Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 3/31/23

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

How Do Dogs See With Their Noses - “You may have heard the expression that dogs ‘see with their noses.’ But these creature’s amazing nasal architecture actually reveals a whole world beyond what we can see. Alexandra Horowitz illustrates how the dog’s nose can smell the past, the future and even things that can’t be seen at all.” (L:H; SA:S)

Great Art Explained - “My name is James Payne, and I write edit and narrate these films, where I look at great and important works of art with a fresh eye.” (L:H; SA:FA)

Resources to Teach and Learn Chemistry - “The courseware covers General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II. Each module includes short amounts of texts, worked examples (including interactive worked examples), a multitude of thoughtfully scaffolded practice problems (with adaptive and targeted feedback), and assessments. The integration of these components provides a seamless and interactive learning experience for your students. The courseware also provides instructors with data on student performance, which they can use to adapt their instruction to student needs.” (L:H; SA:S)

Math in Real Life - “Mathematics is all around us. It can be seen in every aspect of our daily lives, from technology to art, engineering, finance, and even sports. This series explains mathematics, from its origins to its surprising modern uses. Even the math-averse will have their interest piqued.”(L:G; SA:M)

Periodic Table Writer - “Write your own text using the chemical elements of the periodic table and download as free PDF or PNG. From your name to anything else you like!” (L:G; SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Day of AI 2023

I thought this was a cool way to get experience AI and then share your experiences with others.

“Day of AI offers a full school day’s worth of curriculum and activities for elementary, middle school, and high school students. The program is completely free and accessible to students and teachers of all backgrounds and abilities. No technology or coding experience needed! This year, rather than asking everyone to do the curriculum on the same day, we’re making our resources available to educators to run at any time and in any increments they choose. Do one per week! Make it a theme week! Make it a school-wide event!

Then, on Thursday, May 18, join a community of educators around the world in a Day of AI celebration: share your class’s projects, posters, photos, and videos, host a discussion, or create your own unique festivity. Stay tuned for details on how to share your class’s participation or join one of our Day of AI events.

New learning modules

All of last year’s Day of AI activities are available to educators who register on the website. We’re also adding 5 new curriculum modules and activities in our gradeband categories, including an all-new module for early elementary students ages 5-7: early elementary, upper elementary, middle school, high school (general), and high school for students with coding experience.”

Use Retired Teachers as Mentors

In How Long Since You Were in a Classroom? From Ideas and Thoughts, Dean Shareski shares,

“Certainly tools and context changes but the foundational principles do not.”

Many retired teachers can be such a valuable resource! They have the experience and knowledge that needs to be shared with newer teachers. These mentors would understand what the newer teachers are going through.

I think it would be a great idea to ask retired teachers to volunteer as mentors for newer teachers. Wouldn’t it be great for these newer teachers to have someone they could talk to about their concerns without worrying about being judged by their colleagues? Here is someone they can express their frustration, share their joys, and ask for advice.

If a newer teacher is interested in bouncing ideas for a new lesson, this mentor would be a great person to work with. When I was growing up, my mother always would tell me that two heads were better than one. This would be a perfect example of this. Non-teachers don’t understand what is involved in lesson planning.

If a newer teacher is frustrated by the lack of support in the school or parents, this mentor would understand because every teacher has felt this way. Maybe the mentor would be able to give suggestions to help alleviate this frustration. Non-teachers don’t always understand the obstacles that teachers face in the classroom.

If a newer teacher is excited about success in the classroom, this mentor would understand the feeling of joy and satisfaction. Non-teachers don’t always understand that wonderful feeling that teachers experience when a student is successful.

I believed more school systems should invite retired teachers into some kind of mentorship. It doesn’t have to be a formal program because that may seem too much like an evaluation. I think a casual pairing between a retired teacher and a new teacher would be a great partnership.

Does your school district have anything like this in place? Please share.

Kickstarting a Business

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Kickstarting a Business, Rushton features Sierra Deodhari. She is the Founder and CEO of Sierra Karate and is only twelve years old.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“What characteristics does Sierra have that have helped her do what she does? Might some of those characteristics mean that she can get help from others, as opposed to simply having help from others?

Clearly one of the things she can do is convey what she is passionate about. If you were to start a business, how might it connect to things you’re passionate about?”

I was amazed that this girl was only twelve years old! She had a goal and focused on achieving that goal. This video would definitely be an inspiration to a lot of young people.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

18c International Year of the Disabled Stamp

The 18 cents International Year of the Disabled stamp (#1925) was issued on June 29, 1981, in Milford, MI. This stamp hoped to support programs that helped disabled people. Designed by Martha Perske, the stamp features a man in a wheelchair using a sophisticated microscope and shows the words, “Disabled doesn't mean Unable.” This design was Martha Perske’s first stamp design.

The United Nations made a resolution making 1981 the International Year of the Disabled. This was important to have the world accept the needs of those with handicaps. They encouraged all nations to help the disabled. The theme of this year was “full participation and equality” meaning that persons with disabilities had the right to take part fully in society just as other citizens. Other objectives included public awareness, understanding, and acceptance. 

Many people advocated for the rights of people with disabilities. 

In 1975, Congress passed the “Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142).” This law protected the rights of children with disabilities and their families. In 1990, when the law was reauthorized, the name was changed to “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).” This law was last authorized in 2004. 

Before 1975, many children were denied access to education. Only one in five children with disabilities was educated. Many states actually had laws that excluded children with disabilities. There were nearly 1.8 million children being denied an education at this time. In 2021, there were 7.5 million children with disabilities receiving special education and related services. 

Classroom Activities:

• Write a letter to Congress stating why this law is important. 
• What rights does IDEA give children with disabilities and their parents? 
• How were children with disabilities educated before 1975?
• Pretend you are a parent of a child with a disability before 1975 and write a letter to a school explaining why allowing you in the school is important. 
• Design your own stamp with this theme and share it with the class. 

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 3/24/23

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

Wheel of Fortune Puzzle Generator - “Welcome to Wheel of Fortune puzzle image generator where you can create Wheel of Fortune puzzles to share with your friends.”(L:G; SA:A)

Hero’s Journey - “The hero's journey is an ancient story pattern that can be found in texts from thousands of years ago or in newly released Hollywood blockbusters. This interactive tool will provide students with background on the hero's journey and give them a chance to explore several of the journey's key elements. Students can use the tool to record examples from a hero's journey they have read or viewed or to plan out a hero's journey of their own.” (L:M,H; SA:LA)

Flippity - Make your own Connecto game (L:G; SA:A)

Plickers - “Formative assessment has never been faster. Plickers is the free card activity your students will love.”(L:T; SA:A)

Edible Water Bottle - A 12-year-old designed “an edible water bottle called the Eco-Hero. (L:T; SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

The 2023 Civics for All of US Teacher Institute

Great professional development for Social Studies Teachers! 

“Now Accepting Applications for the 2023 Civics for All of US Teacher Institute in Washington, DC, July 17–21!

The 2023 Civics for All of US Teacher Institute is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.

Teachers working with grades 3–12 are invited to apply for the inaugural Civics for All of US Teacher Institute with the National Archives in Washington, DC.

During this week-long program, 20 educators will explore how to use National Archives holdings to teach the civic knowledge and skills students need for civic engagement in the 21st century, with a special emphasis on media literacy. Participants will engage with primary sources to shed light on the successes, failures, debates, and challenges in the history of our democracy and discover resources for sharing diverse perspectives and historically underrepresented voices in classroom civics lessons. This professional development experience will also highlight resources for fostering civic participation at any age through examples of student voices in the archives.

Throughout the week, teachers will:

Take part in special tours and activities within the exhibits of the National Archives Museum.

Discover strategies for teaching with primary sources and making civics connections across the curriculum in hands-on sessions developed by National Archives educators across the country, including the Presidential Libraries and Center for Legislative Archives.

Explore how landmarks and institutions in the nation’s capital can enhance students’ civic learning through site visits.

Take part in collaborative group work and discussion with educators from across the country.

Create a teaching activity that explores a big civics idea with primary sources from the National Archives.

Upon successful completion of the teacher institute, participants will receive a stipend of $2,450 provided by the National Archives Foundation. Participants will be responsible for making their own travel and lodging arrangements.

Applications are being accepted through March 31, 2023.”

Promote Higher Level Thinking

In ChatGPT needs to be your newest teaching buddy from History Tech, glennw talks about how ChatGPT can be used in the classroom as a tool to encourage higher-level thinking. He states, 

“ Our kids need us to help them develop the skills needed to make the world a better place. That means we need to go beyond traditional sit and get social studies instruction.”

I hear a lot of people worried that ChatGPT is going to be used to write papers for students and the students won’t have to do the work. This might be a valid worry if you give the students the opportunity.

Glenn suggests using ChatGPT in a different way that would eliminate this possibility. We need to stop having students regurgitate the information that we give them and encourage them to use higher-level thinking skills.

One thing Glenn suggests is to have ChatGPT write a paper and then have students fact-check the information by supplying primary sources.

I think it would be fun to have an opinion paper written by ChatGPT and students choose whether they agree or disagree with the paper and give reasons that could be backed up with evidence.

ChatGPT can be just another tool in the classroom and instead of making it an enemy, use it as a resource.

Glenn also suggests that teachers can use this tool by having it create writing prompts on a specific topic that is being taught.

I think this article was really informative with great ideas!

What other ways would you use ChatGPT? Please share.

Doughing Good

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Doughing Good, Rushton features Christopher Gee who started baking bread at 12 years old. He is 14 years old in the video but he talks about how he got started in his bread-baking business.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Try and make a list of the things that happen along the way – what he does and what others do – that help him capture the attention of others. What does he do that turns out to have been really good for his work? What kind of help does he find as he tries what he tries? What roadblocks do you imagine he encountered, but didn’t get described in the video?

What kind of business would you like to start? What would you need, and who might help you?”

I found it interesting how much research he did to try to find the perfect ratio to make sourdough bread. I like how he reached out to other bakers on social media and wasn’t afraid to ask questions. He would be a great inspiration to students who think they are too young to make a difference because after seeing this video, they may change their minds.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Noticing the Overlooked

Recently I read this statement (and I apologize because I can’t remember where):

"Always make the effort to notice what everyone else has overlooked or taken for granted. It’s the beginning of all creativity and innovation."

Sometimes it is the overlooked or the ones who were taken for granted who surprise us.

It is easy to pay attention to the noisy ones or the ones who are most disruptive. The saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” is true but sometimes the quiet ones get overlooked.

My parents brought me up in a culture where it was important to be quiet and work hard to not be noticed. I went through all the years of public school and college trying to be this way.

When I became a teacher, I realized that this was not the best way to be. I started working hard to help students be self-advocates. It is during this time that I learned how creative and innovative the quiet ones can be. When some of the “noisy” ones needed help, I encouraged the “quiet” ones to be helpers.

I encouraged students to speak up and share ideas that they had. Brainstorming was encouraged and all students had an equal opportunity to share ideas without worry of ridicule. When everyone was able to work together, the students were more successful with their assignments and even seemed to feel happier.

I wanted to help all of my students be the “squeaky wheel” and get attention from me. It is too easy to put all my energy into the more disruptive students and be thankful that the quiet students aren’t sapping my energy. Instead, I tried to change the cycle and give more attention to the students acting appropriately. Eventually, the disruptive students started changing their behavior so that they could get my attention. By the end of the year, I like to think that all of my students felt comfortable speaking out, sharing ideas, and asking for help when needed.

How do you deal with students who are being overlooked? Please share.

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 3/17/23

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

2023 Extreme Book Challenge - Even though you can’t participate in the actual challenge from Tacoma library, it would be fun to do this on your own. Read 50 books (teens can read 25) in 50 weeks from 55 categories to complete thechallenge and become an Extreme Reader. (L:G; SA:LA)

Wake Up Brain - “5 warm up exercises for brainstorming!” (L:G; SA:A)

Imaginariums for Creative Thinking from Susan Maynor - “You can use her Imaginariums as warm-ups, in centers, for fast-finishers, for gifted students, for ANYONE in your class — one set for each month, and all FREE!” (L:G; SA:A)

CocoMaterial - “Discover CocoMaterial, the Open Source hand-drawn illustration library with 2,608 images. Customize & download!” (L:G; SA:A)

OpenVerse - “An extensive library of free stock photos, images, and audio, available for free use.” (L:G; SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Acts of Kindness

In Small Acts of Kindness Can Have Big Impacts on Recipients, Study Finds “Performing random acts of kindness increases happiness in both givers and receivers, but we find that givers systematically undervalue their positive impact on recipients.”

People don’t realize how much they can do for others, even people they don’t know. A random act of kindness can be for someone you don’t know or even someone you do know.

It makes both the giver and the receiver feel good.

When I talk to elderly people who are in need of help, I find that many are reluctant to ask for help. They feel that it makes them look weak or needy and they don’t like feeling that way. Many times, after I explain that they would actually be helping the person giving help, they are more willing to accept help.

Many of my students with special needs know what it is like to be on the receiving end of getting help. Some receive academic help and others may get even more personal help outside of academics.

When I first brought up the idea of doing service projects where the class helps others, they seemed surprised. They never thought that they had the ability to help others. We started with small projects and students were excited about them.

One year, we made flag pins that I gave out at a Veteran’s Day ceremony to veterans who attended. They were happy to hear that young students recognized them and were thankful for the pin. I took pictures of the veterans who took the pins and shared them with my students.

Once, we made thank you notes to give to the staff at the school that tends to be unnoticed such as the lunch room ladies and custodians. They were surprised by the notes and happy to get them.

Students learned that a random act of kindness didn’t have to involve money. It could be a kind word or doing something nice for someone at any moment. One student saw a teacher struggling with some materials and offered to help her. Another student saw some trash and picked it up. Some students would look for another student who seemed quiet or withdrawn and asks them if they were okay. If new students were sitting by themselves at lunch, my students would go sit with that person.

There are so many ways that people can do a random act of kindness and it doesn’t have to be on any specific day. Maybe when a person is the receiver of this act, they will pass it on to someone else. The world will be a better place.

What random acts of kindness would you suggest? Please share. 

Belonging

This past Sunday, Pastor Andrea talked about belonging. She reminisced about being a new girl in third grade and when facing a lunchroom full of strangers, a new friend appeared and invited her to sit with them. She talks about how Jesus wants us to help others feel like they belong.

This reminded me of many times when I faced new situations and I knew no one there. When I first visited St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, I was so thankful when one of the members invited me to sit with her. When I went to my first knitting retreat, I didn’t know any of the other 199 attendees that I soon became friends. When the pandemic hit, we were able to video chat online and get to know each other before the retreat and it was a much easier transition to a new situation. This sense of belonging is important to me and I believe it is to most people.

I belong to Facebook groups and somehow was appointed an administrator to two of these groups: a hiking group and a postcard collector’s group. As an administrator, I can see when new people join the group and I make it a point to post a welcome to them and encourage others to welcome them. I try to encourage them to post items that may interest the whole group.

When I attend the monthly knitting guild, the group welcomes new visitors and members. During this time, we announce that anyone is welcome to join our local knitting group that meets in person once a week. Any time we get a new person joining us, we make sure that person feels welcome.

Many of my students with special needs had trouble feeling like they belonged. They felt more like outsiders than insiders because of their differences. I tried to make my classroom a place of belonging. I wanted my students to feel like we were family and when any of them seemed to be “alone,” I encouraged the others to support that person and be there for them. I encouraged them to sit together or walk together so they could belong to a unit and not feel they faced the world alone. If they were bullied, I encouraged the others to stand up for them as family does.

Whenever we feel alone, we need to remember that we are not the only person to feel that way. If we look around, more than likely, we will find someone else who feels the same way. We need to remember that we are never alone and that we belong.

How do you show students they belong? Please share.

The Stories of Heroes

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In The Stories of Heroes,  Rushton features Bessie Coleman. She was the first African American woman with a pilot's license.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“The complexity of telling the stories of heroes is a recurring theme as we learn about history. When you think of those you find inspiring, what do you focus on, and why?”

 

I think it is good for students to imagine something that they might be the “first” at doing. It shows them that the impossible might be impossible. In the 1950s, being an astronaut was just something to be imagined. During horse and buggy days, cars were just a fantasy. Eventually, someone had to be the “first” to get the ball going. 

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Pi Day Activities

March 14 (3/14 or 3.14) is also observed as Pi Day. It is such a fun day in class so I thought I’d share some resources for Pi Day.

Pi Day: Huge List of Pi Day Activities for All Ages

Pi Day Fun

3 Hands on Pi Day Lessons

11 Fun Pi Day Activities for High School Students

Pi Day Movement - “These fun and engaging activities for students in grades K-8 help promote cooperation and teamwork, while integrating the mathematics celebration of Pi that occurs annually on March 14th. Physical educators know and understand the need to get students activeand engaged as soon as they enter the PE classroom. This collection of instant activities serves to help teachers get students moving quickly, while also providing meaningful learning tasks with academic integration.”

37 Mathtastic Pi Day Activities for the Classroom

Pi Day Printable Art Activities

20 Engaging Middle School Pi Day Activities

Calculating Pi with Real Pies

Celebrate Pi Day with NCTM

Pi Toss

Pi Graph

Cutting Pi

Pi Day Art

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 3/10/23

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

Lumen5 - “Lumen5 is a video creation software that helps marketers, publishers, and brands create video content in a breeze, without any technical expertise.” (L:T; SA:A)

Protobot - “Protobot generates random product and service ideas.” Great for team-building ideas and brainstorming (L:T; SA:A)

Coverr -”Beautiful Free Stock Video Footage” (L:G; SA:A)

Sharpen - “Sharpen is a free design challenge generator used by hundreds of thousands of designers and educators worldwide to practice and teach graphic design, UX, branding, and more.” (L:T; SA:A)

Virtual Museum Tours - “These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch” (L:G; SA:FA)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Making the Right Assignments

In Is this blog written by AI? From Blue Skunk Blog, Doug Johnson states,

“If you are assigning writing that can be written by a computer program, you are making the wrong assignments.”

I totally agree! I hear too many of my colleagues are concerned about plagiarism or cheating on tests. I find this very interesting because if they are cheating, then the questions must be required answers that can be memorized. I know that just because a student memorizes things doesn’t really mean that the concept is understood.

Most of my lessons did not require a test asking for specific answers that could be spit back to me from my lessons.

Instead, I wanted my students to create something using the knowledge that they had learned.

Examples of this might include:

• Brochure
• Poster
• Video Commercial
• A shadow box of items
• A skit
• A letter written to a specific character
• A soap sculpture

There are so many ways that students can show their understanding without just repeating the information they have learned. Not only will they remember the information better this way but years later, this assignment may still be remembered.

Not only will the student be more successful in the classroom but this strategy may help them be more successful in life.

What other creative ways would you suggest for the assessment of learning? Please share.

February 2023 Photo A Day Project

I enjoyed taking photos in January and picking my favorite one each day. This would be a fun activity for students. I post these on Flickr and share them with a group. Then they are able to comment on my photos and I also can look at their photos. This is helping me take better pictures. 

Here are my photos from February: 

Symbols and Walking

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Symbols and Walking, Rushton features the El Camino trail in Spain. Many people walk the trail for different reasons.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“What symbols did you notice? How would you connect what you noticed to the Camino?

If you were to create a path in your part of the world for people to walk, where would they start, what would they visit along the way, and where would they finish? What symbol or symbols might you choose for the path?

Have you ever tried walking a long way? Why did you do it, or try to do it, if so?”

I found this very interesting because I have had several hiking friends who have walked the El Camino trail. I loved hearing stories about it and seeing the joy they experienced it as they talked about it. I like the idea of students thinking about trails they might want to walk and what they would hope to see.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Scrapbook Pages from February 2023

Digital scrapbooking is a great activity to use in the classroom. It can be used to capture memories, share important information, or focus on a specific event. This would be a great alternate activity for book reports and even group projects. Here are some examples that I made in February. I use the website Gingerscraps for ideas and even free digital kits. 

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 3/3/23

Here are some interesting sites 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

Pixabay Sound Effects - Royalty-free sound effects for download (L:G; SA:A)

Snowman Game - Like the game Hangman but with a snowman. You can put your own words in (L:G; SA:A)

How do carbohydrates impact your health? - ”The things we eat and drink on a daily basis can impact our health in big ways. Too many carbohydrates, for instance, can lead to insulin resistance, which is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes. But what are carbs, exactly? And what do they do to our bodies? Richard J. Wood explains.” (L:M,H; SA:S)

Everything is Alive - "Everything is Alive is an interview show in which all the subjects are inanimate objects. In each episode, a different thing tells us its life story--and everything it says is true." (L:G; SA:A)

How to Spot Fake Screenshots on Social Media - "Fake social media generator websites have made it easy to impersonate a person or business and spread misinformation. Fake social media screenshots look like the real McCoy, but there are a few clues that can help identify fakes if you find yourself asking “Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?” while on social media. Students will learn four clues that a social media screenshot might be fake and use some online tools that can help verify them—and then put those skills to the test." (L:T; SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Fading into the Background

A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Kyle talked about Where’s Waldo and how easy it was for people to fade into the background. Waldo and Jesus can be overlooked in all the “busy-ness” around them. He also talked about how the artist would draw in Waldo last but Jesus was different because Jesus wasn’t an afterthought. He is always with us.

This reminded me of my years when I was a student. I was very quiet and didn’t want any attention drawn to me. I wanted to fade away in the background. Sitting in the rows of desks, I would try to hide my body behind the person in front of me. I never raised my hand to answer questions even if I knew the answer. The reason I did this was that I was scared. For many years, I faced a lot of bullying and hoped that if the bullies didn’t notice me, they would leave me alone.

I was also afraid of failure and giving the wrong answer. If I did this, it would also cause the teacher to pay attention to me. I felt that my parents expected me to be perfect. Making a mistake would disappoint my parents and I would be crushed.

I just wanted to survive my school years and I feared that if I didn’t fade into the background, I wouldn’t make it.

This had me thinking about many of my students. I’m not talking about the students who act out or craze attention. Some of my students were very quiet and withdrawn. Many of my students were bullied because they had special needs. Other students picked on them because they were different. Some of my students had years of difficulties in school, so they saw my class as just one more year of more difficulty.

As a teacher, I would try to seek these students out. I didn’t want them to feel like an afterthought. I wanted my students to feel safe and not overlooked. If they were being bullied, I wanted them to feel safe. I wanted them to see that I noticed what was happening and would stop the situation. I also didn’t want my students to feel afraid of making mistakes. I wanted them to see that these were just learning opportunities. An error should not be a terror.

I wanted to be like Jesus and show my students that I would be there for them. They were not alone. I didn’t want my students to have the same school experience that I grew up with. I wanted to be their safety net and show them that learning opened the door to so many possibilities. I wanted to help them face the bullies and stand up to them. I wanted to help them face the fear of failure and overcome this obstacle that keeps them from learning.  Together, we can be successful because no one walks alone. 

Do you see these students in your classes? How do you help them? Please share.

2023 Goals Review for February

February was a wonderful month of rest and relaxation. I walked and exercised almost every day. I spent a lot of time knitting and painting. I also bought a Ukulele.

1. Learn something new. - I learned Tunisian crochet to make a couple of dishcloths. I started an online watercolor painting class (10-day Woodland Animals class) and I bought a ukulele. I'm learning how to play it by watching YouTube videos.

2. Knit at least 1 sweater (Collins Tee) 

3. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – no yarn bought! I finished 4 projects this month (Shawlography, Hobbity socks, Bankhead hat, The Hiker Mittens). 

• Yarn used - 2109 yds. 

• -Yarn bought - 0

3. Complete a shawl - I finished my Shawlography shawl

4. Try 4 new recipes. - I didn’t try anything new in February.

5. Stretch regularly (at least 20 days out of the month) - I did this almost every day in February. 

6. Create at least 2 scrapbook pages each month. - Made 10 pages for February 

7. Participate in the Photo a Day challenge - Still enjoying this. 

8. Read the Bible every day. - yes

9. Read 100 books - Read 14 books in January, 2 books in February, 

10. Read 12 nonfiction books.

• Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli

• Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King by Penny Junor   

What are your goals for this year? Please share.