Because I love books, I have a special fund designated for books to expand the library at school as well as my personal library. But not just any book--not all books are of the same quality. Because there are far too many good...
I wonder if others have noticed with me that grumbling about circumstances often only makes the situation worse. Plus, the negative focus depletes energy. Over the years I have wasted mountains of energy when I focused on...
I love when ideas simply present themselves, almost without my conscious thought. In fact, I have noticed that when I become fixated on solving a problem, spending lots of time and energy trying to figure out its solution, it...
Years ago, a wise teacher offered me invaluable advice. When I bemoaned my failures in the classroom, my impatience, and my inability to portray God as the perfect authority, he clearly understood my lament. Then speaking out of...
The outside classroom door stood propped open to invite the fresh morning air. Just beyond the open door, our school garden flourished and we wanted as much contact as we could with the fresh air and colors. We now sat in back of...
Hold Fast Your Dreams by Louise Driscoll Hold fast your dreams! Within your heart Keep one still, secret spot Where dreams may go, And sheltered so, May thrive and grow Where doubt and fear are not. Oh, keep a place apart Within...
I offer you a strange story without a clear ending. My perspective goes like this: Just as I pulled away from the stop sign on my way home from town, I saw him. He held a sign: “Traveling. Broke. Hungry.” As my car rolled past,...
Betty's guide to Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla gives helpful background information for the teacher, and offers ideas for guiding a second-grade class through the book. Students to a lot of drawing and...
Betty Yoder's reading guide for Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson includes goals, objectives, instructions, and project ideas for use with second-grade class. Betty also includes helpful vocab definitions and ideas for conducting...
I love being out of school! A more flexible schedule ranks high on my list of joys. What delight to encounter the many things that could and and should and would (want) to be done with the freedom to choose which to prioritize!...
Several weeks before the end of school I entered a fierce battle, and I was losing. Nights found me lying awake for hours, consumed by fear. Fretting and worrying. Rehashing scenarios, imagining new ones. My body reflected the...
I tried something new this winter. Since I love plants and gardening, it seemed like a good idea to try growing lettuce in the classroom. So at the tail end of Christmas break I seeded lettuce into a five- gallon fish aquarium as...
Likely every teacher eagerly anticipates Christmas vacation and other breaks, just as their students do. A favorite memory of this past Christmas break is when I spent most of the day alone at our local, wonderfully rustic...
This activity-rich document helps teachers train their students in reading skills and historical appreciation through reading Twice Freed by Patricia St. John. From the contributor: I used it with grades 5-6, but the reading...
