A quick guide to understanding what it takes to be a teacher

A quick guide to understanding what it takes to be a teacherWe all remember our favorite teacher in school and how that person has positively affected our lives to this day. Whether it was advice or being that person who just made learning so fun and interesting we just couldnt wait to get to their class. Teachers are important and they play a big part in our lives.They help teach, shape and influence the lives of all children. Their drive and skill to help children reach their full potentialare remarkable. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Here is a quick guide to help understand how teachers are the teaching heroes of the world.Source USC Rossier

9 Things No One Told You About Egg Freezing

9 Things No One Told You About Egg Freezing It seems you cannot visit a website or open a magazine these days without seeing something written about egg freezing. There are countless viewpoints on the topic and its easy to get lost in the noise. Ive been working in fertility for several years and I still have a hard time keeping up. Egg freezing is relatively young think of it as In Vitro Fertilizations little sister. The first IVF baby is 41 years old and the first egg freezing baby is about 14 years old. After physicians realized they could freeze embryos (fertilized eggs) for later use, they began to experiment with freezing eggs. The oocyte is not only the biggest cell in the menschengerecht body, but its mostly filled with fluid and freezing and thawing them took some time to perfect. Several years ago, a new type of freezing called vitrification began to be utilized in embryology labs with eggs and embryos. This worked better than the slow freeze method and had outstanding resu lts. Because of studies at many leading fertility clinics in the U.S., the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) removed the experimental label from egg freezing in October 2012. The rest is history. If youve been thinking of freezing your eggs or are merely curious about the process, talking to an expert should absolutely be part of your distitelbildy. The NYU Langone Fertility Center is one of the premier fertility clinics and has been focused on egg freezing for quite some time. Due to their expertise, speaking to one of their physicians seemed like the best place to get answers to your burning questions. I spoke to Brooke Hodes-Wertz, MD, a a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist practicing in New York City at NYU Langone Fertility Center.Before we get started, its important to know a little bit about female fertility, in case you werent paying attention in biology class. Unlike men, who make sperm from puberty until old age, women are born with all the eggs w ell ever have. As we age, we lose eggs both in quantity and quality. So, not only do eggs die off month over month, but the ones that are left age like any other part of our body. By the time were in our late thirties and early to mid-forties, our egg quality has diminished significantly.Dr. Hodes-Wertz mentioned the first step to freezing your eggs is meeting with a Reproductive Endocrinologist (REI) to talk about your family building goals and the process. Your physician will bestellung some testing, usually ovarian reserve testing, which includes blood work and ultrasounds. And once youve decided to move forward, youll start the egg freezing cycle with your next menstrual period. Dr. Hodes-Wertz said There is variability in each patients cycle and center protocols, but typically there are about 10-14 days where you are taking daily injections and are coming into your fertility center for blood work and ultrasounds to assess your response to the medication. Those self-administered medications are making lots of eggs grow during that month, many more than would grow on their own. The REI closely monitors you to make sure all is going well and then sets you up for your egg retrieval, where the eggs that have been growing that month are removed in a minor surgical procedure. The eggs are frozen that day and can be stored indefinitely.While it is important to remember that this is a medical procedure, most patients have few to no side effects. The risks are minimal, despite the myths that have built up around egg freezing.So, if there are little risks, what do you need to know about egg freezing before you go for it? Here are some commonly asked questions and their answers.1. What is the primary reason people decide to freeze their eggs? I know that a big driver of egg freezing is fertility preservation for medical reasons perhaps before chemotherapy or radiation. Those therapies save lives, but they work to kill cells, including oocytes, and can have a negati ve effect on a persons fertility. Dr. Hodes-Wertz explained that medical indications are often an impetus for egg freezing, but there are other preventative reasons to freeze eggs, like preserving your eggs as you age to have children later. She said many aging women freeze eggs, because often patients havent found a partner that they want to conceive with, or they arent ready to start family due to financial, educational or career goals.2. If you plan to have a family but youre not quite ready yet, at what age should you freeze your eggs?Thankfully, we dont need to make this decision when were deciding what to major in or getting our careers started. Ideally, freezing eggs is best under the age of 34, Dr. Hodes-Wertz said. 28 to 34 years old can be a good time to make this decision.However, Dr. Hodes-Wertz added that women in their late 30s can successfully freeze their eggs. So, if youre over 35, it still makes sense to speak to a physician.3. How do you pick a fertility clinic?Yo u want to pick a fertility clinic that has demonstrated success at freezing and thawing eggs that have led to a live birth. Dr. Hodes-Wertz said Ask about their success rates... Its important to understand the chance of getting a baby out of this process.4. How many eggs is enough?According to Dr. Hodes-Wertz, the magic number is highly individualized and based on your age, as well as other factors. Talk to your doctor about what number is best for you.5. Will freezing my eggs affect my future fertility?Dr. Hodes-Wertz assured me that egg freezing does not hurt your chances of getting pregnant on your own. Ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval involves eggs that ones body would be turning over anyway, she said. It doesnt take away eggs from your future and doesnt do anything to your body to prevent you from conceiving in the future.6. How much does egg freezing cost and will my medical insurance cover it?Egg freezing can be very expensive if you dont have coverage through your emplo yer. It can cost anywhere from $6,000-$12,000 per cycle and the medications can be an additional $5,000-$7,500. There are often also ongoing storage costs of a few hundred dollars annually. This price is prohibitive for many.The good news is that many companies are starting to cover egg freezing as if it were any other medical procedure. But if you arent able to have this covered through your insurance or employer, you can ask your clinic about financial assistance or lending vorkaufsrechts for the treatment and medication. 7. What if I freeze my eggs and dont need them?Some people who freeze their eggs never come back to use them because they end up having no difficulty conceiving. So, what do they do with leftover eggs? Dr. Hodes-Wertz explained that you can choose to discard your eggs, donate your eggs to research and even donate your eggs in some cases to another patient trying to conceive. 8. What if Ive frozen my eggs and Im ready to come back and use them?First of all, yay Yo ure ready to start your family and thats amazing. The first best step is to re-establish your care at the clinic where you froze your eggs. Schedule a follow up appointment and talk about your family building goals. Your doctor may recommend that you try to get pregnant naturally, or even that you give IVF a try before thawing your eggs. If you do thaw your eggs, theyll be fertilized with the sperm of your choice and cultured in the lab in hopes that embryos develop. If you do have viable embryos, you may choose to have genetic testing performed. Once you have a viable embryo, youll undergo what is called an embryo transfer. Your physician will transfer the embryo into your uterus in hopes that it will implant and grow into a pregnancy. 9. What happens if Ive relocated and Im not near my clinic?I recommend speaking to a fertility specialist in your new hometown as well as the clinic who initially froze your eggs. They may recommend that you go to the city where your eggs are stored to have a transfer, but it may also be an option to transport your eggs from one city to another (its done all the time). In short, if youre curious about egg freezing, do some research. The first place to start is to speak to a physician. You can ask your OBGYN if youre not sure where to start and reach out to your insurance to find out what your coverage is. And a lot of fertility clinics will offer free consults or educational events, specific to egg freezing. Talking isnt doing, and a consultation, if nothing else, will give you some great perspective on your own fertility and family-building goals. In ways our mothers and grandmothers never dreamed for us, were able to take some control of our reproductive future and thats so empowering, even if its just a conversation. --Lissa Kline, LCSW is currently VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny. She worked at Columbia University Medical Center for several years in the division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. I nvolved in Patient Services and the Donor Egg Program, she loved working with patients while they underwent fertility treatment. Lissa graduated with a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.

The Oil Information Cartel Is (Finally) Broken

The Oil Information Cartel Is (Finally) Broken A determined James Stafford of OilPrice.com just busted wide open an oil industry information cartel that has existed for decades.Most investors look at West Texas Intermediate and Brent prices on Bloomberg or CME Futures, figuring the oil price is in the public domain. That assumption is about 2 percent correct, because there are hundreds of different grades of oil and hubs where it is bought and sold and they all have different prices.Since the age of oil began up until a few months ago, most real-time oil prices were jealously guarded by marketers, who used the information to their advantage in the daily multi-billion-dollar physical oil trade.Today, Im going to tell you the story of how Stafford and his small kollektiv made 18 months worth of calls, cajoling and ultimately paying for an amazing service you now get for free. Its a true David vs. Goliath story, and just like in the original, the little guy wins in the end.What Stafford and his team have assemblumineszenzdiode to date is remarkable and free. You can access it through the link belowhttps//oilprice.com/oil-price-chartsThis is an incredible and unprecedented collection of information available to the public.(Click to enlarge)Stafford says that the feedback he has received has been exceptional. With no marketing effort, the oil price page is already receiving 40,000 visits daily.It was an 18-month quest to democratize the world of oil pricing and bust the information cartel that has existed for decades.A Simple Question With No Easy AnswerStaffords quest started well over a year ago when he received a phone call from a reporter working for the Wall Street Journal. The journalist wanted help finding a simple piece of information. He was writing an article about the African oil industry and simply wanted to know the current price for BonnyLight crude oil,the main benchmark price for Nigerian crude.Now remember, this is a Wall Street Journal writer with access to an incredible network of contacts and research, not a casual retail investor sitting at home with pedestrian internet search skills and no industry contacts. You would expect that finding the current price for Africas main brand of crude would be a simple task for aWall Street Journalwriter.You would be wrong.Not only did the writer fail to find the current price for Bonny Light, but the best he could do was get a price from six months agoWe were passing information around faster with the Pony Express 150 years ago.The trouble that the writer was having surprised Stafford, who then realized that he, too, couldnt get access to the current price of Bonny Light.Given that Stafford is the founder of the very popular website OilPrice.com, not being able to find a price for a globally important type of crude did not sit well with him.So Stafford put his head down and got to work.Information Held Hostage the Ransom?$30,000 Per YearThe internet h as made information available to everyone with ease. Nowhere is this more true than in the investment world. I can tap into any SEC filing of any company within seconds. It wasnt that long ago that I would have had to request that information by telephone and wait to receive it by mail.The internet has sent the encyclopedia the way of the dodo bird, ruined many a local newspaper, and made the world a much smaller place. It has also leveled the playing field in many cases, especially when it comes to investing.When it comes to obtainingglobal oil price information, however, the internet has done nothing. We are still completely in the dark.Your first inclination may be to disagree with me. You know that you can look at the current (or historic) price of West Texas Intermediate or Brent crude any time you want. What you are missing is that those are just two oil benchmarks out of hundreds, perhaps even thousands.People generally believe that oil is a single homogeneous substance. A ba rrel of oil is a barrel of oil is a barrel of oil.That is not the case.In its natural unrefined state, crude oil differs in consistency and density from very thin, volatile, andlight oilto very thick, almost solid, heavy oil. It also differs in color, ranging in hue from pitch black to a light golden yellow.Depending on where it is found, each type of oil has very unique properties when it comes to volatility, viscosity, and toxicity. In Canada alone, there are north of 70 different oil blends. You read that correctly 70(Click to enlarge)Knowing the exact blend is essential for the refinery process, which has to account for the specific chemical properties and viscosity of the oil being processed.Stafford knew that if he couldnt find pricing for a major type of crude like Bonny Light, then there were countless other prices that would be even harder to get.Staffords quest quickly led him to a discovery The only place to obtain a fairly complete set of current oil price data required a subscription, which went for$30,000 to $50,000 per year.The people behind this source knew they had the upper hand over people who needed that oil price data, and they exploited it. Even at such exorbitant cost, however, the oil price information wasnt complete. The source only provided end-of-day prices for the various sources of crudes nothing in real time.This just motivated Stafford more. His focus became finding a way to open up the world of oil prices, making the information available to everyone.But it wasnt easy, and it certainly wasnt cheap.It took Stafford and his team almost 18 months of making phone calls, getting rejected, making more phone calls over and over again. When Stafford found the right people, they were often reluctant to release the information for fear of ruffling the feathers of senior management.Stafford ultimately succeeded simply by knocking on enough doors across the globe to find enough oil-industry people who were sick and tired of this oil pric e information being held hostage. Like Stafford, these people felt there should be transparency with respect to this information.Stafford will be out of pocket by acouple hundred thousand dollars per yearin order to secure the continued contractual commitments to supply this data.The Result Global Oil Price Information for Everyone (Finally)Stafford and his team arent done. They are still making calls, sending emails, and adding different blends to their pricing list. Stafford knows of a few hard-to-get-ahold-of blends his pricing list still lacks. Certain OPEC blends in particular have been hard to pin down.Well done, Mr. Stafford.By Keith Schaefer viaOil and Gas Investments

The Benefits of Doing an Unpaid Internship

The Benefits of Doing an Unpaid InternshipThe Benefits of Doing an Unpaid InternshipMany incentives exist for employees to do a good job in the workplace. One major incentive is money. Other incentives may include health insurance, retirement benefits, gym membership, child-care services, professional development opportunities, etc. Even though all of these reasons exist for employees to work hard and do a good job, there are also more intrinsic rewards other than the obvious. Doing a good job also gives an employee a sense of pride by providing a product or service thats meaningful and offers something to help others. This comes with its own set of benefits and rewards. In contrast, the incentives for doing a good job at your place of employment is quite obvious but what are the rewards that a student receives for doing a good job when doing an unpaid internship? Truthfully there are many benefits for students who complete an unpaid internship and there are also ways to try to recei ve funding when an internship is unpaid. In comparison, its very similar to getting good grades in college. Whether it be in a college classroom or interning for an employer, doing a good job results in increased opportunities for the future especially when being evaluated directly against other students or employees. Whether they are paid or not, interns will get a first-hand look at whats entailed in actually working for an employer in the real world. How Unpaid Internships May Benefit Students How to be successful working for a boss.The importance of adhering to a company dress code.The importance of time management as well as getting to work on time and following company policy for breaks and lunch.How to compromise and state opinions objectively.How to work in a team environment.How to handle conflicts and pressure in the workplace.Developing a network of professionals for the future.Creating a great addition to your resume.How to get along with a diverse group of people.De velopment of strong people skills whether it be in person, on the phone, or through emails and social networking sites. The Benefits of Unpaid Internships, Explained Of course, its best to find paid internships whenever possible. Its also important to be a realist. The practice of not paying interns will decrease as more employers may be forced to pay for the work completed by their interns. Although there is much ambiguity in Department of Labors Internship Guidelines, three employers recently had class action suits filed against them by their interns. The above benefits can be invaluable to interns and may be considered just as valuable as health insurance is to any employee of a company. Learning the knowledge and skills required to be successful in the workplace is something that cant be taught in any college or university. The personal connections you make and the mentoring you receive is also something unique to the workplace and cant be gotten when sitting in a college classroom. Also, remember that networking is considered the 1 job search strategy when looking for a job. The value of having an internship on your resume cannot be overlooked as well as the confidence you will gain by knowing you can transfer your college success to being successful in the real world. Internships are also temporary which means there is always an end in sight. People often get burned out working for a long period of time in an industry but with an internship, you know that in a couple of months you will be moving on to something else. If the internship proves to be an amazing experience, then hopefully the temporary internship will move into a full-time job. You will have already had the chance to try it out and see if it is a good fit for both you and the employer. The fact is that students dont usually go into an internship with the same feeling as employees who have just accepted a full-time job.

5 Ways to Subtly Get Out of Awkward Networking Situations

5 Ways to Subtly Get Out of Awkward Networking Situations5 Ways to Subtly Get Out of Awkward Networking SituationsA networking event can be a beautiful thing. Meeting new connections, renewing old ones, broadening your career horizons, enjoying a nice social occasion- its all good, potentially. But things can go awry, and it can be easy to find yourself trapped in awkward networking situations.Face it while a networking eventcan be a great way to advance your career prospects, it comes replete with lots of possibilities for pitfalls and social predicaments. Before you head to your next event, its helpful to figure out ways to make networking less awkward. Figuring how to get out of awkward networking situations beforehand is a wise strategy.Looking for ways to sidestep awkward networking situations? Here are a few tipsScenario 1 Youre cornered and cant break free.Be polite, but firm. Have a good excuse, bring it up, and leave. Possible reasons to help you break free? Youre trying to catch up with another old acquaintance, or you need to dash off in order to buttonhole a rolle from an organization where youre trying to make a connection.Another way to end a conversation when networkingis a sincere offer to keep in touch, and offering a handshake as you do so. The combination of words and body language (the handshake) can serve as a powerful way to signal that youre politely ending the conversation and moving on.Scenario 2 Youve come down with a case of name amnesia.Youve completely forgotten someones name. It could be that youve just honigwein them, or maybe its someone you already know and you just cant remember their name. A few options can help you out here you could draw someone you know into the conversation, introduce that person, and wait for your forgotten person to offer their name.You could also honestly make light of the situation and say something like, Gee, Ive met so many new people today that Im having trouble remembering everyones name. Tell me y our name again? Delivering the line with a big smile or a laugh could deflect any bad feelings and keep the conversation rolling.Scenario 3The conversation has turned to gossip.If the talk turns to harmful, unkind, or untrue comments about someone else, find a graceful way to simply walk away. You can choose to be direct and say outright that you dont like to speak out of school about some whos not there. Then excuse yourself and leave the conversation.Or you could make an excuse like saying you need to refill your drink that you need to go catch up with an old acquaintance across the room or pull out your phone and say you need to make a quick call. You get the idea the point is not to take part in a conversation that could come back to haunt you or hurt your career- or someone elses.Scenario 4You cant get a word in.Getting trapped in a discussion with someone who, frankly, wont shut up may be one of the most painful awkward networking situations. The art of conversation is all abo ut give-and-take and the exchange of thoughts and opinions. But if its all coming from one direction, thats hardly a conversation.Ways to rectify the situation, especially if youve been interrupted mid-sentence, include saying firmly Excuse me, Id like to finish my thought and continue speaking with confidence. If another person is part of the group, turn to face them, and ask their opinion about the topic at hand. In either case, body language is key. Just a slight turn away from the person who wont stop talking moves the attention, and the spotlight, away from that individual.Scenario 5 A request or comment makes you uncomfortable.If someone has made a comment thats completely inappropriate, dont be shy about telling them so. Youll show great strength of character by being completely honest, even if the person making the comment is someone who could do good things for your career. Sure, youre trying to build your professional network, but at the same time you want to be true to th e bedrock principles that will really advance your career over the long-term.For more networking advice, check out our networking tips category.

How to Conduct a Phone Interview With Sample Questions

How to Conduct a Phone Interview With Sample QuestionsHow to Conduct a Phone Interview With Sample QuestionsWhat Is a Phone Interview? In a phone bewerberinterview, an employer interviews potential employees who appear qualified for the advertised job after the resume and cover letter are reviewed. The meetings, by phone, are conducted by one person, usually the hiring manager or a menschlich Resources staff member, who ask the same basic questions of each candidate they call. While you are asking each candidate the same basic questions to give you a basis for comparison of the skills of each person during your phone interview, your candidates responses may lead you to ask additional different follow-on questions. This is fine as long as you ask the same list basic of questions to avoid any possibility of unconscious bias or any possibility of discrimination. The phone screen allows the employer to determine if the candidates qualifications, experience, workplace preferences, cultur al fit, andsalary needsare congruent with the position and the organization. The phone screen saves managerial time (and in organizations that use a hiring team to interview prospective employees- staff time) and eliminates unlikely candidates. While developing customized phone screen questions for each position you are attempting to fill is the recommended approach, use these phone interview best practices to guide you. Phone Interview Best Practices During a phone screen, your goal is to eliminate your least qualified candidates to save onsite staff time and money. Additionally, you are hoping that your most qualified, mission compatible prospects rise to the top. During a phone screen, you are also looking for hints that the candidates needs are congruent with the offerings provided by your organization. You want to ask enough questions during the phone interview to determine if the person is a viable candidate. Remember, you have already screened many resumes and application s to come up with your short list of applicants eligible for a phone screen. The applicants that you will phone interview should be your best prospects at this point in your recruitment process. If a candidate was sorted into your maybe resume stack, the candidate is unlikely to surpass the prospects you definitely identified as your top candidates. Dont waste your time- or theirs- in a phone interview unless they were in your top tier. Are you interested to know what you should be able to expect from the candidate during the phone interview? See these recommended phone screen interview questions. Sample Questions for an Effective Phone Interview Candidates Name ______________________________________________ Todays Date ______________ Resume Attached YES ___ NO ___ Position Title/Location _____________________________________________ Initial Phone Interview Questions for the Specific Position To start out your list of specific phone interview questions, you will want to deve lop a question that will assess the experience of the candidate in the position you are recruiting. Sample Candidate Question How many years of inventory management experience do you have?List the Candidates Response ExpandThen, you need to develop a question that will assess the experience of the candidate that is specific to your needs. Sample Candidate QuestionTell me about your experience with an inventory of over half a million parts.List the Candidates Response ExpandYou will next want to develop aelendher question that will assess the experience of the candidate that is specific to your needs. Sample Candidate QuestionTell me about your experience with computerized inventory control systems.List the Candidates Response ExpandFinally, develop a question that will assess your candidates educational background and training. Sample Candidate QuestionDescribe your educational background and experience.List the Candidates Response ExpandNext, inquire about the candidates salary exp ectations. Sample Candidate QuestionNot to limit you or commit you to a certain dollar figure, but whats the minimum salary youd consider right now to accept another position?List the Candidates Response Expand Ask About Facts Relevant to Your Companys Background Checking Are you willing to agree to takea drug test, and have a criminal background check,references checks, educational background checks, and others as appropriate for this position? YES __________ NO ___________ Learn About Past Company and Job in the Phone Interview If the candidates responses to the above interview questions satisfy the phone interviewer, depending on the position, these are additional relevant questions to ask. Sample Candidate QuestionWhat size was the organization where you last worked in terms of revenue and employees?List the Candidates Response ExpandSample Candidate QuestionWhat were the organizations primary products and markets?List the Candidates Response ExpandSample Candidate Questi onIf the person had reporting staff, how many people reported to you directly what were their titles?List the Candidates Response ExpandSample Candidate QuestionIf the candidate is not currently working, ask why and when did you leave your most recent position?List the Candidates Response ExpandSample Candidate QuestionHow have you spent your time since you left your most recent position?List the Candidates Response ExpandEnding the Phone Interview If the candidates responses to these questions satisfy the phone interviewer, proceed to schedule an onsite interview. If not, tell the candidate that you have other candidates who appear from the phone interview to have credentials and experience that more closely match the expectations of the position. End the phone interview politely and professionally with a thank you for taking the time to apply for the job.

Job Descriptions, Resumes and Cover Letters

Job Descriptions, Resumes and Cover LettersJob Descriptions, Resumes and Cover Letters