MzTeachuh: Oh, That Sassy Manet!

MzTeachuh: Oh, That Sassy Manet!: Luncheon on the Grass, Edouard Manet His early masterworks, The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe) and Olympia , engender...

Oh, That Sassy Manet!

Luncheon on the Grass, Edouard Manet

His early masterworks, The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe) and Olympia, engendered great controversy and served as rallying points for the young painters who would create Impressionism. Today, these are considered watershed paintings that mark the genesis of modern art. (Wikipedia)

As Manet might say, "Pâturage dans le bébé herbe peut vous le creuser?" Translation: Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby can you dig it?

GRAZING IN THE GRASS/FRIENDS OF DISTINCTION 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxVLHaHUI4E 

MzTeachuh: Oh, That Sassy Mozart!

MzTeachuh: Oh, That Sassy Mozart!: Was looking for a sass y picture to go along with this music, but Wol fie's was the best. BTW, you may want to watch or ...

Oh, That Sassy Mozart!

Was looking for a sassy picture to go along with this music, but Wolfie's was the best. BTW, you may want to watch or rewatch the film "Amadeus" sometimes. It's still awesome.

Music for when you know you're a genius but not that many other people will admit it.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart--Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT7_Y1pIBb4 

MzTeachuh: Best Articles for Educators Week of 1/12/13

MzTeachuh: Best Articles for Educators Week of 1/12/13: We educators need to climb to the top of Bloom's Taxonomy, too. And here are some current thought - provoking articles to goad us into solu...

Best Articles for Educators Week of 1/12/13

We educators need to climb to the top of Bloom's Taxonomy, too. And here are some current thought-provoking articles to goad us into solutions for our kids. Check out these excellent blogs and websites, too. Mzteachuh isn't the only great one out there, you know. ;)

1. Mind/Shift

In his words, “Creativity is not an option, it’s an absolute necessity.”

Sir Ken Robinson: Fostering Creativity in Education is Not an Option

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/01/sir-ken-robinson-fostering-creativity-in-education-is-not-an-option/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher 

“If you didn’t get a good night’s sleep, it’s really hard to learn new things because you didn’t clear out all the synaptic connections.”

Why Sleeping May Be More Important Than Studying

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/01/why-sleeping-may-be-more-important-than-studying/ 

But there’s “zero correlation between the best ideas and the best talkers.”

 2. Edutopia

We need to "listen" to children by observing and thinking about how we can guide -- but not dictate -- their learning. We can be partners in creating a joyful experience for each child, each and every day.

A Joyful, Brain-Friendly Classroom

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/a-joyful-brain-friendly-classroom-elaine-kennedy 

Believing in students is not simply telling them that you believe in them. These words matter only if they are true and if you demonstrate them by your actions. There is no way to fake it, because kids have built in crap detectors (a phrase taken from Neil Postman, and Charles Weingartner, in Teaching As a Subversive Activity), and they can tell if you don't mean it. Here are some ways to express it. 

Believing in Students: The Power to Make a Difference

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/believing-in-students-richard-curwin 

3. Special Needs Survey
Daily News and Information for the Special Needs Community

I propose that all of our kids get an annual mental health assessment starting from the early years to the teen years and then also maybe every year following.

Do We Really Care About the Mental Health of Our Teens? 

http://specialneedssurvey.blogspot.com/2013/01/do-we-really-care-about-mental-health.html 

4. The Educator's Room

However, the male teacher is a dying breed. After reading several articles on the matter, I’ve learned many have come to the conclusion that this dilemma stems from one’s that, again, you should be obvious-decreasing lack of public respect for the position, societal factors, increased (and even unfair) demands, and, of course, money.

Raising Boys’ Achievement Involves More Male Teachers

http://theeducatorsroom.com/2012/12/raising-boys-achievement-involves-more-male-teachers/ 

So, educator, your homework is to read and comment on these articles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MzTeachuh: Effective Teachers, Arts, Homework Acquisition Twe...

MzTeachuh: Effective Teachers, Arts, Homework Acquisition Twe...:  1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers Who Use Technology http://blog.alwaysprepped.com/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-teacher...

Effective Teachers, Arts, Homework Acquisition Tweets of the Day 1/11/13

 1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers Who Use Technology

http://blog.alwaysprepped.com/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-teachers-who-use-technology/ 

2. What Is FAPE and What Can It Mean to my Child?

http://www.ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/ld-rights/what-is-fape-what-can-it-mean-my-child 

3. 10 Montessori-Inspired Design Ideas for Kids' Rooms

http://www.parentmap.com/article/10-montessori-inspired-design-ideas-for-a-kids-playroom 

4. Lesson Plans and Resources for Arts Integration

http://www.edutopia.org/stw-arts-integration-resources-lesson-plans?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_content=stw&utm_campaign=batesdownloads 

5. Jeremy Pereira, New Jersey Boy, Not Allowed Back To School Without Flu Shot 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/08/jeremy-pereira-new-jersey_n_2432932.html 

6. Heart Shaped Writing- writing assignment for Valentine’s Day

http://www.teachertime123.com/2012/02/heart-shaped-writing-writing-assignment-for-valentines-day/ 

 7. Conference - Asperger's Syndrome and Technology: Pitfalls and Potentials 

http://specialneedssurvey.blogspot.com/2013/01/conference-aspergers-syndrome-and.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FLUdSt+%28Special+Needs+Survey%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

8. No Homework Binder 

http://teach-bake-love.blogspot.com/2012/09/no-homework-binder.html 

 

 

 

 

MzTeachuh: These Tweets Will Take Some Concentration and Thou...

MzTeachuh: These Tweets Will Take Some Concentration and Thou...:   1. Education That Matches the Rhetoric http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/ 2. Do We Really Care About the Mental H...

These Tweets Will Take Some Concentration and Thought

  1. Education That Matches the Rhetoric

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/

2. Do We Really Care About the Mental Health of Our Teens? 

http://specialneedssurvey.blogspot.com/2013/01/do-we-really-care-about-mental-health.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FLUdSt+%28Special+Needs+Survey%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher 

3. 5 Preventive Maintenance Habits to Keep Your Child Out of the Breakdown Lane

http://www.ahaparenting.com/_blog/Parenting_Blog/post/Preventive_Maintenance_to_Keep_Your_Child_Out_of_the_Breakdown_Lane/ 

4. A Process of Grieving

http://special-ism.com/a-process-of-grieving/ 

5. Do Teachers Have Freedom of Speech?

http://theeducatorsroom.com/2012/12/teachers-freedom-of-speech-rights/ 

6. Student Research: The Right Information at the Right Time

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/research-right-info-right-time-terrell-heick 

7.A Joyful, Brain-Friendly Classroom

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/a-joyful-brain-friendly-classroom-elaine-kennedy 

 

MzTeachuh: Teaching, Reading and Rhee Tweets of the Day 1/11/...

MzTeachuh: Teaching, Reading and Rhee Tweets of the Day 1/11/...: 1. School Project Blurs Line Between Public, Private http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/01/09/17projectlift.h32.html?tkn=LLUF8GqipA...

Teaching, Reading and Rhee Tweets of the Day 1/11/13

1. School Project Blurs Line Between Public, Private

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/01/09/17projectlift.h32.html?tkn=LLUF8GqipAUVRrde6REACI8ffuanE5MfLX1i&cmp=SOC-EDIT-FB 

2. New Year, New Page on Reading

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/ 

3. The 6 Best States to Find a Job as a Teacher

http://theeducatorsroom.com/2013/01/6-best-states-to-live-in-as-a-teacher/?fb_source=pubv1 

4.  Welcome To Scholarships, Grants, and Financial-Aid:

http://www.naas.org/scholarships/ 

5. Video: Reading Tips for Children with LD

http://www.ncld.org/learning-disability-resources/videos/video-reading-tips-children-ld 

6. ‘Virtual’ public schools draw interest of religious families

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/virtual-public-schools-draw-interest-of-religious-families/2013/01/08/d39ab3cc-59dd-11e2-b8b2-0d18a64c8dfa_story.html?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=socialmedia 

7. Do We Really Care About the Mental Health of Our Teens? 

http://specialneedssurvey.blogspot.com/2013/01/do-we-really-care-about-mental-health.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FLUdSt+%28Special+Needs+Survey%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher 

8. Michelle Rhee's Group Grades States, And No One Gets an A

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/state_edwatch/2013/01/michelle_rhees_group_grades_states_and_no_one_gets_an_a.html?cmp=SOC-EDIT-FB 

Classroom observations: so much fun

 

 

MzTeachuh: Developing Your Potential Tweets of the Day 1/10/1...

MzTeachuh: Developing Your Potential Tweets of the Day 1/10/1...: Get in gear, kids. 1. How Can Teachers Prepare Kids for a Connected World? http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/01/how-can-teachers-p...

Developing Your Potential Tweets of the Day 1/10/13

Get in gear, kids.

1. How Can Teachers Prepare Kids for a Connected World?

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/01/how-can-teachers-prepare-kids-for-a-connected-world/ 

2. How Music Can Become A Bigger Part Of Your Classroom

http://edudemic.com/2013/01/music-in-classroom/ 

3. When You Feel Your Temper Rising

http://thesensoryspectrumblog.com/2013/01/09/when-you-feel-your-temper-rising/ 

4. Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/journals/pspi/learning-techniques.html 

5. Observational Drawing with Kids :: Using a Wood Human Figure

http://www.artfulparent.com/2013/01/observational-drawing-with-kids-using-a-wood-human-figure.html 

6.  Beauty Queen With Autism Vies For Miss America Title

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/01/08/beauty-autism-miss-america/17018/ 

7. The Long-Term Effects Of Skipping Your Reading Homework

http://edudemic.com/2013/01/skipping-your-reading-homework/ 

 

 

 

 

MzTeachuh: Cheesy Jokes and Serious Thoughts for Valentine's ...

MzTeachuh: Cheesy Jokes and Serious Thoughts for Valentine's ...: What did the boy bird say to the girl bird? Garfield is one of my closest friends. The alarm goes off around 4:30 am, I reach for the ...

Cheesy Jokes and Serious Thoughts for Valentine's Day

What did the boy bird say to the girl bird?

Garfield is one of my closest friends. The alarm goes off around 4:30 am, I reach for the laptop and see what Garfield is up to. As a substitute teacher, I would bribe the class with his jokes. I'd draw his picture on the board, put the questions to the riddle up and tell the kids I wouldn't give them the punchline unless...the whole class could be complete 15 minutes of work, or be good until recess, or clean up the class. Whatever needed to be done. The rascalliest students really wanted the joke, so everyone would cooperate. I told them I wasn't sure if it was even legal to keep a punchline from them, it seemed like cruel and unusual punishment (but I never had to withhold a punchline ever.) Humor is a great break in the authoritarian regimen; and puns do teach language arts in their multiple meaning words. Oh, the punchline: let me call you Tweetheart. Maybe to be current I should change the riddle to, 'What did the boy bird text to the girl bird?'

Let me call you Tweetheart.

http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2012/january/reiss.html
 “Humor is a very important component of emotional health, maintaining relationships, developing cognitive function and perhaps even medical health,” said Allan Reiss, MD, who directs the Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research at Stanford. Most of us know the ancient proverb, 'A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.' Leave it to Stanford to use an MRI to prove it! They hooked up kids and showed them funny and nonfunny material. I wonder how these jokes would do.

If you don't like cheese, don't read these!

Here is some more silly:

Did you hear about the romance in the tropical fish tank?
It was a case of guppy love.
What did one piece of string say to the other piece of string?
Please be my valentwine!
What did the French chef give his wife for Valentine's Day?
A hug and a quiche.
What did the farmer give his wife for Valentine's Day?
Hogs and kisses.
What did Frankenstein ask his girlfriend?
Won't you be my Valenstein?

What is serious about this holiday is that some of our students are in difficult circumstances due to stressors in their families. They can't write a valentine to mom or dad or other relatives. They may be in the middle of a family break up, in foster care, or suffered a great loss. Our job is to be aware of this, first of all, and maybe have an additional activity to take the edge off the intensity of the student's actual life. Maybe valentines to mail to troops overseas, or to a local nursing home or hospital. Maybe a writing project to write an anecdote of  a time someone showed kindness and love to the student. This could be emotional, but also cathartic. Life is tough, and the facade of the perfect family life is very difficult at times for many kids. Recalling a time of warmth and stability can be a positive moment on a dark day. I've had unique class situations where we could share such a writing project in discussion, and the other students were very supportive.

                                             Thanks, Garfield and other silly souls for
                                                             keeping it real. Real silly.

MzTeachuh: Nature! It's Only Natural--Kids Getting Outside

MzTeachuh: Nature! It's Only Natural--Kids Getting Outside: 1. Astonomy for Kids What will you see in the sky tonight? Free sky tool! http://www.kidsastronomy.com/astroskymap/ 2. Get outdoors e...

Nature! It's Only Natural--Kids Getting Outside

1. Astonomy for Kids
What will you see in the sky tonight? Free sky tool!
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/astroskymap/

2. Get outdoors exploring!

http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/yearofadventure.htm?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nd_yearofadventure 

3. Different kind of tweeting.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is for kids!
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/kids 

4.Fabulous Fall Activities: Get Outside and Enjoy Nature

 http://voices.yahoo.com/fabulous-fall-activities-outside-enjoy-nature-2012669.html

My kind of bird watching.

6. All Activities Issue - Nature: Bird Watching
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/all-activities-issue-nature-bird-watching

7.. Are you a joiner? How about the Junior Audobon Society?
http://web4.audubon.org/educate/kids/

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/lesson_plans/reptiles1.html

MzTeachuh: Message for Math Teachers Tweets of the Day 1/9/13...

MzTeachuh: Message for Math Teachers Tweets of the Day 1/9/13...: Finally, a math joke English majors can get. 1. Life With Aspergers http://blog.theautismsite.com/?p=712   2. How Spelling Support...

Message for Math Teachers Tweets of the Day 1/9/13

Finally, a math joke English majors can get.

1. Life With Aspergers

http://blog.theautismsite.com/?p=712 

2. How Spelling Supports Reading

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/8845/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Hootsuite&utm_campaign=RRSocialMedia 

3. Gates Foundation MET Report: Teacher Observation Less Reliable Than Test Scores 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/08/gates-foundation-met-report-teacher-_n_2433348.html 

4. Autism Benefits Lagging Under Federal Health Care Reform

http://www.autismspeaks.org/advocacy/advocacy-news/autism-benefits-lagging-under-federal-health-care-reform 

5. Video: Reading Tips for Children with LD

http://www.ncld.org/learning-disability-resources/videos/video-reading-tips-children-ld 

6. Don’t Call Me At Home: Effective Communication with your child’s special educators

http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2012/04/26/dont-call-me-at-home-effective-communication-with-your-childs-special-educators/ 

7. For My People

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/11053?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=general_marketing 

Margaret Walker

1915–1998
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/margaret-walker 

 

 

 

MzTeachuh: Teachable Moment: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

MzTeachuh: Teachable Moment: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., galvanized the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 1960's due to his remarkable courage and unsurpasse...

Teachable Moment: Dr. Martin Luther King, 50th Anniversary of the March On Washington

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., galvanized the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 1960's due to his remarkable courage and unsurpassed eloquence.  He was right; those who were on the opposing side of the argument were revealed as hideous, sadistic monsters. They still are. 

Unspeakable atrocities preceded and follow Dr. King's time of leadership. His actions and words still call forth men and women, boys and girls of all demographics to seek equality in America. And the price could be high.

This week is the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington, where Dr. King gave his immortal, 'I Have A Dream' speech. Hearing it is a profound experience. Please have your students listen. It is probably the most important speech given in the twentieth century given by a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Here is a resource to hear the "I Have A Dream" Speech on American Rhetoric.

Teachable Moment: "I Have A Dream" Speech Anniversary Today 
http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2012/08/american-rhetoric-great-resource-for.html

Here is an excerpt from my blog "Books to Soothe Kids' Toxic Stress" http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2012/01/books-to-sooth-kids-toxic-stress.html

A third grader, small for his age, could really run fast during practice for his elementary school's Olympic Day. It was his way to shine. His tennies were worn out, so Teacher got him a new pair at Wal-Mart. He made the school proud. This school district was low income, and located near a federal prison, therefore many families were in the area to be living nearby to visit relatives. The little boy also worked very hard at reading, writing, and math, including those impossible fractions. After the January 19th holiday, he asked Teacher, "Why don't they make Dr. Martin Luther King bedsheets? They make them for Superman." He had chosen the better hero.

This is a true story, and I hope the little guy is now a grown, happy, and functional adult, since I last had him at school in 1995.  He had the odds against him, but hopefully some encouragement from reading in school has remained with him.

http://www.amazon.com/Martins-Big-Words-Martin-Luther/dp/0786807148

This story of Dr. King and his profound words will be like miracle grow to the young soul, no matter what color his skin may be.

Teachable Moment: Book Review: Martin's Big Words 

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2012/03/book-review-martins-big-words.html 

There are excellent resources to inform students about Dr. Martin Luther, King. 

March on Washington: Throngs mark 'I Have a Dream' anniversary

 http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/24/us/march-on-washington/?hpt=hp_inthenews

March on Washington's 50th anniversary commemoration draws tens of thousands

 http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57599979/march-on-washingtons-50th-anniversary-commemoration-draws-tens-of-thousands/

 And some posters and quotes.

 

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

 The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.

 I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

 We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive.    

 Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

 Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' 

 I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

MLK aged seven. Do you have one in your first grade? Maybe your eighth grade class, or your American History class?