We are at the start of a new year, but the middle of a school year, nearing the end of the first semester, or second quarter, in most places. I would like to ask if you think you are investing in your students? Research has shown that teachers who show their students they care about…
students
Technology Usage is a Constant Battle
I laid awake this morning at 5:30 a.m. thinking about ways to limit our youngest child’s technology usage. This is not a new line of thinking or personal anxiety, and usually I feel we have it under control, having tried various ways to limit his time online. But, since it is nearing the end of…
My Grown Up Christmas List (Wish)
Yesterday, I was making some jewelry at my workstation in our home. It is another hobby of mine. With my graduate classes in full swing this fall, I did not have much time available for creativity regarding my beadwork. Pandora was festively playing traditional Christmas tunes that kept me in good company while I worked. …
The Amaryllis Project 2017
Last year, a parent donated 220 Amaryllis Kits to the after school garden club I ran at our local elementary school. It was not the first time she had made such a donation, but the volume this time was much larger! 220 Kits! Wow! I had about 40 students enrolled in garden club and knew…
Flower of the Day – Amaryllis: Cee’s Photo Challenge
The following are my postings for Cee’s Photo Challenge: Amaryllis for December 18th, 2017, The amaryllis is a large, colorful flowering bulb that is popular at holiday time. For the last two years, I have had the pleasure of planting 100-200 of these bulbs with individual elementary students at our local schools. If you are…
Which Path? An Exploration of Whether or Not to Take Advanced Placement (AP) Classes in High School
When my oldest entered high school, there was no question whether he would take advanced placement classes. He had completed all his high school math in middle school, and thus, was on track to take AP Calculus as a Freshman. So, when the time came we did not contemplate what taking an AP class would…
Feedback on Writing
What kind of feedback do you offer your students on their writing? Are you red pen crazy? Do you mark up the paragraph, page, or essay with slashes, carots, and circles every where there is an error? Do you do this with another color pen – trying to conceal your zeal for marking the page?…
Poinsettias: An Enrichment Post
Between yesterday and today I taught five classrooms of students about poinsettias. They ranged from second to fifth grade. What follows is some of what I shared with them. The poinsettia is named after Dr. Joel Poinsett, the first American ambassador to Mexico. Dr. Poinsett, whose hobby was botany, saw the plant while on a…
The Gift That I Needed
Yesterday, I was doing some work for school, and the phone rang. The caller id said, “Janesville”. There is not anyone in Janesville that we know, so it was probably a solicitation, but I picked it up anyway. I have been getting better at saying no, no thank you, to solicitors, but am also guilty…
A Positive Example of Differentiation
Although I have recently received what I would call flack for writing about local educational issues, I know it is important to continue to raise community awareness about both the things we can work on and the things that are working well for our students. So, today, I offer an encouraging, down right positive, story. …