Instructor (1990) articles from January 2006

Instructor (1990) archives from January 2006

What I learned editing this issue.(Editorial)
January 1, 2006... Did you know that painting and puppets are not only good for brain development, they are good for your health? I learned that reading "60 Ways to Celebrate the Arts," page 37. It's packed with creativity sparkers, craft ideas, and much more....

A newbie gets hands-on experience.(INSTRUCTOR ON THE GO)(experiencing first hand )(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 1, 2006... When I joined the staff of Instructor as managing editor, the staff told me the best part of my job would be visiting schools and experiencing first hand how inspiring good teaching can be. They were so right. I recently spent a day at Highland...

Spellings in the classroom?(your say)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Reading your interview with Margaret Spellings (September 2005) made me realize how much more communication is needed between policy makers and teachers. Here's a suggestion that might help: Rotate principals, superintendents, and other leaders...

Donors Choose will go national.(your say)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... I devoured the article on Charles Best ("Making a Difference," Oct/Nov, 2005), and went to his Web site before I finished the magazine. I was disappointed to see that Donors Choose serves only a small part of the country. I hope the Phoenix...

Help for struggling readers.(your say)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... The December issue of Instructor was full of helpful information! I was especially interested in the article on strategies for struggling readers. Can you tell me how I can get the five-page document that was mentioned on teaching comprehension...

Parents aren't the enemy.(your say)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... I wish "Getting Along with the Grown-ups" (September 2005) presented a more equitable view of parent-teacher relationships. I am a parent and a teacher and have been saddened by the increasing perception of "it's us against them." Children need...

Fun with fall leaves.(your say)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... My students loved blowing paint around and creating fall leaves (Oct/Nov, 2005). We extended the project by also painting pumpkins and discussing symmetry in both. We received many positive remarks about our work. Thanks for the great idea! ...

Heeding the call to the classroom.(making a difference)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Mark Joseph will probably be the only male African-American teacher his students ever have. They're that rare. A fourth-grade chair, teacher-mentor, and coach at Westcliffe Elementary in Greenville, Joseph is one of only 150 black men out...

Is his art a warning sign?(teachers' lounge)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The child who likes to sketch hissing bombs in the margins of his notebook may not be plotting an actual attack, but according to a recent report by the First Amendment Center, "Student Expression in the Age of Columbine," teachers should not...

Shut-eye shortage.(teachers' lounge)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... In a spelling test slump? Before you pull out the flash cards, ask kids how much sleep they're getting. A study conducted at Brown University showed that students who don't get enough rest have trouble paying attention in class--which could...

Take this job and love it.(OVERHEARD on teacher blogs)
January 1, 2006... TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT Even though this is the hardest job I can imagine, even though I walk around in a state of perpetual exhaustion, and even though I made more money at sixteen, I have the best job ever. http://hipteacher.typepad.com ...

You begin with do, RE, MI.(OVERHEARD on teacher blogs)
January 1, 2006... YOU BEGIN WITH DO, RE, MI I can't stop singing. When they're hard at work, I test them by dancing and serenading. You'd be surprised how good they are at ignoring me. Best practice? Probably not. But it's awesome to hear a six-year-old say, "Be...

It's not the money, it's the fumes and floods.(OVERHEARD on teacher blogs)
January 1, 2006... IT'S NOT THE MONEY, IT'S THE FUMES AND FLOODS We have two broken radiators, one fixed radiator plus fumes, and broken outlets in several classrooms. And might I add that in four years of teaching, I have never once taught in a classroom that...

Learning from Japan.(OVERHEARD on teacher blogs)
January 1, 2006... LEARNING FROM JAPAN Before we strive to imitate Japanese tests and standards, let's imitate their belief that teachers are professionals and that education is important. http://thetrenches.blogspot.com KNOW A MUST-READ TEACHER BLOG? E-mail...

Bittersweet goodbyes.(OVERHEARD on teacher blogs)
January 1, 2006... BITTERSWEET GOODBYES So it's official. I'm a grizzled veteran. The little boy I nurtured and challenged and adored for three years (kindergarten, first and second grade), has moved onto grade three, with a new teacher, she of youthful...

the best new books on African-American history.(Brief Article)(Bibliography)
January 1, 2006... This Is the Dream (GR. K AND UP) By Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander. Amistad, 2006; 40 pages; $15.99. The rhythmic verse of this civil rights chronology will capture young listeners instantly. Use the book's powerful illustrations to...

Kids on the web.(classroom tech)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Heard the stories about cruel instant messages and cyber-bullying? What about when a child is tricked into thinking she's talking to someone her age in a chatroom? While these dangers do exist, the good news is that most elementary-age kids...

Teacher tech help: googling made easy.(classroom tech)
January 1, 2006... Q I typed "Civil War" into Google, and got 121,000,000 results! Help! How can I find the best resources? A To narrow the pool, first try being more specific, e.g. "Civil War battlegrounds." Keep in mind that the most important search terms...

Journey North.(travel the world online)
January 1, 2006... Got the winter blahs? Look to warmer weather (and the arrival of monarch butterflies, bald eagles, whooping cranes, and other migrating animals in your area) by joining up with Journey North, a free program which allows kids to share field...

African adventures.(travel the world online)
January 1, 2006... Read a first-hand account of a classroom in Mozambique. Watch a video of African children playing games. E-mail the kids in the video to ask what kind of music they listen to. These are just the sort of opportunities provided by Tire Tracks, a...

Dear teachers.
January 1, 2006... We're proud to present this wonderful collection of classroom activities, which you can use with your students throughout the school year. By combining the expertise of our Instructor editors, Elmer's Products Inc., and our K-8...

Multiplication houses.(Winter)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The Project Math The answer to a multiplication problem hides in each window of this colorful house. Before starting, assign each student a "house number." Use single-digit numbers for younger learners, and double-digit numbers for older...

Class-spirit post offices.(suggestions for decorating mail boxes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The Project Math Social Studies Language Arts Whether you're doing a lesson on the history of the Pony Express, or teaching your students how to address envelopes, a class mailbox is a creative way to keep kids writing throughout the year....

Hibernating bears.(Winter)
January 1, 2006... The Project Science Here's a project to help teach your students about hibernation. Kindergarten teacher Sheila Green has her students put their bears inside creatively decorated paperbag caves in January. They leave them there for the...

Orbit calendars.(Winter)
January 1, 2006... The Project Science Math Social Studies The Earth's orbit around the Sun, and its tilted axis, combine to produce our four seasons. Have kids illustrate the four equinoxes (winter, spring, summer, and fall), while also creating a calendar...

3-D state maps.(Winter)
January 1, 2006... The Project Science Social Studies Around the holidays, many of your students will be taking family trips to visit far-off relatives. Even if they're staying put right at home, this is a great time to learn U.S. geography the hands-on way....

Geometry cities.(Spring)
January 1, 2006... The Project Math Social Studies Calling all young architects! Your students will learn about shapes and what makes a community by designing a miniature city. How To Make It 1. Talk with your students about your town and its...

Counting caterpillars.(Spring)
January 1, 2006... The Project Science Math An understanding of place value is crucial for learning more advanced math. A 5 in the tens column means fifty. Students will grasp the concept as they drop pebbles in their caterpillar columns. [ILLUSTRATION...

Food chain poster.(Spring)
January 1, 2006... The Project Science What better way to illustrate the concept of the food chain than with a poster showing what eats what? Kids will delight in this project, but it is also a great way to teach an important biology lesson. One Instructor...

Under-the-sea game.(Spring)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The Project Science Social Studies Language Arts Make test-prep more engaging: At the end of your unit on the ocean, let your students show off what they've learned by creating their own board games. This project can be adapted to any...

Fraction flags.(Spring)
January 1, 2006... The Project Every country has a flag, so why not every student? In this simple project, kids practice using fractions while designing and creating their own personal flags. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How To Make It Math Social Studies...

Fairy-tale maps.(Spring)
January 1, 2006... The Project Science Math Social Studies Language Arts A fairy-tale map is a creative way for students to learn to summarize a book while also learning about map features. Each map shows important places mentioned in a story, and includes a...

Action mazes.(Back-to-school)
January 1, 2006... The Project Math Social Studies This moving maze is as amazing as they make it! By putting their knowledge of fractions to the test, and with the help of some planning and some glue, kids can create a sturdy game as fun and...

Glue webs.(Back-to-school)(science project on spider web)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The Project Science They've learned how spiders spin webs, now it's the kids' turn to spin their own. Later, they can show off their knowledge of arachnids by using pompoms and pipe cleaners to make spiders, which can hang off the glue...

My own dictionary.(Back-to-school)
January 1, 2006... The Project Social Studies Language Arts Students grasp language skills faster when the lessons are augmented by strong visual clues and integrated with non-verbal skill sets. This activity helps students learn vocabulary words through the...

Change-of-season magic.(Back-to-school)
January 1, 2006... The Project Science Math Trees go from bare to bursting with leaves and flowers, the ground goes from white with snow to green with grass, and birds' nests go from empty to filled with chicks in these beautiful change-of-season fans. The...

Twice-as-big me.(Back-to-school)
January 1, 2006... The Project Math Not only is this project a fun way to build community at the beginning of the school year, it's also a great lesson on ratios. Students draw self-portraits, and then learn how to enlarge them, resulting in a classroom...

Yarn writing.(Back-to-school)
January 1, 2006... The Project Language Arts Kids rise to the challenge of cursive writing when they get to do it in living color, with yarn and clear Elmer's School Glue No Run Gel. This fun activity creates desk nameplates for each student and reinforces...

Free stuff.
January 1, 2006... cool contests Send Us Your Kid Poems Got an inspired student haiku in your desk drawer? Submit any undiscovered masterpiece to our poetry contest. PRIZES: Hundreds of dollars in prizes for winners and their schools. DEADLINE:...

Idea swap.
January 1, 2006... Fun winter activities, teaching tips, and more from classrooms like yours: Reading Gloves Dianne Meyr, of Cape Girardeau, MO, shares her warm idea for teaching story elements: To teach the five "W"s of reading--what, who, why, where,...

Merit pay: good for teachers? Keep an eye on your paycheck--more districts may soon ask teachers to accept alternative pay systems. But do they work?(tough topic)
January 1, 2006... Hmm... its a touchy subject," said one second-grade teacher when asked to share her thoughts on merit pay. "I know it's worked in some places, but I shudder at the idea of teachers being in competition with each other." Other teachers we...

The new digital wave [dive in! Whiteboards are quickly changing how we teach]: your classroom is next! Here's how to make the most of the new technology.(best practice)
January 1, 2006... Believe it or not, there was a time when the chalkboard was revolutionary. Before it came along, teachers would walk from student to student, drawing problems on individual slates. (That made for a long day!) Now interactive whiteboards promise...

Frank McCourt: the author of Angela's Ashes looks back on 30 years of teaching in New York City classrooms.(talking with ...)(Interview)
January 1, 2006... After a full career as a teacher, Frank McCourt catapulted to fame in 1996 with Angela's Ashes, his Pulitzer-prize winning memoir of growing up in Ireland--a book based on the childhood stories he told his students. "I wasn't good at lecturing...

Keith Haring: dancing dogs.(classroom poster)
January 1, 2006... DOGS & PEOPLE These simple, symbol-like figures have heads like dogs or wolves, but bodies like humans. Ask students to describe the figures. Are they dogs? Wolves? People? Do they seem friendly or scary? DANCE, DOGGIE, DANCE! Haring often...

Getting kids to go for it: a classroom motto can make all the difference--but only when you live up to its philosophy, too.(classroom poster)
January 1, 2006... Carpe diem--seize the day. My students must hear this a thousand times a year. It is part of who I am as a teacher and a person. It is the way I live my life, and it is my hope that my students will learn to make the most of each and every day...

60 ways to celebrate the arts.
January 1, 2006... Every Thursday at Central Park East School II in East Harlem, New York, the whole school gathers for a community meeting. At the heart is a performance where you'll find sixth graders helping kindergarteners with dance steps, and third and...

Focused kids in 5 minutes: big test? Snowy-day sillies? Try yoga to help your kids unwind.(activities: classroom yoga)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2006... Yoga is a great way to refresh and refocus your students--and yourself--during the school day. Luckily, you don't have to be an expert to start guiding kids through these simple exercises that strengthen, improve balance, and cultivate...

Handwriting made easier: are broken pencils just the beginning of your students' handwriting problems? Tackle hang-ups now and you'll set kids up for success.(activities: grades k-2)
January 1, 2006... What happened to tracing perfect capital Ps and Qs? With kids learning to type as they learn to write, less class time is devoted to penmanship. Even though first graders now e-mail Grandma instead of sending a letter, as an occupational...

Making "cents" of decimals: expert advice on using pocket change to teach a tough topic.(activities: grades 3-5)
January 1, 2006... Third-grade teacher Kristina Shultz has a math-class challenge many upper-elementary teachers share. "My kids have trouble with decimals," she says. "They just don't seem to understand tenths, hundredths, and numbers smaller than one. They also...

41 ways to do justice to our favorite books [and send boring book reports away for life]: feel free to pass this list on to every teacher you know!(activities: grades 6-8)
January 1, 2006... While much has changed since we first ran a collection of beyond-the-book-report ideas way back in our November 1969 issue, middle schoolers are still gobbling up books and teachers are still looking for ways to make sharing them a fun and...

Start the new year with brand new goodies.(give aways)
January 1, 2006... JANUARY/FEBRUARY SWEEPSTAKES RULES How to Enter Send a postcard with your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address to Instructor January Sweepstakes (Page #), P.O. Box 713, New York, NY 10013. The page number should correspond to...

Caroline Kennedy: on great teaching, the power of poetry, and the gifts she gave her mother.(pop quiz)(Brief Article)(Interview)
January 1, 2006... * What is your favorite school memory? I'm lefthanded, and handwriting was very hard for me. In fourth grade I got the penmanship prize. It was so unexpected. It made me realize that if I worked hard I could succeed. I still remember the...