Santa Shop at School

Some schools have many different activities and events for students while other schools only carry out the minimum. I would have to say that my school is average in having activities for the students. We have Christmas programs, music programs, sporting events, and more. Some schools are very creative with the things that they plan. For a while I had though that my school had invented a new idea. Each year at Christmas time, this week this year, my school hosts a Santa Shop. In previous years the shop was hosted by the school. This year it is hosted by … Continue reading →

What Happened to Fat Pencils and Crayons?

Time and phases often repeat themselves. Clothing styles and toys usually come around every so many years. Bell-bottom pants came back renamed as flare jeans and children once again began playing with Cabbage Patch Dolls and Strawberry Shortcake. Education is no exemption to this cycle of life. Methods of teaching and appropriate forms of learning come in and out of date also. At one point in time children were to begin learning to write using large lined pads of paper and fat pencils and crayons. Those pads of paper and crayons and pencils can still be bought today. However, they … Continue reading →

The Appearance of Your Classroom

Although in many cases, it probably should not, appearance means a lot. As the saying goes, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” However, the cover does make the first impression. For this reason, I think that the appearance of a classroom is very important. This is not to say that my classroom always has a wonderful appearance. Things can become scattered throughout the day and books and such are out of place. However, I do try to give it an upbeat and positive mood. When a parent or student walks into your classroom for the first time, the … Continue reading →

Why Have Spilt or Multi Level Classes?

In one of my previous article, I discussed the fact that some classrooms do not follow the traditional school setting. Instead of the class having one teacher with one grade level of students, some classes have split level students. This means that more than one grade level is in the class. The teacher teaches more than one grade in one classroom. There may be two, three, or even four different grade levels in one class. There are many reasons why a school would choose to have a split grade level class. Lack of Students In the elementary school that I … Continue reading →

Tips for Teachers: Managing Student Supplies

In my last Tips for Teachers article, I offered advice on using glue in a kindergarten classroom. In this article, I would like to address the management of student supplies in younger primary classrooms. Throughout most days, students will need crayons, scissors, glue, and a pencil. How the teacher distributes these items can vary from class to class. Some teachers allow the students to keep a box of the items in their desks. However, many primary classrooms are equipped with tables rather than desks. Therefore the challenge becomes even greater. Some teachers make or purchase seat sacks to go on … Continue reading →

Why Do Middle Students Lose Interest in Reading?

Kindergarten students have one major thing in common. When they walk into the classroom, they want to learn to read. They cannot wait to learn words and be able to read books by themselves. Checking out a book from the school library is one of the biggest things that can happen at school. This excitement for reading usually continues for a few years and then begins to slow down. Students seem to lose the interest in reading and the joy in taking home books. I saw this happen year after year when I taught eighth grade. Most students found that … Continue reading →

Tips for Teachers: Glue

Previously, I introduced a new section that I am adding to the education topic at Families.com. This section, Tips for Teachers, will highlight some tips that I have learned from experience and veteran teachers. One thing that has taken trial and error for me over the past couple of years is the purchasing of student supplies. When teaching eighth grade, supplies were not as big of a deal. However, student supplies for kindergarten students take some creativity. The supplies need to be accessible to the students and easy to use. Students should be able to use the supplies without a … Continue reading →

Seven Habits to Raising or Teaching Successful Teens

I think that all middle school teachers would agree that the teen years are some of the most confusing and stressful years of a child’s life. During the teenage years, children struggle with beginning between childhood and adulthood. While being a teenager is tough, raising one (or teaching one) can be equally as hard. Some parents give into struggles and let their teens control. Others create too many struggles and their teens turn to defiance. Knowing exactly how to handle your teenager can be difficult. Sean Covet gave some great tips on raising a successful teenager in his book The … Continue reading →

Why Teach Respect?

There is much more to teaching than the core subjects such as math, science, and literature. An academically sound person is not necessarily a productive and successful adult. Children need to learn more than ABCs and 123s. As a teacher, academics are very important to me. However, I do not always consider my smartest student to be my best student. It is much more impressive for me to meet a kindergarten student that refers to me as ‘Ma’am’ and uses words such as ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’ than it is for me to meet a kindergarten student that is reading on … Continue reading →

Single Gender Classes

Single-gender classrooms are becoming more popular. Some schools have limited or special classes for students wishing to participate in single-gender classes with either all boys or all girls. South Carolina is the first state to have a coordinator of single-gender classrooms. David Chadwell, the single-gender coordinator for South Carolina, feels that students have a better opportunity to learn when in a single-gender middle school classroom. After completing research, Chadwell found that boys and girls learn differently and should be taught differently. In an all boys class, teachers often use a microphone because boys have a harder time listening. Boys also … Continue reading →