The Reasons Cursive Handwriting is Still Worth Teaching in School

 

You Should Teach Cursive Handwriting in Your Classroom

Is cursive handwriting still worth it? Do you remember the days when cursive handwriting was a part of the school curriculum? Well, whether you are that “old” or not, cursive handwriting seems to have disappeared from the classroom, and some of us are asking if that was a good idea. Why?

My reason for asking this question is because I am seeing more and more students who can’t sign their names in cursive. I am seeing more and more students entering middle and even high school who can’t write in cursive. Is this a crime?

It could be argued that cursive handwriting is irrelevant. However, our students need to know how to sign their name in cursive. And, there are many more reasons that cursive handwriting is worth teaching. Are you curious about what those reasons are? Let’s discuss it.

What is Cursive Handwriting?

Cursive handwriting is like a secret code that connects all your letters together. Instead of lifting your pencil after every letter, you keep it flowing across the paper. This creates a smooth and elegant script that can be pretty impressive once you master it.

Why Should Students Learn Cursive?

Cognitive Development:

Research shows that learning cursive handwriting has cognitive benefits. It stimulates the brain in ways that typing doesn't. It enhances fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and memory retention, ultimately contributing to a well-rounded educational experience.

Unique Signature:

When your students grow up and leave school, you'll need to sign your name on important documents. Having a stylish cursive signature adds a touch of personality and uniqueness to your identity.

Faster Note-Taking:

In various academic and professional settings, the ability to take quick, efficient notes by hand is invaluable. Cursive handwriting can enable students to jot down information more swiftly, aiding in lectures, meetings, and brainstorming sessions.

I am one of the first people to admit that I write much faster in cursive than I do in print. So, I think being able to take notes in cursive is a plus for our students.

Examples of Cursive Handwriting's Importance

Personal Letters:

Imagine receiving a handwritten letter from a friend. It feels special, right? Cursive adds a personal and heartfelt touch that can't be matched by typing.

Art and Creativity:

Have you seen those fancy calligraphy pieces? They're created using cursive techniques. Learning cursive can unlock your students’ artistic side and help them create beautiful handwritten cards, invitations, and more.

I have a former co-worker who used to get paid good money for calligraphic pieces. So, cursive writing can be profitable.

Reading Historical Documents:

Another important reason that learning cursive writing is still worth it is because many important documents, like the Declaration of Independence, were written in cursive. Learning cursive helps your students learn how to read and appreciate these treasures.

Individuality and Identity:

Our signatures are a reflection of our identity. Teaching cursive gives students the opportunity to craft unique signatures that convey their personality. In a digital age, a handwritten, cursive signature stands out and carries a personal touch.

Addressing the Doubts

Some people might say that cursive isn't important anymore. They might argue that we have computers and devices for writing. While it's true that technology has changed the way we communicate, cursive has its own charm and benefits.

Technology can be awesome, but it's also nice to have a connection to the past. Just like we still learn about history even though we have the internet, learning cursive gives us a link to our ancestors' ways of writing.

I know. Learning cursive handwriting might seem like a blast from the past, but it's actually an important skill to have. From connecting with history to giving your students’ brain a workout, cursive offers benefits that go beyond just writing.

Teaching cursive handwriting isn't about resisting change. It's about equipping students with a versatile set of tools that transcend the boundaries of time and technology. By embracing cursive, you're fostering cognitive development, historical understanding, and personal growth. As you stand in front of your classrooms, remember that the lessons you impart extend far beyond the classroom walls. They shape generations and uphold traditions that enrich our collective knowledge.

Teachers and At-Risk Students

 

Teachers and At-Risk Students

The sad reality is that in each school there are students who are at-risk of dropping out or falling between the cracks. It is also a fact that we, teachers, play in their negative experiences at school. We also influence their decision to either drop out of school or hang in there until the end. Are you wondering how?

Think about your low achievers or those students who “can’t get it”. Now, think about the way you treat them. Do you call on them as much as you do your smarter students? Do you give them as many opportunities as you do other students?

Unless you are one those exceptional teachers, your answers are probably not the ones that they should be. Let’s face it. Whether we intend to or not, sometimes we overlook our most vulnerable students.

What are somethings that you can do to help? First, change your behavior.

Ø  Call on these students more.

Ø  Allow these students more time to answer questions when you do call on them.

Ø  Often more praise

Ø  Provide them with feedback as soon as possible

Ø  Provide the students with more hands-on activities

 

 

Ways Teachers Can Set Good Examples for Students

Setting Good Examples for Students

Teachers hold the future in their hands.  Aside from parents, no one else has a greater influence on children.  It is because of this influence that teachers should set good examples for their students by doing the following:

Demonstrate positive decision-making skills:

Each day brings with it new challenges and new opportunities to show students the importance of making good decisions. A teacher can demonstrate the thinking process for the students by going through a process called thinking out loud. Thinking out loud is when the teacher encounters a problem and verbally works through that problem. This will allow the students to know what the choice is and how the teacher comes to a decision.  Students get to follow the thinking reasoning process from start to finish. 

Admit mistakes and apologize

Everyone makes mistakes.  The key is to admit the mistake and apologize.  Because little eyes are watching, it is imperative that the teacher demonstrate good citizenship by apologizing as soon as the mistake is identified.  This shows students the importance of taking responsibility for ones mistakes.  By apologizing in front of the students, the teacher is repairing the mistake and setting a good example for students to follow.

Demonstrate Fairness

Fairness is extremely important.  Students can quickly pick up on favoritism, and it should never be a part of the classroom.  By giving all students the same opportunities, the teacher is demonstrating fairness. 

Be Flexible

The world is in a constant state of change.  Nothing stays the same.  When things do not work out as planned, the teacher can point this out to the students and then demonstrate a positive attitude while handling the change. 

Show Respect

One of the most important lessons that a teacher can teach is respectfulness. It is important students learn how to treat people. It does not matter if the other person is another teacher, an administrator, a parent, or simple a student.  They deserve respect.

Teachers influence students in many different ways. By demonstrating good decision making skills, recognizing mistakes and apologizing for them, and being fair and flexible a teacher can provide good examples for students.

How to Foster a Love of Writing in Your Students

 

 

The first of school, my students could have cared less about writing. It was not something that they did often, and when they did have to complete a writing assignment, they didn’t like it. Now, school is almost over for the year, and I can’t get them to think about much else. They write and write often. And, the great thing is that I don’t have to tell them to write. In fact, they write on their own, and they can’t wait for me to critique their work. So, how did I get those reluctant writers to begin writing more?

Be an Example

As a teacher, we must lead by example. My students know that I loved to write. They also know that I write often. It helped that I write for the local newspaper, and many of my students had read some of my articles. They later learned that I write on-line and blog. I frequently shared with them the reasons that I love to write. I talked passionately about my writing, and my students saw my excitement and wanted to be a part of it.

Publish Student Work

Many of my students did not know that they could have their writings published. So, when they saw my writing on-line, they became motivated to write their own short stories, poems, and articles. I then made it a point to submit their work to any and every writing contest that they qualified for. Yes, it was a lot of work. However, it was worth it. A few of my students won writing contests and were recognized for their work. This help to make the other students work harder and write more.

Encourage Expression

Even though my students are pre-teens, they are very opinionated. They loved to let you know what they think and how they feel. So, I let them. No, I don’t let them their feelings out or disrupt my class. Instead,  I have them transfer their feelings to a journal or diary.

Use the Local Newspaper

Because my students know I write for the local newspaper, they are always telling me about things that are going on in the community or in the school. Instead of grabbing the scoop myself, I encourage them to compose new stories on their own. These are critiqued, and if they are interesting, I submit them to the local paper.

Getting students interested in writing can be difficult. However, I have found that if you show your students how much you love writing and the world opportunities that it can open up, they too will develop a love for writing.

 

Things Administrators Look for When Doing Classroom Observations

All teachers get them-those nice little walk-through and formal evaluations. So, what exactly is your principal looking for when he or she stops by? Check out the following list.

Objectives

One of the first things that your administrator will do when he or she enters your room is check to see if you have your objectives posted. These can be your objectives for the day or for the week. It is crucial that you have these posted and in a place of high visibility. And, make sure you go over these objectives with your students each day.

Classroom Engagement

The principal or administrator will also check to see if your lesson is engaging. Are your students actively involved in the lesson or if you are doing only lecture? So, try to plan lessons that will require your students to be involved and actively engaged.

Teacher Location and Movement

The principal will check to see where you are when he or she enters the room. Are you sitting at your desk or walking around monitoring your classroom? Not many of us can stand on our feet all day long. However, your principal will want you to spend the majority of the day walking around your class. This will help to decrease the amount of behavioral problems in your class and ensure that you students stay on task.

Classroom Organization

How is your class organized? Are your desks in straight rows or are they set up in small groups? Administrators want you to encourage correlative groups. So, try to plan group work for a majority of the time.

Time Management

Another big issue is time management. Your principal will observe your time management skills. He or she will check to see how you use the time you have to get the most out of your class. They also want to make sure that you stay on task. Most want you to teach from “Bell to Bell”. This means form the time that the students enter your class to the time that the bell rings for them to be dismissed. Although you may can’t accomplish this all the time, make sure if your boss is present that you do this.

Student Work

Not only will your boss check to see you are on task and your students engaged, he or she will check to see if you have any of your students’ work displayed. Be sure to hang some student work somewhere in your classroom or outside of your door.

Meaningful Lesson

Your principal will also check to make sure your lessons are meaningful and relevant. Some lessons are cute, but they don’t go with your curriculum. If this is the case, don’t waste your time teaching them. They will count as a strike against you.

Readily Available Lesson Plans

Keep your lesson plans in a place that you can find them at a moment’s notice. Your principal may ask to see these when he or she stops by to evaluate you.

Don’t be caught off guard. Be prepared for walk-through and other evaluations from your principal.

http://www.ehow.com/how_7666347_teach-lesson-evaluation.html

http://voices.yahoo.com/tips-being-successful-teacher-11906762.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 

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