7 Ways to Close Out the Year with a Bang

7 Ways to Close Out the Year with a Bang At this point, 2016 is old news. It’s practically Christmas, which is practically New Year’s. But in the middle of all of the celebrating (or rushing to get projects done before your office is a ghost town for the holidays), there are some small (but mighty effective) things you can do to wind the year down in style. 1. Give your network some loveIf you had a mentor or colleague who helped you get through the year, now’s the time to let that person know how thankful you are. Nothing fancy required- a heartfelt note or a small token of your thanks is all you need to bolster your professional relationship with that person. I’m a fan of baking cookies for colleagues and friends this time of year- it’s a thoughtful, homemade way to say, â€Å"I’m thinking of you at the end of a great year.† (Of course, it’s good to know if this person has any special dietary issues if you go that route†¦ you don’t want to hand someone a plate of delicious peanut butter cookies if they have a major peanut allergy.)2. Set up your network for next yearThink about people you’d like to connect with in the new year to move your career forward. If you already know them and want to get to know them better, now’s the time to reach out with a simple holiday message that includes your hope to talk more in the new year. It’s best to try to set up a concrete date for coffee, lunch, or after-work drinks in January.3.  Take care of things on your pending listOnce you’re back in the office at the beginning of January, you won’t feel like going through and cleaning up loose ends from the year before. So do it now! Go through your inbox. If you have lingering to-dos that aren’t especially time-sensitive, now’s the time to put some time aside and check them off so that they’re not still haunting you later. While you’re poking around your inbox, take stock of any mailing lists you’re on. Which ones do you really need? Keep those, and unsubscribe from the rest.4. Clean your deskJust like your email inbox and your to-do list, you probably don’t want to come back to a messy desk. I know when I rush out the door and come back to a cluttered desk, it adds stress points before my day has even begun. Do â€Å"January You† a favor, and take some time to clean off your desk. Your pens don’t all have to be pointing in the same direction with your stapler at a perfect 90 degree angle (unless you’re into that, in which case have at it), but definitely get rid of any papers you don’t need anymore and toss outdated Post-It reminders you wrote to yourself back in May. If possible, do this as early in possible in December so that you’re not time-crunched and trying to get out of the office at the end of the month.5. Brush up your resumeDid you know that January and February are the most popular months for job change s or promotions? If you think you might be in the market for a new or upgraded gig soon, now is a great time to look at your resume and add any new skills or achievements that you’ve acquired  since you last updated it.Even if you’re not planning on changing jobs, this is still a great exercise to do annually. Be prepared! You never know when an opportunity will present itself- and wouldn’t it be great to say, â€Å"Oh, here’s a copy of my up-to-the-minute resume!†6. Revise your online profilesThis is an extension of updating your resume. What’s the point in getting your it in order if everything online still reflects the slightly outdated you? Make sure your LinkedIn profile- and any other online sites where you use your professional brand- is up-to-date and ready to go for the new year.7. Get ready to improve yourselfYou’re already fabulous, but who among us couldn’t use a few positive tweaks? Identify one or two areas wher e you could use some improvement, and come up with a game plan for 2017. Sign up for classes that start in January, or figure out where in your schedule you can take an hour or two per week to work on that skill area. Thinking about that now (and getting the ball rolling on any logistics) will make it easier to get started in January, before winter inertia settles in.So even though it may seem like 2016 is running short, you still have plenty of time for these small investments that could pay big dividends in the new year.

Engaging Writing Prompts for 3rd Graders

Engaging Writing Prompts for 3rd Graders Students in 3rd grade should be writing regularly in a variety of styles and for a variety of audiences. Useful writing projects for 3rd graders include  opinion, informative, and narrative essays, as well as short research projects. For many students, the most difficult part of writing is facing the blank page. The following grade level appropriate writing prompts provide plenty of inspiration to help your students get started on a number of different writing assignments. Narrative Essay Writing Prompts Narrative essays tell a story based on real or imagined events. Students should use descriptive writing and dialogue to tell their tale. Scary Stuff. Think of something that scares you and explain what makes it so frightening.Grouchy Pants. Describe a day when you were grouchy. What made you so grumpy and how did you get in a better mood?School Rules. If you could make a new school rule, what would it be? How would your rule change an average day at school?Snappy Travel. Imagine you could snap your fingers and be anywhere else in the world. Write about where you’d go.Family Tales. What is the most interesting story that a family member  has ever told you about their life?Food Forever. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?Book Bound. If you could be the main character from your favorite book, who would you be? Write about an adventure you might have.Seeing Double. Imagine that you have an identical twin who is a different class than you. What pranks would you play on your teachers and classmates?Nessys Life. Have you heard of the Loch Ness Monster? Imagine you’ re the monster. Describe your life under the sea. Lost. Have you ever been lost? Write about your experience.Perfect Party. Describe what the ultimate birthday party would look like if you could do anything you wanted.Kindness Counts. You’re given $100 to do random acts of kindness for others. What do you do? Memory Eraser. Describe  something that happened to you that you wish you could forget. Explain why. Opinion Essay Writing Prompts When writing an opinion essay, students should clearly state their opinion, then back it up with sound reasons and facts. Opinion essays should close the essay with a concluding paragraph and a summary of the argument.   Be a Friend. What does it mean to be a good friend?Growing Up or Down. Would you rather be older than you are right now or younger? Why?Hello? Some kids in 3rd grade have cell phones. Do you? Do you think that’s good or bad?Best Pets. Which animal  makes the best pet? Give at least three reasons for your opinion.Tattletale. If you saw one of your friends doing something that you knew was  wrong, should you tell on them? Why or why not?School Favorites. What do you think is the best subject in school? What makes it the best?Off Limits. Is there a TV show that you’re not allowed to watch or a video game that you’re not allowed to play? Explain why your parents should allow it.Summer School. Should your school be in session year ‘round with more breaks throughout the year or continue to give students the summer off? Why?Violent Games. Do violent video games cause people to exhibit violent behavior? Support your opinion.Junk Food Fans. Should candy and soda machines be available to students on school property? Why or why not? School Supplies. What is the most important tool in your classroom? What makes it so useful?School Pride. What is the best thing about being a student at your school?What’s in a Name? If you could change your name, what would you choose and why? Informative Essay Writing Prompts Informative essays  introduce a topic, explain a process, or describe an idea, then provide facts, definitions, and details. Students should organize related information into paragraphs in order to write the most logical essay possible. Remember that they should also include introductory and concluding paragraphs. Real Superheroes. Superheroes in movies and comics can do some pretty amazing things, but think of someone you consider to be a real-life hero. What do (or did) they do that makes them a hero?  Liar, Liar. Someone told your best friend a lie about you and your friend believed them. Explain how you’d handle the situation.Student Teacher. Think of something that you found difficult to do at first (such as multiplication or tying your shoes), but that you now understand. Explain the process so that someone else  could learn to do it.Holidays. What is your favorite holiday? Explain  how you celebrate it.Pet Sitter. Your family is going on vacation and a pet-sitter is coming to care for your pets. Write a note explaining how to care for them.PBJ. Write out the step-by-step process for making the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich.Chores. What is a household chore for which you are responsible? Explain how to do it.Emergency Drills. Think of one emergency drill that your school practices. Write a paper describing exactly how to do it as if you were explaining it to a brand-new student. Allergies. Do you have a serious allergy to something like peanuts or milk? Write an essay explaining why it’s so important for you not to come into contact with the allergen.Color Wheel. What is your favorite color? Choose an animal or object that is that color and describe it.State Fun Facts. Describe some interesting facts about your state to someone who has never visited.Family Traditions. Describe a unique family tradition that your family has.Game On.  Whats your favorite game? Explain the rules to someone who has never played it before. Research Writing Prompts Students in 3rd grade can conduct simple research projects that build on their knowledge about a topic. They should use digital and print media to explore  the topic, take simple notes, and create a basic outline before beginning the writing process. State History. What is the history of your state? Research the history and write an essay about one key event in your states past.Marsupials. Marsupials are animals who carry their babies in pouches. With the exception of the opossum, all marsupials live in Australia. Choose one of them to learn more about.Insects. They may be small, but insects play an important role in our environment. Choose an insect to research and write an essay about its characteristics.Jaws! Are Great White sharks really man-eaters? Research this question and write an essay about your answer.  Bat Signal. How do bats use echolocation?Explorers. Choose a famous (or not-so-famous) explorer to research.Comic Book Heroes. When was the first comic book published and what was it about?Extreme Weather. Choose an extreme weather event such as a tornado, hurricane, or tsunami, and explain its cause.International Space Station. Learn more about the International Space Station: how its used, who visits it, and why its important. Write an essay about your findings. Ben Franklin, Inventor. Many people know Benjamin Franklin as a Founding Father and statesman, but he was also an inventor. Learn about some of the things he invented.Legends.  Research  a popular legend such as the Lost City of Atlantis, Big Foot, or Paul Bunyan. Write an essay describing the evidence for or against the legend.Presidential History. Research the childhood of one American president and write an essay about what you learn.