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Ring in the "NEW" and make it a wonderful, kind, warm, and more meaningful world for everyone to realize that we are all individuals that deserve to be treated equally and fairly.  That "HAPPINESS" and "CARING" is the new motto to live by.  "What can we, what can I do to create more happiness and a more caring place where I live, go to school,  play, or work."  Make that resonate everywhere as those firecrackers are set off and those wings of imagination are ignited in the classrooms.  It is up to us as educators to enforce and show our students the right and correct way to treat all individuals.   

May all your wishes and dreams of a fun-filled joyous holiday come true.  Remember the true spirit of giving is what comes from the person's heart and you should always be appreciative of what a person has given you.  Make it MERRY & BRIGHT!!!!!

CHRISTMAS  GOOD  DEEDS

Had my class make Christmas cards to take to the Nursing Home my Mom lives at.  They love it when they receive things especially from children.  Plus at this time of year it is good to show students that it is nice to receive gifts but also nice to give them.  Especially to remember the children and adults who are not as fortunate as we are.

"HO, HO, HO"

The word "SANTA CLAUS" depending on what grade you are teaching can be such a tricky word for some teachers.  For instance we were reading as a class an article about Santa Claus and it mentioned about him being at the Mall.  So that triggered one of my students to say, "Santa isn't at the mall he is at the North Pole getting ready for Christmas Eve."  Okay then someone else raises their hand and says, I got my picture taken last week with Santa at my Mall."  So I know at this point everyone of my students has their own "Santa Story" to share with us but I need to end it so that my first student that knows that Santas DON'T go to Malls doesn't get more confused.  So to get them off of the subject and let Mom and Dad handle that one the way they choose to.  I say, "Remember what Santa brings you those wonderful wrapped packages that you are being "nice" not "naughty" for.  How many are you are on the "nice" list?  Great"  Then we were able to go on with our lessons.   Side note-I did call the child's mother about the "Mall" and she was very appreciative of the heads-up about the classroom conversation.  She did inform me the next day that as soon as he saw her he told her the story.

S T U D E N T S    M A K I N G

H O L I D A Y    G I  F T   F O R

P A R E N T S

You have selected the appropriate gift for your students to make for their parents after looking through an endless assortment of ideas.  Tried it, and even fine toothed it, then went to the hassle of getting all of the supplies.  Which of course ended up visiting quite a few different stores.  The day of the lesson nice clear directions with my demonstrating each and every step and so many of them come out to look just wonderful.  As I look around one or two of them look like they fell out of Santa's sleigh. Not to worry though Teacher's are known by Santa's all around the world to be able to fix up those gifts so that Mom and Dad will never ever no the difference.

G I F T  E X C H A N G E 

O R  N O T ????????

Every year the question haunts me should I have the students exchange gifts or not.  I feel like maybe I'm not going to do it this year???  Then one of the Teachers asks me what are you having the children exchange this year??  One of the students ask me are we exchanging gifts this year??  Then one of my parents asks what are the children exchanging for gifts this year and I kind of feel that I got blindsided into EXCHANGING GIFTS again this year.  So to make it a worthwhile gift exchange I have been having the students bring in a wrapped book from the suggested 3rd grade reading list.  The only stipulation is that the book must be listed on the list.  After all of the books have been brought in I put a big number on each on.  The day of the party I put numbers  in a box and each student pulls a number out of the box.  I lay all of the books out on a table and each one finds their numbered book and finds out what they got.  

B I R T H D A Y S

What a beautiful card to give your students.  A card with a beautiful thought that really makes them know that you are celebrating their BIRTHDAy but more importantly that you are even acknowledging them as a real person.  I think sometimes students sit in a class and don't feel that a Teacher truly recognizes and cares for them.  That should NEVER happen.

H A P P I E S T   T U R K E Y

D A Y  T O  A L L !!!!

Enjoy your day as your family celebrates the tradition of THANKSGIVING in your special way. Each family may have a little different recipe, or way of presenting the meal and/or when it is eaten.  The most important thing is that we are together with family and perhaps friends, now in our trying times, celebrating in peaceful ways. A holiday that was meant to bring peace between two different types of people.  That is a special thought to remember and would also be a great time to discuss it.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

V O L U N T E E R I N G

At Thanksgiving time is a great experience for students who have more then others to VOLUNTEER to collect can foods, used clothes and toys that can be given to families that wouldn't be able to have a Thanksgiving meal.  They might not have a decent pair of shoes to wear, or proper food to eat during the week that we are always so accustomed to.  Having a toy given to them would delight them so since they probably haven't been able to buy one in the longest time.  Doing this for these families will make them feel so good that they made a family or families have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal just like they are going to have. 

COLONIAL  TIMES

Reading about the life of the people in Colonial Times with my students certainly receives many reactions from them and one being sheer disbelief.  "I can't believe they had to live like that."  "I feel so sorry for them."  They had such a terrible hard life."  They see the pictures and read about what their daily life consists of and then think about their daily life in comparison.  So then we discussed do you think the children in Colonial Times liked or disliked their life???  They were mixed on that question.  Some saying they didn't know any other way to live so they were comfortable with what they were doing.  Others said they were basically treated so poorly that they had to have hated it.

ATTITUDE

A child with a positive attitude as compared to a negative attitude will find learning to be easier for them no matter if they are an A student or a C student.  When you have a student who constantly gives an attitude--"another paper, I don't understand it, it is too hard, I don't like that kind of work", they have set themselves up already with a NEGATIVE way they are going to do the work with little effort and I don't really care I just want to get finished with this paper.  If on the other hand they treated it with a positive attitude, I know how to do this, I will work this quickly and carefully and be done with it.  It would be so much easier for them.  They have to get rid of that CRUMBLY ATTITUDE so that learning will become easier for them and not fight it and make it harder for them.

F  R  I  E  N  D  S

To watch your class out at recess as compared to sitting in the classroom is such a different experience.  You watch the friendships evolve from the beginning of the school year.  Some stay the same, some change dramatically,  and some fluctuate every couple of weeks.  Those that fluctuate every couple of weeks cause some painful experiences among those members.  Those are your little cliques.  Where some weeks you are in the clique and all of a sudden you are out of the clique.  That is where the classroom Teacher needs to have some play acting (in the classroom) and have the class act out scenes portraying students doing this kind of action and showing ways it hurts people.  Then have the students work in groups to come up with different ways to make sure that this doesn't happen anymore.  Then work out a system that if it does continue to happen that the students that are responsible for it will have consequences to pay for it.  The students will also come up with those consequences.  They could be for example no recess the next day, extra homework, no classroom jobs, writing a letter to their parents telling them what they did, etc..

T R I C K  -  O R  -  T R E A T

May your HALLOWEEN be filled with Witches, Goblins, Vampires with blood, haunted houses, and all the other scary sites and sounds HALLOWEEN has to offer.  All the thrilling costumes to see and guess who is beneath each one.  Then of course the biggest surprise wait what could it be

C A N D Y of course!!! ENJOY!!!!

S P O O K Y,  C R E E P Y,  S C A R E Y!!!!!

Students love when you you change things in the slightest way--they think it is so COOL!!!  So at Halloween there are so many opportunities to do that.  I love to have them bring in a flashlight (not conveying the reason why) and letting them read with the lights out using their flashlights.  Then of course I have to let them have the fun of just shining them all over the room (not on anyone's face) and that will be the icing on the cake.

CREATIVE      WRITING

Halloween is such a great time to incorporate so many academic skills into your curriculum.  Using this one for a creative writing assignment.  The students always seem to love to write stories associated with Halloween.   They seem to find it easy to relate to characters, settings, a problem and solution.  If you have an Art Teacher that is willing to work with the classroom teachers this is a great opportunity for the students to also paint a scene from their story.  Then it really becomes exciting for the students to see a scene from their story become alive on paper.

B  I  R  T  H  D  A  Y  S

Some children will start talking about their Birthday months before  it even occurs and others won't even say anything until you hear, "yesterday was my Birthday."  I always acknowledge all of their Birthdays by giving them a card and we all sing Happy Birthday.  I have 6 items that a Birthday Person can choose from to do on their Special Day such as:  be line leader, pass out the papers, sit in the special chair, no homework pass, choose the book to be read to the class that day, deliver lunch count and attendance to the office.  They love having that freedom of making their own choice.

A W E S O M E

You are AWESOME, you look AWESOME, your work is AWESOME, your shirt is AWESOME, that answer is AWESOME, this class is AWESOME!!!!! Show your students how much you appreciate and care for them.  A Teacher/Tutor who shows these attributes will instill in their students that their instructor really cares for them and wants them to succeed.

EVERYONE

Your child can BE all of the above mentioned words.  It is up to us as teachers and parents to make sure that we build their self-esteem up.  Not everything is going to be easy for everyone, that is why we are there to guide and reassure them that we will help them understand it.  They might not be the creative one when it comes to art but when they have a story to write they hit it out of the ballpark.  Kind and thankful that is something that should be taught at a very young age.  To be able to share and say thank you to people should be something that is very easy to do by the time they come to Elementary School.  Smile we should smile a lot and that makes everyone HAPPY!!!

THE LOSS OF A RELATIVE

OR CLOSE FRIEND

This can be a very hard topic to discuss with your child especially if they were very close to the person.  Any questions they have you should answer truthfully.  Grandma just couldn't breathe on her own anymore and she is resting peacefully up in heaven with Grandpa.  We have all those special pictures of her and memories to keep.  Make them feel as comfortable as possible telling them that if anything is bothering them to come and discuss it with Mommy and Daddy.  

NEED TO ALWAYS TRY YOUR BEST

Students need to know that no matter if they like the subject or not they must always try to do their best.  You are not going to get a good grade if you only put in half of your effort.  So if you have to do it you might as well give it your best shot and get the best results from it.  That way you have something to show that you can be proud of.

AFTER THE HURRICANE 

TIME TO 

'FOCUS ON THE GOOD THINGS'

AT SCHOOL

It has been a long interrupted break from school.  The students are filled with stories about their interpretation of Hurricane Irma and what their family experienced.  Everyone needs to express their feelings as well as the Teacher.  Doing that first before trying to get into your regular routine would be the best way to go.  I don't think we need to dwell on it with having them draw pictures and write stories we have all seen enough of that on the news.  That we can save for next year when we revisit what happened in 2017 when Hurricane Irma hit Florida.

9/11/2001

That is a date that will forever be etched in our lives.  Who doesn't remember the exact moment they heard the first inkling of that devastating news.  At that instant you became glued to whatever source of news you had available to you at that time and you were mesmerized by it.  You listened to and saw horrifying pictures of first responders pulling out and rescuing bodies that needed urgent medical care.  Every year when we relive this date and we tell our children the stories they look at us in amazement and disbelief but they will never understand and feel the real grief and pain that we did that day and days afterwards.

HURRICANE   IRMA

Don't forget to include your children in helping you prepare for the hurricane.  Let them know that you are getting batteries for flashlights because the power might go out and we might not be able to use our lights.  We are getting more water because the water coming out of the faucets might become contaminated and we won't be able to drink that water.  With them helping with the preparation and being told why you are doing these different things it will make things easier for them to understand.  Answer any questions they have as honestly as you can.

 PAINT  YOUR  OWN  FUTURE

What an inspiring saying to put into an older age classroom where a student has really become mindful of how their education can have an effect on their future.   How much input they are willing to put into their everyday performance in the classroom, how motivated they are to reach that highest goal, study for the highest grade, and ask for help when it is needed.    All of these will impact their future education and the rest of their lives.

ROCKING IN MY SCHOOL SHOES

What a great book to read the first week of school.  The students love Pete the Cat books. They are written in such a cute fashion that can get a little giggle here and there out of your students.  You can even get them to do a little echo reading with you in which they think is so "COOL" just like Pete is.  Then there are so many extension activities you can do from writing to art.  I have one writing activity listed and then they can make their cat with matching shoes to go along with the writing activity.  The Pete the Cat books are also great for a 1.5-2.2 reading level.

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

Wish every student a school year full of new adventures seeking all kinds of wonderful knowledge.  Go in with a positive attitude and that energy will make all of your learning experiences easier for you.  Make this an AWESOME YEAR!!!

SCHEDULES  /  ROUTINES

Love them or hate them they become apart of your life when you have children especially when they are in school.  They make your life so much easier if you make these schedules/routines just as much apart of your child's life as they are apart of yours when they start Elementary School.  It gives your child responsibility, makes them feel important, and saves you time.  So there are so many different types of Schedules to choose from and of course we know how creative each of you are so make one and stick it where your "LITTLE OR BIG CUTIE" can see it and you are set for a GREAT SCHOOL YEAR!!!!

THINKING   OF   GETTING   YOUR

CHILD  A  TUTOR??????

Was HOMEWORK a nightmare in your house most nights????  Did you find yourself giving your child some of the answers just so that the HOMEWORK would get finished???  Was it an enjoyable time for you and your child????  If so getting a TUTOR is always an option.  You would be surprised how well most students perform and are able to get all of their HOMEWORK completed in far less time.  You didn't have to put up with any stress and all you had to do was drive them to the Tutoring session.

BULLETIN BOARDS FOR 

THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

Coming up with new and different bulletin boards to make your room nice, cheerful, and welcoming each year is a challenge.  It takes time, and a lot of different ideas go through your mind, and you change your mind so many times.  You make so many trips to different stores for different items that you need for this thing and that thing.  Then you begin cutting, and running this off, and putting something up and maybe taking something down.  Then all of a sudden after you have scraps of paper all over the place (the floor is a mess) but the bulletin boards look just how you envisioned them.  A+ job now on to the next job of preparing for the school year (after I clean up the floor that is).

S  U  M  M  E  R

F  U  N  !!!!!!! 

 At the beach with your
family.

Cooking class with your friends.




Riding the waves with Mom
and Dad.

BACK  TO  SCHOOL  SUPPLIES

The stores are already all stocked full of school

supplies you would think that school was starting next week.  They have everything you can think of.  Backpacks galore, notebooks in tons of sizes and designs, folders with prongs and without with designs and without also.  Pencils, pens, and the crayons and markers to choose from could make you dizzy deciding between this one and that one. Let your child be apart of deciding what they want so that excitement makes an important impact on them when school begins.  HAPPY SCHOOL SHOPPING.

THE   GIFT   OF   READING

Instill in your children the joy of READING.  Set a good example by setting aside a certain amount of time that you read during the week.  You could also share that time with your child.  At the end of the time you might both take the time to share some thoughts about what each of you have read.  Let your child share in choosing the books that interest them so that they will enjoy reading them.  Don't force them to read something that they don't want to read unless of course it is an assigned book that they have to read.  Take the time to listen to your child reading to you during the week, also.  Give them the joy of reading to them if they still enjoy that.

GOD   BLESS   AMERICA!!!!!

Hope everyone enjoys their fireworks!!!!

G R E A T      T E A C H E R S 

Does your child's Teacher treat you and your child with respect and a caring attitude?

Does your child get to spend time with their Teacher in small group activities?

Does your child's Teacher have a variety of different types of learning situations and vary them often?

Are active hands-on and real-world practical examples offered?  

If you could answer YES to all of these questions then your child is set to have a wonderful school year.

SPECIAL    TEACHERS

Your child is very special to you and everyone's child deserves a "special teacher".  If you get a funny feeling that your child isn't getting the attention and/or the instruction they should be having don't sit back.  Make an appointment for a conference and see if you and your child's teacher are on the same page and voice your concerns.  Give it some weeks and see if you are satisfied with the results.  If not make an appointment with the principal and voice the same concerns with them showing evidence of what you are talking about.  Your child is "special cargo" and you DON'T want wasted valuable school learning time to go by without your child getting what they deserve.  You will be "proud" of yourself for "stepping up to the plate".

S U M M E R T I M E !!!!

Laid back days, no schedules, and lots of relaxing.  Children playing all day long inside and outside as well.  Let them enjoy themselves but still have them go to the Library and/or bookstore and choose a book to read during the week.  They have 

p l e n t y of time to do so.  If they choose the book they are more willing to read it.  Make it a habit and most will look forward to it.  

             H A P P Y      R E A D I N G

SUMMER   TUTORING

I highly recommend it for any student who was struggling at all during the school year to go at least twice weekly for almost the whole summer.  They need to remediate the skills they were having difficulty in and become a stronger student in the previous year's skills before entering the new grade level.  If your child's previous teacher had discussed possible retention then for your child's benefit I would have you provide them with three to four lessons a week and if they start to make faster improvement then possibly cutting back a lesson a week.  If your child had a decent school year and you just want to make sure that they don't have that summer lag and you are doing two months then once a week will be enough.  If a month you might want to make it twice a week.  

HAPPY   FATHER'S   DAY

To all Dad's have a great FATHER'S DAY.  Your little ones and big ones think you are so special and for this one day set aside especially for you to shine and get that extra special attention you so deserve.

BEAUTIFUL WORDED SAYING

In your classroom you will have every kind of flower and they make a beautiful garden or a nice bouquet of flowers placed in a vase on your desk.  That being said some have to be nourished more then others but they all need to know that they are respected and deserve your undivided attention at the appropriate time.

LIVE EACH DAY TO IT'S FULLEST

I always like to end the day with asking a student to tell me 3 things they learned today. It makes them reflect upon the day and really put into perspective what was most important to them.  It might not have been what the math skill I taught for the day was or what the story they read in reading was about it might be something else that they found very interesting.  I've had answers such as they couldn't believe how many pages were in the dictionary they were using, or perhaps the meaning of a word wasn't what they had expected it to mean, or that you could really find such and such a word in our dictionary.  Maybe that Jeffrey was the fastest runner in our class, that the wife of a President is called the First Lady, and that all months don't have the same number of days.  I love to hear their answers each day they truly are such curious inquisitive minds we are so blessed to work with.

EVERY STUDENT IS IMPORTANT

It doesn't matter if the student is gifted, average, or autistic they are all individuals who deserve to be loved, respected, listened to equally as part of a valuable team by their Teacher.  By their Teacher showing by example and leading the team by instilling in the students that every student treat each student exactly the same way.  Starting this at a young age will show that by treating everyone the same way that we DO NOT have apart in our team for Bullies.

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN

Hope you enjoy your holiday, but also remember what it stands for. We are so lucky that we have soldiers willing to defend our country so that we are able to celebrate holidays.  GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

SUCCESSFUL  & UNSUCCESSFUL  STUDENTS

Some students just naturally are so gifted and are able to use it to their advantage that they are just so academically inclined.  They often do hit a subject later on in their studies that is difficult for them.  Then some students have the ability to do very well but don't put in the effort    to make that higher grade and they could do so much better.  They get by with great grades but they could have excellent grades.  You have the students that try, try so hard and it seems like everything is such a struggle and you don't want them to give up.  You keep helping them, encouraging them, praising them, and saying please make it easier for them.  They will get it, they will forget it, you will reteach it, one day they may make a super grade on a paper and you will praise them up and down.  Then you have the students who just don't care.  Would rather say,  "I don't understand it or I wasn't taught it," that is their motto.  They just want to have their hand held and have someone basically do the work with them or for them.  They aren't motivated and they don't care they basically are your worst enemies.  You can love them, praise them, work with them for hours but the second you leave them everything is taken away and you probably won't receive much work from them afterwards.   That is the picture of a regular classroom.

GREAT   TEACHERS

I know that when I decided to become a Teacher that I was going to give 110% or not Teach at all. All students need dedicated professional Teachers that are Teaching because they truly want the students to reach their full potential.  Are willing to work with students individually so that everyone has the opportunity to understand all the skills being taught.  That they also acknowledge that not all students learn the same way, and we must allow for those differences in our approaches with those students so that they also can succeed.

HAVE THE HAPPIEST DAY!!!