Instructor (1990) articles from May 2006

Instructor (1990) archives from May 2006

A summer of fun and learning.(educational aspects)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... With the end of the school year upon us, we've dedicated the May/June issue of Instructor to the endless ways your students (and you!) can keep the learning and inspiration going over the break. Check out the summer math ideas in Lemonade-Stand...

Hallways and kids' futures painted bright.(teaching at-risk students commercial painting skills )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Kids working together to make their school a more inviting place to learn--that's the premise behind Publicolor, a program that's transforming drab New York City schools into a rainbow of blues, greens, and yellows by teaching at-risk students...

Instructor helps turn kid poets into celebrities!(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... We were so excited to see that my student Laura is a runner-up in the Spanish category of Instructor's Poetry Contest for her poem "La Naturaleza." To celebrate, we are having a "Spanish Poetry Reading" night at our local bookstore with Laura...

Give us more on inquiry.(your say)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... Your interview with Alison Gopnik ("The Age of Discovery," March 2006) was really on target. In my opinion, kids today must have inquiry and authentic assessments. Our students are expected to know so much at a young age. We must change our way...

Saving for the future.(your say)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I love Instructor. As I am a student teacher, I save all of your issues because there are so many great ideas I can see myself using in the future. I just write down the ideas that really tickle me on a large sticky note and place it on each...

The great salary debate.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... The March 2006 article "Making 100 Grand" was misleading. I don't know any teachers who make $100,000. After 10 years and a Master's degree, I am not even close to half of that. The writer talks about districts that pay more--but I can't uproot...

Salary debate, part 2.(your say)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... Thanks for your piece "Making 100 Grand" (March, 2006). I don't think I can count the number of times I have heard comments like, "It must be nice to have summers off" or "What week do you have off this month?" from people who don't understand...

Adding Poe to the scene.(your say)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I read "Crime Scene Science" (March, 2006) at the same time my eighth-grade literature class was reading Edgar Allan Poe. As a way to integrate the literature curriculum, why not start by reading a portion from "The Tell Tale Heart" or "The...

Happy 50th anniversary.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I'd like to pay tribute to Mary Lou Stefanko, who will start her 50th year of teaching this May, at West View Elementary in the North Hills school district in Pennsylvania. It is an amazing accomplishment! How teaching has changed over that...

Math blooms in North Carolina.(Marvin Ward Elementary School, Winston-Salem, North Carolina)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Back in 2002, the plot of weed-choked, sandy land outside Kathy Lineberger's third-grade classroom didn't look very promising--and neither did her students' waning interest in math. But this third-grade teacher at Marvin Ward Elementary School...

5 ways to ace that teacher interview.(school information site)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... 1 DO YOUR RESEARCH: Learn as much as you can about the community, the district, and the school. Visit in advance if you can. If not, use the Web well. One good public school information site to visit is www.schoolmatters.com. 2 ANTICIPATE...

Rescuing recess.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Time for tag, moments for marbles. Kids need that playground time and now the National Parent Teacher Association is fighting for it. Nearly 40 percent of American elementary schools have either eliminated or are considering eliminating recess,...

Who said it? (Take the quiz).(teachers' lounge)
May 1, 2006... Everyone has an opinion on education. Sometimes witty, sometimes wise. Was it A) Woody Allen, B) John Gardner, C) Bill Gates, or D) Lee lacocca? 1) "In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest...

Is reading in our genes?(books and readings)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Children who love to read have parents who read to them. Simple, right? Maybe not. A recent study shows that genes, not just environment, play a large role in determining if children will be bookworms, says University of Missouri professor...

Love those lunch buddies.(students behaviour)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... A second grader who is aggressive on the playground and in class could be headed for trouble. But new research from the University of Arkansas shows that a volunteer lunchtime mentor can help a child get back on track. When children met for...

Autism an epidemic?(Autism diagnoses )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... A rise in autism is not evidence of a feared epidemic, say Johns Hopkins researchers. It is a more frequently chosen diagnosis. Autism diagnoses have increased in tandem with decreases of classifications of children as mentally retarded or...

Splashdown! Water toys that teach.
May 1, 2006... WET YOUR WHISTLE Each of these flutes can be tuned to a different key by filling it with a measured amount of water. Five flutes come with an easy-to-play songbook, a soft foam holder, and tuning instructions. www.alextoys.com; $11.99. ...

Just-for-you resources.
May 1, 2006... Backyard Science This summer lead your own little ones or a group of summer schoolers on an exploration of the great outdoors--without going beyond your fence. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HERE'S HOW: Go to www.familyeducation.com. ...

Summer contests.(free stuff)
May 1, 2006... Cheerio, Mate! Win a free summer vacation to London and see Stonehenge, Big Ben, and real fish n' chips firsthand (not to mention the home of Beatrix Potter). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PRIZES: Trip for two to London, 14-nights'...

Money for next year.
May 1, 2006... Get Together and Innovate! The NEA Foundation supports "collaborative efforts by colleagues" that develop "creative project-based learning." DEADLINE: June 1, 2006 HERE'S HOW: Go to www.neafoundation.org/programs/grantguides.htm....

What would you do with a $10,000 grant?(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... We asked teachers at the Robert Morris School in South Bound Brook, New Jersey what their dream purchases would be. "I'd lead kids on a trip to 'space' by purchasing a portable Planetarium from Star Lab and having teachers trained to use...

Every year we have a Totem Pole raising.(special events)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Every year we have a Totem Pole raising. Students choose a symbol to represent themselves. Then they write a story on an index card explaining why they chose that symbol. They color a regular sized grocery bag brown to look like bark, and glue...

My kids can't say "nothing" when their parents ask them what they did at school.(methods of teaching)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... My kids can't say "nothing" when their parents ask them what they did at school. That's because I send home weekly conversation starters. First I choose a subject area that we will be studying that week. Then I pick an open-ended question that...

The books we read as a class inspire a "jar full" of new vocabulary words.(books and readings)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The books we read as a class inspire a "jar full" of new vocabulary words. Before we begin any new book, I make a list of all the challenging words. We count the syllables in each, write the phonetics where necessary, and read and reread the...

As an ESOL teacher, I'm always walking kids through the hallway. Here's how I keep them quiet.(educational aspects)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... As an ESOL teacher, I'm always walking kids through the hallway. Here's how I keep them quiet: I let the quietest walker carry a stuffed animal based on our theme of the week. When we learned about penguins, for example, they had a chance to...

I collaborated with the computer teacher to help teach kids contractions.(methods of teaching)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... I collaborated with the computer teacher to help teach kids contractions. We had the kids write two-sentence skits using as many can'ts, shouldn'ts, wouldn'ts, and other contractions as possible. Then we filmed each skit using a Web cam. We...

A big Hollywood producer wanted my students' input on her next project.(methods of film making)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... A big Hollywood producer wanted my students' input on her next project. At least that's what we pretended after reading a play this year. I printed up an e-mail from the "producer" on oak-tag and presented it to the class. The producer was...

Our handwriting lessons are always a real cliffhanger.(handwriting lessons )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Our handwriting lessons are always a real cliffhanger. I make a worksheet with a paragraph from our current read-aloud. Then I insert rule-sized lines beneath the paragraph where students can copy the model text. They have ten minutes to read...

Good day, sunshine ...
May 1, 2006... When I visited George Washington Elementary in Kingsport, Tennessee, they were having a year-end learning celebration with an outdoors theme--and I thought, what a great idea! Kids got their faces painted with favorite characters, practiced...

Have a seat.(idea swap)
May 1, 2006... Tired of all that industrial furniture? Why not take a cue from Town Center Elementary in Plainsboro, New Jersey, and refurbish plain-Jane chairs with a colorful face lift. When students help out, it becomes a meaningful art project, too. ...

It's summer! Time for you to ...(Social aspects of Teachers)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... 1 Pat yourself on the back. You've guided another group of kids through a year of Roald Dahl read-alouds, struggles with fractions and friendships, and so many successes. The world owes you one. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 Eat watermelon....

Call the struggling reader helpline! Two top literacy experts are on call to answer your toughest questions.(expert advice)
May 1, 2006... It's May and fourth-grader Jimmy still doesn't quite recognize where sentences begin or end. And Maria (who wants to read the same books her friends are reading) is still struggling mightily to decode three-syllable words. You know what it's...

When is "challenging behavior" too much? The rights of students with disabilities must be honored--but it can be a tough balancing act when behavior impacts the classroom.(educational aspects)
May 1, 2006... Ten-year-old Bill Hutchison is in the fourth grade in Dickerson, Maryland. He has three brothers and sisters. He likes to watch the Disney channel. He enjoys playing his toy electric guitar. And this past February, his elementary school asked a...

Help! Paperwork weighing you down? Lighten up for spring with our expert advice.(timesavers)
May 1, 2006... Picture this: It's Friday at 3:45 and you glide out of your tidy classroom, saunter across the parking lot with nothing on your arm but the sleeve of your shirt, and slip blissfully into your car for a relaxed ride home. It's a gorgeous May...

What's on your principal's mind? We pose the questions we know you want to ask. You may be surprised at what you find.(your career)
May 1, 2006... Be honest: Sometimes you don't understand your principal. Sure, she dressed up like Abe Lincoln for your unit on the presidents, but sometimes you think she's forgotten what it's like to be in the classroom. Sometimes you just want to ask her...

60 reasons to love summer reading.
May 1, 2006... Is there any greater pleasure than sitting outside on a warm afternoon with a page-turner? Here at Instructor, we think it's hard to beat. That's why we're thrilled to bring you this special tribute to summer reading, covering the facts (summer...

Teachers make the best authors (could you be next?) How five classroom teachers realized their publishing dreams.
May 1, 2006... Famous children's book writer Richard Peck spends his free time at the mall, hanging out in food courts to eavesdrop on kids. Carolyn Mackler, author of Vegan Virgin Valentine, taps her teen sister to find out what young adults are doing and...

"Capping off" another year: graduation caps aren't just for seniors anymore. Here's how to make your own.(hands-on learning)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... SECRET INGREDIENT: A plastic bowl makes a great base for the hat. Trim the edge for a better fit. Poke a hole through the bottom of the bowl and the center of a square piece of card stock. Thread yarn through the hole to create a tassel; tie...

Lemonade-stand math: and eight other ideas for keeping kids' number skills fresh this summer.(activities: grades k-2)
May 1, 2006... What adds up to fun in the summertime? Math, of course! While reading and writing may be at the top of your list for summer shape-up, it's equally important for kids to work with numbers so their minds are sharp and ready for new challenges...

The best year ever: celebrate your students' progress with three fresh, memory-making projects.(activities: grades 3-5)
May 1, 2006... Hooray! You did it. Another year of sharing your state's history and producing 25 masters of multiplication. What's the best way to wrap up a year full of learning in the upper-elementary grades? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On top of that...

Are they ready? For high school English: they'll be a lot closer after our three-week boot camp!(activities: grades 6-8)
May 1, 2006... Imagine: June rolls around and you have a class full of kids ready to head off to ninth-grade English. And, come fall, the high-school teacher calls you up just to congratulate you on a job well done. He's never seen such superstars! ...

A letter to families about summer reading.(reproducible)
May 1, 2006... DEAR FAMILIES: Reading over the summer is crucial to your child's success in school. Studies show that kids who don't read lose ground in the fall. That's why we're sharing some great books and activities for you to enjoy together! ...

Let's make lemonade!(reproducible)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... DIRECTIONS: Hooray! It's summer. How about a nice cold drink? Read the recipe for Cherry-Pink Lemonade. Doesn't it sound delicious? Then answer the questions below. Now you're ready to start squeezing lemons! Cherry-Pink Lemonade 3...

Catalog showcase: a showcase for your catalogs, products and brochures.
May 1, 2006... TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ON THE COMPANIES LISTED IN THIS SECTION, SIMPLY CIRCLE THE CORRESPONDING CIRCLE NUMBER ON THE PRODUCT INFO CARD IN THIS ISSUE FREE DOWNLOADABLE BOOK SAMPLES Request our catalog with an award-winning collection of...

Mike Wallace: this month, he is stepping down from 60 Minutes. We asked the acclaimed journalist for a few minutes of his own to talk about education.(pop quiz)(Interview)
May 1, 2006... What is the most memorable story you covered on education? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Everything is a little bit about education. I once did a piece for 60 Minutes on the KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools. I was moved by them. The...