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With Memorial Day -- the unofficial first day of summer -- just around the corner, its time to think about getting kids outdoors again. To help you get students active and promote fitness, this week we introduce a variety of -- indoor and outdoor -- team games from PE expert Guy Bailey. Encourage cooperation, collaboration, sportsmanship, and healthful activity among your students as you rejuvenate recess with this terrific article by Cara Bafile.
Math Cats creator Wendy Petti offers some management advice for math class thats relevant for teachers of any subject. Find out how you can replace Wrong answer" with Convince me!" -- and stimulate inquiry, clear thinking, and animated discourse.
Professor Joe (Martin) also gives all educators something to think about with the question Do you brighten up your school when you enter it or when you leave it?" We all know both types of people. Which type are you? What questions do you ask yourself when considering your commitment to teaching?
Eric Baylin speaks for all teachers, I think, as he sings about All the Things We Are," and wonders if all those things we are might inspire students to follow in our footsteps.
And Ken Shore offers advice on how to create a love of reading in your children and in your students.
Want to be a better teacher? Check out some of the simple suggestions from all of our experts.
And have a great week!


100 Report Card Comments It's report card time again and you face the prospect of writing constructive, insightful, and original comments on a couple dozen report cards or more. Heres 100 positive report card comments for you to use or adapt.

Rejuvenate Recess Get kids active and promote fitness with games from PE expert Guy Bailey.

Looping Looping -- when a teacher moves with his or her students to the next grade level rather than sending them to another teacher at the end of the school year -- is a phenomenon that is growing in popularity. Discover the benefits and disadvantages and looping.

Bullying Intervention Strategies That Work "Bullying," according to noted expert Dan Olweus, "poisons the educational environment and affects the learning of every child." Find out what you can do to keep bullying behavior from poisoning your school.

Names Can Hurt You Bullies are raised in the home, but their victims are too frequently created in the classroom. Learn how what you believe about bullies can hurt your students.

This weeks featured tip is from our Book Report Makeover Library. Contribute to our tips libraries.

 

Professor Joe Martin Do you brighten up your school when you enter it or when you leave it?


Ask Dr. Shore What can I do to help my son stand up to peer pressure in middle school?


Emma McDonald Dont miss this five part series on how to get the teaching job you want.

 

Eric Baylin Heres to the rare committee that can work it out.


Dr. Fred Jones If you want students to cooperate class after class, day after day, you must answer for them the question, "Why should I?"

Ms. Powells Tips for Organizing Your Classroom Keep all your centers, games, manipulatives, and photo copies for math in one place.

Meet the other members of Education Worlds Columnist Team.

Convince Me Saying "Wrong answer!" pronounces judgment and kills debate. Saying "Convince me!" stimulates inquiry, clear mathematical thinking, and animated mathematical discourse.

The Creatures in My Yard In my busy back yard, you can spy.?

Make Puzzles Part of Your Game Plan Loads of Internet sites offer puzzles, riddles, word games, and other games to stimulate fun and learning. "Puzzle" your pupils! Check out a few of them.

Math Mnemonics Solving Word Problems

From the Math Machine Power Football Answer a decimal problem and hit "go." If the answer is correct, the ball moves toward the goal. (Grades 4-8)

Look for more math resources, lessons, and activities in our Math Corner and on our Lesson Planning page.

Competition Win an Edible Garden from Reader’s Digest.


What can you do with SchoolNotes? Check out Grubbs’ Class Notes.

 

 


Encouraging Independent Reading A practical, easy-to-implement strategy for sending students off into the world of independent reading with a goal and a plan, including a step-by-step independent reading plan for students in grades 1-12.

Can Humpty Dumpty Be Saved? When Humpty Dumpty is injured in a fall, the king offers a reward to anyone who can save him.

Reading Tips Encourage independent reading by turning reading time into party time.

From the Reading Machine Seussville Story Maker Create three scenes of a story with Seuss characters, backgrounds, and your text. Then animate the tale (K-4)

Best Books for Teaching About
Memorial Day
The Life Cycle

Writing About Math A look at some of the benefits of writing in math class; a variety of writing categories and topics; and suggestions for creating a positive environment for writing about math.

A Teachable Moment Constantine Christopuloss second graders petition for fewer green beans.

Writing Descriptions of "My Favorite Place" Help students write excellent descriptions. (Grades 3-12)

"The Wall" Inspires Letters to Veterans In time for Memorial Day, inspire students to write letters to veterans at local hospitals. (Grades K-12)

My Personal Tongue Twister Make up a tongue twister using your name.

When Spider Webs Unite What does this old Ethiopian proverb mean to you?