TheApple

Thought I’d share with you some exciting new teacher-friendly discounts! This was passed unto me by another educator so you know you are getting timely and updated information. It’s always great to share a support chain and create a resourceful community of teachers! h3. Borders
: Borders announced that it has increased its educator discount from 20% to 25%. Now educators receive ...

MINNEAPOLIS, MN: Educators, parents, and book lovers can get a free, exclusive look at a brand-new middle grade novel, Finn Reeder, Flu Fighter. Starting November 17, Stone Arch Books, a children's fiction publisher, has made the book available as a free download on its website www.capstonepub.com/promo/h1n1/. The book will be released in hardcover as part of Stone Arch’s spring 2010 collection ...

Oh friends! My heart is literally pounding for I am angry! Irritated! Astounded! Today I am angry because I finally read the story from Sunday's New York Times (MASSIVE kitchen re-organizing took over my life this weekend....grueling and intense, but well worth it. I do heart an organized kitchen!!). Did you see this article? If you didn't, you can check it ...

As an educator for over twenty-six years, I have always advocated that schools need to get involved in important issues like feeding the homeless, Live Aid and Band Aid, helping 9/11 victims’ families, supporting our veterans, and assisting those people hit hard by disasters like Hurricane Katrina. I have been reluctant to support schools dealing with what goes on in the home. ...

In today's age of technology, it's hard to keep anything private. Technology is a great classroom tool, but this year, many teachers have found that it can also be used against them. Whether it's a comment in class, a video from a cell phone, or a social networking picture, everything seems to go viral. While most teachers err on the side ...

What happens when communication breaks down? School life doesn't run smoothly. TheApple did some investigating, and we hope the results of our efforts will help educators, principals and parents communicate more effectively. 10 Things Your Students Won't Tell You 15 Confessions from Principals 10 Things Parents Don't Tell Teachers

Drama: a word that used to terrify me, but in the past week has inspired me! Until completing a research project for one of my graduate courses, the thought of me having anything to do with drama beyond mere appreciation was unheard of. I was an extremely quiet and shy child and the thought of even speaking out in class was ...

Dear Julia- I am student teaching now. In college we learned many ways of designing lessons. The problem is the school I am student teaching at is very rigid in their lessons and utilize just a few books. These books come complete with LOTS of worksheets. Creativity is very limited as it is required that these text books are followed to ...

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how my friend Junior had posted on his blog calling for people to write about what kind of a legacy we wanted to leave. I have been thinking a whole lot over the past few months about my progression as a teacher, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to really flesh out ...

Wonder what could get students excited about coming to school? Have you ever asked your students? One teacher posed the question to her class. Some of their responses are thoughtful and others are just plain funny. Find out what students think a perfect school should be. 30 Students Quoted: What My Perfect School Would Be

I did a writing across the curriculum exercise where students described what their perfect school would be like. Some of the students had really good insights and I thought I would share my student quotes with you. Quote #1 "My perfect school would be a night time school." Next page: Quote #2 [page] Quote #2 "Kids will be given a laptop ...

It's been a while since I've talked about stress relief, but I have some new ideas that I think might help you if you're struggling at this point in the school year. What I'm proposing for you to try out, be it this weekend or during a weekday a mental health day, is to take your mind out of time. Sometimes ...

“The words that are chosen by a teacher carry so much meaning and power. I think we all forget just how much power we have. When a kid falls down in class and forgets homework, does poorly on a test, or even is the biggest thorn in our side, we have a choice to use words that beat them down or ...

1. Start With the Standards Each teacher has a set of standards by grade level and subject that they are tasked to accomplish throughout the year. If you haven't committed them to memory, make sure you post them or have them ready for easy reference. These standards should guide everything you do. Follow the wording of the standard closely to make ...

Some teachers have described their professional lives as lonely. They describe what it is like to go into their classroom full of young people and then not talk to another adult until lunch or the end of the day. While it is true that we spend our days in the company of children, it is more important than ever that we ...

In Learner experts or Content experts? from Technology Teacher, fivbert begins by asking, “Should teachers be Experts in Knowledge of their Subject Matter or Experts in How to Teach Students?” and finishes by stating, “Teachers should be facilitators of learning, Information Facilitators, not just Information Dispensers.” This reminded me of the many times that my students thought (and expected) that ...

Principal Confession #1: Dear Parents: "I will not move your child from class to class until he finds a teacher he likes. Sometimes we have to deal with things we don't like- it's part of a larger life lesson." Next page: Confession #2 [page] Principal Confession #2: Dear Teachers: "All of our jobs are hard. The grass is not greener in ...

There's no question about it- principals have a tough job. They steer the school ship- hiring teachers, dealing with parents, and working with students. Their job is long and challenging because the big school decisions are theirs to make. Because the principal sets the tone for the school, they can't always say what they really want to. Several current principals confessed ...

“Parents are universally accepted as a child’s first teacher. It’s intuitive, and we usually know it from our own experience. Schools that embrace this reality and recognize the important role parents play in their child’s education are better able to create curriculum and build relationships with parents that have a profound effect on a child’s journey through school.” David Flatley, Change.org ...

This year, we have done things quite a bit differently in our band classes. We have not spent any time really outlining classroom rules. In fact, we really have been operating on a rule-free teaching model. Earlier this week, I clarified my don’t talk to me policy. Beyond that though, we really haven’t gone over anything specifically. No lists of rules ...