Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 07/29/22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Around the Earth with Google Earth - “Google Earth is a great tool for history and geography students to use to learn about the world. In this seven-part activity students build Google Earth tours (projects) while solving a series of fun geography and history trivia challenges.” (L:M,H; SA:SS)

GeoArtwork - “Can you guess where these artworks were created?” (L:M,H; SA:FA)

Two Ways to Make Your Own Classroom App - “developing a mobile app specifically for your classroom or courses you teach.” (L:T; SA:A)

5 inquiry learning and primary source teaching hacks - “Five hacks for using primary sources as part of your everyday activities.” (L:T; SA:A)

How Do Bikes Stay Up? -understanding how bikes stay up (L:G; SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

World War I

World War I began on July 28, 1914, and ended on November 11, 1918. Approximately 9 million people were killed in combat.

It all started after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand (the Austro-Hungarian heir) by the Bosnian Serb, Princip. Austria-Hungary blade Serbia. In November, the Central Powers consisted of the Ottoman Empire, Germany, and Austria-Hungary and the Allies were Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, and Italy (who switched sides in April 1915).

In 1914, Germany planned to defeat France and then defeat Russia but the plan failed. In 1915, Russia was losing. Germany occupied Poland. Submarine warfare begin in 1917 when the US entered the war.

By the end of 1918, the Central Powers were failing. The Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and ended World War I. The Russian, German, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian empires were dissolved and new countries called Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia were created.

Class Activities:

• Find a map showing the countries before World War I and then after World War I.
• Find out why the US entered the war in 1917.
• What were submarines like in 1917?
• Identify on the map where the battles of WWI were fought.
• What did the US uniforms look like in WWI?

Photo by Rodrigo Rodriguez on Unsplash

Making a Difference

Recently I heard from two parents of former students on Facebook. They let me know how much they still appreciated what I had done for their children. Their children are in their late 30s and early 40s now and they still remember me. It is really nice to hear that I made a difference in their lives and it was worth it. As I told one mother, she helped encourage me when I felt discouraged by letting me know that I was making a difference.

So here is some advice to new and struggling teachers: 

You are making a difference even if you don’t see it. You might be lucky enough twenty years from now to hear from a former student and find out how you have made a difference. You might never find out. But either way, know you are making a difference. Whatever struggles and obstacles you face, believe me, it is worth it.

For parents:

Don’t assume that teachers are always confident. Take time to say a kind word and offer encouragement. It might be these small acts of kindness that keep good teachers around. It is easy to complain about bad teachers but don’t forget to show appreciation to the good ones who are quietly working in the background. They need good parents to let them know their hard work is being noticed.

Know that teachers and parents can both make a difference!

Screenshots by Pat Hensley

H.A.L.T.

Recently on a knitting podcast, the host talked about using the acronym HALT when making decisions. You shouldn’t make decisions when you are Hungry (H), Angry (A), Lonely (L), or Tired (T). You might run into obstacles if you feel this way also.

Usually, when I keep making the same mistakes over and over which results in frustration, the cause is usually tiredness (T). I know my husband tends to overdo a task because he wants to get it done but his blood sugar drops when he misses a meal (H). This causes mistakes and/or frustration with whatever he is working on. We always laugh and say he is hangry (hungry + angry). It’s a real thing!

This can happen with my students. Some of them don’t eat breakfast so by mid-morning they can’t concentrate and tend to make a lot of mistakes. When this happens, I try to get them to take a break and have a cookie and some water. You would be amazed at how this little thing can make a difference. Sometimes I make them go on to a different task and come back to the one that frustrated them later. They usually can accomplish things easier then.

Sometimes they are so afraid of making a mistake, that they are paralyzed with fear. Then I try to find them a buddy to help them. This usually works better than if I try to help them. When I help them, they see it as a sign of failure or weakness.

Many students come from dysfunctional homes and may not get enough sleep the night before. If they are really tired, I may let them put their heads down for 10 minutes. There is no use in trying to badger them into working on assignments when they are too exhausted to focus. If this occurs so much that it interferes a lot with their progress, I have to call home or set up a meeting.

Sometimes just these little adjustments can make a world of difference!

How do you handle situations like this? Please share.

Photo by Artur Kornakov on Unsplash

Last Week of Summer Learning Place

In Best [insert] ever from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin states,

“When we examine our life experiences, the ones that stand out are usually about change.”

This week is the last week of Summer Learning Place. It is also the last week of my grad class, EDEX962 Practicum in Learning Disabilities.

I have lots of hopes for this experience.

I hope that this is the best summer ever for the children and my students.
I hope that this experience helped bring about change in their lives.
I hope that the children have advanced in their learning.
I hope this was a good bridge for many of the children between the end of the last school year and the beginning of the new school year.
I hope the children enjoyed their time with us.
I hope the teachers were able to try out new strategies while they had a small group of children.
I hope the teachers gained confidence in learning how to individualize learning for different students.
I hope the teachers enjoyed their time in the class.

What were your hopes for this summer? Please share.

Photo by Ronak Valobobhai on Unsplash

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 07/22/22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Peep and the Big Wide World - “Celebrate curiosity and the joys of discovery! The PEEP science curriculum invites preschoolers to actively investigate their world by exploring water, sound, plants, color, shadows, and ramps (movement).” (L:E; SA:S)

Persuasion Map - “The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate. Students begin by determining their goal or thesis. They then identify three reasons to support their argument, and three facts or examples to validate each reason. The map graphic in the upper right-hand corner allows students to move around the map, instead of having to work in a linear fashion. The finished map can be saved, e-mailed, or printed.” (L:M,H; SA:LA)

CubeSat -” In the NASA game CubeSat Builder, build as many CubeSat spacecraft as possible in a NASA cleanroom before time runs out! Like a chef preparing food for hungry customers, build CubeSats for engineers according to the project blueprints they send in. Run around the clean room, test CubeSat parts, assemble CubeSats, and perform final tests before sending them off to the launch pad. Juggle the testing of parts while assembling more than one CubeSat at a time to build them faster!” (L:M,H; SA:S,M)

Flip - “Flip is a video discussion app, free from Microsoft, where curious minds connect in safe, small groups to share videos, build community, and learn together.” (L:T; SA:A)

Classroom Management Training - free training; “Learn how to end the disruptions & create a respectful learning environment.” (L:T; SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Listen and stop talking

I love listening to Sunday sermons and wondering how I can apply them to the classroom. This Sunday, the pastor talked about listening. He loved listening to the people in the church and especially the children in church. During the week, he mentioned how he listened to people in the community. He also mentioned that it was easier to listen now that he was retired (He was filling in for our pastor who is recovering from CoVid).

I know when I was a beginning teacher, I talked too much. (Of course, people may say I haven’t changed at all even 40 years later.) I wanted to share my knowledge, I wanted to push all this education into my students’ heads and then miraculously be educated! I wanted to be the best teacher in the world and show my students that I can make them better people.

I remember taking a class where we were encouraged to give “wait time” when we asked questions. Don’t be in such a hurry to give the answers if the students were struggling. Some students took longer to process the question. Do you know how hard it was for me to keep my mouth shut? Eventually, I got better at this and stopped being in such a hurry.

I also learned that we ask students how they are without really listening to their answers. Students are used to this question as a greeting and rarely answer honestly. I have tried to stop using that question as a greeting if I’m not really interested in the answer. Now when I ask that question, I make sure I have time to listen to the answer. I stop and look at the person I’m asking and when they answer the usual, “fine,” I encourage them to continue with more information. I may even ask, “No, really, how are you?” Sometimes this little attention can help a person open up when they are in need of someone to listen.

I try to practice this in front of my students. We even discuss how listening is important and ways we can show we are really listening and not just hearing the other person. Sometimes, we might even role-play situations. Students like to give real-life examples when they felt like someone wasn’t listening to them. We role-play what they say actually happened and then we try to think of ways we wanted the other person to act. This can be a very enlightening activity for all because many times it can lead to discussions that might clarify a situation for someone.

I think listening is a skill that we should practice. It is easier to push it aside for other things, especially if we have busy lives. But listening is cheap and it’s free. It is a way to show caring and love towards others. It is a simple thing to do but can mean the world to someone else.

How do you teach listening in the classroom? Please share.

Photo by saeed karimi on Unsplash

Moon Landing Day

On July 20, 1969, Man landed on the moon.

President Kennedy believed that man could go to the moon and return to earth since 1961. During that time, the United States and the Soviet Union were in the middle of a Cold War. The Soviet Union was far more advanced than the United States so it was important for the US to act quickly. In 1966, the US sent an unmanned mission to the moon. In 1967, three astronauts died on the launch pad. Apollo 7 was sent to the moon and back with a crew in 1968.

Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were the crew of the Apollo 11 spaceflight. Armstrong and Aldren took the lunar module Eagle to the moon’s surface. On July 20, 2969, at 4:17 pm, Armstrong said, “The Eagle has landed.” At 10:56 pm, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon. Armstrong was the first human to ever step on the moon. His famous quote that has been repeated many times is: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Aldrin followed Armstrong soon after that and they placed the American flag on the moon. They also spoke to President Nixon at that time. Along with the flag, they placed a plaque with it that states,
“Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon - July 1969 A.D. - We came in peace for all mankind."

The crew returned to Earth on July 24, 1969, and landed in the Pacific Ocean.

Class Activities:

• NASA has a page showing some pictures of that day
• Apollo 11 Moonwalk Montage.
• Imagine you are one of the astronauts, write a letter to your family and share how you are feeling, what you are doing, and what you are seeing.

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Perseid Meteor Showers

The Perseid Meteor Showers are usually visible between July and August. Each year the earth goes through the path of Comet Swift-Tuttle and that is when you will see these meteor showers. They usually are visible from July 14 to August 24 this year. The peak of these meteor showers will take place between August 11 -12. During peak activity and a clear sky, a person could see 100 meteors in an hour.

Perseid meteors are pieces of ice and rock ejected by the comet Swift Tuttle. This comet swings into the inner solar system every one hundred thirty-three years. As the earth goes through this debris, the sky lights up with meteor showers.

These meteors are also known for their fireballs, which are large explosions of light and color. They last longer than an average meteor streak.

Here is a good video from NASA that told people how to look at the meteor shower last year:

Photo by Prokhor Minin on Unsplash

World Listening Day

Today is World Listening Day.

What does listening mean? Is it the same as hearing or is it different?

According to the Merriam- Webster dictionary, Hearing means:

“the special sense by which noises and tones are received as stimuli.”

According to the Merriam- Webster dictionary, Listening means:

"to pay attention to sound; to hear something with thoughtful attention: give consideration"

To me, these are very different things. I believe people can hear sounds but not process what they hear. I think listening is the means of processing the sounds into something meaningful.

Listening is a skill that needs to be practiced. Just because a student can hear what you are saying does not mean that the student understands what you are saying.

There are ways to see if students understand what they are hearing.

Ask students to repeat to you the directions you gave. Ask other students if the student is correct or not.
Ask students to rephrase what they heard. Ask other students if the student is correct or not.
Have students show you that they understood by doing what you asked. Ask other students if the student is correct or not.
Read a story and have students act out different scenes from the story.

How do you help students practice listening? Please share.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 07/15/22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

My Wordle - Create Your Own Wordle(L:T; SA:A)

Maze Generator - Make your own maze (L:T; SA:A)

Crossword Puzzle - Create your own crossword puzzle (L:T; SA:A)

Climate Kids - Teach about climate change (L:T; SA:A)

Artificial Intelligence in Education - “The Hands-On AI Projects for the Classroom guides from ISTE and GM provide elementary, secondary, elective and computer science teachers with innovative curricular resources about AI across various grade levels and subject areas. Each guide includes background information and four student-driven projects that directly relate to subject area standards, while providing foundational learning on what AI is, how it works and how it impacts society. With these hands-on projects, students work directly with innovative AI technologies, participate in “unplugged” activities and create various products – from designing chatbots to presentations to video games – to demonstrate their learning. (L:T; SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

National Mac and Cheese Day

Today is National Mac and Cheese Day. You can make it from a box or the homemade version. It is one of the most popular comfort foods in the world.

Supposedly, Francesco Procopio, an Italian chef, invented macaroni and cheese in 1891. He was trying to create a dish that was better than spaghetti carbonara. At first, he was not successful until he added macaroni to the dish.

It became popular when Kraft began selling it in a box in 1937. It originally sold for nineteen cents a box during the Great Depression. During WWII, when rationing of food took place and meat was hard to get, macaroni and cheese became even more popular. No one knows who started National Mac and Cheese Day/

Here are some facts about macaroni and cheese:

• Crayola named one of its crayon colors Macaroni and Cheese in 1993.
• It is considered a national dish in Canada.
• Kraft Macaroni and cheese is the most purchased grocery item in Canada.
• Thomas Jefferson loved macaroni and cheese so much that he imported Parmesan cheese and macaroni so he could eat it.

Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite dishes. Of course, I love any dish with pasta in it but I ate this in college because it made me think of home. It was my main comfort food. I still love this many years later. When my children were growing up, I sometimes mixed tuna in it. Another night I would mix sweet green peas with it. Now I like to eat it plain but sprinkle crushed red peppers on it.

I think it would be fun to have students take a survey of how many people like macaroni and cheese. How many eat it plain? How many add something to it? How many eat it from a box or homemade? They can make charts using this data.

Do you like macaroni and cheese? What other questions could be asked? Please share.

Photo by Mariana Ibanez on Unsplash

National French Fry Day

Today is National French Fry Day! I’m not sure who designates this day for this item but I thought it would be fun to share some information about French Fries.

French fries originated in Belgium and not France. Supposedly in 1781, potatoes were cut into the shape of a fish because the river had frozen and fish was not caught. During WWI, soldiers were eating these Belgium fries and the official language at the time was French. So, people started to call them French fries.

Here are some fun facts:

• French fries are not French.
• Originally people were afraid of potatoes and fed them to pigs.
• McDonald’s French fries used to cost 10 cents.
• In 2016, Japan drizzled chocolate over their French fries at Mcdonald's.
• Americans eat 4.5 billion pounds of French fries each year.
• An average American eats 29 pounds of French fries each year.
• The only French fry museum is in Belgium.
• People in the Philippines put banana ketchup on their fries.
• Fries are called chips in Britain.
• 7% of all potatoes grown in the US go to McDonald’s.
• The largest serving of fries was 1003 pounds made by Twin Oaks Farms, Inc. in Eagle, Idaho in 2014. 1256 pounds of raw potatoes and 110 gallons of cooking oil were used.

Most students love French fries so I think they would enjoy these facts. It would be fun for them to see if they could find any other facts about them. 

Photo by Fernanda Martinez on Unsplash

National Simplicity Day

“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” - Henry David Thoreau

Today is National Simplicity Day. It is the birthday of Henry David Thoreau, a famous poet, and author. Thoreau believed it was important to live a simple life. He wrote a book called Walden that talks about living simply in natural settings. He lived in a cabin for two years and wrote about his time there.

This is a good day to disconnect from technology and go outside to enjoy nature. This means getting away from your phone, computer, and television.

Look for the simple things in life that give you enjoyment: things like ice cream or a hug or a smile on someone’s face. It might be hearing a bird singing from a tree or hearing a frog calling from the pond.

Sometimes if you don’t take the time to remind yourself that simple things are all around us and they can make you happy, you forget about them. Life gets complicated and stressful. We become overstimulated and forget how to enjoy life.

Looking for simple things in life that can make someone happy would be a great activity for students of all ages.

Photo by Marian Brandt on Unsplash

My Father

Three years ago, my father went to heaven on this day. I still miss him. I like to use the anniversary of his death to think about the good memories that I have with my dad. I grew up calling him Papa.

• My earliest memory is of him is taking the family to an animal park in Upstate New York.
• I remember when I was little, I liked to sit in his recliner and watch TV with him.
• During summers, on his day off, every Wednesday, he would go grocery shopping and take me with him.
• On Wednesday afternoons, he would take me to accordion lessons.
• If I was sick or hurt, he always had some Chinese remedy that made me better. I rarely ever went to the doctor.
• He loved to play ping pong.
• He loved to entertain and have parties at our house.
• He would invite the Chinese waiters to our house to visit and play ping pong.
• On the way to the prom, we stopped by to visit my dad at work so he could see me all dressed up.
• He and my mom drove me to college, 800 miles away, in their camper.
• He always wore a suit and tie to work when I was growing up and looked so handsome.
• He drove me to and from high school whenever I didn’t want to ride the bus.
• He cooked us dinner every day except Tuesday when he went to work early.
• He made bookshelves for me when I moved into my first apartment after college.
• He walked me down the aisle at my wedding.
• He made bookshelves for us when we bought our first house.
• He enjoyed gardening and had a green thumb. Everything he grew did well. 
• They would drive up to SC in the summer to visit us.
• He made worm boxes during a visit when I started to do worm composting.
• We took them on cruises with us and they seemed to really enjoy them.
• He would drive us to the port when we were going on cruises without them.
• He liked to play pool and played at our house and the senior center near his home. 
• He loved to play the card game Scat when we would visit.

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 07/08/22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

No Sign-Up Tools - “nosignup.tools is a curated collection of web-based products that don't require an account or registration.” (L:T; SA:A)

Webtools: No Registration Needed for Students - “Welcome to my list of webtools that don’t require student registration.” (L:T; SA:A)

Unpoppable Bubbles! - “Jessi and Squeaks play with bubbles and learn how to make some that take a really long time to pop!” (L:E; SA:S)

WriteReader - “Researched-based learning tool to increase student’s motivation and literacy skills” (L:E; SA:LA)

TypeStudio - “Create content; All-in-one audio & video editing online in your browser. Easily add subtitles, transcribe, translate and more. (L:T; SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Global Forgiveness Day

Today is Global Forgiveness Day.

Forgiveness is one of the things that I struggle with. I think because I’m not sure what forgiveness actually is. I’ve heard people say that they could forgive but not forget. Does forgiveness mean that you continue to let the other person hurt you? If I avoid this person in the future, does that mean that I really don’t forgive them?

When I try to find a concrete definition for forgiveness, there seem to be many different interpretations.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, forgiveness means “to cease to feel resentment against (an offender)”

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Forgiveness means different things to different people. Generally, however, it involves a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge.”

According to Dr. Ned Hallowell, there are 4 steps to forgiveness:

• Pain and Hurt - acknowledging what happened.
• Relive and reflect - free yourself from the poison of hatred.
• Working it out - analyze your anger and put your life back into perspective.
• Renounce your anger and resentment

There have been people that have hurt me and I believe that I’ve put it behind me. I don’t feel resentment or revenge against the person so is that forgiveness? But if I never want to be around them again or trust them, have I really forgiven them? Do I have to allow them in my life in order for it to be considered forgiveness?

I know God expects us to forgive and when I recite the Lord’s Prayer, I say, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…” I know God wants us to turn the other cheek but my self-preservation kicks in and won’t let me.

I don’t have the answers to any of these questions and I’m not sure anyone really does. But I think it is important to think about it and try to forgive others. I hope that I haven’t intentionally hurt anyone for them to feel resentment or revenge but I’m not sure that I would ever know about it. I’m not perfect so I hope that those people I unintentionally hurt have forgiven me.

This makes me think twice when I expect students who are angry with each other to make up and get along. If it is so hard for me, why do I think it will be easier for them. Yet, I need to teach them that when they get into the workplace, they may have to figure out a way to do this in order to work with someone they don't get long with.   

How do you teach forgiveness? Please share. 

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

2022 Goals Review for June

June has been a good month. We canceled our camping trip due to high gas prices. We have been exercising regularly at the senior center. I have also tried to eat less (calories in vs. calories out) and I think that has been helping me lose weight the most. 

1. Lose 5 lbs. - I’ve lost 2 lbs. since January so I’m on the right track. 

2. Finish my national park blanket. - complete!

3. Year of the Gnome - knit at least one gnome a month. Completed 5 gnomes.

4. Knit a sweater. - Complete!

5. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) - I’m not doing great with this right now. 

-Yarn used - 7433 yds.

-Yarn bought - 6650 yds.

6. Design 3 new patterns. - started on a new sock design. 

 

7. Learn something new. -  Complete! I’m mosaic crocheting a blanket and dabbling with watercolor painting.

8. Read 12 nonfiction books - read 7 books so far.           

-A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming by Kerri Rawson

-Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

-Captive: A Mother's Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult by Catherine Oxenberg        

-That Time of Year: A Minnesota Life by Garrison Keillor

- The Cat I Never Named : A True Story of Love, War, and Survival by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, Laura Sullivan

-The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

by Erik Larson

-The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris 

 

How is your progress towards your goals? Please share.

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

 

 

Summer Learning Place 2022

Today begins our first day of Summer Learning Place 2022. It is actually my graduate class: EDEX962. My students will be the teachers of this one-month summer program. Since I only have 2 students (the teachers) this year, we will only have 10 children in the program. Each teacher has a caseload of 5 students and is responsible for all paperwork and communication with parents concerning these students. The children attend Monday through Thursday from 8:30 - 11:30. The teachers are required to be there from 8 - 12.

I will observe each of these teachers daily and formally evaluate a reading, math, and writing lesson. They will turn in a lesson plan prior to each formal evaluation and I will use rubrics to grade their lesson plan and their actual teaching of the lesson.

Each teacher will create a blog and write about their experience in this class. They will also reflect on the lesson I evaluated by talking about what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently. I believe this is very important in helping them become better teachers.

I look forward to working with these teachers and children! It is my favorite time of the year!

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Happy Independence Day!

Today is July 4th and we celebrate Independence Day in the US.

Whatever you are doing to celebrate, I hope you have a fun and safe day!

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 07/01/22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Escalade - Escalade is a very funny animated short which says something quite profound about human nature at the same time. Natural competition is one thing, as is the survival of the fittest, but when it is taken to extreme it can have consequences which were not foreseen but should have been. (L:G; SA:A)

Orbis - “Taking account of seasonal variation and accommodating a wide range of modes and means of transport, ORBIS reveals the true shape of the Roman world and provides a unique resource for our understanding of premodern history.” (L:H; SA:SS)

Habitats - “Do you know where the red-eyed tree frog calls home? Play this game based on animal habitats to learn! Explore the desert, coral reef, jungle, and marsh to discover where many animals live by matching each animal to their correct habitat! Habitats is available as a website for desktop and laptop computers.” (L:E; SA:S)

The Counterintuitive Physics of Turning a Bike - an interesting video about turning a bicycle (L:H; SA:S)

Solar Oven S’mores - “The sun warms the earth, creates weather patterns, and helps plants grow. So it’s pretty important! But did you know that humans can actually use the sun’s power as a tool? It’s true. In this tasty activity, kids will learn how engineers harness the sun’s energy for other purposes by building a tin foil-lined cardboard box that uses the sun’s rays to cook delicious s’mores!” (L:E; SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley