BookFinder by Scholastic: I’m in love!!!

So one teacher this semester suggested I go to this site called Teacher Book Wizard. It’s by Scholastic, and let me tell you, I’m in LOVE!!!! There are tools to help you find books quickly (say you know the title but not the author or something), a tool called “Book Alike” which lets you put [...]

Between the Lions

I was in an elementary classroom the other day and observed the teacher using an educational video from a PBS show called Between the Lions.  It was a very cute and catchy way for elementary students to learn and remember literacy skills.  I know the show airs everyday where I am (you can check your [...]

Text Speak

As a future teacher and a Communications/Writing Arts dual major, this article bothered me.  The article discusses how schools in New Zealand now allow their students to use “text speak” on national exams.  For those who don’t know, text speak is the slang and abbreviations for words/phrases used in text messaging and instant messaging.  For [...]

Video Games are Good

For the most part, video games have a bad reputation linked with violence and obesity in children and teens.  Not until recently did people start to see the positive effects of playing video games.  Last semester, in one of my college courses, I was in a debate over video games and whether or not that [...]

Pets in the classroom

As a child, I remember having a pet hamster in my classroom. But there are many teachers who are against pets int he classroom. Sure, the hamster was smelly sometimes, and it peed on my hand more than once, but I still liked having it in the room. Now that I am on my way [...]

My own Sub woes

Okay, someone tell me if I’m crazy here: I started teaching my own 3rd grade ccd (catholic education) class this year. I have 15 students and I absolutely love teaching all of them. Last week I went away to Disney for Spring Break. I had to leave my students with a substitute teacher for the [...]

Resources for Teachers

As a future educator in today’s world, I find myself very fortunate. The Internet provides millions of websites for teachers that include ideas for classroom activities, lesson plans, worksheets, games, and advice. Teachers can use these ideas, alter them, or even stem new ideas and concepts from them. Teachers twenty years ago unfortunately didn’t have [...]

Are Video Games Really That Dangerous?

You’ve heard the story countless times, a teenage boy gets finished playing his violent video games one night and goes to school the next day with a gun.  Many people instantly blame the video games. After all, we have to blame violent acts by teenagers on something.  However, should video games really be to blame?
Today’s [...]

Iconography in school

So I didn’t grow up in a public school, but from what I hear, many schools are really cracking down on what students can  and can’t wear. Why? Iconography. It all has to do with symbols. While you read this post, think about what symbols mean to you. Which ones are important, which ones have [...]

Into the Sugar Rush

As one of my colleagues has pointed out in their post, candy and sugary treats are now a huge “no no” in schools nationwide. While I am aware of the obesity problem, I can’t contribute that to candy in schools at all. To me it’s just ridiculous to do so.  Obesity due to diet comes [...]