Trivia has a way of calling my name. So when I read a headline suggesting an unveiling of crazy-yet-true facts, I couldn’t resist. Here are five facts I learned. • In the mid 1800s, the city of Chicago literally pulled itself out of the mud by raising its elevation. Yes sirree, buildings, streets, and residences were…
Teachers and Teaching
Make a Difference to Children Giveaway!
July is a month every teacher deserves to celebrate with great enthusiasm! Yes, it’s summer vacation for most teachers, and that’s an awesome reason to celebrate. But here’s another first-rate reason for every teacher to celebrate: July is National Make a Difference to Children Month. I’d like you to stop in your tracks right now…
Why Children Can’t Sit Still (And Why I Can’t Either)
I’m a fidgeter. I wiggle around a lot, I tap my feet, and I play with Silly Putty at my desk. I hop up immediately to get every document I print. Every. Single. One. It’s unfortunate that I have a squeaky desk chair, because I’m probably causing my serenity-loving work space neighbors to tear at…
Something Old, Something New
Not long ago, several teachers chimed in when we featured an overhead projector on our Facebook site. Who knew (clearly not me!) that the military used this handy projector before it was introduced into the classrooms in the early 1960s. Here’s something else I didn’t know—the projector is still being used in classrooms across the…
Do I Have Your Attention?
I know you all have your favorite attention grabbers you use to get students’ attention in the classroom. But “One, two, three—eyes on me” and clapping random patterns can get a little old. Sometimes you may want to shake up your attention grabbers. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a crazy number of options? It…
What Are You Reading?
Can it really be this easy? Heck, it’s just four words! Why not give it a try? These thoughts were twirling in my head after hearing a father explain on national television how he encourages his children to read. Simply put, he asks his kids what they are reading. He doesn’t toss the question out…
Happy Fourth of July!
Here’s hoping your Fourth of July report card includes four Fs: family, friends, food, and fun. Oops, better add in some fireworks too. Wow, five Fs! I imagine these are your first Fs ever! I wouldn’t normally be blogging on my day off, and yet here I am tapping away at my keyboard. It’s all…
A Colorful Giveaway!
How many of you have lost track of which day of the week it is? Isn’t the lack of a schedule one of the best perks of summer vacation? Oh, and no Sunday prep work—that runs a close second in my book! Well, I’m mixing things up a bit by having a giveaway today. I…
The More You Give, The More You Get
Back when I used to teach, I was always thankful when my teacher friends shared their most useful resources with me. Now there’s a great opportunity that benefits both you and your friends. If you’re currently a Gold subscriber, you can refer your friends – and you’ll get one free month of access for each…
A Summer Promise
I promised myself that this summer, I would experience some new things. So a couple weekends ago, I joined a mob. No, not the mob—a mob! For about an hour, I was a member of a local cash mob. I did a bit of research before I showed up. After all, I wasn’t interested in…