Do you remember when you were young and couldn’t read cursive writing? I have a distinct memory of being with older friends, viewing someone’s handwriting, and saying, “I can’t read cursive yet.” Cursive was a secret language and I was so excited to learn it in third grade! Currently 21 states require that students learn…
I wonder how your students would respond if you requested that they put their John Hancocks on their papers? I can hear them now. “Say whaaaat?” Today, January 23, is the birth date of John Hancock. Today is also National Handwriting Day in the United States. Coincidence? Not at all. Remember John Hancock was the…
It’s confession time! Brace yourself, my friends…I hold my pencil incorrectly. That’s a photo of my hand below. A little wonky, yes? I remember my first-grade teacher correcting my grip endlessly, but of course, I always went back to the way I was used to. As an adult, I can form the appropriate “tripod” grip that…
Soft or crunchy? Today, I’m serving up the tantalizing results of our most recent blog poll. If you recall, the poll was conducted in recognition of National Taco Day, October 3, and you were asked to state your taco shell preference: soft or crunchy. So which type of taco shell is preferred by teachers? By…
I’m on vacation for a few days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your fill of Todd’s blogs. Just Who Do You Think You Are? – Tell us about your teaching style. Are you student centered or teacher centered? There’s no wrong answer. Rate Your Tech Savvy – Every teacher has to face new…
Here we go again. Todd’s going to write about handwriting. How long has it been since he last did that? A week? A month? But I have a reason! Is it a good one? Of course. I wouldn’t dream of wasting your time. Exactly one week from today is John Hancock’s birthday. He of the…
It may be Halloween, but it’s time to no longer be scared of cursive. I know I have visited this topic several times before, and I know that some states have removed cursive handwriting requirements from their curricula altogether. But I come here to praise cursive handwriting, not to bury it. According to a recent…
It’s tough to write a blog for teachers in the final days of June. Some of you have been done with your 2012-2013 school year for almost a month. Some of you are looking at your last few days. Retailers are blatantly guilty of starting their back-to-school promotions. And we will not give you even…
I thought for sure that there’d be a bit more debate in the wake of my most recent post about the future of cursive writing. You know, that writing “they” have now decided should be called hand-generated communication. Since we last exchanged ideas, I have read some of the information that was presented at Handwriting…