A while back, we celebrated World Teachers’ Day by thanking the teachers who made a difference in our lives. Today we’re celebrating Thanksgiving by expressing our gratitude for the most important lessons we learned as students.
So here’s a short list of the lessons we’re grateful to have learned over the years from wonderful educators who weren’t just our teachers but were also our mentors, coaches, and friends.
We’re grateful we learned how to . . .
We know books can shape lives in many ways. Here is one easy way to bring that power to your elementary classroom or home.
I learned this lesson my freshman year in high school. I attended a diverse Chicago high school. And I can tell you, there were plenty of students who wished they were anywhere but school.
But one thing the school had going for it was a gifted veteran English teacher who knew the power of books. And she gave us a gift some 35 years ago.
She had us read the gothic romance novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. (Not exactly the coolest book for a high school boy to read. The cover looked like a romance novel your mom would read at the beauty shop.) To my surprise, it was a great book. But I was in for a much bigger surprise a few days later. Read more »
When a friend of mine first invited me to participate in her group blog about eight years ago, I was a little baffled about how to use it. And I couldn’t decide if I liked the format. The Bookity Book Book Club would hold online discussions of—yep, you got it—books. Even though I love reading and discussing books, my participation was minimal because I just didn’t get how to use the program, and, sadly, I was scared to learn something new.
But then my husband and I started having children while living far from our families, and suddenly blogging took on a new importance. It was a way to stay connected—to show parents and grandparents what was happening in the lives of our daughters. And it was a way for me to share my feelings and ideas with a broader audience than just “dear diary.”
There are other ways to use blogs beyond family life, and teachers around the world have discovered the value of classroom blogging as not only “an avenue for their communications, but also as a tool for giving voice to what their students are learning and how they are learning.” Have you considered the idea of starting a class blog? Maybe you’re not quite sure if it’s the right thing for your class, or how to start, or if it will be worth the effort when so many projects already tug at your time. To help out, I’ve done a little research for you. Here are ten reasons to have your class start blogging: Read more »
It’s Customer Appreciation Month, and we’re celebrating by giving away 1,000 Imagine Rewards points to all of our readers. Log in today and use promo code THANKYOU2010 to receive your points. While you’re there, check out your account and see if you’re ready to redeem your points for one of our exciting rewards. Hurry, this offer expires after December 1, 2010.
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Have you ever noticed a significant gap in reading achievement between the girls and boys in your class? If you have, you’re not alone. Research by the Ontario Ministry of Education indicates that although educators do their best to ensure equal learning opportunities for both genders, boys seem to be at a disadvantage when it comes to reading. Here are some interesting facts about the gap between boys and girls: Read more »
