because their own parents were not involved in their school.  The school staff and several parents should come together to discuss how other parents can be involved.  These meetings can be held in the school, at a community center or at a church.   An effective parent involvement program includes meeting the parents where they live.  It’s great when a principal can find a pre-existing group of parents that meet and find a way to get on their agenda.  This saves the parent’s time but the principal can share important information with them. Persistence and a significant improvement in the students success is the key to improving parent involvement.

    Finally an inspired principal and staff can change a failing school by promoting career awareness to all at all K12 levels. Too many students are drifting in schools where they have no idea what their future could look like.  I firmly believe that career exploration should occur all year.  The K12 students need to explore careers to sustain their enthusiasm for learning. When they hear from visitors they can visualize themselves working in professions such as medicine, engineering, government, business and other professions.  The principals and teachers are the catalyst that motivates students can educate students about some of to pursue the top careers.  It is time to try something different at the all schools. It is time to take action and to fight for successful schools.

Dr. Stephen Jones is an education expert who you should consider for your school.  He is the author of the Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate scholarship guide at http://www.DrStephenJones.net. Contact him right away at 610-842-3843.

Google Helpouts a Fantastic Way to Learn

Google has created another fantastic tool that just may be a wonderful tool for principals, teachers, parents and students.  The Google Helpout will help you to access professionals who are skilled and available to answer your questions.  The fantastic thing about Google Helpouts is that you are live by way of video and in real time.  You can also schedule a meeting where you can get your questions answered or access the coaching that you require.  This tool became available on November 5, 2013. The Helpout is a great way to get the solution that you need or to hear a different perspective on a problem that you are trying to solve.

What is Helpout about?

Google helpout offers live video that will give the user a one on one expert to help and offer advice anytime of the day. The expert can be an educator, businessperson, consultant or electrician.  That fact that this person is live is a relief for the person who needs help right away. This is a service that is not provided by other social media websites.  Google staff believe that people from all walks of life will appreciate the opportunity to get help any time of the day.

The Google Helpout can reach people who are too busy to attend a conference to get a unique perspective on their problem.  A principal or teacher could get advice on how to improve student learning or to discuss a professional development opportunities.  School districts that have a limited number of college counselors could get help for students.  A school could get information about ideas to improve parent participation. 

How can it benefit schools and colleges?

There are several unique ways that schools can benefit from the one-on-one support that a Google Helpout expert can offer. Here are some of the benefits

1.  Superintendents can get advice on how to manage multiple problems at a school district

2.  Principals will benefit from an adviser who can help with teacher training ideas

3.  Teachers can learn how to help students to learn students with

4.  Parents can learn how to help their student to earn better grades

5.  Students will learn how to get better grades and to prepare for college/trade school.

If you think Google Helpouts could help your school, Dr. Stephen Jones is honored to be one of the experts who were selected. You can get the help you need.  If you are interested in giving it a try go to http://bit.ly/16ZISPe. Don’t miss out on this great chance to get your critical questions answered.