Educational Things to Do with Your Children on a Snow Day

Snow is falling, and the kids are all out of school. However, you don’t want a snow day to turn into a wasted day. Make this frosty day an educational experience for your children. Are you wondering how? The following are some fun and educational ideas you can use on snow days.

Weather charts

Let your children experience the fun of being a meteorologist on those wintry days. Use the newspaper or the Weather Channel to chart the weather. You can have your children begin with the days leading up to your snow day or you can opt to do a 5 or 7 day forecast that includes a few days after your snow day. You can then let your children give you and the rest of the family their broadcast.

Research snow

Although the local library may be closed, you can still do some research. Have your children research snow formation and other winter weather. They can write a report about what they have learned or simply verbally share the information that they find with you and the rest of the family.

Compose poems

Snow days are great times to catch up on some writing. Your little poets can compose poems about snow, weather, and other fun parts of winter. If they don’t like cold weather, they can write poems about the problems that such wintry weather causes.

Write narratives

While your children have their pencils and composition notebooks out, they can also compose personal narratives about their snowy day. Have them include as many sensory details as possible.

Comparison/Contrast

Winter and summer are opposites. You can use the differences between these two seasons to have your children compose comparison/contrast essays. Have them brainstorm fun activities that can be performed in both winter and summer. You can then have them think of activities that can only be done during each particular season. Once your children have completed their brainstorming lists, they are all set to write.

Snowy Adventures

Who said that snow fights can’t be educational? Wrap your kids up and let them enjoy a few moments in the snow. Once they are finished, they can compose a short fictional story based on their adventure.

Newspaper articles

Snowy weather can also result in many interesting newspaper articles. Take those snowy headlines and turn them into educational experiences for your snowbound kids. Have them read articles from the paper and then write brief summaries about them. You can also allow them to write their responses to these articles.

Don’t let a snow day stop your children from learning. Turn each moment in the snow into a learning adventure using some of the activities listed above.

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-winter-storms.htm

http://voices.yahoo.com/creative-unique-ways-teenager-write-11963027.html

February Journal Writing Topics

Fall in love with writing this February. Use the following writing prompts to start a fire in your heart.

1.      February 1 is National Freedom Day. President Lincoln signed the 13^th Amendment on February 1, 1865. National Freedom Day became an official holiday on June 30, 1948. Write a paragraph describing 3 freedoms that you are thankful for.

2.      Ground Hog’s Day is on February 2. Research the origin of Ground Hog’s Day. Then, write a brief description of this holiday’s origin.

3.      Send a Card to a Friend Day is February 7^th. So, compose a few quick lines that you would like to send to a close friend.

4.      The Winter Olympics will be starting soon. Which winter sport is your favorite and why.

5.      February 8 is Boy Scout Day. Make a list of some great activities that you can do to help improve your neighborhood or school.

6.      On February 9, Hersey’s Chocolates Company was founded. What is your favorite candy and why?

7.      February is Black History Month. List 5 famous African American and their accomplishments.

8.      This is also Canned Food Month. Write about creative ways that you can collect canned goods.

9.      February 11 is National Inventors Day. Write about 5 inventions that you are most thankful for.

10.  Think of 4 special people in your life and write them appreciation letters.

11.  The colors of Valentine’s Day are red, white, and pink. What other colors do you think could be used for Valentine’s Day and why?

12.  Compose a poem for someone you love.

13.  Think of your favorite Valentine’s Day gift. What was it and why?

14.  If you could go on a date with anyone living or dead this Valentine’s Day, who would it be and why?

15.  February is National Dental Health Month. What are some ways that you can take better care of your teeth?

16.  President’s Day is February 17. Write a paragraph comparing and contrast 2 United States Presidents.

17.  February is National Heart Month. List 3 ways that you can help to keep your heart healthy.

18.  If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be and why?

19.  February 27 is Polar Bear Day.  List 5 fun facts about Polar Bears.

20.  List 4 famous African Americans from your state.

Let the love of writing warm your heart this February. Choose some or all of the writing prompts listed above.

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Money Saving Tips for Teachers

Okay, teachers, you know we spend tons of our own money on our classrooms and school supplies. Whether you are spending your own money or the school district’s money, get the most for your buck. The following are some money saving tips that you can use.

Set budget

This goes without saying, but it deserves saying again. Have a set amount of money that you plan to spend on those school supplies and don’t go over it. Trust me. I know how tempting it is to grab that extra pack of paper or container of hand sanitizer. But, stick to your guns and only buy what you have figured into your budget.

Have a plan

Before heading off to grab that box of copy paper or box of crayons for your classroom, have a detailed shopping plan. Look through sales circulars and see if you can find a deal on the items that you need to purchase. Usually office supply stories are running a sale on these items, so take the time to check. This will save you both time and money.

Know When to Shop

Knowing when to shop is just as important as having a plan and a budget. Even if you are making purchases with your school money, you should make that money stretch as far as you can. So, learn the right time to make purchases. Paper, pencils, crayons, storage disks, and other school supplies tend to go on sale just before school starts. So, it pays to stock up on these items before school starts. Computers are best purchased in September, the last of December, and late June according to Decide.com. Try to make your purchases around this time.

Buying in bulk

Just as you would stock up on nonperishable items when they are on sale for your family, you should do the same for your classroom. When items like crayons, copy paper, pencils, scissors, and glue go on sale, buy them in bulk. If you buy these items in bulk, you will not have to purchase them again until they go back on sell.

Consignment shops

Consignment shops have a wealth of things that teachers can use. I have often found reading books, clothes, and other items that I can use in my classroom in a consignment shop. The shop that I frequent is Buzzy B Consignment in DeKalb, Mississippi. I have been able to grab several great reading books for $1.00 or less. They also have movies and other school related items. I will also confess that I have made several clothing purchases at the store. Most of these clothes were new and still had the tags on them.

Store loyalty cards

Another way for teachers to save money is to use store loyalty cards. Stores like Office Depot, Office Max, Fred’s, CVS, and Walgreens have loyalty cards. These cards can help to save you tons of money in the long run. Office supply stores will often give you discounts for being a teacher and for purchasing a certain monetary amount. I recently purchase computer ink for only $5.00 after I received my store rewards. Are you wondering how drug stores like CVS and Walgreens can save you money? They sell school supplies and they put these items on sale on a regular basis. So, take the time to fill out for those loyalty cards and start saving.

Teaching may be a job of heart, but it can cause havoc on your wallet. Use tips above and start saving.

http://www.9news.com/money/consumer/275531/103/The-best-time-to-buy-a-laptop-computer
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Rigor in the Classroom

How many times has your principal been in your classroom or wrote on your lesson plans "Increase the rigor in your class"? Well, if you are like me and so many other educators, you want to know what rigor is. I asked for a sound way to do this from several different teachers and administrators. The answer was always vague. So, I did a little research. This article will explain what I found out about rigor and how to actually increase it in your classroom.

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-increase-rigor-classroom-12469766.html

How to Keep Students Interested in Learning

Keeping Students Interested in Learning

Keeping students actively involved in learning can be a challenge. Sadly, your students may not love  your subject area as much as you do. The following are a few strategies that you can use to help motivate your students to keep learning. 

Relevance

No matter what you teach, you will need to make it relevant to your students. Use "real world" examples. If you are a teach math teacher, teach your students how to balance their check books, how to make a family budget, how to look at unit prices at the grocery store. Help your students understand how to invest, how to manage money, and the importance of saving. Use fun games that teach the importance of math.  If you teach English, you can teach your students how to compose resumes, essays, analysis papers, and letter writing.

Blogging

Your students love to voice their opinion. Let them. Design a class blog. On this blog, students can share ideas and important information that they have learned in class. They can also post their poems, essays, research papers, and school related pictures.

Outdoor activities

Get those students outside. Let them explore nature. How? If you teach art, let them paint pictures of nature. If you teach English, you can have them compose poems about nature. You can have them write comparison/contrast essays about the different types of flowers, seasons, or other objects you find outside. If you teach math, let them go outside and measure the distance from one building to the next. If you are a science teacher, the great outdoors offers a wealth of activities that you can use.

Power point presentations

Let your students do power point presentations. They love to work with technology, so let them. Have them design a power point presentation that is relevant to your subject area. Be sure to provide guidelines.

Use different ways to motivate your students to learn. Try the above activities.

Federal Income Tax Tips for Teachers

As tax time approaches, I know all of us are thinking of refunds. As teachers, we spend a large part of the money we make on supplies. So, this year get some of your money back by filing those things that you spent money on during the school year. Are you wondering just what you can write off? Here are a few:
1. book you bought for your classroom
2. any supplies you bought for your classroom like paper, pens, computer ink, typing paper
3. gas mileage for your drive to work
4. your clothes or uniform that you bought to wear to work
5. any professional magazines or subscriptions that you have
6. professional development workshops
7. professional memberships like National Teachers of America, Mississippi Association of Educators
*8. your phone if you used it to call parents, do school business, or connect to the internet to find lesson plans.
*9. your computer if you used it to do lesson plans or other school related activities.

***Please note that to write off your phone or computer you need to have kept a log of your school related activities. If you didn't keep up with your computer activity, you can still retrieve it from your computers history. This should tell you which dates your were on school related websites. Can you prove you used your phone to contact parents. Fortunately, I can because I have to keep a parent log that lists the date of parental contact. This keeps up with which parents I called. If you didn't keep a good log last year, you can this year.

*** Be sure to check with your tax preparer.

You can find more information at:
http://www.ehow.com/list_6819304_common-tax-deductions-teachers.html

5 Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew

5 Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a teacher? If you are honest, you will admit that it seems like a pretty easy job. Teachers get their summers off. They get two weeks off for Christmas, a week off for Spring Break, and three or more days off for Thanksgiving. However, there is more to teaching than what meets the eye. The following are five things that teachers wish parents knew.

Your Involvement Is Key

Yes, we want you to be involved in your child’s education. In fact, you play a key role in your child’s education. You can do what we can’t. You know your child intimately. You know what he or she likes and does not like. You are the biggest influence in your child’s life. And, you know what it will take to motivate them. So, yes, we want you to be involved. We love for you to check-up on your child. We look forward to seeing you at Parent-Teacher Conferences and other school events.

Keep Us Informed

Don’t keep important details from us. We need to know what your child is allergic to. We need to know what medicines he or she is on. And, we need to know what your child’s interests are. If there is a death in the family, let us know because this can influence your child’s grades and behavior. Although you may not want to divulge that you and your spouse are going through a divorce, it could help us to better understand why you child is acting out in class.

Be Careful What You Say

Monitor what you say in front of your children. Whether you want them to or not, you children come back to school and repeat the things that you have said. They don’t mind let their teachers know just how you feel about them.

Teachers Have Lives Outside of School

Parents seem to forget that teachers have lives away from school. So often parents call after-hours or on weekends. When this happens, teachers are nice and address your concerns, but they find it frustrating.  A good rule of thumb is to call during the teacher’s planning time. If this is simply not possible, then call before it 7:00 P.M. and avoid calling on the weekends and Friday nights all together.

It Isn’t About the Money

Contrary to what some parents may think, teachers are definitely not in it for the money. In fact, compared to other professions, teaching does not pay well. And, most teachers end up spending what little money they make buying school supplies and other materials for their classroom.

 For more tips check out:

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-improve-relationship-childs-12419118.html

Welcome Teachers

Hi. I would like to welcome all of you teachers to my blog. Unlike my other blog, this one is dedicated to things that involve teaching, education, and parenting tips. I hope you all continue to visit my site and enjoy.