MzTeachuh: Next Week's Lesson Plans: 4/5/14

MzTeachuh: Next Week's Lesson Plans: 4/5/14: Yeah, yeah, that's what all the veteran teachers say. This link may help you develop plans for current events. From PBS:...

Next Week's Lesson Plans: 4/5/14

Yeah, yeah, that's what all the veteran teachers say.

This link may help you develop plans for current events.

From PBS:
Current Events Awareness
http://www.pbs.org/now/classroom/lessonplan-03.html 

These links are good to bring depth to your lesson plans:

Facing Race Issues In the Classroom: How To Connect With Students

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/04/how-can-teachers-address-race-issues-in-class-ask-students/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29 

Survive and Thrive During Testing Season

 http://www.edutopia.org/blog/survive-thrive-during-testing-season-lori-desautels

These links will help you schedule fun and physical activity.

10 simple activities to encourage physical activity in the classroom

http://www.yourtherapysource.com/files/10_simple_activities_classroom.pdf

Active Schools - Classroom Physical Activity Breaks 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFC931CA701644705 

These link will help you keep organized (and sane):

Empower Teachers with Data and They Can Spark Change

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2014/02/empower-teachers-data-and-they-can-spark-change 

iOrganized: How a teacher can use the iPad to stay organized?

http://reflectionsofeducator.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/iorganized-how-a-teacher-can-use-the-ipad-to-stay-organized/ 

Analyzing Data

https://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/graphs-and-charts/48946.html 

Teaching Is Analyzing the Data

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2012/11/teaching-is-checking-data.html

 

 

MzTeachuh: Everyone Helps Kids Read

MzTeachuh: Everyone Helps Kids Read: Teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle Reading Rockets is an extremely valuable resource for reading education, but m...

Everyone Helps Kids Read

Teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle

Reading Rockets is an extremely valuable resource for reading education, but more especially, the mechanics of reading.

Reading Rockets
http://www.readingrockets.org/

For Parents
http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents/

For Teachers

http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/teachers/ 

For Principals

http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/professionals/principals/ 

For Librarians 

http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/professionals/librarians/ 

 

For School Psychologists

http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/professionals/schoolpsychologists/ 

For School Counselors

http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/professionals/counselors/ 

First Book http://www.firstbook.org/

For Preschool & Childcare

http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/professionals/preschool/ 

ABCs of Teaching Reading

http://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/ 

The Common Core Standards

http://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/commoncore/ 

Classroom Strategies

http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/ 

Reading Topics A-Z

http://www.readingrockets.org/atoz/ 

The Best in Children's Literature

Children’s Books & Authors

http://www.readingrockets.org/books/ 

Breton Children Reading  Emile Vernon

 

 

 

 

 

 

MzTeachuh: Teachable Moment: When Lilacs Bloom'd...

MzTeachuh: Teachable Moment: When Lilacs Bloom'd...: I happily discovered we have a lovely-scented lilac bush growing in our courtyard. It reminded me of Whitman's poem. Abraham Li...

Teachable Moment: When Lilacs Bloom'd...

I happily discovered we have a lovely-scented lilac bush growing in our courtyard. It reminded me of Whitman's poem.

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated April 15, 1865. He is memorialized by contemporary poet Walt Whitman in this poem of perennial sorrow and loss.

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d 

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174748

 Here are other blogs about Lincoln that may give perspective on his influence during his day.

Teachable Moment: Learning About Lincoln

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2012/11/teachable-moment-learning-about-linclon.html 

Lincoln and the Fourth of July 

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2012/07/lincoln-and-fourth-of-july.html 

Movie Review: Lincoln 

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2012/12/movie-review-lincoln.html?spref=tw 

Teachable Moment: Activities for Lincoln's Birthday 

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2013/01/teachable-moment-activities-for.html?spref=bl 

 

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Teachers Talking To Each Other

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Teachers Talking To Each Other: 1. How to make friends and influence people - a teacher's guide http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/2012/sep/04/teachers-...

Teaching Is Teachers Talking To Each Other

1. How to make friends and influence people - a teacher's guide

http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/2012/sep/04/teachers-guide-making-friends-influencing-people 

2. 5 Tips for Bonding with New Teaching Colleagues

http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/8975-5-tips-for-bonding-with-new-teaching-colleagues 

3. 25 Ways Teachers Can Connect More With Their Colleagues

http://edudemic.com/2012/06/25-ways-teachers-can-connect-more-with-their-colleagues/ 

4. Good teachers make colleagues better

http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/09/good-teachers-make-colleagues-better/ 

5. Check out the comments

How much do your colleagues influence your teaching?

http://www.edutopia.org/poll-teacher-influence-school-performance 

6. 101 Ways to Cope with Teaching Stress

 Getting the Support You Need

Numbers 51 through 60.

http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/101-ways-to-cope-with-teaching-stress/ 

7. How Can Teachers Be Stressed?

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/julian-stanley/teachers-how-can-they-be-stressed_b_1864160.html?just_reloaded=1 

It's a little stressful to take this test.

8.  Teacher Stress Test

http://www.pedagonet.com/brain/teacherstresstest.html 

MzTeachuh: Does My Child Have a Learning Handicap?

MzTeachuh: Does My Child Have a Learning Handicap?: Our Mission: To ensure success for all individuals with learning disabilities in school, at work and in life. (National Center fo...

Does My Child Have a Learning Handicap?

Our Mission: To ensure success for all individuals with learning disabilities in school, at work and in life. (National Center for Learning Disabilities)
 
http://www.ncld.org/

I like that mission statement very much. As a Special Education professional for over twenty years, I witnessed wonderful success for most of our students identified with a learning disability, or specific learning handicap. But that is with identification of the problem, a current and evolving individual learning plan development, and a coordinated team effort to execute the plan every day, including the family.

Reading and writing frustration may be a first sign.

Do you wonder if your child has a learning disability? Here is some information on where to start to find answers for your questions.

Specific Learning Disabilities – Definitions
http://www.learningrx.com/specific-learning-disabilities.htm 

 

Introduction to Learning Disabilities  

A child may have normal performance except in reading.

http://www.naset.org/2522.0.html

Learning Disabilities: Signs, Symptoms and Strategies

 http://www.ldaamerica.us/aboutld/parents/ld_basics/ld.asp

Sometimes children have a different way of interpreting speech and sounds that interfere with learning.

About Auditory Processing Disorder

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/ears/central_auditory.html 

Other times children may have a different way of interpreting what they see that interferes with learning.

 Visual Processing Disorders 

http://www.ncld.org/ld-basics/related-issues/information-processing/visual-processing-disorders 

All children change every day, that's a part of growing up. Maybe there is not a disability. Check with your child's school and if you, as the parent, believe your child needs to be checked by the district educational psychologist for the possibility of a specific learning disability, by all means insist upon it. A few changes in the style of instruction can mean a huge difference in your child's academic performance. And the process of checking may indicate some valuable suggestions for helping your child learn even if there is no disability.

Teacher's smile is essential in learning. Plus, look at this interesting, cheerful classroom. I spot computers, a pocket chart just waiting for something to read. I bet that rocking chair is for storytime.

MzTeachuh: Counseling and Supervision; Supervision and Counse...

MzTeachuh: Counseling and Supervision; Supervision and Counse...: What to change in a school? I have reflected upon what change would have the greatest impact based just upon my own observations...

Counseling and Supervision; Supervision and Counseling

What to change in a school? I have reflected upon what change would have the greatest impact based just upon my own observations.

Counseling and supervision. More and more effective supervision and counseling. Kids learn better when their minds are focused. Internal and external conditions affect their ability to be successful in school, therefore counseling and supervision.

Counseling usually indicates a counselor working in scheduling classes and sometimes personal intervention with parents and kids. Of course keep this, adding more opportunities for individual students and groups to interact with trained counselors. Have a variety of topics, a variety of groups. Maybe even a club. A qualified counselor at every school site.

Classes and class activities can  identify and/or aid in relief of tensions and stressors. Activities can give kids confidence and bolster their ability to learn.
One year when I was teaching a Special Day Class for the Severely Handicapped, a group of students from the student government class came once a week for a class period for peer interaction. My students and the gen. ed. student leaders interacted while I ran a very simple self-esteem class. The benefits? The gen ed. kids were exposed to new career choices (SPED teacher, counselor, etc.) and my students gained language and other academic skills, plus great self-confidence and new friends. It was like pouring Miracle-Gro on them.

Here are a few activities I developed to help students relieve stress:

Writing Prompts to Sooth Kids' Toxic Stress
 http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2012/04/writing-prompts-to-sooth-kids-toxic.html 

Books to Relieve Kids' Toxic Stress
http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2012/05/mzteachuh-books-to-soothe-kids-toxic_26.html

Here are curriculum sources for self-esteem:
Discovery Education
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/self-esteem.cfm

Writing prompts have therapeutic effects for students, too. The counseling comes in with discussion, either through teacher's written response or carefully guided group discussion. Kids are eloquent when narrating their own feelings and experiences. Teachers are professionals who interact with students at least 35 hours a week--we need to know them and how they are doing. Reading their thoughts in writing will do that. Then it is up to us to interact personally with them. Identify a student's internal stressor a student leads to getting them the help she/he needs.

Here are sources for writing prompts for self-esteem: 

Self Esteem & Confidence 52 Journal Prompts for Kids 
http://journalbuddies.com/journaling/self-esteem-confidence-journal-prompts-for-kids/ 

Reflective Journal Writing Prompts

 http://www.self-esteem-health.com/reflective-journal-writing-prompts.html

Supervision-oh my!  By my observation, only one school I taught with in the about a dozen in the past two decades actually followed the principal's directives on supervision consistently. On the playground, at the classroom doors before and after school, during assemblies. It was amazing. It was as though that principal had somehow cornered the teacher market on efficiency and cooperation. As a result, the kids were more secure, cooperative and generally happier. School rules were consistently enforced. The teachers were dependable in their appearances to supervise. At this school, the principal was also present on the campus, even making surprise visits to the classrooms, where he was welcome.

No teachers at any other school I encountered, except for the one above, even consistently enforced supervising passing time between classes. Every year the principal of these schools would announce the importance of teachers being at the door during this time, and in about a week most of the teachers stopped doing it. Why? Because people do what you inspect, not was you expect. The principals had no system to verify if teachers were doing this, except the increase of horseplay, fights  and other misbehavior in the hallways based on referrals. Parents of my students would tell me their child was afraid to go down the fall, to lunch or even to the restroom. 

Supervision, or lack thereof, enhances the student's learning environment or detracts from it. Personally, I believe the leadership in the admin. building needs to step up on this matter.

Just to put a chill down our spines.

FAILURE TO PROPERLY SUPERVISE STUDENTS

CAN LEAD TO EXPENSIVE LITIGATION 

 http://www.mymcharterlaw.com/pdf/Student_Safety_on_Campus_020808.pdf

 School Supervision Problem Areas

http://web3.esd112.org/docs/risk-management-matters/risk_winter_10_insert.pdf?sfvrsn=0 

 

MzTeachuh: National Poetry Month: Poems # 4 and #5

MzTeachuh: National Poetry Month: Poems # 4 and #5: Harlem By Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred?       Does it dry up       like a raisin in the sun? ...

National Poetry Month: Poems # 4 and #5

Harlem

By Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

      Does it dry up

      like a raisin in the sun?

      Or fester like a sore—

      And then run?

      Does it stink like rotten meat?

      Or crust and sugar over—

      like a syrupy sweet?

      Maybe it just sags

      like a heavy load.

      Or does it explode?

Langston Hughes biography

  http://www.biography.com/people/langston-hughes-9346313

 

Mother to Son

By Langston Hughes

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Learning With The Learners

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Learning With The Learners: Love the smile on the instructor's face, and the lack of one on everyone else. 1. 7 Professional Development Tips For Onlin...

Teaching Is Learning With The Learners

Love the smile on the instructor's face, and the lack of one on everyone else.

1. 7 Professional Development Tips For Online Teachers

http://edudemic.com/2012/12/7-professional-development-tips-for-online-teachers/ 

 2. 20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have

http://thejournal.com/articles/2005/06/01/20-technology-skills-every-educator-should-have.aspx 

 3. The 21st Century Skills Teachers Should Have

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2011/01/21st-century-skills-teachers-should.html 

 4. 30 skills a teacher should have

http://ianinsheffield.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/30-skills-a-teacher-should-have/ 

 5. What Teachers Need to Know About Action Research

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/09/05/tln_pillars_actionresearch.html 

 6. What Teachers Need to Know about 21st Century Literacy

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/09/what-teachers-need-to-know-about-21st.html 

7. Preparing All Teachers to Meet the
Needs of English Language Learners

http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2012/04/pdf/ell_report.pdf

MzTeachuh: MzTeachuh's Top Posts of the Week 4/4/14

MzTeachuh: MzTeachuh's Top Posts of the Week 4/4/14: Don't Like Poetry? Betcha Do    http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2014/03/dont-like-poetry-betcha-do.html Seasonal (Spring) Books for...

MzTeachuh's Top Posts of the Week 4/4/14

Don't Like Poetry? Betcha Do 

 http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2014/03/dont-like-poetry-betcha-do.html

Seasonal (Spring) Books for Early Readers from Reading Rockets 

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2014/04/seasonal-books-for-early-readers-from.html 

Special Needs Tweets of the Day 4/2/14 

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2014/04/special-needs-tweets-of-day-4214.html 

Ed Tech and STEM 4/2/14

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2014/04/ed-tech-and-stem-4214.html 

Teachable Moment--Got April Showers? (National Poetry Month) 

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2014/04/teachable-moment-got-april-showers.html 

Women's History Month: Farrah Fawcett 

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2014/03/womens-history-month-farrah-fawcett.html

National Poetry Month: Poem #2 

http://mzteachuh.blogspot.com/2014/04/national-poetry-month-poem-2.html 

 

The Fall of Icarus by Brueghal
Thanks to our international audience.  USA, France, UK, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, Australia, Sweden, India, Russia.

MzTeachuh: Good Morning, Spring, Time To Get Up

MzTeachuh: Good Morning, Spring, Time To Get Up: Spring, just waking up from a dreamy winter's sleep Morning by Edvard Grieg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUKRBeG-sGQ&fea...

Good Morning, Spring, Time To Get Up

Spring, just waking up from a dreamy winter's sleep

Morning by Edvard Grieg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUKRBeG-sGQ&feature=related

Written for the play Peer Gynt by Ibsen, who thought this music was too cheerful for his play. Oh well, morning is like that.

MzTeachuh: ePLNs for Teachers –Getting Connected

MzTeachuh: ePLNs for Teachers –Getting Connected: Teachers can find professional networking   online.   Educational sites afford convenience, privacy, and expertise in a variety ...

ePLNs for Teachers –Getting Connected

Teachers can find professional networking  online.  Educational sites afford convenience, privacy, and expertise in a variety of educational areas. There are also interactive activities for teachers joining an online community. Here are a few advantages to connecting online:

·         Current educational topics discussed by experts and educators in a timely, thorough manner.  For example, the latest input on educational technology use in the class, special education innovations, and school-wide interventions such as social and emotional interventions are hot topics currently inspiring teachers in their professional pursuits.

·         Convenience and privacy comes with networking online. Professional development is generally limited to scheduled on-campus staff or team meetings, conferences, or District trainings. A teacher may have a question or comment on a topic with no opportunity during these gatherings, or the teacher feels the question or comment is too basic or too sophisticated for the discussion. Educational sites can provide a responsive venue through articles, group discussions, webcasts, videos or a search by a teacher using key words at the teacher’s convenience.

·         Opportunities to investigate new teaching areas and/or extend teaching expertise abound through sites that are specific to educational technology, special education, or improved teaching methods. A teacher may want more information about learning disabilities, for personal or professional reasons, and find helpful information and professionals online.  Maybe a video demonstrating a specific lesson would be very helpful. There is an abundance of sites to enhance a teacher’s knowledge and methods.

Here are well-established educational sites excellent for teacher connections.

http://www.edutopia.org/

 Edutopia This is an attractive, vast website that is has numerous educational topics: experts and educators writing articles, groups to join, videos, classroom guides.  Edutopia is a great support for teachers.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/

The Teaching Channel  provides specific video demonstrations in K-12 classrooms and lesson plan points on basic curriculum areas, as well as information on implementing the Common Core.  There are also articles and blogs. The Teaching Channel provides a ‘Teaching Team’ feature for professional development.

http://www.ncld.org/

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) This site offers connections for parents and teachers in the complex, challenging area of Special Education. There is a diversity of articles that are thorough, clear, and understandable for those not trained in Special Education.  The site offers ebooks, podcasts, videos and current news about the IEP process, IDEA, funding, and interventions. NCLD is a tremendous asset for teachers and parents.

http://www.edudemic.com/

Edudemic is a clear, concise, and thorough guide to educational technology, blended and flipped learning, and educational innovation using technology. There are many guidelines on a wide variety of topics that a teacher may not even have enough background in ed tech to ask about. For a teacher wishing to deepen knowledge of ed tech, or a beginner hoping to catch up--Edudemic is very effective.

MzTeachuh: IEPs! Special Needs Tweets of the Day 4/3/14

MzTeachuh: IEPs! Special Needs Tweets of the Day 4/3/14: 1. What Is an IEP? http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504-plan/what-is-iep   2. Understanding the Special Educati...

IEPs! Special Needs Tweets of the Day 4/3/14

1. What Is an IEP?

http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504-plan/what-is-iep 

2. Understanding the Special Education Process

 http://www.ldonline.org/article/Understanding_the_Special_Education_Process/20494

 3. Q and A: Questions and Answers On Individualized Education Programs (IEP's), Evaluations and Reevaluations

http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,dynamic,QaCorner,3, 

4. Parental Support for IEPs

Help! I Need Some Support at the IEP Meeting

 http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=128

5. Common Core's Promise Collides With IEP Realities

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/10/30/10cc-iep.h33.html 

6. IEP Goal Bank 

http://behaviorpsych.blogspot.com/p/goal-bank.html 

7. Behavior Goals for Individual Education Plans

http://specialed.about.com/od/iepgoals/a/Behavior-Goals-For-Individual-Education-Plans2.htm 

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Reading Instruction--In All Subjects

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Reading Instruction--In All Subjects: 1. How Important is Teaching Literacy in All Content Areas? http://www.edutopia.org/blog/literacy-instruction-across-curric...

Teaching Is Reading Instruction--In All Subjects

1. How Important is Teaching Literacy in All Content Areas?

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/literacy-instruction-across-curriculum-importance

2. ABCs of Teaching Reading

http://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/ 

3.  The Best Ways to Teach Kids to Read

http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/The-Best-Ways-to-Teach-Kids-to-Read

http://www.weareteachers.com/hot-topics/topics-in-education/we-all-teach-reading-and-writing

3. Seven Strategies to Teach Students Text Comprehension

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/3479/ 

4. Teaching Reading Strategies

http://teachingreadingstrategies.com/ 

Decoding Strategies Lay the Foundation for Reading Success

http://www.readinghorizons.com/reading-strategies/what-is-decoding.aspx 

6. How to Teach Syllabication: The Syllable Rules

http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/reading/how-to-teach-syllabication-the-syllable-rules/ 

7.  Is Reading Comprehension A Must-Teach For All Educators?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/17/is-reading-comprehension-_n_837266.html 

 

MzTeachuh: National Poetry Month: Poem #3

MzTeachuh: National Poetry Month: Poem #3: Photo by Shane, Wargave, England  Summer Song Wanderer moon smiling a faintly ironical smile at this brilliant, dew-moistened...

National Poetry Month: Poem #3

Photo by Shane, Wargave, England

 Summer Song

Wanderer moon
smiling a
faintly ironical smile
at this
brilliant, dew-moistened
summer morning,–
a detached
sleepily indifferent
smile, a
wanderer’s smile,–
if I should
buy a shirt
your color and
put on a necktie
sky-blue
where would they carry me?

- William Carlos Williams