Monday, June 5, 2017
Friday, May 19, 2017
What is Your Biggest Fear about Starting College?
I asked this question to some readers and got the following responses:
What is/was Your Biggest Fear about Starting College?
My biggest fear was failure. Finding certain material too hard and not being able to find the right help. I am about to start my third year in college and I still have the fear of failure.
My biggest fear is not doing as well as I did went I was younger and had less responsibility; as a single mother, it's just hard to pick a up a book to read.
I have always had a fear of failure since all I ever heard from people in my family was you will never amount to anything. I am now in college, married, children, and I am enjoying life. Classes are going great. My oldest son graduates in four years. The same year I do. I am not letting fear get in the way of something that has been my dream for the last 10 years.
Quote from my former student:
Two essential lessons that Perry's class taught me are: important information is everywhere if we spend the time to look closer; and it's more meaningful to find humor in our daily lives than to live with fear, pessimism, or divisiveness. Those lessons go a long way toward finding happiness and reaching the success that we all imagine.
My Thoughts on Fear and Education:
To me, the greatest barriers to success, however you define that, are a fear of the unknown, a fear of change, and a fear of failure. But you need a game plan, and hopefully you can lean a little on what you learned in school to figure out that route. No matter what you do in life, you always will have your education.
You have already accomplished a huge milestone. The biggest step was just showing up. That’s it. The secret most people don’t get until it’s too late. Just showing up as young freshmen is a threshold event. Trying something which may be hard for the first time. Experiencing new things, even if it’s unknown whether the objective is attainable.
Many times the things you do won’t work. And you will fail at some things you try. That’s just a fact of life. Abraham Lincoln once said: “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” And you will make mistakes. A lot of them! Both in your careers and your lives. That’s just another fact of life. But that’s okay. The trick is figuring out how to deal with setbacks. Your family and friends will always be there for you. And your education will continually serve as a foundation to get you back on track.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said: “We are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of our own minds.” Students, each of you must unlock your mind and blaze a path built on reason and purpose. Life is too short to spend it bouncing around like a random and aimless ball in a game of Pong. Whether you are 17, 18, 19, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 years young, it is never too late to test the boundaries of your dreams.
Excerpt: 99 Motivators for College Success
What is/was Your Biggest Fear about Starting College?
My biggest fear was failure. Finding certain material too hard and not being able to find the right help. I am about to start my third year in college and I still have the fear of failure.
My biggest fear is not doing as well as I did went I was younger and had less responsibility; as a single mother, it's just hard to pick a up a book to read.
I have always had a fear of failure since all I ever heard from people in my family was you will never amount to anything. I am now in college, married, children, and I am enjoying life. Classes are going great. My oldest son graduates in four years. The same year I do. I am not letting fear get in the way of something that has been my dream for the last 10 years.
Quote from my former student:
Two essential lessons that Perry's class taught me are: important information is everywhere if we spend the time to look closer; and it's more meaningful to find humor in our daily lives than to live with fear, pessimism, or divisiveness. Those lessons go a long way toward finding happiness and reaching the success that we all imagine.
My Thoughts on Fear and Education:
To me, the greatest barriers to success, however you define that, are a fear of the unknown, a fear of change, and a fear of failure. But you need a game plan, and hopefully you can lean a little on what you learned in school to figure out that route. No matter what you do in life, you always will have your education.
You have already accomplished a huge milestone. The biggest step was just showing up. That’s it. The secret most people don’t get until it’s too late. Just showing up as young freshmen is a threshold event. Trying something which may be hard for the first time. Experiencing new things, even if it’s unknown whether the objective is attainable.
Many times the things you do won’t work. And you will fail at some things you try. That’s just a fact of life. Abraham Lincoln once said: “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” And you will make mistakes. A lot of them! Both in your careers and your lives. That’s just another fact of life. But that’s okay. The trick is figuring out how to deal with setbacks. Your family and friends will always be there for you. And your education will continually serve as a foundation to get you back on track.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said: “We are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of our own minds.” Students, each of you must unlock your mind and blaze a path built on reason and purpose. Life is too short to spend it bouncing around like a random and aimless ball in a game of Pong. Whether you are 17, 18, 19, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 years young, it is never too late to test the boundaries of your dreams.
Excerpt: 99 Motivators for College Success
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
99 Motivators for College Success: THE High School Graduation Gift Book: 20 Reviews from Amazon/Goodreads
5.0/5.0 (11 Amazon Reviews)
Robin rated it 5/5 it was amazing
I received this book through Goodreads Giveaways and it was a very appropriate gift for my son who graduated in May 2016 from high school. Some excellent motivators and well written, it is perfect! Thank you! July 9, 2016
Billie rated it 4/5 really liked it
I received this book free from Goodreads Giveaways. The tips and quotes for college success, career and life choices are excellent. This is a great book to give to a high school graduate. May 2, 2016
I received this book free from Goodreads Giveaways. The tips and quotes for college success, career and life choices are excellent. This is a great book to give to a high school graduate. May 2, 2016
lleana rated it 5/5 it was amazing
I have received this book free from Goodreads! This book will definitely be very useful in the future. Right now I am a high school student and I'm going to be taking a Law Studies class my Junior year and I think this book will be very useful, thank you! July 4, 2012
Chris rated it 5/5 it was amazing
The book is divided into three sections: how to adjust to college, how to succeed in class, and how to properly apply your degree to your future career.
Of the career section, the best advice numbers came with the bureau of labor statistic inserts, allowing an influence and perspective into the quote or advice. In succeeding in class, the most helpful pages had advice on mentors and how to properly write an essay or take a multiple choice test. The Adjusting to college had a huge emphasis placed on making friends and overall enjoying life because that is what one should be doing at college.
Overall, it was a great book. Only problem is that I am now freaking out over my career prospects. Oh well! November 18, 2012
Of the career section, the best advice numbers came with the bureau of labor statistic inserts, allowing an influence and perspective into the quote or advice. In succeeding in class, the most helpful pages had advice on mentors and how to properly write an essay or take a multiple choice test. The Adjusting to college had a huge emphasis placed on making friends and overall enjoying life because that is what one should be doing at college.
Overall, it was a great book. Only problem is that I am now freaking out over my career prospects. Oh well! November 18, 2012
David rated it 5/5 it was amazing
Received this book in a giveaway, but its advice is WAY more valuable than that might hint.
The one that really sticks out (and could have saved me a lot of wasted time) is how you should choose a vocation (pays well!) versus an avocation (hobby; little or no pay!). July 2, 2012
The one that really sticks out (and could have saved me a lot of wasted time) is how you should choose a vocation (pays well!) versus an avocation (hobby; little or no pay!). July 2, 2012
Shayla rated it 4/5 really liked it
Nov. 30, 2016
Harish rated it 4/5 really liked it
October 31, 2013
Cassie ♥ rated it 4/5 really liked it
June 30, 2012
Jason rated it 5/5 it was amazing
June 18, 2012
99 Motivators for College Success was selected for the 2016/2017 Book Award Program by Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia. Each year, the College's Alumni Office selects and sends a special book to hundreds of rising high school seniors nationwide, who are academically strong and possess leadership potential.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Justice Cases for the Classroom
This summer, I am teaching LGLS 3020 (Introduction to Law), a GSU Robinson elective class that let's me explore some non-business topics. As a part of the class, we examine justice issues in civil and criminal cases. Class meets M/W at 1:50p.m.
Introduction to Justice Cases for Students
Unlike Hollywood law dramas, which neatly wrap up cases in an hour or two, achieving actual justice through the legal system is often slow, frustrating, and requires patience and persistence.
Below are real cases that I have studied, written about, and in some instances, maintained contact with the legal underdogs involved. Each case has deeply personal significance to me for different reasons, and thus I write about them in the first person. My hope is that if teachers and students experience my passion and engagement, they may be inspired to follow a local, national, or international cause and choose to participate as an impactful voice, whether through social media or some other avenue.
Continue reading Justice Cases for the Classroom
Friday, March 24, 2017
FREE Goodreads Book Giveaway: 99 Motivators 4 College Success begins MARCH 26
Congrats to Rhonda & Izzy - Winners from 512 contest entries
Goodreads Book Giveaway: 99 Motivators 4 College Success begins MARCH 26
- Two Signed copies available.
- Makes a great HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION GIFT.
- Selected for the 2016/2017 Book Award Program by Randolph College in Virginia. Each year, the College's Alumni Office selects and sends a special book to hundreds of rising high school seniors nationwide, who are academically strong and possess leadership potential.
Legal Studies professor Perry Binder wrote 99 Motivators for College Success to inspire college freshmen to succeed the moment they enter college. The book contains motivational stories, quotes, and bite-sized tips for Millennials to succeed in the classroom and pick a career path. In 99 Motivators, Professor Binder gives away all of his secrets, including how to write model college essay exam answers, and what skills are needed to succeed in a post-college career.
Details:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/228999-99-motivators-for-college-success
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
College Admissions Counselors: Avoid Summer Melt with 10 Tips for Your Deposited Students
My university (Georgia State) has many First Gen students. I offer these 10 tips to motivate them over the summer. The tips are excerpts from my book, 99 Motivators for College Success, which colleges can mail to their deposited students:
10 Motivators for Professional Success
1. Don't let anyone crush your professional dreams. However, the riskier your dream, the better your backup plan must be.
Fly with a net or no net?
2. Live life with no regrets. Sometimes doing the “wrong thing” may be the right thing for you. Just be prepared to deal with the consequences.
3. The most important thing during school is to get out of the classroom and into an internship, which exposes you to the day-to-day ups and downs of that profession. "Learning by doing" will give you a better appreciation of the job than learning through textbooks.
4. Do what you love but don't let your career choices jeopardize anyone you love. Including yourself.
Translation 1: Take care of others but don't forget to take care of yourself, sometimes before others. Listen to our airline flight attendants: "Put your own oxygen mask on first before assisting others with their masks."
Translation 2: Do you know how to say NO to people you love or work with?
5. Determine whether you are driven to be your own boss or if you crave the stability of a steady paycheck. Assess your personality traits and the risks inherent with both paths. (e.g., the risk of putting up your own money as your own boss versus the risk of losing a job in a company you work for)
6. Don't rely on luck or fate in your career. Professional success is about putting yourself in a position to create numerous opportunities.
Can networking actually be fun?
7. Over the course of your lifetime, there may only be a handful of impactful career opportunities. Assemble an inner circle team of advisors now, so you'll be able to act quickly to objectively assess the pluses and minuses of future opportunities.
8. Do you recognize impactful career opportunities when they present themselves? If you go for it, do you know what it means to push all of your chips into the middle?
9. Clean up your social media presence online! What's publicly available might not bode well for your future employment.
10. Always have fun!
Well, I could only come up with 9 legit suggestions :)Excerpt: 99 Motivators for College Success
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Asheville, Atlanta, Toronto: Presenting "Teaching Justice Issues with Three Law Case Outcomes of Yes, No, and Maybe"
Over the next few months, I'll be hitting the road to present these justice issues, which form the basis of my Teacher's Guide to Justice Cases for the Classroom:
INTRODUCTION TO JUSTICE CASES
Unlike Hollywood law dramas, which neatly wrap up cases in an hour or two, achieving actual justice through the legal system is often slow, frustrating, and requires patience and persistence.
Below are real cases that I have studied, written about, and in some instances, maintained contact with the legal underdogs involved. Each case has deeply personal significance to me for different reasons, and thus I write about them in the first person. My hope is that if teachers and students experience my passion and engagement, they may be inspired to follow a local, national, or international cause and choose to participate as an impactful voice, whether through social media or some other avenue.
Summary of the Three Legal Underdog Cases
(1) Grandpa v. Coal Mining Company. A mining company dumped coal waste in a dammed river, with an elementary school directly downstream. Elevated incidences of cancer were reported for school staff and students, prompting a student’s grandfather to walk 400 miles to get an audience with his U.S. Senator. Grandpa tried to secure funding to build a new school, away from the coal company.
Perry’s Personal Connection: For years, I taught a justice course using a book, The Buffalo Creek Disaster. The author of that book represented plaintiffs in West Virginia, where a dam with coal waste gave way, and devastated coal miners and their families living downstream: 125 dead. 1000 homes destroyed. 4,000 survivors reliving the horror. That case was from the 1970’s. When I read about Grandpa’s case, I could not believe that history could potentially repeat itself in the 21st century, this time with students and teachers in harm’s way. I became a Facebook administrator for Grandpa’s cause, and interviewed people connected to his initiative.
(2) 9/11 Families v. U.S. Government. Ten days after 9/11, Congress passed the Victim Compensation Fund. Its purpose was to provide monetary relief to injured individuals on the ground and for family members of those who died. Ninety six families bypassed the Fund and filed lawsuits, seeking answers from the government on what security breaches occurred on that fateful day.
Perry’s Personal Connection: The students reading about this case are likely not old enough to remember September 11, 2001. I am originally from New York City and felt as helpless as anyone that day. Living in Atlanta, I wanted to be connected to New Yorkers somehow. Soon thereafter, I set up a website, 9-11 Civil Liability, with case updates and other information, and corresponded with a few family members seeking legal counsel.
(3) Innocent Man? v. D.A.’s Office. A father and son were arrested for alleged child molestation acts committed in their basement. The father, a retired high school teacher who was teaching computer classes in his home, entered into a plea deal. While maintaining his innocence, he believed that his plea would somehow benefit the son’s case. However, facing a hostile community and life in prison if convicted, the teenager accepted a plea deal too. Years later, the son was granted an “Actual Innocence” hearing, to try to clear his name.
Perry’s Personal Connection: The father was my favorite high school teacher, and I was confused and emotional as the facts of the case unfolded. I've published three articles on the son’s case (while maintaining an objective stance concerning his innocence), and get periodic updates from his Twitter feed and representative.
Please keep reading here, and then learn just how long it takes to achieve justice -- or not!
Monday, January 2, 2017
New Year's Motivation: Never Crush Anyone's Dreams (Including Your Own)
Dr. J at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, before an exhibition game to attract an NBA franchise (Miami Heat) |
CAREER PATH MOTIVATOR #4
(99 Motivators for College Success)
Don’t let anyone crush your dreams. However, the riskier your dream, the better your backup plan must be.
Never crush anyone’s dreams
When I was a little kid, I dreamed about playing professional basketball. In third grade, we had to write an essay on what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wrote that I wanted to be 6’10” and play in Madison Square Garden. When the teacher handed back my paper, she laughed out loud and said: “You can’t do that!”
That was the first time someone had crushed my professional dream. The teacher may have been right about the 6’10” part, but this molder of young minds lacked the understanding of what negative reinforcement can do to little kids. She also lacked the understanding that height isn’t everything for a basketball player. Teachers, especially in the impressionable K-12 years, are my personal heroes. Yet they need to be dream builders, not dream destroyers. It’s healthy to discuss rational backup career plans, but why spoil youthful exuberance which could flower into the unexpected?
Postscript: When I was 25 years old, I met the great Dr. J and got to play one-on-one with 7’4” center Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz, that year’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year. I’ll leave the game results to your active imagination.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Presenting E.T.H.I.C.S. (Elevating Trust Has Inspired Customer Satisfaction)
An old lesson for a new year...
Presenting E.T.H.I.C.S.
(Elevating Trust Has Inspired Customer
Satisfaction)
© 2003-2017 Perry Binder
This article first appeared in Professional
Speaker magazine.
Reprinted: The Human Resource; ASTD
Atlanta Newsletter; Atlanta HR Leadership Forum; Atlanta CPCU Newsletter
Do any of these
statements ring familiar?
- In the old days, a deal
could be done on a handshake.
- A person's word used to be as good as gold.
- The bottom line has become more important than people.
I recently spoke before
a group of HR and insurance professionals about customers losing trust in their
industry. As the pressure to produce increases, the industry seems to cut
corners. Sadly, company communication is breaking down by ignoring the very
backbone of the industry, the loyal clients.
Discussing the topic of
ethics before a captive audience is a very delicate process. The presenter
must strike the appropriate balance between making the audience comfortable by
offering objective information in an energized and thoughtful manner, without
excessive preaching about the importance of ethical behavior.
I believe that each of
us has a strong moral compass which gets tested every day on the job. As a
presenter, if I can provide concrete examples to an audience of how unethical
behavior will adversely affect a company, I can then initiate a dialogue of
ethical dilemmas in any industry. My goal is to give participants a frame of
reference, not to instill ethical beliefs. By providing people with relevant
analogies, hopefully they will develop the tools needed to prevent any
unethical situations arising in a company setting.
I. The Erosion of Client Confidence
The recent explosion of bad faith lawsuits filed by dissatisfied customers is
evidence of an erosion in confidence:
- An insurance company's delay and denial of a homeowner's claim for cleaning up
toxic mold caused by a water leak led the client to sue the insurance company.
The result:
$6.2 million
compensatory damages
$12 million punitive
damages
$5 million for mental
anguish
$8.9 million in attorney
fees!!
- An insurance company's "No settlement stance" led a client to sue his automobile insurance company for bad
faith. The client had been in a car accident which led to the death of
one motorist, and disabling injuries to another. The company refused to
settle for the policy limits of $25,000, in spite of overwhelming evidence of
the client's fault in the accident. This led to a
jury verdict in excess of $25,000, thus exposing the client to personal
liability. The client then turned around and sued the insurance company
for bad faith.
The result: $2.6 million in compensatory damages and $145 million in punitive damages (The judge lowered the
jury;s award to "only" $1 million in compensatory damages, and $25 million in punitive
damages)
If the initial,
knee-jerk reaction of a company is to turn its back on a client, all of the
trust built over the years with that client is instantly lost.
Immediately, an adversarial relationship is created. It is the very
nature of confrontational environments which may plant the seeds of unethical
behavior.
II. Building Trust is the Key to Avoiding
Ethical Dilemmas
As a lighthearted
analogy, I use an Aesop's Fable, where two buddies (insurance
salesperson and client) are traveling together in the woods, when a bear rushes
out in front of them. On instinct, the salesperson grabs a tree branch
and climbs a tree, stranding the client. Ever resourceful, the client feigns
death, knowing the bear won't eat dead meat. After the bear sniffs
close to the client's ear, it eventually leaves the area. As
the salesperson climbs down the tree, he laughingly asks the client: "What did that big bad bear whisper?" The client
glares, then offers: "He said, never trust a friend who
deserts you in a pinch."
This issue of trust
permeates any discussion of company ethics. It is a message which must start at
the top, and is a number one priority in all company-customer
relationships.
III. Tips on Ethics Presentations for
Every Industry
1. An observation: The
role of the presenter is not to change peoples' minds about ethics - rather it is to give the audience a frame of reference with
examples of unethical behavior.
2. Start the session off
in a light manner, using a humorous story to make a larger point.
3. Never put audience
members on the spot. The topic of ethics is so sensitive, that the
facilitator must put no one on the defensive.
4. Remind the audience
about the good news: That most people in the industry have very strong
morals, and usually do the ethical thing.
5. Find specific cases
of extreme ethical violations in a particular industry. These examples
will generate discussion on how solid communication and trust might have
prevented an escalation of unethical behavior.
6. Give hope to audience
members. Remind them that special attention to the customer will slowly build
back any lost trust.
7. Consider a
presentation where audience members construct a brief, uniform Ethics Mission
Statement.
8. Emphasize that
employers must continually educate employees on company ethics. There are no
quick-fixes to such an important topic.
9. Have fun in any
presentation! (the most important lesson of all)
10. Remember
E.T.H.I.C.S. - Elevating Trust Has Inspired Customer
Satisfaction
Perry Binder, J.D. is a legal studies professor in Georgia
State University's Robinson College of Business in Atlanta, Georgia.
Professor Binder conducts seminars for large and small companies on a range of
topics, including social media ethics, litigation prevention, and sexual harassment/discrimination.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
The Inspiring Teacher Series: Interviews with Master Teachers from K-12 & College
My favorite blog posts over the years involved interviews with great teachers who've inspired students year after year. This post brings all of those interviews together.
The Inspiring Teacher Series: Interviews with Master Teachers from K-12 to College
Enjoy!
Questions included:
What inspired you to teach?
What teaching methods are most helpful in guiding students towards their goals?
What would you like to improve about your teaching?
What is the one thing you wish you'd known when you started your teaching career?
Kindergarten
Bridget Robbins
Middle School
Travis Tingle
High School
Paul Cohen
Brendan Halpin
Barry Hantman
College
Jody Blanke
Greg Henley
Mara Mooney
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