I use a simple method to teach users to create strong, but easy to remember passwords. Take a poem, song title, line from a song, quote, etc. and write it down. For example:

Four score and seven years ago equals 87

If any of the words are numbers, substitute the digits:
4 score and 7 years ago equals 87

Likewise, you may choose to substitute symbols (although some systems won’t allow this*):
4 score & 7 years ago = 87

Keep only the first letter of each word and remove the spaces between:
4s&7ya=87

*In the case of not using symbols, or to add another level of complexity, mix the case of the letters. Starting with:
4 score and 7 years ago equals 87

Capitalize the “major” words, while leaving the “minor” words lower case:
4 Score and 7 Years Ago equals 87

Then keep only the first letter and strip the spaces:
4Sa7YAe87
or
4S&7Ya=87

These passwords will defeat any “dictionary attack” but will be easy for you to remember and type (after the first few tries).

Now that you have a good, strong, base password, you can append a number, letter or symbol when you have to change it. Using the symbols on the number keys makes this simple if you use them in order (shift+1=! shift+2=@, etc.)

Finally: Do not ever give your password to anyone (even a trusted assistant). If you believe your password may have become compromised, change it immediately. If you have to provide your password to a support person for some reason, change it immediately after they are done working.

If using an old keyboard, press Ctrl+Alt+Del then hit the Space Bar to lock. Either way, in less than a second, your computer is secure.

As a backup, for the rare event that you forgot to lock before you walk, set your screen saver to activate after 10 minutes of inactivity, and require a password to unlock. It’s not perfect, but it provides a safety net, while not being too intrusive.