A Teacher's Daze

"Moving on up...." "My 'Teacher's Space'" This is a simple canvas of city lights that I enhanced by using an old desk lamp with a bendable neck.  It's perfect to spotlight this scene! Growing up watching the sitcom, The Jeffersons, I couldn't help but think of this song when creating my "Big City View" or "Going Places" theme for my middle school classroom.  In fact, the theme song to this sitcom has been stuck in my head, for days.  :-D...  I find myself singing "Moving on up/ to the East side...... I finally got a piece of the pie...."  If you aren't familiar with the show, then it is hard to imagine why this song fits perfectly with the underlying idea behind this classroom theme. First, I have to admit something.  I didn't start out thinking, "Okay, I'm going to create a theme that shows big skyscrapers, bright city lights, and famous places across the world."  Actuall...

                                My Teacher's Space Motto:   "KEEP CALM and TEACH ON"                                                   "Get ready, get set....." Teachers spend weeks before school starts preparing because when the bell sounds and students start pouring into the classroom, there is no time to "get ready."  It's full speed ahead!     After spending the last two weeks of summer vacation, walking up and down two flights of stairs, carrying armloads of school supplies and decorations, as well as balancing a head full of ideas collected from Pinterest and teacher blogs over the summer, I'm certain it isn't a dream because surely I would have awakened by now, right? Getting back into the everyday routine of "back to school" is not only h...

During my family's recent vacation, I was browsing through a gallery of hundreds of posters when I came across the above picture.  My first reaction was to read the caption again, to make sure I read it correctly.  My second reaction was to smile at the irony of the words, especially considering the "dated" illustration chosen to accompany it, and "yes" I have to admit, my third reaction was to take a picture, so I could share it on my blog, as well with my students.   Now, please don't over react and assume I "agree" with this humorous statement.  Obviously, the suggestion of the mother is in direct contrast to what a mother would "normally" say to warn a child of danger.  The author of this illustration and caption combination is simply identifying with a harried mother of small children by using a gross exaggeration, to say the least.   I walked away with a wistful smile remembering days when I was a sleep-deprived mother...

I do not pretend to know the answer to my own question.  I do not know "exactly" where to start.  What I do know is a "start" is needed; therefore, I chose to begin reading historical fiction, which is a good transition from fiction to non-fiction, in my humble opinion.   After teaching English for 22 years, it's easy to get boggled down in doing what I've always done.  It's easy to rationalize that what I've always done has brought about, for the most part, effective results.  However, it is folly to imagine that there is not room for improvement.  So, I'm beginning in a way that I see as profitable.   Most teachers will agree that the more one knows the subject matter they teach, the more effective their teaching.  There is, obviously truth to this.  It's not the only way a student learns, however.  A teacher who can whet the appetite of young readers with books and stories that appeal to their curiosity will go on to read books that t...

As I was checking out at a store, I noticed these little packaged boxes with "Boogie Board" written on it.  (okay... OKAY... I admit it... I fell victim to the oldest trick of getting people to "notice" things for sale:  Putting it near the check-out counter....)  Anyway, in this case I consider it to have been advantageous, not just for the store owner, but for me, the consumer.   Basically, a "Boogie Board" is about a 1/4 of an inch thick board a little bigger than a 5X7 photograph.  It comes with a stylus, a screen cleaning cloth, and a clip-on for the stylus.  Also, it features an ion battery that never needs replacing.  The way it works is very simple.  You write something on it, and then you push a button, a light flashes, and you have a "clean slate."   Possible uses in the classroom quickly came to my mind, as I was standing there at the check-out counter.  So, what do I do?  I buy it.  The more I got to thinking...