Search results matching tags 'teacher' and 'teachers'

Miss Farah gets ready for first day of school!

Anonymous — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:38:28 GMT

Ok this is it! Summer is officially over for all you teachers, students, and parents! Time to go back to school and start working

There are two things you need to do. Prepare yourself mentally and physically. Mentally by accepting the fact that you are going back to work or to your studies and physically by sleeping earlier, preparing your lunchbox the night before, preparing your outfit, etc…

Tonight I’m going to sleep early and will be listening to the Silence of Peace CD so that it can help my alpha waves which are the relaxed waves in my brain.

I also prepared my food for tomorrow, Digestive biscuits (Dark Chocolate), Green Salad, apple juice, and the cup for my coffee.

Tomorrow is the first day of school of the year 2011-2012. May this year be a fruitful year for all of us. We have a lot to do and I’m very excited to share my experiences with you. Good night

“Excuse Me, I Have to Take This Call.”

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:58:55 GMT

One of the shows that I used to watch as a kid was The Cosby Show. I still value the wisdom and humor of Bill Cosby as one of the most influential forces in my life, personally. The show itself, which featured the life lessons of the loveable Huxtable family, lives in the annals of [...]

Do you have ANY stories you'd like to SHARE????

teachertellALLs — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 01:42:17 GMT

Hi,

I'm an elementary teacher - or was for several years. With this economy, I've been out of work for a couple years and have been substitute teaching in the meantime. I've thought about writing a funny book about the life of teachers - the good, the bad, the venting ... LOL. So if anyone would like to send me their stories ... I'd love to hear them. I will be changing names but feel free to change them yourself if you'd like. I chose this site b/c I've already seen some of the stories that interest me and actually felt a sense of relief come over me that I wasn't the only one dealing with the feeling of the "popular" teacher cliques, the absolutely horrible principal, etc., etc.

But amongst those, please feel free to include the good stories with students --- the cute things that get us through the day. I was actually just subbing at a high school the other day in the library and one side was really quiet and the other NOT. I kept reminding the 'chatty' kids to quiet down. And finally, jokingly said, "Look at the other side, they are being so quiet, you guys are making me look bad. One of the boys said, this side of the library is the cliquey side so it's always louder. Don't worry, you're doing a great job." It just reminded me why I've been interested in going back to school to get endorsed to teach the older kids. It's the wit and sarcasism and attitude that I share with them that just cracks me up.

Anyway ... I really hope to get a great response and hope that I can turn it into something great.

Teachers need to get ready for back to school too!

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:33:56 GMT

I write a lot of posts about how to get students ready for school again when in fact teachers are as equally as important. Teachers are the one who do all the work. They need to get ready mentally and physically. Don’t forget that you are going to be waking up early as well. You have to prepare lesson plans, decorate your classroom, etc… Well I’m not saying you have to get ready in the middle of the summer well at least a week before.

Teachers the first thing you have to do is start by trying to sleep earlier , meaning if you usually stay till 3 am reduce it to let’s say 12?

A yoga class would be great to relax your mind and body before entering a new school year.

Laughter yoga sessions are available now in Beirut as well Click on the link for more info: Laughter Yoga Beirut

Get your personal supplies and a pencil case, I like to have my personal red and blue pen, eraser, white out, and an agenda notebook to keep track of important events and dates.

Well that’s pretty much what you have to a week before. I’ll be posting for first day of school preparations when I start school.

Always remember not to stress out too much, teachers you are in control of everything you are the ones in charge. Parents, students, and administrators are all counting on YOU, the teacher!

Literacy Beginnings Chapter 1

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:27:03 GMT

Welcome to the Literacy Beginnings book study blog party! Today I am covering the introduction “Living and Learning in the Pre-Kindergarten Classroom” as well as the first chapter, “Growing Up Literate: PreKindergarten for the Future Generation“. I hope you will join in the conversation by leaving a comment below or posting reflections on your own blog. Bloggers, you can grab the button at the bottom of this post. I plan on offering several resources you can print and use in your classroom throughout the book study so make sure you are following Pre-K Pages and all the other participating blogs so you don’t miss anything.

Literacy Beginnings is written by Irene Fountas and *** Su Pinnell. Irene Fountas is a professor at Lesley University and *** Su Pinnell is a professor at The Ohio State Univeristy. Fountas and Pinnell have researched and published many books about literacy learning. In Literacy Beginnings they have applied their vast knowledge and expertise to the prekindergarten classroom; their recommendations are based on observations conducted in those classrooms.

After reading the entire book on an airplane (oh yes I did!) the message of this book came through loud and clear:

Children learn through play
A pre-k classroom should be full of joy and fun
A strong foundation for literacy learning must be established from the very beginning

I feel badly for the passengers sitting near me on the plane because I know I shouted “Hallelujah” a few times and there might have even been a few “Amen’s” in there too. Much of this book affirms what I have been doing in the classroom for almost 20 years. What “a-ha” moments did you have while reading this chapter?

In the introduction, Living and Learning in the Pre-Kindergarten Classroom, the authors describe a typical day in two different classrooms, one is a class of three year-olds and the other is a four year-old class. What I liked most about the daily routines they describe is that literacy is infused throughout the day, not isolated in one big chunk. The day alternates between brief whole group times and opportunities for play and hands-on learning. I know that when my day is not well balanced my students are not as focused and not as much learning takes place. We will explore full and half-day schedules in more detail in Chapter 5.

Chapter 1, Growing Up Literate, begins with a fantastic quote by John Dewey,

“If we teach today, as we taught yesterday, we rob children of tomorrow.”

I can recall my preschool experience very clearly, I remember singing “Where is Thumbkin?” blowing bubbles with a straw in the sand and water table, and eating sugar cookies with milk for snack every single day. Today’s prekindergarten classrooms may look a little different, but different doesn’t mean “wrong” or “inappropriate”. A quote from the book sums it up nicely:

“The playtime and social training of traditional prekindergartens has not been replaced but rather infused with literacy”

We are preparing children for a different tomorrow therefore the instruction they receive today will also look a little different. Another point the authors make is that teachers in today’s pre-k classrooms are intentional in planning their literacy instruction, I like to think of it as guiding the students. A good teacher focuses on the natural curiosity of his or her students and uses that curiosity to guide them towards literacy learning. We can motivate our students to want to read and write by providing plenty of fun, playful, and hands-on experiences.

The picture above shows my classroom library which we will discuss in more detail in Chapter 4.

The authors reference the International Reading Association (IRA) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) joint position statement which recommends including the following in the pre-k classroom:

The picture above shows my Alphabet Center. We will be discussing letter learning in more detail in Chapter 5. The item on the list above that poses the most difficulty for teachers is finding appropriate big books for shared reading. The authors address selecting texts for shared reading in Chapter 12 and offer suggestions.

Finally, my favorite part of Chapter 1 comes near the end when the authors denounce the use of worksheets and advocate for play and play activities that support language and literacy. I can’t tell you how great it is to see these words in print from the gurus of early literacy. As a public pre-k teacher I have become accustomed to not having my voice heard or being dismissed because there is nobody to back up my beliefs- at least nobody the people in charge have ever heard of. Now that Fountas and Pinnell have added prekindergarten to their repertoire I know administrators will listen because they are already familiar with and respect their work. I am certain this book will become the foundation of early literacy learning for many years to come. Do you think this book will change the way you are perceived as an early childhood educator?

Deb from Teach Preschool will be discussing Chapter 2 soon so stay tuned!

Grab the button below:

get the InLinkz code for your blog post.

Want to let your friends know about the book study blog party? Click “Like” at the top of this page or choose from other social media options below.

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Get Caught Reading Contest

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:00:30 GMT

I hope you will be joining us for the Literacy Beginnings book study blog party. Our party will kick-off here at Pre-K Pages on Monday, July 27th, there’s still time to get the book if you’re interested. So, you’re probably wondering why I’m talking about the party again if it hasn’t even started yet, right? Well hold on to your hats because I’ve added a little something to kick it up a notch!

I was thinking about lugging my book all over the US during the next four weeks (top secret locations- shhhh!) and I was reminded of the famous Flat Stanley project that we all know and love. Then it hit me, wouldn’t it be fun if I took pictures of myself with my book in interesting places too? That sounded a little too one-sided for me so I’m inviting you all to do the same thing! Can I get a little “Oprah’s Favorite Things” action here? That’s more like it!

Here’s how you can enter the Get Caught Reading Contest:

Take a picture of yourself reading your Literacy Beginnings book in an interesting or unusual location
Publish your picture in your book study blog party post
Link up via the link below
Vote for your favorite pictures

One winner will be announced on Monday, August 15. The winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. The contest should begin today (crossing my fingers- this is my first attempt at hosting a voting contest with InLinkz!) so start your cameras!

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Letter 1

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:59:22 GMT

Thank you Tarek! It’s true I always try to think of positive things and think happy thoughts. I hope you’re going to do the same . Gave a wonderful Summer!

Join the Literacy Beginnings Party

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 23:00:29 GMT

I’m so excited about the Literacy Beginnings book study blog party! We will kick off the party on Monday, June 27 with each chapter hosted by a different blogger. There’s still time to get the book if you want to join in the fun. I’m also planning for a fun contest to go along with the book study, stay tuned for more details!

Here is a list of the awesome blogs that will be hosting the chapter discussions:

Here’s how you can participate in the book study blog party:

Follow each of the blogs listed above.
Post your own chapter reflections on your blog, grab a linky party button (coming soon!), and link up your post to the linky party.
Don’t have a blog? No problem! You can join in by commenting on the blog posts.
Going on vacation? No worries! If you subscribe to the blogs above you can catch up on all the great discussions when you return.

Here’s a line-up of the topics and hosts:
Section One: Living and Learning week of June 27th
Pre-K Pages
Teach Preschool
Brick by Brick
Prekinders

Section Two: Foundation of Learning week of July 5th (no posts on July 4th)
Brick by Brick
No More Worksheets
Pre-K Pages

Section Three: Supporting Emergent Readers week of July 11-15
Look at My Happy Rainbow
Growing in Pre-K
Pre-K Pages

Section Four: Supporting Emergent Writers week of July 18-21
No More Worksheets
Prekinders
Growing in Pre-K

Section Five: Letters, Sounds, and Words week of July 25
Pre-K Pages
Teach Preschool
Prekinders

Section Six: Assessment of Literacy week of July 25 or August 1
The Seeds Network

I can’t wait to read all of your fantastic posts and comments! Happy Reading!

Want to let your friends know about the book study blog party? Click “Like” at the top of this page or choose from other social media options below.

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Win a Flip Video Camera from Kabongo

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:00:53 GMT

This June, you can join Kabongo in a month long celebration of Father’s Day. To make this celebration extra special, Kabongo is giving away a Flip Video camera worth over $100 in their Kabongo Loves Dads Sweepstakes!

To enter, go to Kabongo’s Facebook page and click on the Sweepstakes button. Fill in your name and address, and you’re done – easy peasy!

Tell all the Dads you know, or anyone who would love a Flip Video camera, to enter now for a chance to win. Capture all your amazing dad moments and give Dad a Father’s Day to remember!

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Do you treat your students fairly and equally?

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:28:26 GMT

This is a big issue to every teacher. Sometimes teachers without noticing give more attention to certain students leaving most probably the shy and quiet students behind. Part of being a successful teacher is treating all students equally…and that is one tough task!

Tom Daly says:

If you have a kid in your class who is on the verge of failing and doing everything in his power to disrupt your classroom, you can’t get around the fact that you need to do things a bit differently. That’s just the way it is. You can’t treat everyone exactly the same. You must be creative if you want each of your students to succeed.

And that also means being firm about what you have to do. Your other students will respect that.

It’s all how you handle it. If I had tried to explain it away to other students with a half-hearted or apologetic tone, then I would have opened the door to more problems. But when you’re confident and firm, you immediately gain respect.

That is on the academic level however don’t show love to one student more than the other. Treat them all the same. Praise them all. Sometimes the low achievers need motivation more, so praise the high achievers and motivate the ones who are struggling. It is logic anyway!

Don’t forget you are their role model and your students look up to you. Be a great example and earn their respect!