Posts Tagged ‘learning’
The New 3 R's
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . The day before school started, a young father asked me for advice on how to navigate the journey as a kindergarten parent. As a seasoned (really just a nice way to say – old) kindergarten teacher, my heart filled with empathy for this young dad. I…
Read MoreSpreading a Feast of Ideas
From the desk of Leigh Ann… “Our fault, our exceeding great fault, is that we keep our own minds and the minds of our children shamefully underfed.” – Charlotte Mason This summer I became inspired by the work of educator Charlotte Mason. Her life was dedicated to improving the quality of education for children at…
Read MoreMaking Feedback Meaningful
From the desk of Carol C. . . “We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”- Bill Gates “Please help us serve you better. This survey will only take a few minutes, but it will tell us how to improve. Please give us your opinion.” Everywhere we seem to be inundated…
Read MoreDaydream with a Purpose
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . “Visualization is daydreaming with a purpose.” – Bo Bennett I am the poster child of a visual learner. I remember faces – not names. I write things down to help me process and remember. I talk with my hands to illustrate a point. (My husband says if…
Read MoreChoice Can Make a Difference
From the desk of Carol C. . . A few weeks ago my friend, Jan, asked me to come into her classroom and videotape her students working on math projects they had designed. All of the projects centered around what her students had learned about geometry; however, each project was different. One group chose to…
Read MoreImportance of Choice
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . “The 3 C’s of Life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.” – Unknown The children in our classrooms make choices all day long. They choose to obey or ignore the rules, say kind or…
Read MoreThe Power of Losing Control
From the desk of Monica… Choice helps students. Really, it does. I admit it. I am a control freak. If I could, I would control every part of my life, my circumstances, and my career. All of it. And as I get older, I realize that the quote from that 1990s racing movie, Days of…
Read MoreInfusing Enthusiasm Into Your Teaching
From the desk of Carol C. . . It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. Albert Einstein Sometimes it’s just downright hard to be enthusiastic. Your team is losing the game. The sermon is delivered in monotone. The neighbor continues to drone on about something you…
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 MoreGreat Expectations
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . I watched a master teacher at work on the soccer field the other day. As a great debate ensued over the fairness of game rules, she quietly walked over to mediate. She asked the children to explain what was going on and quickly realized that not…
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