-
What Makes A Good Teacher?
What makes a good teacher? The answer is simple. A good teacher knows the importance of creating a desire for life long learning. A good teacher knows the value of an education. My Story I didn’t grow up wanting to become a teacher. I had no interest in school and no desire to go to college. Both my grandmothers and my mother were all stay-at-home moms. There was no talk about my future and what I may want to do after I graduated high school. I had no idea what college was like or why I should go. I was taught that it was bad to be a working mom because then…
-
Respect in the Classroom
Respect “Dad needs to show an incredible amount of respect and humor and friendship toward his mate so the kids understand their parents are sexy, they’re fun, they do things together, they’re best friends. Kids learn by example. If I respect Mom, they’re going to respect Mom.” Tim Allen “When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.” Dalai Lama I remember when I was in school the feeling we all got when we knew our teacher was out and we had a sub. Usually word would spread in the hallways before class. Having a substitute teacher meant a relaxed free period. Oh, I remember! Now, I am…
-
Easter Cookie Nests
Of course I had to try making my pots of gold into Easter baskets. When I couldn’t get any kind of candy basket handle to stay up for more than five seconds I dubbed them nests. Let me know if you try these and find something that works. Possibly if the nests/baskets were dipped in chocolate then the chocolate would hold the handle in place… once it dries. That would mean having a lot of patience which I tend to have for writing novels but not cooking. They’re a fun dessert for a party or an economical treat for a classroom of students. Teachers, two books that would go along with the theme of…
-
What’s Your Strongest Intelligence?
There is little that upsets me more than when I hear a child say they aren’t smart. Unfortunately, I hear it often as a substitute teacher and it always breaks my heart. Sitting in the back of the room, arms crossed, the high school sophomore blurted out “This is an ESE class. That means we’re stupid.” Not wanting to lecture, but wanting to help, I gave a brief lesson on multiple intelligences. According to Dr. Howard Gardner’s theory, there are eight intelligences. • Linguistic Intelligence • Musical Intelligence • Logical-Mathematical Intelligence • Spatial Intelligence • Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence • Interpersonal Intelligence • Intrapersonal Intelligence • Naturalist Intelligence I explained that our…
-
Teaching
Tap, tap, tap, “Mrs. Rausin.” Tap, tap, tap, “Mrs. Rausin.” One day I smiled and tapped back before I answered-I couldn’t resist. I wondered where he had learned such a habit. He looked at me with bewilderment and laughed. That’s what my days are filled with, moments of silliness, laughter and sometimes exhaustion because third graders have a tremendous amount of energy. I am reminded daily of how peaceful my life once was. I used to spend my mornings sipping coffee and typing in silence creating characters, now, I have a room full of them by seven-thirty. “Mrs. Rausin did you know that boy humpback whales sing?” “Mrs. Rausin instead of…
