Instructor (1990) articles from September 2007

Instructor (1990) archives from September 2007

A new take on self-esteem.(from the editors)(Editorial)
September 1, 2007... Good job! As teachers and, for many of us, as parents, we say these words all the time. We use this phrase when students work hard at learning, as well as when they are kind, or generous, or patient, or quiet. If we're honest with ourselves,...

Get your own $25,000 classroom makeover.(INSTRUCTOR ON THE GO)
September 1, 2007... This past August, Instructor teamed up with Expo and Paige Hemmis of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to redo a seventh-grade classroom in Trent Lott Middle School in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Veteran teacher Patti Ramer was the lucky winner of a...

Five reasons to visit ...(teaching)(Website list)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... teacher.scholastic.com 1. A brand new site for Early Childhood Today! A terrific and comprehensive Web site, ECT has lots to offer: exciting and searchable activities, more than 2000 articles by educational and child development...

My principal is coming to observe my classroom. I'm nervous!(Q&A)(Brief article)(Column)
September 1, 2007... "Don't sweat it. It's all about being and looking prepared," says mentor and fourth-grade teacher Ruth Moorberg. Moorberg offers these additional tips: 1. Wear something that helps you feel comfortable and confident. 2. Give your principal a...

Day job: teacher night job: poet.(your career)
September 1, 2007... When a bad day makes you forget why you started teaching in the first place, get inspired with teacher come poet Taylor Mali's poem "What Teachers Make." Mali taught for nine years before he began to express his passion and frustrations about...

Ride the waves with TeacherTube.(your career)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Watch out YouTube! The ubiquitous Web site where anyone can share and view homemade videos now has competition from teachers. Launched in March 2007, Teacher Tube (www.teachertube.com) features videos about instruction, life in schools, and...

Love your teaching assistant?(your career)(Sara Bubb and Peter Earley's Managing Teacher Workload)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... You may be alone. In theory, teaching assistants are a boon to your classroom. But in practice, too many grown-ups around can lead to sticky situations. In their book, Managing Teacher Workload, experts Sara Bubb and Peter Earley help you to...

3 tips for a savvy start to the year.(idea swap)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... 1 DEEP BREATHS The first week is always hard and new, no matter how many years you have been teaching. I keep my class lists handy and I take a Lot of deep breaths. Remember, it is your students' first week back to school, too; they are...

A fresh crop of classroom ideas from teachers like you!(idea swap)
September 1, 2007... GARDEN OF EATIN' As a whole-class project, my special needs students planted and tended their own vegetable garden. Throughout the school year, they watched the seedlings sprout and the veggies grow, while learning the value of...

Classroom management: great ideas for those crucial first weeks.(idea swap)
September 1, 2007... We asked you, "What's your best idea, your magic wand for the start of the year?" Here's what you told us. 1 TEAMWORK WINS One surefire management tip is the Team Point System. I arrange my students into groups of five or six....

5 fresh picks for fall: from apples to pumpkins, Ramadan to Halloween, autumn has plenty of things to celebrate. Here are some books that will help.(teachers' picks [BOOKS])(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
September 1, 2007... Apples By Jacqueline Farmer, illustrated by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes. $ 16.95. A terrific new resource for your apple unit, this book explains all about how apples are grown and harvested. Kids can compare the different varieties of apples, as...

4 great graphic stories: Kazam! today's authors blend text and illustrations in new ways.(teachers' picks [BOOKS])(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
September 1, 2007... The Fog Mound: Faradawn By Susan Schade, illustrated by Jon Buller. $15.99. In the second volume of this postapocalyptic series, Thelonius the Chipmunk continues to search for answers. Sound confusing? Even reluctant readers will fall for the...

6 best books for early readers.(teacher's picks [BOOKS])(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
September 1, 2007... see Jane run. See Spot sit. Bored already? So are we. Thank good-ness today's generation of new readers doesn't have to be * Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise By Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. $12.99. In the Halloween...

4 picks for cowboys (and girls).(teachers' picks [BOOKS])(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
September 1, 2007... Farewell wands and wizards, hello little doggies! This fall Westerns are the hottest genre either side of the Mississippi, so let your cowpokes sidle up to these great reads. The Great Texas Hamster Drive By Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by...

Tools to boost reading at all levels, chosen by our teacher testers.(teacher's picks)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... BEST FOR STRUGGLING READERS With the new Radius Reading Strategy Kits, kids learn how to get key information from nonfiction texts and gain a better understanding of content-area vocabulary in context. "This product is perfect for teachers...

Contests for kids and grants for you--right here!(free stuff)(List)
September 1, 2007... Love our exclusive listings of contests, grants, and freebies for the classroom? You'll find these listings and even more at www.scholastic.com/instructor. COOL CONTESTS Spell Your Way to Prizes How word-savvy are your students?...

Ask a psychologist.(parent-teacher relations)(Column)
September 1, 2007... Q. I think the parents of one of my first graders are avoiding me! They didn't come to my open house and haven't responded to any of my notes. What should I do? A. I applaud your wish to involve this family, as studies have shown how...

The well-organized classroom: looking to refresh your room? Steal ideas from this stylish, studious learning space.(classroom design)
September 1, 2007... Get teachers talking together and one of the first things you'll hear is that the best professional development is visiting other teachers' classrooms. That's why this year Instructor is hosting an Open Classroom Tour. First stop? Town Center...

Too much of a good thing? We encourage them, we celebrate them, and we give them stickers and stars. But are we doing more harm than good?
September 1, 2007... Ask Korean eighth graders, "Are you good at math?" and chances are they'll say they aren't. Ask an American, and you'll likely get an enthusiastic response. In a recent study, only six percent of Korean eighth graders considered themselves...

"I don't get it": literacy expert Marjorie Y. Lipson answers teachers' tough questions about teaching reading comprehension.(best practice)(Column)
September 1, 2007... A few years ago, I taught Michael, a sixth grader who was still struggling with reading. I so wanted to help this child, but it was often difficult to understand what stood in the way of his fluency. Meanwhile, his classmates were diving into...

25 great ideas for Hispanic heritage.
September 1, 2007... Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated September 15th, through October 15th, is a great opportunity to kick off a whole year of cultural discovery. These 25 fresh ideas--from Aztec math to Carnaval masks--are easy to put together, and they offer...

Upgrade your teaching creds: 11 online classes worth your time.(teacher leaders)
September 1, 2007... When you're a teacher, you have to keep going to school just to keep your job, so it pays to know the most interesting and convenient programs available. That's why we found not just 10, but 11 professional development options that work for...

The deadly PB&J: dangerous food allergies are on the rise. Would you know how to handle them in your classroom?(healthy classroom)
September 1, 2007... Another kid's lunch can kill my kid," says Kay Pluta, mother of 11-year-old Neal, who has lived with a severe milk-protein allergy from infancy. "It sounds alarmist, but it only takes one crumb to set off an anaphylactic reaction," Pluta says....

Dress up in words: looking for a Halloween alternative? Stage a vocabulary parade.(best practice)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Every teacher knows how hard it can be to make vocabulary words stick in kids' heads. But these students wore their words and are likely to remember them for decades to come. Inspired by Debra Frasier's award-winning Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary...

It's apple season!; There's a big barrel of autumnal learning in these fun, fresh activities.(September Themes)
September 1, 2007... APPLES, APPLES, EVERYWHERE FOCUS SKILLS: Reading sight words, learning about nutrition WHAT TO DO: Encourage children to go on an apple scavenger hunt. Explain that apples or apple juice are common ingredients in many foods, and invite...

Six anytime alphabet games: use these ready-to-go group ideas to reinforce letter knowledge. They can also fill in extra moments of the day.(quickideas preK-K)
September 1, 2007... 1. LETTER FREEZE! Select a letter card and pass it face-down to a child. The child then looks at the letter and passes the card on, keeping it facedown as it is passed from person to person. After the card circulates a bit, call "Freeze!"...

Let's write sentences: these easy activities give children the hands-on practice they need to be successful sentence writers.(Language Arts)
September 1, 2007... 1 LETTER LEAVES WHAT IT TEACHES: Capitalization WHAT TO DO: To reinforce that proper nouns begin with a capital letter, cut out a supply of colorful fall leaves from construction paper. Write a common or proper noun on each leaf, using...

Favorite fall bulletin boards: colorful leaves and bright pumpkins make autumn displays come to life.(Language Arts)
September 1, 2007... MYSTERY PUMPKIN GRAPH WHAT YOU NEED: The following sizes of construction paper for each student: one 4"x4" green square, two 6"x6" black squares,, one 8"x4" black rectangle, one 4"x4" yellow square, and one 10"xl0" orange square. WHAT...

Happy healthy halloween: planning a halloween party of fall festival? Skip the sugar highs and try these nutritious treats and activities instead.(Holidays)
September 1, 2007... PRETZEL CREATURES Feed their minds: Practice symmetry, problem-solving, and creative writing. Feed their tummies: Gather pretzel sticks, minipretzel twists, peanut butter (if no one is allergic), hummus, raisins, sunflower seeds, and...

MORE GREAT SNACKS FOR KIDS!; Here are some of our favorite kid-friendly cookbooks.(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
September 1, 2007... * SALAD PEOPLE And More Real Recipes: A New Cookbook for Preschoolers & Up, by Mollie Katzen. Fast, nutritious, and delicious ideas. This book teaches kids to be creative in the kitchen! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * THE COMING TO...

Six quick multiplication games: these fall-themed activities make facts practice fun.(Math Practice)
September 1, 2007... 1 FALLING LEAVES Write the numbers one through nine at random on colorful cutout leaves. Scatter the leaves facedown. Invite students to gather two leaves and then multiply the two numbers out loud. If correct, they get two more. Students...

Fun with physics: five easy experiments that teach the law of the universe.(In the Science Lab)
September 1, 2007... 1 RUBBER BAND RELAY What it teaches: Potential and kinetic energy What you need: Large rubber bands (all same size and shape), chalk, rulers, tape, tape measure What to do: Divide students into pairs. Invite each pair to tape two...

Best video games for school: research reveals that students really are learning something when they play video games. Our teacher-testers weigh in on games worth teaching with.(Teaching With Technology)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... BODY MECHANICS DVD Best for: Delving into the human body. Why kids Like it: Students learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle by watching "superheroes" fight disease from inside the human body. "The animated characters are...