Chalk Talk

New Activities

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:24:40 GMT

If you are looking for some last minute craft ideas for the holidays to do with kids, check these out. I'm hoping to use more social media in getting ideas out to families and teachers about fun educational activities. Let me know what you think about the crafts and the manner they are presented in.

Here's a paper bag killer whale http://www.slideshare.net/SWcamp_Junkie/killer-whale-activity-presentation/

Here's a Shamu tail stocking http://www.slideshare.net/SWcamp_Junkie/shamu-stocking-activity-presentation-839301/

Thanks.

Jack

Tutoring Opportunity for Students for $1

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:06:17 GMT

I just wanted to share an opportunity with my fellow educators. Tutor.com has given me a promo code for 50 minutes of online tutoring for $1! That's a $29.99 value! I have checked out the service and found it to be exceptional. The tutors work with each student one-on-one for as much (or as little) time as they need. They've also become available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week recently.

To take advantage of this opportunity, go to

www.tutor.com
enter promo code: EJISR50M
click on "get started"

I'd love to hear what you think of the service!

How Students Have Changed

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:18:07 GMT

How easy it used to be to simply have an interesting set of lesson plans, establish classroom rules and then move on to teaching. The student of today many times comes from a single parent home with little or no rules established there. Television or video games become their baby-sitters, so that parents can have some time to themselves. These children do not know their fairy tales or childhood stories because no one spends time at home to read to them. Parents or guardians schedule too much for these children so that children don't learn to manage time or ever learn how to problem solve. Every problem is solved for the child at home to avoid too much stress or in an effort to show love.

This same child appears in the classroom hungry for personal one-on-one attention that they don't get at home. They will get attention whether it be positive or negative. From a home of "anything goes" to your classroom of rules they come kicking and fighting all the way. Unable to employ any critical thinking skills they resort to laziness to try to avoid school work for as long as they can get away with it. Without any new teacher mentor available, the Principal or Vice Principal appear in your room to see how it's going and see mayhem unleased and simply glare at you as if you had something to do with how these little cherubs act.

Class management books address a child that came from a different time, surely not today, where children were properly treated and loved at home with a two-parent family where one of the parents did not work and was at home with the children to raise them carefully and with love. Because the role of authority figures have changed, because many families do not attend church regularly and get no moral or behavioral training or develop a proper conscience to know right from wrong, many of the times, the child that appears in the classroom today is a loud, demanding, self-interested little terror who has had no discipline, no real caring and no real direction.

Now the teacher must make up for everything that was missing at home in addition to try to get anything educational done in the classroom. Somehow educational standards have to be met by certain times of the year and increasing amounts of testing must be implemented at the beginning and end of each quarter. How teaching has changed and how the student of today has changed. To be an educator today is an enormous task that no one can prepare you for. To try to make a positive difference in the lives of children is more difficult than ever, because of how students have changed.

What Do You Do?

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 01:26:01 GMT

What do you do when you have 29 Fourth graders in a hot portable classroom and 10 of them are trouble makers? When every classroom management idea fails, after you have rearranged the chairs, how instruction takes place, explained and posted the classroom rules, rewarded good behavior, punished bad and tried just to get through the day. The school gives little or no support, the grade level has teachers that are just cruising to retirement, so they really won't help except maybe to answer a question or two. Parents point to "No Child Left Behind" as a way to put total blame on the Teacher, which they believe they have no part in. The student is wild, the parent is dumfounded and full of blame and the Principal says "You just have to change how you're doing things", yet offers no ideas or solutions. (Besides quit) what do you do?

High School

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:27:58 GMT

There was an earlier post here about the accessability of middle school teachers, and the transition of the parent into the new role of being less involved at the middle school level. I have a freshman in high school now, and after the first 3 months, I barely know his teachers' names! I went to parent night at the school, where we went around to all the classes, so at least I have laid eyes on them-- but that is about it. His grades are good, he's doing the work, so at this point I have no reason to go bug the teachers. It's just wierd! When your kids are little, and you are so involved in every aspect of everything, you never imagine that this day will come. I've had so much going on lately, it is kind of a relief to let go of that total immersion. I guess my fear is I will not see problems until they are already big.

School trip

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:39:40 GMT

Hi. My son went on a school trip (took a bus about 6 hours away) and they are staying in a hotel -- nothing fancy. They are four to a room... I heard my son say that two of them would sleep on the floor (gross!) and take turns. Maybe girls don't mind sharing a bed (well, maybe they do) but the kids did not take sleeping bags or anything. It's not a big deal but it made me wonder ... is this typical? Man, I'd be worried as a teacher on the trip to put four teens -- boys or girls -- together for any length of time! I know it helped with the cost of the trip, though. Just curious...

Are Middle School Teachers Approachable?

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:51:38 GMT

It is the 7th week of school and my son who is middle school has a new teacher. The classes were too crowded and there was an allotment to add a new teacher. She is truly a breath of fresh air! Up until now I have been a little freaked out about how unapproachable the middle school teachers seem. I have felt a little like I shipped my son off to boarding school with little communication. When we met with the new teacher she made everyone feel at ease about communicating with her. I know we are supposed to start cutting the strings when our children get to middle school but I was feeling a little disconnect from his teachers. I have also considered that this may be my problem. Perhaps I have let everything I have heard about middle school get in my mind and maybe it is me that is not making the effort with the teachers. Any thoughts on this from parents or teachers?