Archive for January 2013
Learning Experiences
From the desk of Carol C… Maybe it was because I didn’t have younger siblings to show me the way. Maybe it was because I was shortsighted. Maybe…well the maybes don’t matter. The bottom line is that when I first started teaching, I didn’t understand what went on in the minds of children. One of…
Read MoreTeachers Helping Themselves
From the desk of Carol C… There is so much negative press about the state of public education these days. Everywhere you turn there’s another article or speaker on the topic of the effectiveness of teachers. Talk about a demoralizer! There are lots of ways that we can combat the negative images that people have…
Read MoreComprehension Issue or Assignment Issue?
From the desk of Hope… I write this blog as a question hoping to get some interaction and feedback from you. Recently I’ve had three parents approach me about “issues” their children are having with reading comprehension. Before I go into the “issues” I would like to describe these children to you as I know…
Read MoreReady, Set, Go
From the desk of Carol C… I thought I knew the educational jargon: ABC’s, testing, EOG, EOC, accountability, Common Core, and the list goes on. I could talk confidently about any of these terms to anybody. Then one day a fellow educator asked me what I thought of READY. “I’m ready for it,” I tried…
Read MoreCommunicating with Parents
From the desk of Carol C… Recently I’ve seen some good relationships become strained due to miscommunication or a complete lack of communicating. One friend didn’t understand the decisions of the other friend and lashed out at her. A couple I know had some heated moments between the two of them because they didn’t communicate…
Read MoreGetting a Great Start in the New Year
It’s the new year and almost third quarter. This can be the hardest time of the year for teachers and students. We’re just coming off of two big holidays, snow can disrupt any routine we have, and spring break seems far away. What can we do to decrease our chances of finding ourselves in the…
Read MoreAn Educational Bargain
From the desk of Alice… I recently wrote a post about the anti-workbook classroom. There is another layer to the story. The teacher I mentioned in the post had chosen not to use the workbooks provided to her in order to teach reading to Kindergarteners. Instead, she chose to use rich literacy instruction that engaged…
Read MoreA New Era
From the desk of Alice… As 2013 is arriving, I am sitting at my kitchen table on a work holiday, typing on a wireless laptop and scheduling this blog to post in the future when I am no longer at my computer. My iPhone is nearby with my calendar at my fingertips and I am…
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