Instructor (1990) articles from September 2000

Instructor (1990) archives from September 2000

Teaching Kids to Care.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... It was the summer of 1993. I was a camp counselor, leading a group of 10-year-olds on a three-day trip down the Saco River, in Maine. In the atmosphere of sharing and mutual respect that the children had developed, one cherubic-looking child,...

Who Will Be Our Next Class-y President?(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Take a quick back-to-school look at the candidates' education plans. As the school year begins, knowing each new face in the classroom will be just as important as knowing each new face that could be succeeding President Clinton. The...

Get On the Brain Bus!(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Why are children from all over America cheering for a certain bright yellow school bus? It can only mean one thing--the Brain Quest bus has arrived to get kids fired up about learning, and to spread the message: "It's OK to be Smart." The...

Definition of Teachers.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Astronauts Exploring The far reaches Of the universe Inside of students. Engineers Designing Spaceships Strong enough To carry children On their journey Through life. Scientists Studying The minds And hopes And dreams Of the earth's...

Letters.
September 1, 2000... Writing Festival Success I just want to thank Mack Lewis and Instructor magazine for the outstanding idea of having a school-wide writing festival (May/June 2000). I used Mack's idea this spring in my school and it was absolutely awesome!...

Handle With Care.(A veteran teacher's advice on stopping a bully, raising children's self-esteem, and more)
September 1, 2000... A veteran teacher's advice on stopping a bully, raising children's self-esteem, and more Q I have a student who bullies other kids. He doesn't do it in my class, yet students feel threatened and complain to me. How can I stop the bullying...

All Aboard the School Bus!(Let these spiffy school-based read-alouds ease you back into the first few weeks of the new school year)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Let these spiffy school-based read-alouds ease you back into the first few weeks of the new school year WEMBERLY WORRIED By Kevin Henkes; 32 pages; Greenwllow, 2000; $15.95. Grades PreK-1. Spotted mouse Wemberly worries all day and...

One Size Fits Few: The Folly of Educational Standards.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... One Size Fits Few: The Folly of Educational Standards, by Susan Ohanian (Heinemann, 1999) Ohanian's efforts to jolt the reader into a new consideration of standards, and the standards movement, is actually a cry for sensibility in...

Math is Language Too: Talking and Writing in the Mathematics Classroom.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Math is Language Too: Talking and Writing in the Mathematics Classroom, by Phyllis Whitin and David J. Whitin (NCTE and the NCTM, 2000). In chronicling one teacher's experience of using math journals and oral and written communication in...

Get-Acquainted Slide Show.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Last September, we began the school year by encouraging our second graders to get acquainted with one another and some new technology at the same time. Using two recent acquisitions--a digital camera and HyperStudio software--students created a...

Create a Caring Classroom.(Use this checklist to help ensure that your classroom is an emotionally safe place--for every child)
September 1, 2000... Use this checklist to help ensure that your classroom is an emotionally safe place--for every child On my very first day as a teacher, one of my new students approached me, looked me squarely in the eye, and announced: "I don't do...

Play An Endangered Species.
September 1, 2000... In their rush to increase teaching hours, many districts are eliminating recess and free time--and something valuable is being lost Children know a simple truth that many administrators seem to have forgotten: Play is a necessary part of...

The Bully-Free classroom.(Effective strategies and activities to stop bullying before it starts )
September 1, 2000... Effective strategies and activities to stop bullying before it starts Say the word bully to anyone you know, and the stories will start pouring out--about the fourth-grade bully who regularly tripped kids, the second-grade bully who made...

Celebrate Diversity!(How to create a Caring classroom that honors your students [9] cultural backgrounds )
September 1, 2000... How to create a Caring classroom that honors your students [9] cultural backgrounds "I don't want to phool around, I just want to read," writes Olivia, a young Russian immigrant, during a reading-reflection time. Zena, a child of...

To Friendship.(Poetry as a tool for reflecting on--and celebrating--friendship )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Poetry as a tool for reflecting on--and celebrating--friendship The start of the school year is the perfect time to encourage students to think about friendship. "To You," by Karla Kuskin, offers young writers a chance to explore the facets...

Let the Games Begin!(The 2000 Olympic Games, in Sydney, Australia, offer rich and fun-filled teaching opportunities)
September 1, 2000... The 2000 Olympic Games, in Sydney, Australia, offer rich and fun-filled teaching opportunities Capture students' attention by beginning your unit the same way that the Olympic Games begin: with a flame. The 2000 Summer Games open on...

Christopher Paul Curtis.
September 1, 2000... Children in middle childhood need special friends to share the risk and confusion of those emotional experiences that lead to adulthood. Parents and teachers don't fully qualify for this role. Understandably, they tend to shield the young from...

Apple Thumb Prints.(school art/mathematics lesson)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Johnny Appleseed's Birthday Practice numbers with this fun hands-on art activity. Place numbered slips of paper in a bowl or basket and let each child choose a slip. Then ask your students to draw trees on thick pieces of construction...

Tigers & Elephants.
September 1, 2000... Save the Tiger Month September is the time for learning more about tigers and elephants. Both animals are celebrated on this month's calendar and are endangered species. What other things do they have in common? Have your students find the...

Everybody Works, Everybody Reads.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Labor Day Celebrate Labor Day with an activity that emphasizes the importance of reading and writing! Explain to your students that Labor Day is a holiday celebrating workers and their contribution to the strength and prosperity of our...

Potato Olympics 2000.(students can study the Olympics in the classroom)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... (Source: Doug Williams, Educational Consultant, Australia) You don't have to travel to Australia to experience the Olympics. Bring the Olympics to your classroom! Instead of koalas and kangaroos--think potatoes. Turn your students on to the...

Shine for Back-to-School Night!(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Activities to help you involve your students and parents, make introductions easier, and encourage everyone to have fun on this special evening. Classroom Discovery Scavenger Hunt Add some excitement to Back-to-School Night with a...

Icebreaker Math: Fun Classroom Surveys.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... NCTM Standards: Communication, Data Analysis and Probability September is here and so is your new class of students. This creative icebreaking activity will help bring you together as a class, while exploring data representation. ...

Stars in the Classroom.(bulletin boards by students)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Having kids create the bulletin board makes everyone a star This colorful kid-made bulletin board gives each student the chance to feel like a Star--and the whole class the opportunity to express what they like about others and learn about...

Leaf Science: Pigments on Parade!(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... "The Dirtmeister"(R) With the beginning of autumn, the leaves of deciduous trees seem to magically turn an incredible natural palette of yellow, brown, orange, and red. Your students can discover for themselves how these "hidden colors"...

The Best of the Web for Teachers.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Outstanding education destinations to jump-start lessons and learning Just as it's best to visit a new city with a road map, teachers and students benefit from Internet road maps to Web addresses to help navigate the World Wide Web safely...

Classroom Without Walls.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Innovative social studies software The great thing about computers is their ability to expand your instructional reach. Just drop in a CDROM, and you can help students see the world from the perspective of a new immigrant, fresh off the...

Step by Step.(instructions for students with special needs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... How to make it easier for all students to do what's expected when learning new rules and procedures Getting students to learn and practice a new classroom rule or procedure isn't always easy. Students with special needs, in particular,...

The Trojan War.(teacher of problem student discusses his paper on the Trojan War)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... It's not always the winners who are remembered best On the first day of school, Leonardo strode into my seventh-grade classroom, opened his arms, and announced, with a smile, "Hold up, everybody. Your worst nightmare is here." I smiled back...