Top 10 List | Top Ten Lists

Being a likable person will help you out in this globalizing world – help you find your ideal job,  start your own business, find yourself a good relationships, and help you out in life. I have spoken to many successful leaders and have determined the Top 10 criteria likable and successful leaders have in common. All of the concepts are simple, yet many of us lose sight of the simple things – things that not only make us human, but can actually help us be more successful. Everyone can achieve greatness, but it takes strength and endurance to do it.

1. Listening

“The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.” – Woodrow Wilson

Listening is the foundation of any good relationship. Great leaders and outstanding businessmen listen to what their customers and prospects say and need and listen to the challenges their customers face. It’s ultimately the customer’s needs that need to be met. If a leader cannot understand or is not willing to listen, he will not succeed in his endeavors.

Customers are not the only ones important; colleagues’ input is as relevant. Being open to new ideas makes a leader more likable and successful -charismatic in other words. Any colleague who knows they can rely on their leader will be more willing to work and will be more open.

2. Storytelling

After listening, it is important for leaders to tell or retell great stories in order for them to sell their products, but more important, in order to market across their ideas. Storytelling is what captivates people and drives them to act, just like Mr. Peterman on Seinfeld. Whether you’re telling a story to one prospect over lunch, a boardroom full of people, or hundreds of people in a conference room - storytelling wins over your followers and customers.

3. Authenticity

Great leaders are who they say they are, and they have integrity beyond compare. Vulnerability and humility are hallmarks of the authentic leader and create a positive, attractive energy. Customers, employees, and media all want to help an authentic person to succeed. There used to be a divide between one’s public self and private self, but the social internet has blurred that line. Tomorrow’s leaders are transparent about who they are online, merging their personal and professional lives together.

4. Empowerment

The project leaders should think of the strategies as a learning process; with an understanding of what they can do best.  It is as important to invite others into the strategy process too. To empower people, the leader has to touch the positive side of people’s emotional energy. He/she should be clear about his/her goals but will also be willing to allow the development of other people around him. The idea is that a tremendous amount to energy will be released into the organization, which allows the leader to achieve more than intended. This process is called: human capital development.

5. Team  Work

No matter how small your business is, you interact with others every day. Letting others shine, encouraging others to bring in innovative ideas, practicing humility, and following other rules for working in teams will help you become a better and more likeable leader – charisma all the way. You will need to set culture of success within your organization, one that includes out-of-the-box thinking, especially amongst your employees.

Practical experience provides students with hands-on experience. Textbooks, on the other hand, are outdated. Taking a stance on practical experience, the article examines 10 reasons why education comes from it and not textbooks.

1. Hands-On:

Textbooks hardly provide a multi-sensory approach to education. They usually are tailored to independent learners, and not to those who possess certain multiple intelligences such as kinesthetic, auditory etc.

2. Out-dated:

Textbooks are not always updated. Schools and Universities sometimes use textbooks which are 5+ years in age. Practical experience almost always keeps the students updated and knowledgeable about the contemporary world.

3. Complimentary:

Many teachers only use textbooks to complement their teaching methods. Textbooks are only one form or one step of the process of learning. In order for someone to be well informed they would need to combine their theory with practice.

4. Experience vs. Imagine:

In practice, individuals experience the real world and what it is like to do something. In textbooks, they only read about it and imagine.

5. Narrow vs. Broad Minded:

Textbooks are very narrow minded. They will not always provide its learners with the bigger picture. Practical experiences are more objective. It allows for its learners to set their own tone of learning.

Traditional books, resources and textbooks are now costly. Many schools try to save the environment by utilizing wider resources; on cyberspace specifically. Here are the top 10 online resources for teachers and written by teachers.

1. www.TumbleBooks.com:

The resource provides access to picture books for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 in English, French and other languages. The books are interactive and animated. There are sample lesson plans teachers could use as well.

2. www.Smarttech.com:

Almost every school board in Canada and the United States has one form of smart technology. Smartboards are popular tools in the classroom. Many teachers are still getting to know how to use the technology. SmartTech provides lessons and presentation templates for teachers.

3. www.coolmath4kids.com:

Teachers could reinforce learning through the use of this website. The website has a tone of games, lessons and activities students could utilize in the classroom and at home. Students love interactive games and they may learn concepts faster by participating in hands on activities.

4. www.raz-kids.com:

This is another resource teachers could use for guided reading. They have a wide selection of eBooks to choose from. There is a teacher`s corner where teachers can borrow lesson plans for their classroom.

5. www.tumblereadables.com:

This resource accesses grade 3-8 students to picture books and novels. They have a huge selection of classic books, such as those written by Shakespeare. This resource is a perfect tool for guided reading exercises. The program is compatible and works well with Smartboard.

The following videos are exemplary for  new teachers who are struggling with their careers or in the classroom. You may want to watch some of them to get the gist of what to do on the first day of school. My favourite is Rick Lavoie’s Poker Chips Analogy.

If you love satire and do not suffer a lack of humor, watch YouTube videos of Gerry Dee.

1.

Title: First Day of School: How To Be An Effective Teacher

Hosts: Harry KC. Wong & Rosemary T. Wong

Description: Complimenting his book, Harry Wong looks at how teachers need to set up everything from grade books to their classrooms. He stresses the importance of establishing routines and procedures to classroom management from day 1 (First Day of School).

2.

Title: When the Chips are Down:

Host: Rick Lavoie

Description: Richard Lavoie provides practical advice to teachers on how to deal with behavioral problems swiftly and effectively. He examines how preventative discipline forestalls many problems before they start. He provides alternatives for teachers and parents to use, in order to make the classroom more predictable and flourishing.

3.

Title: Educating Peter

Director: Geraldine Wurzburg

Description: Peter Gwazdauska is a person with Downe Syndrome. For many years he attended classes with children like himself. The film, EDUCATING PETER, examines Peter’s strife in first year in a mainstream classroom. Teachers can examine the strategies, Mts. Stallings and her students used to accept and trust Peter.

4.

Title: Misunderstood Minds Searching for Success in School

Director: Michael Kirk

Description: The 90-minute documentary follows the life of five families with children who struggle with learning disabilities

5.

Title: Beyond the F.A.T. System

Host: Rick Lavoie

Description: F.A.T. (Frustration, Anxiety, Tension) are characteristics which describe many students with learning disabilities. In this video, Lavoie helps parents and teachers understand the source of the characteristics He also helps them move and see beyond; examining the forest and not the trees.

Effective teachers are typically not the ones who are knowledgeable. Those who are knowledgeable may not be a good and effective teacher. Effective teachers are those who believe that all students are capable of learning. They are able to further connect with all students and provide additional support and material to allow all students to compete equitably. There are more qualities of an effective which this article will survey.

1. Provide a variety of learning activities:

Students have multiple intelligences which need to be met effectively. Effective teachers will create lessons and learning activities which balance the use of linguistic, musical, kin-aesthetic, interpersonal, visual, natural, interpersonal and existential abilities. For example, not all students will learn equitably if they require interpersonal abilities. Many are shy and will not be as vibrant. Effective teachers will need to have a Plan B which will help them know all student is learning.

2. Equity and not Equality:

This cannot be stressed enough. Schooling is not a competition for the best grades. Equality trumps on those with exceptionalities. Effective teachers are those who provide ample resources and material for all students to be able to compete equally. For example, a math textbook will not work for all students. Those students who are falling behind in math may need additional resources to be up to speed with others. It is the responsibility of the teacher to help those students.

3. Multiculturalism:

Every teacher in an urban or suburban school will probably have one or two students who have moved from another country. Effective teachers will not teach from a traditional textbook to all students. Students who arrived in the country will not be able to understand the material. It is thus important for a teacher to effectively pull resources relating to the students` studies and interests to assess and evaluate them.

4. A sense of humour:

An effective teacher will need to have a sense of humor. Teachers cannot connect with students if they seem glum or even angry. They will lose their students’ respect if they resort to yelling as a form of punishment. Starting the day with a good attitude will always lead to a good end of the day. When a student makes a joke or says something funny, effective teachers use reinforcements and rewards to respond.

5. Fairness:

An effective teacher is also one who is fair. No student is ever given preferential treatment for no reason. For fairness to work, effective teachers will set out rules and guidelines in the classroom at the beginning of the year. Teachers should examine The Tribes program to see an example of rules and ways to embrace fairness.

When planning team-building activities the teacher needs to take into consideration some the following things about their students: skills and abilities, special education, English Language Learners and multiple intelligences. It is never wise to group friends together during formative assessments as friends sometimes learn best when apart. The teacher should always choose partners and activities wisely and based on varying skills, abilities and intelligences. With hope, this will help those who are struggling be partnered up with those who are excellent mentors. Taking all of this into consideration, here are the top 10 team-building activities.

1. Think/Pair/Share

Teachers find that students need to be prepared for group work in small and gradual steps. When a teacher forces students to do teamwork right away one or two students take the lead while others listen and stay quiet. If teachers would like everyone to participate they should pose a question such as: What do you predict you will do during the summer holidays? The student is given a moment to think of the answer. The teacher takes the activity to the next level by asking the students to pair up their answers with a partner. When complete, the two students will share their answers with two more students. This time…each student will discuss their partner’s situation and answer the question: How is my summer going to be similar or different than my partner’s? Everyone is able to participate and the teacher will be able to assess whether the students can use higher order thinking skills.

2. Jigsaw:

Developed by American Psychologist Elliot Aronson, the purpose of a jigsaw activity is to stimulate cooperative and social development of diverse groups of students. Students are divided into groups of 4 where they examine one aspect of an event such as the Holocaust. In their home groups, they would utilize the material provided and examine one group exterminated by the Nazis. Using numbering heads, they would then move to their expert group where they would share their knowledge they learned in their home groups. Jigsaws can be accompanied by graphic organizers. The whole activity helps students focus on researching one aspect and not 5 or 10. It also allows students to work together to obtain information.

3. Fishbowl Discussion:

As stated before, students learn best when activities are broken down into steps. When introducing a hot topic or issue, have students discuss in pairs. When complete…have 5-6 students sitting in the middle as a cluster discussing and debating the issue introduced. The rest of the class sits on the outer circle and take notes and writes down questions down. When complete, the students in the outer circle are able to reflect and evaluate the arguments of the cluster group. Teachers should facilitate better discussions by repeating the fishbowl discussion with different participants.

4. Popcorn review:

This activity allows for students to participate in an intellectual and scholarly debate. The teacher chooses 4 students who will sit at the front of the room. A heated topic is introduced. One student provides a statement, followed by another student who adds to the statement. This is one teambuilding experience where students are exploring different facts and examining their validity.

5. Graphic Organizers:

I was teaching grade 11 law class for the first time. I had 3 weeks to cover the first unit. When it came to review, I had one day to cover the history of law from Plato and Aristotle to the 20th Century. I knew it was going to be hard for students to study everything. The whole test was based on 11 short answer questions which covered different themes in the unit. In groups of 4 or 5, students would examine the SPERM (Social, Political, Economic/Environmental, Religious, and Moral) aspects of one theme in the form of a graphic organizer. I didn’t want essays and I did not want paragraphs. I wanted my students to create a chart or a picture which helped explain the topic. I then photocopied all graphic organizers and distributed them amongst all students. To ensure that each student participated, one student would examine one aspect of sperm.

Reward: Bonus 3 marks on the test (1 mark for level 1 work, 2 marks for level 2 work, 3 marks for level 3 work).

United States has always been the home to some of the world’s greatest universities. It is the home of the Harvard and the MIT. The universities in the United States provide the top level of education and are the hot favourites for many international students. The quality of training the universities there, provides, is unmatchable. However, it is very difficult for getting in to such universities and more when you are looking for a PhD seat. PhD in United States is considered to be the best across the world and the students who successfully complete the PhD program from United States makes statement for their own. The process of getting through is very difficult but choosing the right Institute is very important. Here are the top ten best Universities in the USA for a PhD program:

1. Harvard Business School, Massachusetts

Harvard Business School is a graduate business school of Harvard University, Massachusetts. It is recognized as the best business school in the world and PhD programs of Harvard are the best in the world too. The doctoral programs of Harvard are directed towards developing outstanding scholars for careers in research and teaching at leading business schools and universities. The Harvard Business School provides doctorate programs in almost all the business fields and is the number one business school in the world for more than a decade.

2. University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania is one of the greatest research universities in the world. University of Pennsylvania is considered as the first university in America. The University of Pennsylvania provides the top class research facilities and is the most desired destination in the world for PhD courses. A brilliant infrastructure spread across 269 acres of land is just a heavenly place to study in.

3. Princeton University, New Jersey

Princeton University is also a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. There are also residential colleges within the Princeton University which provides a brilliant environment to study. Princeton University doctoral program encourages independent scholarships and fellowships. It is one of the topmost universities in the world for undertaking research studies and doctoral education.

4. Columbia University, NY

The Columbia University is situated in Manhattan, New York. This is one of the oldest universities in United States. In fact Columbia University is the 5th oldest University in the States. Columbia University is one of the most popular destinations for doctoral program in the United States and across the world. The Columbia University provides the world class teaching assistance to its students and the researchers. The professors in the Columbia University include as many as 9 noble laureates, which say it all about the quality of training they provide.

5. Yale University, Connecticut

Yale University is a private university located in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in the year 1701 and it is the third oldest colleges in the United States. There are 131courses in total on which the Yale University offers doctoral programs. The Yale University is the most reputed universities with respect to the research programs. It is among the top 3 colleges in the world in student selectivity ground. Yale University is indeed one of the top colleges to do a PhD from.

A Master of Business Administration degree is a guarantee of a great career in the fields of Finance, Marketing or Human Resources. No wonder that students every year are curious to find out the top ten Universities of the World with a great MBA program. The stalwarts of the business schools vie with each other for the rankings. The top ten keep shifting places up and down the list but otherwise the following ten business schools are the accepted leaders of the world in the field of business education.

1. London Business School

The MBA at London Business School has been elbowing out the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania for the number one spot for the last two years and looks like it is going to hold on to this place for the year 2011. Successful candidate to this business school have a score above 700 in the GMAT. LBS as it is called is a member college of the University of London and is situated centrally in London beside Regent’s Park. A thousand students from at least a hundred and thirty countries of the world graduate from this business school every year.

2. Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

The number two spot goes to Wharton School which is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania. It is the first business school in the United States of America and was established in 1881. It is a very selective school in its student enrolment and depends on a high GPA and GMAT scores for its selection besides other criteria. Since 2009 it accepts the GRE along with GMAT for its admissions. The first collegiate MBA in the world was established by Joseph Wharton a Philadelphia industrialist. The Wharton School offers nineteen majors which are admirably taught by 250 members of the faculty. The concentration of subjects includes, finance, marketing, human resources, business ethics and legal studies.

3. Harvard Business School

The number three ranking goes to Harvard Business School which was established in the year 1908. Harvard is a private business school with an endowment of more than two billion dollars. It has more than eighteen hundred students in its MBA programs. It is located at Boston but is on the other side of the Charles River from the rest of the University. A very quaint feature of all the buildings at Harvard is that they are connected by underground tunnels. The attributes expected from successful Harvard MBA programs include leadership, intellectual curiosity and a concern and desire to serve the world community.  Harvard is famous for its case study method of teaching in the business school.

4. Stanford University GSB

Stanford Graduate School of Business ranks fourth in the MBA list. It was established in 1925 and is located at Stanford, California. It has one of the largest endowments at more than a billion dollars. A star cast of Nobel Laureates, members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and National Academy of Sciences, makes up the faculty of this prestigious college. It is very selective in its system of admission for its students and has the lowest rate of acceptance in the world, that is, it only selects 6.8% of all the students who apply for its MBA. It has less than four hundred students per year, a near one fifth of the students at Harvard. Its former students include Ben Bernanke, Phil Knight founder of Nike and President John F. Kennedy.

5. INSEAD

The number five spot in MBAs goes to INSEAD (Institut Europeen d’Administration des Affaires) or European Institute of Business Administration. It is located on three campuses in the world. In Europe it is at Fontainebleau, near Paris in France. In Asia it is situated in Singapore and in the Middle East at Abu Dhabi. It is generally recognized as the top business school for the one year program in the world. The MBA offers all the core subjects like Finance, Marketing and Accounting. The program includes case studies, lectures, tutorials and simulations. The business school was established in 1957 and has nearly nine hundred MBA students every year. It is fast coming up as a threat to the top three.

Elucidating the top 10 fastest flying birds from a bulky catalogue of birds considering its heterogeneity and variety really requires some thought provoking search initiative. Birds are the nature’s one of the most beautiful creatures that caught the imagination of the poets cutting across generations and regions to jot down a few lines of their sonnets or couplets with finesse. The beauty and the versatile acrobatic maneuvers that mostly birds of different kinds perform with ease, while soaring high in the sky is really something awesome and that’s why people belonging to different shades of life whenever gets time of their hectic schedule and programs tries to catch a glimpse of these nature’s cutest and even sometimes boldest flying vertebrate and endothermic animals.

The list of ten fastest flying birds which was more or less accepted in a worldwide manner:

1. Grey-headed albatross:

Also known as Thalassarche chrysostoma, the albatross has a circumpolar distribution over cold sub Antarctic and Antarctic waters. It averages 81 cm in length and 2.2 m in wingspan and can weigh between 2.8 to 4.4 kg. It is the fastest bird, flying at 127 kilometres per hour.

2. Common Eider:

Eider Duck (also known as Somateria mollissima) happens to be the second fastest flying bird in the world with maximum speed of 76 kilometers. Mostly seen in the Northern Hemisphere, They are large sea ducks belonged to the genus Somateria and the broader family of Anatidae.

3. Bewick’s Swan:

This is a Holarctic swan which is also known as the Cygnus Columbianus. They are the smallest species of swans to visit Great Britain and are inclined to ceaseless wanderlust. Bewick’s Swan is similar in appearance to its sister species, the Whooper Swan, but is smaller, has a shorter neck and has a more rounded head shape with an adjustable bill pattern. It is the third fastest bird, flying at 72 kilometres per hour.

4. Barnacle Goose:

The bird was first classified in 1803 by Johann Matthäus Bechstein and was originally named Branta Leucopsis. In England, the world barnacle represented the word goose. The bird itself is medium-sized, 55-70cm long and has a wingspan of 130-145cm. It has a white face and breast and black head, neck, and upper breast.

The Barnacle Goose is the 4th fastest bird and flies at 68 kilometres per hour.

5. Common Crane:

This bird is better known as Grus Grus and comes from a family of Gruidae (the cranes). It is a large stately bird which is approximately 100-130cm long and has a wingspan of 180-240cm. Its features include a grey with a white facial streak and a bunch of black wing plumes. Many adults also have a red crown patch. What distinguishes the crane from others is its loud trumpeting call it gives in flight and display. It also has a dancing display when jumping with wings elevated.

The bird is the 4th fastest bird tying with the barnacle at 68 kilometres per hour.

Flipping back to the pages of history, we would find that most successful people in life had one thing in common; they were all inquisitive as a child. Backgrounds do not matter neither does the culture or religion. It is the environments in which children grow provide a medium for a well rounded growth of a child. Growing up is not important it is the proper development and inculcation of right kind of habits and values in a child that results in a pleasing personality. The exploring capabilities are infinite in kids, remember how a crawling kid moves to the edge of a bed and falls off to his dismay. The ignorance of results and the motive to explore is the basic foundation of learning and development. There is no knowledge if there is fear and there is no learning if there is not any doubt. Thus it is very essential to be supportive and extremely patient especially while dealing with younger lots. This platform gives a great chance to jot down top ten best methods to bring up children in a manner that wins hearts and minds.

1. Ensuring proper health

A healthy child can grow up and adjust to all the changes properly. Ill health makes a child lag behind in studies and other co curricular activities in school. A child who does not keep well most of the times is also low in terms of social skills and feels shy to mix up with others. Thus a well balanced nutritional diet and proper hygiene go a long way in way in keeping a child healthy.

2. Providing Right Education

Schooling plays a vital role in the development of a child. It is the parents’ responsibility to provide proper schooling and education to their children. School takes care of the formative years of a child’s life, ranging from elementary education to playful activities and making friends for life all happen in the school days.

3. Inculcating culture

The child is the bearer of culture and tradition, he is the fore runner of the human race and life on earth; thus inculcation of proper traditions and culture is another vital aspect of bringing up children. However a thin line differentiates tradition from habits and fads from culture. Thus the responsibility lies on parents’ shoulders to provide right set of education as far as their family traditions and culture is concerned, so that the torch that he bears for his future generation emanates same kind of wisdom and brightness.

4. Teaching discipline

Teaching discipline is yet another task the parents are responsible for as it is in the company of parents that a child learns the difference between right and wrong. Discipline includes respect and right treatment of elders, peers and younger ones. Discipline reflects not only in behavior but also in day to day routine and other habits of keeping clean or eating.

5. Developing self confidence

Developing self confidence in kids is the key to a bright future. Supporting kids to be inquisitive and respecting their opinions, helping them to learn from their mistakes and letting them take minor decisions in life is the cornerstone of harvesting self confidence in children. This confidence makes a child smart enough to face the world on his own.