This week we got into a discussion that can be summed up as: "The school system does too little for high-performing students." We addressed other problems, such as school performance, grading, pressure on performance, etc. but that was at th heart of the debate.

As teachers we must not neglect children. There are plenty of recommendations for teachers on how to cope with a heterogeneous class. Most of these recommendations focus on the under performing students.

We can do better than that:

1. Collect associations with terms to understand where you need to focus your attention. Which students have more problems? What problems and difficulties will the students of the two groups face?
   • a) under performing pupils,
   • b) high-achieving students.
2. What would you focus on?
   • a) under performers
   • b) high-achievers
3. Imagine you are a struggling (a) low-performance pupil now a (b) more powerful student with less trouble learning. While one will have all sorts of problems at school the other will go fairly undetected, yet that student is in fact under achieving. When a student is not challenged they will not be encouraged to further there knowledge only do what is asked of them. The under performing pupils will make achievements and push themselves while high-achievers tend to blend into the background.

We are still avoiding students. And some may say that it isn't avoiding, it is focusing on those that need the most help.

This is dangerous and still the apathy prevails.

We are teaching these children to be under achievers. Some time ago a teacher wrote that some classes seemed like a madhouse to him. His statements were highly politically incorrect, but he tried to open an honest dialog, some classes are more effort than others. Some are completely out of hand.

One aspect that becomes apparent in is that the collateral damage caused by completely overwhelmed and confused teachers that are trying to find a balance on a daily basis, which, in addition, is widely disseminated in its effectiveness via a completely misguided course in the teaching system is as technically and intellectually, lead closer and closer to the edge of academic downturn. We are also increasingly risking large sections of the population that will be needed to represent us in a growing more competitive global stage where over achieving students are pushed to challenge their limits and grow.

How much longer can this go well – even in a country as great as ours, where we are steadily loosing ground – when will parents demand more fairness for their child's academic welfare?

When you adopt from a shelter you are shaving a life. And that means a second chance on life.

Older animals have the hardest time being adopted; people see them as a risk, sickly, and weak. And that it why most of them get passed over for fear of medical expense and other health issues like incontinence, however unfounded they might be.

There are a lot of benefits to adopting an older pet. As a child my family only adopted and all of our dogs were older. My dad actually had a "no puppy" rule. And his reasoning was simple: puppies need to be house trained, they have ample amounts of energy, chew constantly and have needs most babies and children do.

An adult dog has all of this behind her and yet they are just as affectionate and "cute" just in a different way. And you will be able to leave them alone longer. They won't pee inside and your sofa will remain un-chewed.

All of which should be seen as positive points.

If they are under a year old they are still pretty much a puppy. Depending on the breed a dog can still be seen as young when they are two or three. Not that that means that they are still a puppy mind you.

While this all speaks for an older dog and an adoption it is important to note that you still need to be careful when adopting.

If the dog is aggressive – regardless of what it promoted online and by experts – dog aggression cannot be trained out of an animal regardless of the breed though the behavior is more apparent in fighting dogs. The best animal behaviorists agree on this. And if the dog is in the shelter for aggressive behavior you should be very mindful of what that means.

One of our dogs was a collie and lab mix. She had been relinquished to the shelter because she had been purchased as a farm dog. She wasn't ideal for that life though. And since her previous owners wanted a working dog they relinquished her. She was a timid little girl with the name Brenda, I'm serious. We named her Buttercup or Butter for short, and we never looked back. She was really timid at first because they left her chained up behind a barn for over a year. She had a raw spot in her neck where the chain wore the fur away and it took a long time for it to heal.

She lived with us for most of my childhood but due to hip dysplasia which became less an less manageable with time (medication and surgery helped little) her quality of life deteriorated until finally. Well, it was the hardest day of my life.

Buttercup was one of several dogs my family has given another chance.

Right now I don't have the time to properly care for a canine companion. Though I love dogs they have to share my love. It would be better to say that I love other animals equally. And I know that it would be unfair to expect a dog to function with my schedule. Because of that consideration I am contemplating adopting a cat.

I will keep you informed on my decision.

Helpful Links

• https://www.aspca.org/adopt-pet/find-shelter
• https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/adopting-animal-shelter-or-rescue-group

Beauty is for some a religion.

I want to say that again just because it is both true and pertinent to the topic I wanted to cover.

But first a little background. My mother is somebody that has a natural beauty, it radiates from here in such a manner that you can't help but take notice. It encompasses here like a halo. Sorry, I used the religious theme a little too much there. But again I will say that she is a natural beauty. I on the other hand have to work for it. Mainly because I inherited genes from my father. Sorry dad, but they may look good on you, not a girl.

So I think that there is a little bit of a divide when it comes to beauty. Some treat it like it is optional and others see it as a religion. For all intensive purposes I am in the latter category.

The whole subject however led me to question what it means to be a natural beauty and what natural beauty means today. For me it means using products that I know and trust. Things that are present in my life already.

Here are a couple of them:

• When I was growing up brewing tea was a past time for me. Sure I liked to drink it but one tea in particular was a must. That was a tea made from Calendula flowers. The reason is because it works great against acne. Either I would wait for it to cool and then wash my face with it or I would drink it. Taste is so-so. Face wash factor is unbeatable. I still do it from time to time.
• When I was a kid I was pretty rough and tumble, not really tomboyish, but I liked to play. So cuts were a thing that had to be dealt with on a regular basis. Garlic cloves were often in short supply, and not because we cooked Italian food. Today you will still find cloves in my kitchen. I use them for rubbing out blemishes. When I was growing up they were applied to scratches. The juice always seemed to clean the scratch up quicker than without it.
• I will use warm olive oil for a number of different purposes. You can treat dry hair, cuticles, and cracked heels. While this beauty secret has been used for thousands of years (Greek women used it) it does make a nice addition to my beauty arsenal.
• Tea tree oil. What can I say – I love it. It gets rid of my acne, I can use it in my household to clean with and I know one person that makes their own deodorant out of it. It really is a nice ingredient to have around.

I might update the list if I think of more. In the event that you want to contribute to the list you know that you are always welcome.

Amber

I look forward to the Christmas holidays every year. For me you could get rid of the presents, abolished the Christmas tree, and decorations.

Yet I would feel just as warm and happy. It is a chance for me to meet with old school friends and distant family. They are my gift. I like to use the time to relax and reset from the stress of the past year well.

New year, new happiness so as to speak.

I also wish those who work on the holidays as stress-free time and health as possible.

Amber

To avoid falling into that pattern as best I can I made a couple of hard and fast rules, which I am going to throw out there.

Function is more important than aesthetics.

Aesthetics also play a big role, for example in clothing or furniture, but it must not be the sole criterion: An uncomfortable sofa, no matter how nice it looks and how expensive it was, remains an uncomfortable sofa. I have heard people say that those who buy cheap, buy twice. I don't agree. Buying cheap often comes over as indecision.

I think that it is more fitting to say; Those who don't know their exact requirements buy twice.

Before I spend money, I imagine what the product would look like, how I will be using it, etc..

Examples are best when you can imagine yourself in them, so instead of a sofa lets use this example: I see a great t-shirt with a cool motif on the front.

I realize I couldn't wear the t-shirt on the job, at most privately on weekends. If I reach into the closet in the morning, the new t-shirt would eventually bother me in such a way that I would weed it out. Or I would probably store it in the basement or unused in the drawer of my dresser until I admitted to myself that it was a mis-purchase.

Here are a few more examples from my life.

I think consumer spending makes sense if it gives you added value in life: Saving time, saving space, improving quality of life. To achieve this, one should be aware of its exact requirements and think about when and how often you will use the product – realistically use the product.

The shirt example for me is a great way of demonstrating that principle. Liking a motif and actually making use of the t-shirt after you purchase it are two different things.

The price of a product plays a rather small role in the selection. Prefer to buy an expensive product, which you use every day, than a cheap product, which dusts. At the same time, however, "cheap" doesn't have to mean bad things: Our best kitchen knives cost $1. Although we also have more expensive knives, these don't cut as well as the "cheap knives."

Disadvantages of targeted consumption

Factor Time: As mentioned you can make a science out of anything or a neurotic tick. One should weigh the pros and cons in advance, really set asside the aspects that are important to you. This gives you a chance to see which products this makes sense.

For some searches, I sometimes spend 1-2 hours researching, although the item itself may only cost $20. This means I have invested way too much time into the product. In the case of cheap products, you can sometimes drop out of the research and proceed according to "trial and error." If the purchased a bell for your bike, lots of research is not sensible. If miss purchase you simply buy another one. I usually do not exchange such products since it is more of a hassle than just taking the small loss. If I know somebody that can use it I will give it to them instead of throwing them away directly. For online purchases I will write a corresponding review to give people an idea of what the product is like.

Hard to give as a gift:

If they have everything they need, you don't have to give them anything. (Best to talk about this in advance to avoid embarrassing faux pas.)

Within the family, we used to ask "What can you use?" for presents growing up (both birthday and Christmas). I prefer gifts that you can consume, such as soap or food. The exception being plants.

The requirements depend on the person's circumstances, which is why you cannot dictate which consumer expenditures are "meaningful" and which are not. If in doubt ask.

Another example: If you have need to clean up after a cat: hair, kitty litter, and food probably need to buy a different vacuum cleaner than me. Mine mostly helps me fight against a few crumbs.

Try and think of some examples from your life and see if there are ways to reduce your consumption and avoid becoming the Super Consumer.

We as American seem to be getting up earlier and working longer hours. Our 24/7 world demands that of us and if you don't conform you are seen as lazy.

Some people feel affronted when you say you get up early others will praise you.

Jason Fitzpatrick writes: "First, sleep deprivation isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a very American/Protestant Work Ethic attitude to act like being so busy and stretched thin that you must go without sleep just to get it all done is something to be proud of."

What this means for me personally is that if I break that pattern. Say I feel like sleeping in on the weekend and I get up at six I will have a hard time getting back up at four-thirty during the week. There may be a name for this but I really haven't looked into it if there is a study or not. The main reason is that it would not help me in my personal situation. That said, it is best if I just maintain that cycle.

This does have the side effect that I my personal life is a little non-existent during the weekends.

If I need to be in bed between eight-thirty and nine every night to ensure that I feel rested the next morning it makes going out and celebrating challenging. Thankfully I have a SO that has a similar pattern so we have plenty of time to do activities together.

Some might suggest that naps can be helpful in such circumstances. While I have made other experiences. When you nap in the afternoon (great idea right, you feel tired) you get some of that energy back that you missed during the day. But when it is time to go to bed you still have that surplus and end up having a hard time falling asleep. That's why for me, it is all or nothing. And as much as I would like to get an hour or two of extra sleep on the weekends or go out I have to stick to my schedule.

When I do that everything is fine.

One of the pluses of having a schedule is that if you go to bed and get up at the same time everyday it is easy being a morning person. You just need to routine to make everything come together. Another bonus, at least during the summer is that when I get up early on the weekend the day seems longer and more productive.

Think of it this way.

If you are out of bed by five every morning during the week you need to be in bed the night before by nine. But if you stay up until two during the weekend and sleep until ten Monday morning is going to be really stressful.

• According to WebMD it is important to stick to a routine.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a lot of health and joy in the New Year.

It has been very quiet on the blog for the last few weeks, but from January on I have plans to make some changes and post more frequently. I already have a lot of new ideas and topics in the pipeline.

And I would also like to tell you why it has been so quiet here lately … but that is a story for another day.

Enjoy the holidays!!