Posts Tagged ‘child-development’
Jenny's Lesson
From the desk of Carol C. . . “Learning should be a joy and full of excitement. It is life’s greatest adventure.” –Caldwell When I first started teaching, kids didn’t take any End of Grade tests. Instead, they took the California Achievement Test (CAT). I don’t know what it was like at other schools, but…
Read MoreQuality – Not Quantity
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . The word homework makes me cringe. I think back to the countless hours my now grown daughter and I spent at the kitchen table – more concerned about completing the seemingly endless assignments than actually learning from them. She survived, but my heart breaks as I…
Read MoreA Pain in the Assessment
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . For as long as I can remember I wanted to teach. As a little girl, I would strategically place my stuffed animals around the small chalk board in my room and deliver inspiring lessons that prepared them for life. Not once do I ever remember having…
Read MoreLet's Get Moving
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” – John F. Kennedy Sadly, we see it in classrooms every day. Kids – waiting for an opportunity to leave their…
Read MoreThe Bigger Picture
From the desk of Carol C… When you look into your children’s future what do you see? Successful individuals? What does that mean? Chances are, you are not just thinking about your child’s past educational record. More than likely you’re also imagining them as self fulfilled individuals with positive relationships with others. You are…
Read MoreCreating Milestones
From the desk of Carol C… Most “impossible” goals can be met simply by breaking them down into bite size chunks, writing them down, believing them, and then going full speed ahead as if they were routine. Don Lancaster I want to be healthier, but it seems I can’t to do anything about it. …
Read MoreThink for Yourself – Find Yourself
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . “To find yourself, think for yourself.” – Socrates As teachers we are tasked to facilitate learning, model appropriate behaviors, and guide students to develop the strategies to become competent readers, writers, and problem solvers. Striking a balance between allowing them to be independent learners and…
Read MoreSelf-Doubt – An Enemy of Learning
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . I recently read an article discussing how the brain gives priority to our emotions and I have seen first-hand how children’s emotions affect their perception of school. Emotion affects a child’s self-confidence and self-confidence affects whether a child learns to read, write, and problem solve. Learning…
Read MorePigeonholing Children
From the desk of Carol… I’m a reader all the time and a mathematician when necessitated. So it was clear to me when my great-niece, Madyson, reached the toddler stage she was going to be a reader. After all, she loved to look at and listen to books. She couldn’t seem to get enough of…
Read MoreLearning Outside of School
From the desk of Carol C… Learning opportunities outside of “the schoolhouse” arise all of the time. Some may seem obvious while others are more subtle. Once you begin to see these teachable moments, you can easily take advantage of them. Be a Chef- Involving children in helping to make something good to eat is…
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