It is my belief that every day you have students in your classroom is a day to educate. That includes the very last days of school. As much as I yearned for the opportunity to slack off a little, maybe show a film adaptation of a novel we had read, I rarely gave my students…
The Mailbox
Enjoying Children’s Book Week
Yesterday morning (May 13), the sun rose on silent wings, spreading its golden blanket across a land renewed. Renewed by what? Renewed by the fact that Children’s Book Week had descended upon us in the night. Yes, this is Children’s Book Week (CBW), one of the longest-running literacy initiatives in the country. Established in 1919,…
Life, the Universe, and School Supplies
For me, the answer is always 42, unless the question is “How many times per month do you buy school supplies with your own money?” In that case, my answer would have had to be “between three and six.” What would your answer be? Submit a comment with your answer to my previous blog post…
On the Verge of Wrapping It Up
Yes, unless you teach in a year-round school, that part of the academic year when you start looking at ways to wrap it up is here (or coming very soon). My three kids have already informed me of how few school days are actually left before summer vacation. I nearly had a heart attack! Mailbox…
What, Me Worry?
I may be a bit old fashioned when it comes to my philosophy on education. And while the jury is still out, I do remain uncomfortably curious about what a Common Core future means to young learners. My initial reaction sees a narrowing of the curriculum, and I feel like lodging complaints like an old…
The Rigors of Math According to CCSS
Regular readers know that math and I get along about as well as oil and water, or perhaps open flames and gasoline. However, I do find it fascinating that the Common Core State Standards have what is called the “Standards for Mathematical Practice.” These are eight types of math expertise teachers should look for in…
Role Models
Several years ago, the debate about who made for a good role model was blowing up pretty big in the media. Professional athletes and pop music superstars seemed to be the individuals of choice for young people back then. Maybe they still are today. I try to get an idea about it from my own…
Write? Right!
October 20, 2012, is the National Day on Writing, sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and recognized by US Senate Resolution 565. I thought you’d like to know about it. NCTE has plenty of information about the day on their website, and getting your students to be a part is easy….
Sign Up. You Could Win!
There are a lot of things you can do to feel good about yourself. One of them is winning the lottery. On a more practical note, you’ll feel good when you have the tools you need to do your best in your classroom. To help you, The Mailbox has created two new weekly e-newsletters, Literature…
We Vote for Teachers
Ah, election time. You can hear the happy citizenry delightfully and kindly debating the merits of each other’s preferred candidate, both of whom present a truthful and glorious roadmap into a prosperous future guaranteed to last. Most wonderful of all, of course, is their always-unbroken promise to help make our students their number-one priority. You…