Career Day - SAMO High and the SMCC partnership 2014 →

Another successful Career Day!

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

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 The curriculum is old and for the most part outdated.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

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

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

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

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

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

Mobile Communication?

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

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

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

Can This Be Right???????

With all the discussion and politics regarding education, maybe this will give you all some real insight!   This is a must read!!! Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year!  It's time we put thing in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit!

We can get that for minimum wage. That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That ...would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to......... 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan-- that equals 6 1/2 hours). Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children.

Now how many students do they teach in a day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations. LET'S SEE.... That's $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.

Wait a minute -- there's something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher's salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student--a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Heaven forbid we take into account highly qualified teachers ......

Make a teacher smile; re-post this to show appreciation ♥ all you out there!

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

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

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

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

Here is the basic information direct from Sacramento:

What would passing Prop 30 cost?

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

Where would the money go?

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

What exactly is the impact if Prop. 30 passes?

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

What if Prop. 30 fails?

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

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

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

Let’s pass Proposition 30!

Uh Oh...I said something and she slapped me!

We all know how difficult those teen years can be.  Relationships are difficult enough for adults let alone teens!  We all remember what it was like. Here is a real life story sent to me yesterday.  I had to share it with you, and hope that those of you teens and parents who are following my blog share and share.  A lot can be learned from Mark's experience.  I have to say, the maturity level displayed by both these kids knocked my socks off!  Kudos to these two teens!

Greetings Tish

I thought I might run something by you and get your thoughts. My 17 year old son came home with a rather interesting story and I'm trying to put some thoughts together on what the best course of action is for him. He was chatting up a girl he is interested in and all was going quite splendidly (even lined up a coffee date) until he decided to pay her a "compliment" by telling her she had "awesome curves". He's very studious and normally very shy and reserved, so I don't know what possessed him to say that. She took offense and told him he was being inappropriate. He tried to repair the damage but only dug himself deeper. The conversation came to an abrupt end when she asked him to remove his glasses (he did so) and then SMACK - she slapped his face and walked off. It took him a minute or two to realize that she didn't want the glasses to fly across the room ;) So instead of landing a date for the weekend, he was left there standing alone, nursing a sore cheek. My feeling is he should apologize to the young lady and explain that he was just trying to tell her she was beautiful. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Before I could respond to the above, I received this:

Breaking News! He emailed her an apology and she just replied a little while ago. Her response is below. Gotta love happy endings!

Hi Mark and thank you for writing to me. I've been thinking things over. You seemed like such a sweet guy at first, and so smart and interesting! We were having a wonderful conversation and that's why I was really disappointed when you started commenting on my body. It felt really weird, creepy, and uncomfortable, especially since we hardly knew each other. There is a time and place for those sorts of comments, and it's not when you first meet a girl. Furthermore, I like to be appreciated for my brains, not my backside - even if both are rather generous ;) I was confused and angry, and that's why I slapped you. If you're not yet aware, we women are very emotional creatures ;)While I make no apologies for that, at least you behaved like a gentleman afterwards and knew that it was proper etiquette to "turn the other cheek" when a female slaps you. You also showed lots of maturity by coming back with a sweet and sincere apology. Most guys would not have done that. So, with all of that said, let's give this another try...ok?

P.S. Guess you probably figured out that I didn't want to damage your glasses. No thanks necessary...hehe

Santa Monica Announces "Walk Day"

This is a very exciting prospect!  Let's teach our kids that there are plenty of alternatives to driving!

Santa Monica, CA – Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) students and staff are getting out their bikes, scooters, skateboards and walking shoes in preparation for Bike It! Walk It! Day on October 3 and 5.  Bike It! Walk It! encourages school students and staff to leave the car at home and utilize other modes of transportation, including carpooling and riding the bus.   Approximately thirty percent of District students at fourteen different schools participate in the event, avoiding approximately 12,000 car trips.  

This year, local officials are invited to join Walking School Buses of students and parents to Lincoln Middle School on October 3 and John Adams Middle School on October 5 to show their support of the Districts Safe Routes to School Program. The two middle schools, along with Roosevelt Elementary and Will Rogers Learning Community, are participating in a Safe Routes pilot program to develop pedestrian and bicycle safety curricula and resources this school year.   

Schools celebrating Bike it! Walk it! Day on October 3 include Lincoln Middle School, Roosevelt Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School, John Muir Elementary/Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH) and Santa Monica High School.  The remaining SMMUSD schools, including Will Rogers Learning Community, Edison Language Academy, Grant Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Juan Cabrillo Elementary, Point Dume Science School, John Adams Middle School, and Malibu High School, will participate on October 5.

Bike It! Walk It! and Safe Routes to School programs involve a partnership between the City of Santa Monica, the District, and the Parent Teacher Association to reduce traffic congestion near schools and promote health, safety, environmental, and community benefits.  The Bike It! Walk It! effort supports community engagement through this environmentally friendly program.  Please join SMMUSD as we bike, bus, scoot, skate, and walk to school!

Visit www.bikeitwalkit.org for further information, updates, and press links.

Talk2Tish is hiring for Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier!

Are you a high school student over 16? Want a fun, exciting and happy summer job? If so, I'm recruiting some really fun jobs for Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier! Looking for kids to work in games, rides, ticketing, birthdays, merchandising, and food and beverage! Lots of JOBS! Call me at 310 2608744 ext 354 or email tish.tisherman@pacpark.com

Teens, Bullys, the Holidays and Survival Solutions

Wow!  Time got away with me, and now the holidays are here!  I had much to be grateful for this past Thanksgiving.  My kids and families are all happy, healthy and thriving.  What more can a parent ask for?!  My eldest grandson, has changed schools this year to get away from the "bully" situation that had been affecting him for some time.  This has sparked my last postings on the subject of BULLYING.  Now he is a changed little boy!  He loves going to school, his grades have improved, he has friends standing in line to have sleep overs and play dates.  This was an anguishing decision for my kids to make, but I have to hand it to them - they did it and it turned out great.  I know everyone isn't this lucky or has these choices.  But - we have to stay close to what's going on and keep our ears and hearts open and ready to do something.  ACTION! So here's my latest action!  We have formed a Youth Collaborative in Santa Monica!  We're a very proactive group representing as many of the Youth Associations as we possibly can.  We all support YOUTH! We want our teens and tweens to get as much information as they possibly can about anything they think is pertinent to them!  Not us....Them!  We're filming our very first video/webisode and the subject is bullying.  We're gearing these videos to the teens!  We want them to have a place to find solace and solutions.  So stay tuned.... there should be a new posting here by next week!  We know the kids are getting ready for winter break, so we think our timing is very good!

What are the warning signs of teen relationship abuse?

If you have recognized warning signs of abuse in your relationship, be proud of yourself. You have taken the first step to getting help. So now what? Leaving can be more complicated than it seems, but there are many resources available to help you.

What Do I Need to Know?

If you are in an abusive relationship, you’re probably feeling confusing emotions about what to do. You may fear what your partner will do if you leave, or how your friends and family will react when you tell them about the abuse.  You might also think that the police and other adults won’t take you seriously if you report the abuse. These are all understandable reasons to feel nervous about leaving your partner, but staying in the abusive relationship isn’t your only option.

What Can I Do?

Ultimately, none of the above obstacles are worth staying in an abusive relationship, although they can make it feel scary to end it. Whether or not you are ready or able to leave, there are steps you can take to help keep yourself safe:

• Talk to someone (friend, parent, teacher, counselor) that you trust. They can help you deal with your feelings and support you during this time.

• Create a safety plan to reduce your risk of being hurt by your partner. Because you think through it ahead of time, your personalized safety plan can help you avoid dangerous situations and know the best way to react when you are in danger.

• Learn about your legal rights. You may be able to get a restraining order against your partner. Restraining orders may also protect you from harassment from your partner’s friends and family.

• Contact one of the helpful and confidential resources available to assist you if you are concerned about being outed, taken seriously, or affecting your immigration status.  We can help connect you to those resources.

Some things to keep in mind when thinking about breaking up:

• Your relationship has probably been a large part of your life. If you feel lonely after the break up, talk to friends or find a new activity to help fill your time.

• Because of the significance of the relationship in your life, it is normal to miss your partner after the break-up. Don’t let yourself forget that you’re leaving for important reasons.

• Breaking up with an abusive partner can be a dangerous time. If you don’t feel safe, break up with your partner over the phone or with a friend waiting nearby. Let your family and friends know you’re planning on breaking up so they can support you and help keep you safe during this time. And if you are ever in immediate danger, call the police.

For information about support groups on this issue contact tish@talk2tish.com

TALK2TISH IS PLEASED TO PARTNER WITH LIFETIME TELEVISION TO PRESENT THE FAIRY JOBMOTHER CAREER KICKSTART BOOT CAMP

One-Day Event on Saturday, October 23rd, to Attract Hundredsof Job-Seekers to the new Santa Monica Place Mall

Talk2Tish with Special Role in Interactive Booths

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 23, 2010)  -  Talk2Tish is pleased to join with Lifetime Television in presenting The Fairy Jobmother Career Kick start Boot Camp, a one-day event on Saturday, October 23rd, at Santa Monica Place Mall from 12-4pm, to promote the launch of the new unscripted series The Fairy Jobmother.  Premiering Thursday, October 28th, at 11pm ET/PT, after the Project Runway season eight finale on Lifetime, The Fairy Jobmother will follow international career specialist Hayley Taylor each week as she assists job-challenged families with her no-nonsense and tough love tactics to motivate them to get back on the payroll.  Recognized for her no holds barred approach, Taylor will help and inspire those who have struggled with unemployment to realize new career opportunities.

In anticipation of the series, the plaza at Santa Monica Place will transform into a community platform set to entertain, engage and inform consumers of the job interview process from start to finish, as well as to provide general career advice in a fun and interactive way. Admission is free and open to the public.

Talk2Tish is pleased to be involved in this community event and anticipates incredible interaction with the public.  A schedule of events includes the following:

• Main Stage – with keynote speakers, including Hayley Taylor, The Fairy Jobmother, as well as panel discussions and audience interaction
• Interactive Booths – with specific emphasis on Resumé do’s and don’ts, social media networking, job hunting advice and interviewing skills
• Job Fair – Opportunity to interview with a Lifetime recruiter on-site at the event, along with additional area companies offering key advice on the application and interview process, as well as best practices for being considered as an employee
• Resumé drop box
• Raffle prizes and other surprises for all in attendance!

To kick start your career or for additional information, go to myLifetime.com/bootcamp.

ABOUT Talk2Tish

Linda “Tish” Tisherman is vibrant and passionate. Tish has been a professional in the world of staffing for over 25 years.  She’s constantly evolving with new thoughts, new processes, new ways of communication, all of which benefit “her clients”, while, at the same time, guiding Tish towards both personal and professional development to live her life at an amazing level of gratitude and joy!  Tish is a frequent guest speaker at community organizations, local high schools and colleges such as Santa Monica College, USC Marshall and USC Annenberg.

Everyone wants control over their own lives.  They want to pursue their dreams, whatever they may be.  They want to hear that it is possible – even in today’s climate.  Tish’s students learn what truly IS possible when they are coachable, committed, want to develop conviction, persistence and a mindset that failure is not an option.!

With that, we make dreams and visions a reality!  Contact Tish at 310.867.3334 or tish@talk2tish.com 

Tips for Parents....

Abuse comes in many forms – physical, sexual and verbal/emotional. Do research before talking to your teen so you can provide correct and helpful information. Admit if you don’t know the answer to a question - It will build trust It is never too early to talk to your teen about healthy relationships. Even if you don’t think your teen is dating, having these conversations is one of the most important steps you can take to help prevent dating abuse.

Talk to your teen about what type of information they are sharing online. Ask them to make their profile “private” so only approved people can see it.

Let your teen know that even if they have done something with someone many times before, they always have the right to say NO. It is never okay for their partner to threaten them or make them feel guilty.

Be supportive and understanding. Stress that you are on their side. Provide non-judgmental support so that they know they can come to you for help if their relationship becomes unhealthy.

With so many avenues for communications available at a teenager’s fingertips, it’s important to remind teens that boundaries are perfectly acceptable. A relationship cannot be built on trust or respect if someone’s partner is watching their every move and constantly checking up on them.

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

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

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

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

Our Journey

Our journey of life is about progress, not perfection. It's not about doing one thing 100% better - it's a matter of doing 100 things, 1% better each day. Progress is evolutionary not revolutionary, and most days we measure our progress in inches, not miles. What matters most is showing up for your life whether you feel like it or not. Ask yourself, "What two or three little things can I do today that would move me forward?" You'll be amazed at how much distance you can cover by taking it in increments. The little things add up; the inches turn to miles; and we string together our efforts like so many pearls. Before long, look what you have - a whole strand!

The Heart of our Teachers!

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

Determination and Leadership - What a combo

I found this amazing video and was so impressed with this coach and what he accomplished with his team!  Words don't begin to describe what you'll see and feel watching this video!  I promise - you'll be glad you watched! The Million Dollar Challenge

All comments welcome!