Era of Global Competition

In an Era of Global Competition, What Exactly Are We Testing For?

Katrina Schwartz

Renato Ganoza/Flickr

In this era of global competition, test scores are used as the primary benchmark to call out which countries will produce “successful” students. Knowing that American students are competing against a global pool of the best and brightest has led education leaders to focus more on how they score on international tests compared to students from other countries.

But high test scores don’t provide a complete picture of students’ success, according to Yong Zhao, world-renown author, scholar, and professor of education at University of Oregon.

“Countries that score highly, have students with lower confidence,” Zhao said in his keynote address to educators gathered online for the 2013 Leadership Summit.

That seems counter-intuitive, and Zhao isn’t claiming a causal connection — he questions whether focusing on test scores might inadvertently lower confidence. Zhao has analyzed data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and discovered a negative correlation between high math scores and confidence.

“Countries that score highly, have students with lower confidence.”

Similarly, in his analysis of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), a test that analyzes how countries score in reading, math and science, Zhao found a negative correlation between attitude and attainment. In other words, the countries with lower scores had students who reported higher interest in the subjects. Zhao analyzed media stories from high scoring countries like Korea and Japan, where students don’t show enough confidence or enthusiasm for subjects in which they excel.

He found the same results when he looked at students’ belief in their entrepreneurial capacity, their ability to start businesses or be self-starters. “Everybody is trying to perfect this system and make a good bet about the knowledge and skills that our children might need,” he said. “All of this says that the measures we use to measure education outcomes, to view them as the best education systems in terms of test scores, do not result in the same kinds of things we might value otherwise — entrepreneurial capabilities, confidence, enjoyment.”

TESTING FOR THE WRONG QUALITIES

Zhao’s findings have led him to question the value of the tests altogether. If the stated goal is to get kids ready for careers, and careers demand confidence, creativity, and an entrepreneurial attitude, then why focus on test scores that seem to produce the opposite effect?

“A lot of times teachers have been asked to improve our schools, to make our schools more effective, but the question I’m raising is, effective at what?” Zhao said. “Some reading programs could improve your students’ reading scores, but cause your students to hate education.” He’s concerned that national initiatives like the Common Core State Standards could have unintended consequences.

In Zhao’s view, most education systems start out by defining the outcomes. They make a bet about which skills will be important and promise that if students master those skills, they will succeed. Zhao sees this as a flawed approach because it forces everyone into a homogenous group, a bit like making sausage out of all different kinds of meat. Defining outcomes allows systems to measure results, but it stamps out individuality.

“The new education needs to start with the child. Not with the prescribed content.”

Countries that score well on international exams, like Korea, have clearly defined outcomes, narrow curricula, and dictatorial systems with clear ranking and sorting systems. Students know exactly how they stack up in that system.

“Everybody is reminded everyday that they have to master the skills,” Zhao said. “But in the process you have people who are either kicked out of the system or put down into a different school and they will lose confidence.”  By valuing what’s prescribed and assessed, the system creates a uniform group with little confidence in the individual’s unique contributions.

Zhao pointed to the tremendous amount of local control in the U.S. educational system as both its savior and a contributing factor to its lower test scores. It allows for different types of schools and for students to demonstrate that they can be good at different things. There are arts schools, engineering schools and schools focused on bi-lingual education. That kind of choice allows students the chance to find what they are good at. The U.S. system also gives learners many second chances to keep learning and find their strengths.

[RELATED READING: Some Ask: What's the Value of Common Core State Standards?]

“The new education needs to start with the child. Not with the prescribed content,” Zhao said. “We start with individual differences; we start with their cultural strengths.” Beginning with the individual and building upwards from there allows each person to become uniquely great at something. And when students are passionate about anything, they can then be creative and entrepreneurial. For Zhao, the new model has to be about creating a new middle class based on creativity.

To do that, he suggests giving students more autonomy over their learning and emphasizing the importance of making authentic products that solve problems. He also emphasizes a global learning community that can collaborate to fill the gaps that each country, school or teacher experiences.

ZHAO’S INITIATIVES

Zhao is actively trying to create the learning experiences he has written and lectured about. He’s started an online education community called ObaWorld, which costs $1 per student per year and is a closed, private site. It’s a cloud-based learning platform, like Moodle, and includes similar features like the ability to make and evaluate portfolios. But Zhao is most excited that he’s recruiting students and teachers from all over the world to participate. So a teacher can create a tool or course and put it on ObaWorld to help an educator on the other side of the country.

His other big push is to create more entrepreneurial school leaders through the Global Education Leadership Master’s program, which is based online and accredited through University of Oregon. Students will have to create a product that will improve education and will be encouraged to think about schools as entrepreneurial global enterprises.

Explore: assessment, collaborative learning, Common Core State Standards, global learning, personalized learning,

Democracy and democratization

by bowles4455 | November 13, 2011 · 6:15 pm

Democracy and democratization, Chapter 1, Sample Exam Q1

“A system is more democratic if people can vote more often on issues which concern them. That is why democracy should make frequent use of referendums.” Discuss.

The statement “A system is more democratic if people can vote more often on issues that concern them. That is why democracy should make frequent use of referendums” is clearly based on a participatory conception of democracy. Democracy has however been conceived in alternate ways- as a system of competition, or of balances- and proponents of such approaches would not accept the link between the frequency people are able to vote on issues and a system’s democratic credentials. Critisisms they may level at such a claim include the fact that arguably the general public does not possess the necessary capabilities and/or motivation to make informed political decisions, and that frequent referendums tip democratic balances too far in favour of majoritarian rule. In fact, even taking a participatory approach to democracy, it is not clear that referendums are necessarily the most satisfactory means of maximizing participation. Voting is only one form of political participation, and the use of refendums may also be critisised for their tendancy to produce conservative, status-quo-biased decisions, and for the power they grant to the “agenda-setter”.

There are, broadly speaking, three alternate ways in which democracy has been conceived. The first- democracy as participation- holds that democracy is a system which allows citizens to partipate in the act of government. The second- democracy as competition- views democracy as a system which allows free competition for the right to govern. And the third- democracy as balance- sees democracy as a system designed to balance the potentially conflicting criterion of citizen participation, a strong capable government, and the protection of fundamental rights for all individuals. To argue that a system is “more democratic” the more often people are able to vote on issues is clearly to take a participatory approach to democracy. The claim would however appear incompatible with alternative conceptions of democracy.

For “democracy as competition” proponents, of whom Schumpeter is perhaps the most notable, democracy is a system which allows political leaders and parties to compete freely for the right to govern, granted on the basis of popular vote in periodic elections. The key difference between such an approach and a participatory perspective is that whilst the latter endorses the participation of citizens in the actual governing process of their polity, the former limits participation to choosing who should govern. This approach is based on the view that, in fact, the average citizen lacks the capabilities and/or motivation to actively participate in the governing process.  Therefore, what is preferable is that the process of governing is left to political elites, with electoral compettion allowing citizens to discipline them- the ruling elite must thus strive to govern in the “public interest” or risk not being re-elected. For Schumpeter and others then, a system is “more democratic” the freer that electoral competition is (i.e. the less constaints are placed on political groups assembling and presenting themselves as valid alternatives to the present ruling elite), not the more often referendums are held. Letting the people govern would be fine if they were capable of, and motivated to, make informed decisions, but, Schumpeter argued, this is not the case. As the weight of any one citizen’s vote is very little in a modern democracy, individuals see very little point in going to the necessary lengths to gain the skills and knowledge required to make informed decisions on what are often extremely complex political issues. Instead, it is argued, those skilled in making those decisions should be granted the freedom to do so, whilst the electorate is able to discipline them through periodic elections.

The conception of democracy as balance is best epitomised in the design of the US political system, which has changed little since its creation over 200 years ago. The design is one of a complex system of checks and balances, based on the belief that it is necessary to strike a balance between the rights of citizens to participate in the political process, the need for a strong and capable ruling elite, and the existence of fundamental rights which must be safeguarded from any potential erosion. The system is therefore one which limits power, so that neither the majority, political elites, or guardians of constitutional rights are able to exercise absolute authority. In contrast to such a system, one which made frequent use of referendums (assumed here to be questions posing a dichotomy of choices to the demos and operating on a simple majoritarian formula) would seem to tip the balance in favour of majoritarian rule, weakening the democratic role of both elite competition and constitutionally guarded rights. This would be viewed as undesirable for proponents of “democracy as balance” for two potential reasons. Firstly, there would be an echo of the Schumpeterian argument on the need for qualified elites, rather than the unqualified, unmotivated majority, to be able to exercise power. And secondly, there is the potential threat to fundamental rights and institutions posed by unrestrained majority rule- if a majority deemed these rights/institutions no longer desirable, they may be able to vote to remove them. Whilst this may appear democratic to the majority, for the minority it would represent a “tyranny of the majority”. This is a particular danger when the demos is divided into relatively cemented cross-issue majority/minority blocks, notably in multi-ethnic societies in which ethnicity is a salient issue. If democracy is perceived as balance then, rather than being “more democratic”, frequent referendums may in fact represent a threat to democracy.

Even if a participatory approach to democracy is adopted, it is not obvious that referendums represent the best means of maximizing participation. As Dahl has noted, the ideal of democracy originated in Ancient Greece as a system which allowed citizens to directly participate in the govering of the polity- with citizens attending assemblies in order to debate and make decisions, and also serving time in public office. Whilst that was possible in the relatively small city-states of Ancient Greece, in the vast society of the modern state such direct participation would appear an impossibility. Referendums would seem to be a convenient means of maximizing participation in modern democracies. On the plus side, this frequent participation may help foster a sense of civic community, democratic legitimacy, and to stimulate interest in the political process so that votes are placed on a more informed basis. On the negative side, observation of referendum results has shown that they tend to produce conservative decisions, favouring the status-quo over change, and in any referendum, the agenda-setter, in determing what question is (or isn’t) asked and how it is framed, wields a great degree of power. More fundamentally, voting is only one element of political participation, and there may in fact be other ways of extending participation which are preferable to the use of referendums. For example the extention of decentralised forms of government could allow more direct, multi-dimensional participation, and thus might be considered “more democratic” than merely allowing people to vote frequently in state referendums.

In summary then, even accepting that democracy means participation, the assumption that referendums are the appropriate means of maximizing participation is problematic. Couple this with the incompatibility of frequent referndums with the two alternative approaches to democracy- democracy as competition or as balance- and it suggests that claims that a system is “more democratic” if it allows people to vote in frequent referendums should be treated with suspicion.

3 Strategies to Promote Independent Thinking

3 Strategies to Promote Independent Thinking in Classrooms

November 22, 2013

 

Photo credit: National Renewable Energy Lab via flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Imagine the intentional focus you would bring to crossing a rushing creek. Each stepping-stone is different in shape, each distance uneven and unpredictable, requiring you to tread with all senses intact. The simple act of traversing water on stones is an extraordinary exercise in concentration. Now think of how, with all the tweeting, texting and messaging that technology has given us, our attention is frittered away by the mundane. The speed of communication undermines the continuum of thought. That rushing creek is much harder to cross.
In his study of people who find satisfaction with their lives, Harvard psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines as autotelic those who are happiest when they are absorbed in complex activities. By focusing on tasks and outcomes that stretch their skills, these young people are more likely to grow into contented adults. The most significant factor for autotelic development is what Csikszentmihalyi terms attentional capacity. Consequently, if his research into self-motivated learning is correct, then the classroom should become an incubator for growing students' attentional capacity. Instruction should be organized in intriguing yet challenging ways to foster attention.
Teachers can utilize three strategies to cultivate improved focus: sequencing instruction, recovery from mistakes, and setting goals.

1. Sequencing Instruction

Finding intriguing ways to sequence information is one method for promoting students' sense of discovery. One science teacher organizes his physical science class into circus labs. This requires that his students, instead of all doing the same activity in the same period, will instead be working on independent investigations to teach one aspect of the lesson. To understand the concept of "heat," they rotate among 14 different explorations over the two-week unit. Each lab forces students to collaborate as they uncover scientific properties. After all the labs are complete, they have a fuller picture of heat's physical properties. Students have reported these activities as intriguing, compelling and shared -- all of which promoted long-term concentration to make the learning more effective.

2. Recovery from Mistakes

Learning from past errors also provides capacity for continued student learning. Here are two unique approaches demonstrating this method.
A math teacher begins each class with a simple question: "Who made the biggest mistake last night?" Then he waits for volunteers to share errors from their homework. After correcting one volunteer's problem, he challenges the other students: "That wasn't a big enough mistake. Surely somebody else made a bigger one than that!" With his generous encouragement for learning from failure, he ratchets up his students' curiosity for process solutions. Revisiting and revising will concentrate the mind if done without judgment.
Another example of recovery from mistake making is through teaching students how to improve their writing by having them revise papers they've already written. Students who experiment with new sentence patterns and advanced grammatical structures, not from a textbook but from their own previous essays, are learning from application. For improved expression, this is far more motivating and worthwhile than going back to a less personal source.

3. Setting Goals

Teachers also have success by incorporating purposeful goals in classroom instruction. If students can be motivated into exploration and discovery in any subject, they will set certain goals for themselves in the classroom. The teacher, by encouraging such goal setting, cultivates their focus even further. For example, in an American studies course, one teacher centers students on the Big Question of the week. The first week begins with a very compelling question. "Who is an American?" she writes in large letters on the board. Through aligning the central intention early in the period and opening doors for understanding, she provides a scaffold for ongoing dialogue. As another example, a biology teacher poses the question: "What is living?" Again, the psychic energy in the class is amplified. This central question alone funnels the course readings, class discussion and research into a purposeful focus.
By testing and analyzing unique ideas, the classroom can grow students' attentional capacity and show them the value of and methods for thinking independently. Only through strategy and design can the classroom become a laboratory of focus and attention. This is what we must do if we want schools to fulfill their purpose: developing young minds that have been assured new ideas are exciting and worth pursuing.
How do you encourage independent thinking in your classroom?

Nationalism uplift for green Pakistan

Nationalism uplift for green Pakistan

Author: By Dr Muhammad Nawaz

December 18, 2013 on 11:21 PM

 Exploiting sensitive ethno-linguistic issues should be discouraged
Whether my country is right or wrong, nationalism is basically associated and defined with a firm and unshakable national pride, with enduring love of country, of their nation, unbound feelings of patriotism and finally unquestionable loyalty. Wikipedia and internet presents multifold definitions of nationalism such as “devotion to the interests or culture of one's nation, a belief that nation will benefit from acting independently rather than collectively that emphasizing national rather than international goals, aspirations for national independence in a country under foreign domination, a sentiment based on common cultural characteristics that binds a group of population and often produces a policy of national independence or separatism, a loyalty or patriotism to one's country that leads to fanatical devotion to the interest of national community, the desire for national advancement or independence and the doctrine or policy of asserting the true interests of a particular nation based on cultural values over the interests of other nations”. While accepting the fact that all these norms or characteristics are true in spirit for strengthening and unifying the diversified community bond, it nevertheless provides realistic fundamental ingredient to the growth and development of any just nation or society.

Earlier in the recent past, nationalism has been considered as an important instrument to unify various multi-ethnic and multi-cultural groups in the European continent that led to an overall but gradual society development of our time. For example, in the 19^th centuries, a unified wave of romantic nationalism swept the continent of Europe transforming the various countries of the continent. With a spirit of common national identity, here some new countries, such as Germany and Italy were formed by merging smaller states. Others, such as Romania, Greece, Poland and Bulgaria, followed the same path and were formed by winning their independence. Furthermore, a French revolution paved the way for the modern nation-state and also had a fair contribution in the emergence of nationalism. Here, political transformation across Europe was led by radical intellectual Bonaparte Napoleon, where revolutionary armies carried out the popular slogan of liberty, equality and brotherhood along with the idea of liberalism and self-determination. A process of national awakening emerged out of an intellectual debate to the enlightenment that emphasized national identity and developed a romantic view of cultural self-expression through nationhood at gross root level.

More recently, a German leader G.W. Friedrich Hegel introduced a modern idea of a nation state where he argued that a sense of nationality should be considered hard cement that held diversified societies together in the age when dynastic and religious allegiance is in decline.

Over a period of time and through various movements (e.g., 1804 Serbian movement, 1815 Congress of Vienna, 1821-29 National independence declaration by Greek and the revolution against the Ottoman empire, 1846 uprising in greater Poland, 1830 Belgian revolution, 1859-1861 Italy unification, 1866-1871 German unification, 1867 Irish nationalist uprising movement and 1908 Bulgaria independence), the growth and development of nationalism was expanded and continued in Europe and even widely spread in other parts of the world in various stages. As a result of this, a true spirit of national harmony and prosperity established their roots to strengthen the society at national level. Finally, we see a strong and prosperous unified Europe today, embedded with industrial growth and with functional social welfare system in place for the people and by the people.

Reflecting the dominance of religious and political elite in Pakistan, a concept of unified nationalism is gradually being shattered. Note that the fundamental concept of the two nation theory on which Pakistan was founded was largely based on Muslim nationalism that resulted in its status as Islamic republic. Internal differentiating conflicts induced by various racial, sectarian, ethnic or linguistic groups are further shrinking nationalism space in the country. It is worth to mention that these ethno-linguistic factors have been a far more prevalent cause of strife in specific areas of Pakistan, besides religious activism. Rather than unified national integrated politics based on various real issues, our politicians are further using negative tactics to exploit these conflicting virtues to get more political gain from different segments of the society. Worsening country’s economy due to many other reasons, a greater polarization between rich and poor is noticed now a days. Regrettable to say that national language “Urdu” is still not widely spoken and understood in all state provinces since independence. Note that Pakistan is also missing a unified education system at School level, acceptable to all faction of society that results in a diversified mindset in the country. While hardly visible and untouched issue in the public domain, Pakistani national flag has been buried under umbrella flags of various political and religious parties inside the country.

Fundamental factors such as communitarianism (i.e. a philosophical approach that emphasizes the connection between the individual and the community), cultural identity, unified religious belief, respect of national flag, integrated identity and national politics, belief on the meaning of state emergence and existence, equality of justice, system of national accountability, objective of Pakistan resolution, struggle for self-confidence and national independence are the key parameters that lay the foundation for establishing true nationalism in the country. All these objective parameters are following the route of collective national demise in Pakistan now. A lack of communitarianism and decline of communal bonds along with respect for traditional cultural and religious values are being eroded in our society by various means.

A classic example of demise of our nationalism is associated with the gradual growing influence of arch rival India in Pakistan – through media (i.e. Indian movies on TV channels and on Cinemas, TV commercials, fashion shows etc.), promoting Indian goods in Pakistani market, projecting Indian national heroes on Pakistani channels and paying frequent visits by artists pose major threat not only to the spirit of our national pride but also raises concern for our young generation who try to often adopt Indian popular slang and dialect learned through Bollywood movies. Contrary to largely Indian absence in Pakistani musical concerts in Europe and in America, Indian based musical concerts are generally fully packed with Pakistani audience, presents another shameful example of declining faith on our nationalism belief. On the other side, presenting liberal Turkish plays at prime time slot on Pakistani TV channels proving to be a cultural Titanic for Pakistani TV media business.

A huge foreign investment in the Pakistani media as exposed recently in the private TV media for exploiting and projecting cultural image of respective countries presents another source of concern for deteriorating nationalism spirit. Moral and political support given to Kashmiri brothers, issues of Sir Creek, Siachen, Indus Water Treaty and Kashmir conflict where the whole nation has been united so far and also linked with prime resource building capacity, are considered now forgotten chapters.

The situation is even more disturbing among Pakistani families living abroad where the children are now questioning about our national identity and possession of Islamic belief and ideology. Knowing the fact that Indian goods and Indian influence is growing worldwide and Pakistan definitely cannot be left out of this emerging development, a fair amount of our ignorant population is ready to respond positively that should be discouraged with full strength and with utmost belief. More interestingly, exponential growth trend is frequently witnessed among youth male and female discussing about Indian popular songs and movies and think of Indian actors and actresses as their legitimate heroes. Importing and celebrating alien days (e.g., mother day, father day, and valentine day etc.,) with full panorama in our national domain presents another source of frustration for demolishing our religious values where respect to father and mother is boundless by default and for everyday. It is really painful to see that vast majority of Pakistani society take these critical issues as pointless and simply ignored.

Admitting the fact that business and developing good relation with neighbors are critical for economical and national survivability, various national contentious issues described earlier should not be neglected at any cost besides sustaining nationalism belief in the society.

Note that the nationalism is not born by itself but is artificially made and then polished by intellectuals, nationalists and religious think-tanks. Religious and sectarian intolerance is not born by itself but is artificially induced in the society. Other racial and ethnic factors described earlier are also human made and fabricated for political gain. Now, the question comes into mind what should we do to protect our cultural, religious and national values as earlier voiced by Ch. Rahmat Ali’s pamphlet entitle “Now or Never, Are we to live together or perish forever?”.

The role of our governments has so far been extremely deplorable in all fronts that allowed unlimited penetration of Bollywood and other alien culture into our society. Firstly, this Bollywood embedded Pakistani mindset needs to be thoroughly washed out in real sense by promoting religious and cultural values, supporting our industrial products, exploiting young talent and ensuring that our countrymen are the best in all walks of life. Legal mechanism should be in place as earliest possible to make sure that the right (and filtered) content is shown on the screen. A countrywide well-disciplined national campaign with the support of intellectual think-tanks, academics, businessmen, artists, analysts and students should be launched to promote nationalism agenda in the country. Simultaneously, a culture of awareness should be introduced among school children so as to realize them that how important is the nationalism uplift for growth, development and sustainability of any nation/country. Pro-western NGOs that provide recipes for secular mindset in the country should strongly be condemned and let them not allow exploiting their classified agenda that violates nationalism spirit. While Pakistan is a victim of globalization, supremacy of national interests over personal interest should be upheld at all cost to justify utmost love for the nation. Above all, it’s our responsibility to confine wish list and pattern of living within religious and cultural bounds. While Pakistani pocket is already filled with true national heroes, a pro-government strategic driving force is needed to actualize the potential of this nation. Simultaneously, politician and religious scholars should be discouraged and banned from exploiting sensitive ethno-linguistic issues. Finally and for green Pakistan, let us unite, push and commemorate the nationalism uplift in the country as originally defined and set by Allama Iqbal and Quaid e Azam for people at their best.

  The writer is a senior scientist/researcher at ABB Corporate Research. He can be reached at: muhammad.nawaz@se.abb.com

Anger management

Anger management: 10 tips to tame your temper

Keeping your temper in check can be challenging. Use simple anger management tips — from taking a timeout to using "I" statements — to stay in control.

Do you find yourself fuming when someone cuts you off in traffic? Does your blood pressure go through the roof when your child refuses to cooperate? Anger is a normal and even healthy emotion — but it's important to deal with it in a positive way. Uncontrolled anger can take a toll on both your health and your relationships.

Ready to get your anger under control? Start by considering these 10 anger management tips.

No. 1: Take a timeout

Counting to 10 isn't just for kids. Before reacting to a tense situation, take a few moments to breathe deeply and count to 10. Slowing down can help defuse your temper. If necessary, take a break from the person or situation until your frustration subsides a bit.

No. 2: Once you're calm, express your anger

As soon as you're thinking clearly, express your frustration in an assertive but nonconfrontational way. State your concerns and needs clearly and directly, without hurting others or trying to control them.

No. 3: Get some exercise

Physical activity can provide an outlet for your emotions, especially if you're about to erupt. If you feel your anger escalating, go for a brisk walk or run, or spend some time doing other favorite physical activities. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that can leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out.

No. 4: Think before you speak

In the heat of the moment, it's easy to say something you'll later regret. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything — and allow others involved in the situation to do the same.

No. 5: Identify possible solutions

Instead of focusing on what made you mad, work on resolving the issue at hand. Does your child's messy room drive you crazy? Close the door. Is your partner late for dinner every night? Schedule meals later in the evening — or agree to eat on your own a few times a week. Remind yourself that anger won't fix anything, and might only make it worse.

No. 6: Stick with 'I' statements

To avoid criticizing or placing blame — which might only increase tension — use "I" statements to describe the problem. Be respectful and specific. For example, say, "I'm upset that you left the table without offering to help with the dishes," instead of, "You never do any housework."

No. 7: Don't hold a grudge

Forgiveness is a powerful tool. If you allow anger and other negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice. But if you can forgive someone who angered you, you might both learn from the situation. It's unrealistic to expect everyone to behave exactly as you want at all times.

No. 8: Use humor to release tension

Lightening up can help diffuse tension. Don't use sarcasm, though — it can hurt feelings and make things worse.

No. 9: Practice relaxation skills

When your temper flares, put relaxation skills to work. Practice deep-breathing exercises, imagine a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase, such as, "Take it easy." You might also listen to music, write in a journal or do a few yoga poses — whatever it takes to encourage relaxation.

No. 10: Know when to seek help

Learning to control anger is a challenge for everyone at times. Consider seeking help for anger issues if your anger seems out of control, causes you to do things you regret or hurts those around you. You might explore local anger management classes or anger management counseling. With professional help, you can:

• Learn what anger is
• Identify what triggers your anger
• Recognize signs that you're becoming angry
• Learn to respond to frustration and anger in a controlled, healthy way