J'Ouellette® http://j-ouellette.com Learn Parisian French online by Skype & Travel the World! Tue, 21 May 2013 17:51:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 Is praise overrated? http://j-ouellette.com/is-praise-overrated/ http://j-ouellette.com/is-praise-overrated/#comments Tue, 21 May 2013 11:40:11 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=7382 Is praise overrated?
Have you ever achieved something in your childhood that your’e quite proud of?

What was the last time you got praise from someone?

Well believe it or not, there are certain kinds of praise that really help you, and others that slow you down!

Is it really true that some are born great and some achieve greatness?

Check out the article below to find out all the answers and watch the video for some French you were born to learn!

(This week: the verb NAÎTRE – to be born)

This is a blog post shared from Daniel Coyle’s TheTalentCode.com.

Praise is a tricky thing, because at first glance it seems so easy. You say “Attaboy,” or “Awesome job,” give a pat on the back, and everything’s great, right?

Uh, wrong.

Science is showing us that when it comes to praise, kids operate like light switches. [...]

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]]> http://j-ouellette.com/is-praise-overrated/feed/ 0 The worst word you can say http://j-ouellette.com/the-worst-word-you-can-say/ http://j-ouellette.com/the-worst-word-you-can-say/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 11:32:05 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=7378 The worst word you can say
Have you ever wondered what the worst word to say to children is?

Out of all the curse words, or inappropriate things you shouldn’t speak to a child, the answer might surprise you.

Read on to find out this mystery word and check out the video for some French words that are worth speaking to anyone!

(This week: the verb PARLER – to speak)

This is a blog post shared from Daniel Coyle’s TheTalentCode.com.

My friend Henry is a great teacher. He’s taught the advanced science classes at one of California’s most high-performing middle schools for about a decade. The kids in his class are bright, hugely motivated, and high achieving — or, as the school calls them, gifted.

Which is precisely the problem.

“Every year is the same,” Henry says. “The kids walk in on the first day of school [...]

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]]> http://j-ouellette.com/the-worst-word-you-can-say/feed/ 0 The unstoppable force of fascination http://j-ouellette.com/the-unstoppable-force-of-fascination/ http://j-ouellette.com/the-unstoppable-force-of-fascination/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:56 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=7080 Unstoppable fascination
Have you ever caught yourself singing in the shower?

Was it an embarrassing experience? Did you think to yourself “how silly am I?”, chuckled and kept going?

Did you picture yourself in front of an endless audience cheering you on?

What turns a hobby into a career? Not many parents know how to harness their child’s passion into an unstoppable force for success.

Read the article below to find the secret, and watch the video to warm-up your French vocal chords.

(This week: the verb CHANTER – to sing)

This is a blog post shared from Daniel Coyle’s TheTalentCode.com.

Passion is the nuclear reaction at the core of every talent. It’s the glowing, inexhaustible energy source. It’s also pretty darn mysterious.

Where does intense passion come from? How does it start, and how is it sustained? How does someone fall wildly in love with math or music, stock trading or figure [...]

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]]> http://j-ouellette.com/the-unstoppable-force-of-fascination/feed/ 0 The one best habit http://j-ouellette.com/the-one-best-habit/ http://j-ouellette.com/the-one-best-habit/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:26:45 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=7076 The one best habit
Have you ever had an idea that was so good, you forgot it?

One minute you are jumping up for joy, and the next minute you are a walking noise complaint

How do you hold on to those epiphanies that seem to come at the most inopportune time?

Check out the article below for some tips from the greatest minds that ever walked the Earth, and watch the video for some French worth holding onto.

(This week: the verb TENIR – to hold)

This is a blog post shared from Daniel Coyle’s TheTalentCode.com.

I love looking into the private daily routines of great performers, from da Vinci to Dickens to Dave Matthews. Part of it is pure voyeurism (they eat what for breakfast every day?), but a larger part is to treat their lives as a detective story. What are they doing that helps them perform so [...]

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]]> http://j-ouellette.com/the-one-best-habit/feed/ 4 If you knew this, you would play more http://j-ouellette.com/if-you-knew-this-you-would-play-more/ http://j-ouellette.com/if-you-knew-this-you-would-play-more/#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:41:55 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=7072 If you kew this, you would play more
Did you know that race car drivers train themselves by playing videogames?

Well, specifically, racing games is what they play.

According to physiotherapists, the muscles that activate during a videogame session are the same muscles that activate, in the same sequence, when they are in a big race.

The distance, apparently between learning and play is smaller than we are all led to believe.

Read the article below to find out more about how playing helps the learning process, and check out the video for some French you can play with!

(This week: the verb JOUER – to play)

This is the second part of Leo Babauta’s post shared from zenhabits.net. Read the first part here.

4. Play. Learning isn’t work. It’s fun. If you’re learning because you think you should, not because [...]

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]]> http://j-ouellette.com/if-you-knew-this-you-would-play-more/feed/ 2 Why dreading school is OK http://j-ouellette.com/why-dreading-school-is-ok/ http://j-ouellette.com/why-dreading-school-is-ok/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:34:27 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=6818 Why dreading school is OK
Why does school suck so much?

It can’t just be the homework, or the assignments, or even the subjects, can it?

When people learn something new outside of school, it generally is a positive experience.

What is it about school that creates such a near-universal feeling of dread and why does everyone feel like they learn more outside of school?

Read the article below to find out the answers to these burning questions and check out the video for some French worth learning!

(This week: the verb APPRENDRE – to learn)

This is the first part of a post shared from Leo Babauta’s zenhabits.net. Read the second part here.

We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.’ ~Lloyd Alexander

I am a teacher and [...]

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]]> http://j-ouellette.com/why-dreading-school-is-ok/feed/ 0 The power of fun http://j-ouellette.com/the-power-of-fun/ http://j-ouellette.com/the-power-of-fun/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:09:08 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=6907 The power of fun
Quick, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “work”?

Is it something that gives you shivers of excitement? If not, why?

We are all conditioned to think that anything that is work is a chore, that there is no fun in it…but work defines, in some ways, our lives!

For more on this, check out the article below that gives some light on why finding work that is enjoyable is crucial to happy living, and of course, give the video a click to find out more about French living!

(This week: the verb VIVRE* – to live)

This is a post I share from Daniel Coyle’s Blog TheTalentCode.com.

“Let’s make it fun.”

You hear those words a lot these days from parents, teachers, and coaches — along with words like “passion” and “engagement.” We all know [...]

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]]> http://j-ouellette.com/the-power-of-fun/feed/ 2 How to Daydream More Effectively http://j-ouellette.com/how-to-daydream-more-effectively/ http://j-ouellette.com/how-to-daydream-more-effectively/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:50:41 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=6904 Mandatory dreaming
We all have dreams that we simply have to dream.

It is in our nature to do so, nomatter how big or small the dreams are.

The question is, how to make them into a reality, no?

Well, some very smart people have been aiming to answer this question, and they have some very interesting things to tell!

Check out the article below to find out more, and watch the video for some mandatory French!

(This week: the verb FALLOIR – to be necessary)

This is a post I share from Daniel Coyle’s blog TheTalentCode.com.

We all daydream. We all spend hundreds hours in a pleasantly zonked state, weaving stories about our future successes. As a small kid, my favorite daydream was winning a gold medal at the Olympics. I was a little hazy as to precisely which event — track, maybe? — but I [...]

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]]> http://j-ouellette.com/how-to-daydream-more-effectively/feed/ 2 Game Face and a sip http://j-ouellette.com/game-face-and-a-sip/ http://j-ouellette.com/game-face-and-a-sip/#comments Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:44:44 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=6901 Game Face and a sip
How many of you have ever had a performance, or a presentation to do?

Isn’t it the most stressful thing ever?

It’s nerve wracking and you need a drink after a while of such anticipation.

The key, they say, is to have your “game face” on but, according to the article below, that might be a big misconception!

Keep reading to find out why and check out the video for a nice French drink!

(This week: the verb BOIRE – to drink)

This is a post I share from Daniel Coyle’s blog TheTalentCode.com.

If you saw the cellist Yo-Yo Ma a half-hour or so before one of his performances, you would see him do curious thing: he mellows out. He makes jokes; he smiles; he chats. You could easily mistake him for an audience member.

If you walked into a [...]

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]]> http://j-ouellette.com/game-face-and-a-sip/feed/ 0 How to write your future http://j-ouellette.com/how-to-write-your-future/ http://j-ouellette.com/how-to-write-your-future/#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:29:28 +0000 Llyane http://j-ouellette.com/?p=6896 How to write your future
We all strive to be as productive as possible, to not give into procrastination or lack of motivation.

It isn’t always an easy task, whether it’s to do one’s homework, or strive to write a novel.

There are, however, ways to improve one’s productivity or, at least, a way to avoid procrastination.

Below is some wise writing from an unlikely source!

Check it out, and be sure to click on the video for some more French words!

(This week: the verb ÉCRIRE – to write)

This is a post I share from Daniel Coyle’s blog TheTalentCode.com.

Note: The other day my wife and I were talking with our fourteen-year-old daughter Katie about how she stays ahead of schoolwork and sports, and Katie told us about a strategy she came up with. I thought you might find it useful, so I [...]

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