Back-to-School Time for Parents & Teachers!

It's Back-to-School season means all sorts of feelings from children and parents and teachers!

There's excitement in the air...nervousness, sadness, happiness.  

Here is a fantastic resource for PARENTS and teachers regarding Back-to-School jitters at Reading Rockets.  Ultimately, Reading Rockets is a non-profit organization that teaches kids to read and helps those who struggle.  It's not just about the kids, but teaching parents how to teach their kids, too!  And of course, teachers.

For Parents:  here are some great tips on how to ease back into school, like:

Talk it up!

In the weeks before school starts, share your excitement about school with your child. Focus on the fun things he'll learn during the year, and all the different things he'll get to do, like go to P.E. class, music class, art class and the library. If you're excited, your child will be too!

For Teachers: here is a list of Top 10 Resources for Back to School, like:

Literacy-Rich Environments

Learn the "why" and "how" of creating a language- and literacy-rich classroom, especially for kids with special needs.

Happy 1st Day of School!

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Fantastic Writing Advice From C.S. Lewis

The following was written by author, C.S. Lewis, to a young fan.  Taken from A Collection of Brilliant and Inspiring Letters From Famous Authors to Their Young Fans:

What really matters is:–

1. Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn’t mean anything else.

2. Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don’timplement promises, but keep them.

3. Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don’t say “Mortality rose.”

4. In writing. Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, “Please will you do my job for me.”

5. Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

Thanks for the photos. You and Aslan both look v. well. I hope you’ll like your new home.

With love
yours
C.S. Lewis

-----

Check out Flavorwire for more fantastic general advice from famous authors.  

Many of the advice can be posted in your own classroom as inspiration & motivation for your students!  :)

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New & Experienced Teachers Must Read!

For all you new and experienced teachers out there teaching any grade level...The First Days of School by Harry & Rosemary Wong is the one book you should have before you venture into your own classroom!  This is a wonderful resource that I refer to every so often before a new school year begins.  It may look old, but the universal tips and ideas are still one of the classic bests!  I actually have the old version, but I know the authors made a more modern second edition of the book, here.  Either way, same important contents.  Here's a preview of the book.

Here are some very useful websites by the Wong-duo:
https://www.effectiveteaching.com/
http://teachers.net/gazette/wong.html

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NeverSeconds

Martha Payne is an inspiration. 
She is a young girl, age 9, living in the UK with a food blog, NeverSeconds, about the cafeteria meals at her school with photographs.  She is witty! Her blog has caused quite the controversy.  Her school stopped her from taking photographs of the cafeteria meals!  But the ban was quickly lifted!  Phew!
Follow her!  She has got quite the following, so much so that students all over the world send her pictures of their cafeteria meals!
Google her name and you will get the most up-to-date info on her current blogging status.  


I love that she has a niche with a cause!  
Like I said, Martha Payne, aka Veg, you are an inspiration!

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Kids Say The Darndest Things...

Kids say the darndest things, especially about their parents!  Scholastic just posted a site on some quotes kids say.  Get ready to laugh!

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Student Loan Payment & Forgiveness Programs

In regards to Student Loans after receiving my Masters from NYU, "Yikes!"  BUT, let me tell you that finding these two programs, seriously saved me.


One program is called Income-Based Repayment (IBR), which "is a repayment option for federal student loans that has been available since 2009. It can help borrowers keep their loan payments affordable with payment caps based on their income and family size. For most eligible borrowers, IBR loan payments will be less than 10% of their income - and even smaller for borrowers with low earnings. IBR will also forgive remaining debt, if any, after 25 years of qualifying payments." Read on to get more detailed information.

The second program is called Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), which is "for federal student loan borrowers who work in certain kinds of jobs. It will forgive remaining debt after 10 years of eligible employment and qualifying loan payments. (During those 10 years, the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan can help keep your loan payments affordable.)" Read about it for further details.


Here's a lil video for your viewing pleasure.  :)

In summary, if you qualify for the IBR program for 10 years of eligible public service employment, then you will have your remaining debt forgiven!  How awesome is that!  


I know there are other programs out there, too.  This one seems to work out best for me.  :) 

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TED Talks

Have you watched TED Talks?  
If you haven't, you definitely should.  TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) Talks are clips from lectures all over the world about the world.  Truly educational.  

This site provides 25 TED Talks Perfect For Classrooms to inspire minds!  Awesome!

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Ponder & Read

"Genius, in all its forms, is not due to any mere quirk; it is the result of far more chaotic, dynamic, and essentially human qualities such as perseverance, imagination, intuition, and even love." -Daniel Tammet, writer, linguist, & educator

Well said.

I highly recommend reading "Embracing the Wide Sky" (about how the mind works) & "Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant" (an autobiography) both by the savant himself, Daniel Tammet.

Great summer reads into one of the most remarkable minds on the planet.

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"Columbia U janitor graduates, will keep cleaning"

Saw this article and wanted to share it with my fellow educators.

This just goes to show that our desire to learn is infinite at any age.  Knowledge is gained with drive and aspirations.  


"The richness is in me, in my heart and in my head, not in my pockets." Well said, Filipaj.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/13/national/a120109D25.DTL#ixzz1wT3dE2qi


What an inspiration!

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Dance Breaks!? Absolutely!!!

Angela Bunyi: Are Your Students Working Hard? Time for a "Break" Dance! | Top Teaching


I highly encourage incorporating dance/movement breaks in the classroom!  It brings in positive energy to the classroom and more oxygen to the students' brains, which enhances learning!  


So...why not dance breaks?  

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Brent Vasicek: Organization: Why YOU Will Have More Time This Year | Top Teaching

Brent Vasicek: Organization: Why YOU Will Have More Time This Year | Top Teaching

Gotta love classroom organization ideas!

You can never have too many of these!

If you know me, I'm one of those people that believe that EVERYTHING has its place, especially in a classroom! Really. So...organizing is a must!  I can't without function neatness or orderly-ness (is that even a word?).

I've considered being a professional organizer every now & then.

Anyway...Happy reading!

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Are "Teacherpreneurs" the Future of Education? - TheApple.com

Are "Teacherpreneurs" the Future of Education? - TheApple.com

What do you think???

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50 Best-Kept Secrets of Teaching

Secrets to Teaching?

Yup!  There are many.  

My faves, not saying I don't believe in the others.  I do, just found the following to be ones educators often forget:

#1

#2

#3

#6

#9

#14

#23

#24

#34

#36

#37

#40

#42

#43

#46

#50

Enjoy!

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A Must-Read For Educators...

You want to teach like a champ?
Then...read to learn techniques on how. :)

"Teach Like A Champion" by Doug Lemov

Teachers should do summer reading, too!

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Wait...what??? "Are you sick of highly paid teachers?" (A MUST READ!)

Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit!  We can get that for less than minimum wage.

That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan-- that equals 6 1/2 hours).

Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a  day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day.  However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.  LET'S SEE....That's $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.  Wait a minute -- there's something wrong here!

There sure is!

The average teacher's salary (nationwide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student--a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Thank you, Meredith Menden!

IN APPRECIATION TO ALL THE EDUCATORS OUT THERE!

KEEP AT IT!

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Dedicated to ALL Teachers...

A Goofy animation about being a teacher.

"Teachers are people too," says Ms. Valerie Strauss.  

Thank you for the video clip!

We just love the Georges in our classrooms!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

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Powerful Quotes for Teachers

Powerful Quotes for Teachers - TheApple.com

Thought I'd share some quotes for all you teachers out there.

I love quotes. They can make you laugh. They can inspire you. They make you think. :) All good things!

Enjoy!

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8 Websites to Brighten Your Day

I have this website bookmarked for awhile and came upon it.

It's a great website of websites for those days when you're feeling blue and you need a lil pick-me-up.

  

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Thank You, Teacher - TheApple.com

Thank You, Teachers - TheApple.com

I absolutely love what I do!

Here are thirty reasons why teaching is an art 

and why there is always something I can do and reflect upon to make myself a better teacher, 

day after day.

So, here is to all you teachers out there!  

Thank you for the actions that you do and arent shown appreciation for!

And of course, there are more than 30 reasons to be thankful for teachers,  

but a true list may be an endless one!

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Angela Bunyi: Higher Order Comprehension: The Power of Socratic Seminar | Top Teaching

Angela Bunyi: Higher Order Comprehension: The Power of Socratic Seminar | Top Teaching

A great idea in creating an open discussion in the classroom that encourages higher order comprehension!

Teachers often end up doing all the talking. A Socratic seminar gets students out from sitting behind their desks all day and encourages sharing of their ideas amongst their peers!

A+ to Ms. Angela Bunyi!

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