La Danse (Matisse) and Zydeco

Danseuse Creole, Henri Matisse

Zydeco line dancing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iie91k_eZwk&list=RDErqDnkLwmqw&index=11

Educational Links 6/8/16

For the Hesitant Teacher: Leveraging the Power of Minecraft

https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/09/28/for-the-hesitant-teacher-leveraging-the-power-of-minecraft/
  
How Stories Told Of Brilliant Scientists Affect Kids' Interest In The Field

http://www.npr.org/2016/06/07/481058613/how-the-stories-told-of-brilliant-scientists-affect-kids-interest-in-the-field 

Dyscalculia: What You’re Seeing in Your Grade-Schooler 

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/dyscalculia-what-youre-seeing-in-your-grade-schooler?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=understoodorg

The Teacher’s Guide To Twitter

http://www.edudemic.com/guides/guide-to-twitter/ 

  

Game Based Curriculum For Math Student Success

http://gettingsmart.com/2016/06/math-game-based-curriculum/

What Do Beginning Teachers Really Need?

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2016/06/07/what-do-beginning-teachers-really-need.html?cmp=SOC-EDIT-FB 

What Special Ed Teachers and Parents Need To Know About Social Media

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/04/07/473085222/what-special-ed-teachers-and-parents-need-to-know-about-social-media

Students can definitely benefit from social media, Peagram says. For kids who can't be touched, or who can't look people in the eye, digital networks are a chance to share pictures and interests, and an opportunity to have a social life.

Next School Year: Take Care of Teacher

Here is some information and health strategies to stay well and effective.

There has been a reappearance of whooping cough and measles, so be sure these immunizations, as well as the current flu shot, are updated for the new school year.  I'm serious--better be safe than really sick for a long time!

Staying Healthy and Managing Stress While Teaching

http://www.advice-for-teachers.com/healthy.html 

Taking care of teacher is not as much fun as taking care of your kids-- but we aren't superheroes, so get your shots.

Adult Immunizations: What You Need

http://www.webmd.com/vaccines/adult-immunizations-what-you-need 

Information for Schools & Childcare Providers

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/ 

Why air purifiers are important in schools  

http://www.slideshare.net/simonbajaykrishnan/why-air-purifiers-are-important-to-schools

Teaching takes an inordinate amount of mental focus, emotional output, and physical energy.  But what happens when teachers are stressed or deal with emotional or mental issues?

Being There for Students When You're Emotionally Unavailable

http://www.bamradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2113:being-there-for-students-when-youre-emotionally-unavailable&catid=105:teachers-aide&Itemid=299

When the Teacher Is Depressed

http://anniemurphypaul.com/blog/ 

Are you in shape? What's that you say, its none of my business? Well, its your business--and your future. So get up out of that computer chair and get moving! You'll be very glad you did.

Benefits of Being Fit & Eating Well - The President's Challenge

https://www.google.com/search?q=teachers+being+physically+fit&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb#channel=sb&q=benefits+of+being+physically+fit&revid=1883628429&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official 

Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389

Educational Links 6/7/16

Latest Study: A full-time school librarian makes a critical difference in boosting student achievement

http://www.slj.com/2013/03/research/librarian-required-a-new-study-shows-that-a-full-time-school-librarian-makes-a-critical-difference-in-boosting-student-achievement/ 

Bookshare: Best-Kept Secret for Kids with Dyslexia

http://www.smartkidswithld.org/bookshare/ 

Positioning Your Teen For Success

Positionaing Your Teen For Success

http://www.creativitypost.com/psychology/positioning_your_teen_for_success6 

19 Things I’ve Learned This Year That I’m Too Tired to Explain

http://www.loveteachblog.com/2016/06/19-things-ive-learned-this-year-that-im.html

Your Smartphone Is Making You Miserable

http://anniemurphypaul.com/2016/06/your-smartphone-is-making-you-miserable/ 

How Trauma-Informed Teaching Builds A Sense of Safety And Care

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/06/06/how-trauma-informed-teaching-builds-a-sense-of-safety-and-care/ 

Homework Inequality: The Value of Having a Parent Around After School

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/homework-inequality-parents-schedules-grades/485174/ 

 Much has been written lately about homework: There’s too much of it; it’s stressing out parents, kids, and teachers; the time it takes is overwhelming. Many of the critiques of homework focus on how valuable it actually is: Do rote teaching-to-the-test worksheets truly improve students’ understanding? But far less discussed is how some children do their homework without the luxury of parental attention and assistance, or even just quiet time at home to complete assignments. There is not nearly as much being said about how increasing amounts of homework unduly affect poor families and exacerbate inequality.

 

 

 

Positioning Your Teen For Success19 Things I’ve Learned This Year That I’m Too Tired to Explaihttp://www.loveteachblog.com/2016/06/19-things-ive-learned-this-year-that-im.htmReflecting on the Year's Accomplishment

Teachers: Get An Online Community!

Teachers can interact online in a powerful international educational community with current information and support. But where to start?

Check for grade level and subject matter educational communities like Edutopia http://www.edutopia.org/  which is the grandest website of all for this activity. You can join groups for discussions and questions and answers--great PD and at your convenience. There are excellent blogs, and you can comment, frequently with the author responding to your comment. Great interaction. Edutopia has it going on. This website makes you feel like a VIP visitor.

Online you can research topics at your choice of topic and depth with the benefit of privacy. Too many questions about ed tech at an open staff meeting and you might find yourself with a new job. Richard Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers not only gives updates daily on free ed tech, but provides several guides for how to use it. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/p/free-downloads.html#.V1Xlyr7LAWQ     Edudemic http://www.edudemic.com/guides/ provides teacher guides that are truly generic and even a novice can understand.

If you have questions about Special Education, Understood is the most elegant, clearest website I've ever seen that explains very, very complicated learning complexities in amazing clarity for teachers and parents. You may just have a simple question about a student and wonder if maybe it is a learning disability--you can begin with Understood.org and have enough information to ask your special education resource person. This website also hosts webinars where you can participate asking experts questions https://www.understood.org/en/community-events/whats-happening-now

Common Core got you down? The Teaching Channel has very specific videos on Common Core lessons. So helpful. There is also Tch Video Lounge https://www.teachingchannel.org/video-lounge where you and colleagues can interact with other teachers. How cool is that?

In case you are needing some education philosophy or intense discussion of current topics--let's say you are getting another credential or degree--there is nothing better than Mind/Shift KQED http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/ . The writing is excellent from their staff and the guest authors are the best in the business. The topics are current and meaningful. It would be a great idea to get an RSS feed from Mind/Shift for your homepage or email and read the current post every day. It is that good--and encouraging with reasonable solutions to some serious problems facing students, teachers and communities.



And don't forget to get an RSS feed or email for MzTeachuh.

Educational Links 6/6/16

Building Your Classroom Library: The Best Books for Grades 6-8

http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2013/08/02/building-your-classroom-library-the-best-books-for-grades-6-8 

In the News: Bursting the ‘Personalization’ Bubble: An Alternative Vision for Our Public Schools

http://educationnext.org/in-the-news-bursting-the-personalization-bubble-an-alternative-vision-for-our-public-schools/ 

Black Girls and School Discipline: Four Researchers Unpack K-12's Racial Bias

http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/black-girls-and-school-discipline-four-researchers-videos.html?cmp=SOC-EDIT-FB 

At a Glance: 8 Key Executive Functions 

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/key-executive-functioning-skills-explained?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=understoodorg 

Is “Emotional Granularity” The Next SEL Skill To Teach?

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2016/06/05/is-emotional-granularity-the-next-sel-skill-to-teach/ 

14 ways to help pupils combat exam anxiety

https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/14-ways-help-pupils-combat-exam-anxiety 

Worrying about exam performance can motivate pupils to revise, but too much anxiety can be debilitating, psychologists say. 

MzTeachuh's Meditations: The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength

Acknowledging that life is not easy, here is the full verse:

And do not be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold. Amplified Bible

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." New Living Translation

I believe this means there is hope, Someone has the power to bring life and healing, and is working on it.

Since joy is not all happy dances and frivolity, here is Bach's take on joy:

String Trio & Trumpet - J. S. Bach Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlDnIloy7Ws