Instructor (1990) articles from May 2008

Instructor (1990) archives from May 2008

It's time to bridge the divide.(from the editors)
May 1, 2008... "They don't know us, and we don't know them." That's how a teacher friend of mine described the relationship between teachers at her middle school and its feeder schools. She added, "And the silly part is our elementary school is right across...

Archie meets instructor!(COMIC BOOKS IN THE CLASSROOM)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... This month, we were thrilled to collaborate with Archie Comics on illustrations for our feature story on using comics and graphic novels in the classroom. Victor Gorelick, vice president and editor-in-chief at Archie Comics, shared that dozens...

Teacher.scholastic.com.(five reasons to visit ...)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... 1. Enter our book contest now! May 31 is the deadline to enter Scholastic's "Create a Booklist, Win a Booklist" Sweepstakes. Make a list of 10 or more fabulous books using our Teacher Book Wizard and then enter it in our sweepstakes. It...

How much are you worth?(your career)(teachers)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The Equity Project (TEP), a charter school that opens this fall in New York City, says six figures. TEP promises to pay teachers $125,000 a year plus a performance-based bonus--a salary higher than that of the school's principal. The brainchild...

Not earning 100K?(your career)(Table)
May 1, 2008... Don't worry, you're not alone. Sixteen percent of K-12 teachers take second and third jobs to supplement their income. If you're among those searching for a way to make extra cash during the summer months, a range of job opportunities, from...

Summer: time to catch up on blogs.(your career)(http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings, http://giftedexchange.blogspot.com, http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Now that you're not elbowing for screen time with 27 eight-year-olds, here's some just-for-you reading online. Have another fave? E-mail instructor@scholastic.com. * SEVEN IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST: Wise and funny reviews of the...

Our principal wants us to write year-end self-evaluations. What do I include?(your career)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... R. Bruce Williams offers some helpful hints in 12 Roles of Facilitators for School Change. He suggests listing your accomplishments from the past year, along with how they have impacted your teaching and what you're feeling ready to handle now...

Teacher secrets revealed! Share yours at instructor@scholastic.com.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... GET TO KNOW YOUR ROOTS To practice word roots, I post a paper tree on the bulletin board. On the roots of the tree, I write roots and their meanings. For example, I write vid = see, phil = love, graph = write, and so on. Then I challenge...

Teacher-approved reading tools that kids like too!(teachers' picks)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... BEST FOR BUILDING VOCAB The Scrabble-like game Bananagrams "gets kids to use the dictionary and develop their vocabulary," says our tester. "And it's adorably packaged!" www.kazootoys.com; $14.99. Product No. 65* [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

More fun ways to boost lessons.(teachers' picks)(Buyers guide)
May 1, 2008... BEST FOR LEARNING SIGHT WORDS The Meet the Sight Words DVD series covers all the basic sight words through engaging video. "This layered approach to introducing sight words is very effective," says our tester. The child first sees the word...

Ask a child psychologist.
May 1, 2008... Q Some girls in my sixth-grade English class have formed a "super-secret club." I'm worried it's unhealthy--for them and for the girls left out. Is there any way I can intervene? A Clique development is very common for middle schoolers,...

Our best-ever summer freebie list.(free stuff)
May 1, 2008... COOL CONTESTS Earn Green for Teaching Green Have an innovative lesson on the environment or energy conservation? Enter the Live Green Teacher Grants program, sponsored by Discovery Education and General Motors. Forty middle school...

Comics & graphic novels; Mr. Weatherbee, don't blow your top. It's actually a good thing. by Samantha Cleaver.(best practice)
May 1, 2008... Not so many years ago, comic books in school were considered the enemy. Kids caught sneaking comics between the pages of bulky--and less engaging--textbooks were likely sent to the principal. But now comics, including classics such as Superman...

Best books of the year.(children's books)(Recommended readings)
May 1, 2008... Here's something that no one but other teachers seem to understand: The best part of your job isn't the summers off. It isn't the shiny apples or the all-access pass to the teacher's lounge. No, it's the fact that you never have to leave the...

The Scary World of Middle School; How to be sure your kids are ready.(cover story)
May 1, 2008... "You have to love roller coasters," says Susan Kandyba, a language arts teacher at Casey Middle School in Boulder, Colorado. "Middle schoolers are up and down--sometimes manically happy, sometimes gloomy. A sense of humor is key," Middle...

2nd grade again? "social promotion" is an unpopular phrase in education, but is retention any better?(tough topic)
May 1, 2008... It's the end of the school year, and you have a choice to make. David, who rarely hands in homework, has missed several weeks of school--much of it unexcused. Lisa, already a year older than her peers because she was held back in first grade,...

Do more with your sand table.(preK-K)(children's books)(Recommended readings)
May 1, 2008... Here's the nitty-gritty on how to dig up some sand-table fun. DIG FOR DINOSAURS BOOK TO READ: Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner ACTIVITY TO TRY: Explain that we know about dinosaurs thanks to paleontologists, who discover and study...

Go for the Gold!(preK-K)(2008 Summer Olympics)
May 1, 2008... The 2008 Summer Olympics will take place in Beijing this August. Here are some fun ways to get students ready. TORCH BEARER FOCUS SKILLS: Geography WHAT TO DO: Using an atlas or globe, help kids trace the route of the Olympic...

Career Day: "I want to be a fireman when I grow up!".(grades 1-2)
May 1, 2008... Here are seven fun ways to help kids explore their dream vocations. GETTING STARTED WHAT IT TEACHES: Brainstorming, cooperative learning and group skills, sequencing, writing invitations WHAT TO DO: Read aloud the book Career Day...

Make a friend, Keep a friend.(End-of-Year Fun)
May 1, 2008... You and your students have spent nine long months learning about one another. Celebrate the friendships you've made with these new books and activities. CORK AND FUZZSHORT AND TALL By Dori Chaconas, illustrated by Lisa McCue WHAT IT'S...

Hit the road reading.(grades 3-5)(Recommended readings)
May 1, 2008... This summer, don't just give kids a list of books to read--give them a chance to climb to the top of Everest and explore the depths of the Amazon jungle. Check out our favorite "travel" books (pages 70-71) and pair them with these activities to...

Five ways to dig into Archaeology.(grades 6-8)
May 1, 2008... These fun-in-the-sun activities are a great way to get middle schoolers excited about ancient history. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1 CAVE PAINTING WHAT IT TEACHES: That pigments can come from natural sources, how early humans...

R.L. Stine: the king of kids' horror gets kids to ready by giving them goosebumps.(pop quiz)(Interview)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * What was school like for you? School was a lot like my life now--I spent most of my time writing. From the time I was nine, I started writing little joke books and magazines. In high school, I wrote a humor...