Q: How can I be an effective public speaker when I have an accent? Your accent is a part of who you are. It makes you unique and can distinguish you from the crowd. On the other hand, when we speak with an accent other people might misunderstand what we are saying or not take us seriously. Despite taking Spanish in school for several years and being around Spanish speaking people most of my life, I sound absolutely ridiculous when I try to speak this language (I know what it

Q: How can I help my students develop good character? As adults, we have a great opportunity to influence the children around us. We do this through our example, including our choices and actions (children are always watching and learning!) as well as through our words. There are a lot of character development programs especially designed for educators to influence children’s esteem and virtue. But if we don’t embody those values, we are sending mixed messages that will lead