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Volume 2, Issue 22
November 3, 2008

Eric Baylin's Songs to Brighten a Teacher's Day
The Chaperone Song
On top of everything else -- the daily lesson plans, the faculty meetings, lunch duty, and more -- there are those “special” opportunities for teachers -- chaperoning middle- or high-school dances.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/baylin/baylin036.shtml

Dr. Fred Jones: Tools for Teaching
Learning to Give in Order to Get
To learn time management, students must have time -- time they desire; time they are willing to work for. Preferred Activity Time, or PAT, is the time you give students to give yourself the time to teach.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/jones/jones015.shtml

Ask Dr. Shore About...
Kids Without Friends
A child in my third-grade class doesn't seem to have any friends. I've tried encouraging him, without much success. What can I do to help him?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/shore/shore105.shtml

Ruth Sidney Charney: The Responsive Classroom
The Importance of Modeling
We have generated our hopes and dreams. We have constructed and displayed our classroom rules. We have shared our rules with parents. Now comes the interesting part, the part where we teach the rules.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/charney/charney003.shtml

Emma McDonald: The New Teacher Advisor
Developing Positive Parent Partnerships
To reach our goal of producing successful students, we must partner with the people ultimately responsible for those students -- their parents.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald004.shtml

Long-Term Planning Strategies
A little long-term planning can help keep you from getting overwhelmed and stressed out in the weeks ahead. Try this practical planning system to ensure a successful "next semester."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald005.shtml

Cathy Puett Miller: The Reading Coach
Connecting Reading to Life
No matter where you teach, walking the tightrope of curriculum, standards, and accountability must never lessen the drive to connect content to experience.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/miller/miller005.shtml

Connecting With Story
Read how two experienced educators use read-alouds to meet the challenges of differentiating instruction, expanding student learning, and addressing curriculum.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/miller/miller007.shtml

Angela Powell: Getting It Together
A File Holder for Reading Strands
Keep a magazine file holder for each of the reading strands addressed in your state standards.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/organization/organization012.shtml

Organizing Science and Social Studies Materials
Keeping science and social studies materials organized is easy when you invest in plastic drawers that can be used for years to come.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/organization/organization013.shtml

Each week, Education World spotlights books of interest to educators. This week, read a brief summary of two more of our "top 50 books for educators."

No Contest: The Case Against Competition
One of the most prolific education writers, Alfie Kohn is also one of the most entertaining and thought-provoking. This book makes perhaps the most profound argument Kohn has ever fielded -- that "healthy competition" is an oxymoron, that competition is not an essential or desirable aspect of human nature, but rather a part of our animal nature that we must transcend. Of course our educational system has a love-hate relationship with competition: we don't want kids to feel like losers, but our society demands that schools identify a small number of winners. A truly essential read!
Click to learn more or to purchase this book.

The Absorbent Mind
Maria Montessori's classic underscores her belief that learning is a natural characteristic of the human being, and that the process of education is best conducted as a nuturing of that natural impulse, rather than something that has to be imposed on one's otherwise savage little charges. Along with this is her belief, much more radical in its time than now, that people's personalities are not fixed at birth, but that a child's early years are in fact crucially formative.
Click to learn more or to purchase this book.

Click the icon to the right to see more books and many other products that are available in the Education World MarketPlace.

Reader's Theater
Good to Be Green
Little Gerry Green Thumb has applied to become the newest character in Nursery Rhyme Kingdom. Will the admissions committee accept him?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/reading/ReadersTheater/ReadersTheater022.shtml
Cooks Challenge
It's a battle of culinary creativity when a nursery rhyme character competes against a famous chef on a popular cooking show.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/reading/ReadersTheater/ReadersTheater018.shtml

Total Reader
How Cool Is That!
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev149.shtml

Best Books for Teaching About…
Each week, Education World presents our Editors’ Choices for the best books for teaching about popular classroom themes. Check out our choices and add your own.
Best Books for Teaching About...
Election Day
The Human Body
Grammar
Inventors and Inventions
http://www.educationworld.com/a_bestbooks/archives/students.shtml

Strategies of the Week
Elections
Education World offers a variety of resources, including books, lessons, and online and off-line activities, for teaching about the upcoming elections.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy050.shtml
Service Learning
Service learning offers students unique opportunities to learn responsibility, experience satisfaction, and provide benefit to the community as they acquire new skills.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy027.shtml

Math Features
Interest Grows in Checkbook Math Lessons
Teachers say personal finance lessons can help teach basic skills and improve behavior. Discover how some teachers bring real-world math skills into the classroom.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr277.shtml

Math Sites for PreK-2
Are you having trouble finding appropriate ad-free Web sites for your preK-2 math students? Are you looking for different ways to teach some basic math concepts? Check out these sites.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/sites/sites086.shtml

Math Mnemonics
The Area of a Circle
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/mnemonics/mnemonics011.shtml
The Numerator Is Above the Denominator
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/mnemonics/mnemonics013.shtml

From the Writing Center

Student Essays Describe Perfect School
Students in Sue Chanda's math class write about a school with more technology, smaller classes, more electives -- and a later starting time.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr307.shtml
Ten Writing Prompts
Students practice their writing skills as they respond to a motivating prompt.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp249-03.shtml

The Stranger Project
Rayna Freedman's student "agents" solve a story-based mystery.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/teacher_feature/teacher_feature136.shtml
Jamie Boston's Online Book Club
Parents, teachers, and students read and share ideas in an online book club.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/teacher_feature/teacher_feature148.shtml

Writing Lessons
The Wall Inspires Letters to Veterans
Inspire students to write letters to veterans at local hospitals. (Grades K-12)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp313-03.shtml
Indescribably Excellent
Engage students in writing "indescribably excellent" descriptions. (Grades K-12)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp255-01.shtml
Write a Round-Robin Story
In groups of five, every student takes part in writing a round-robin story. (Grades 3-12)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp255-04.shtml
Persuade the Aliens
Be an alien. Persuade your master to adopt a custom you witnessed on Earth. (Grades K-12)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp255-05.shtml

Writing Bugs
Inquiring Minds Want to Know # 5
Choose a weird headline, be a news reporter.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/writing_bug/writingbug075.shtml
Dear Veteran
Write a letter to a veteran in your city or town.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/writing_bug/writingbug101.shtml
Solving the World's Problems
If you could solve any problem in the world...
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/writing_bug/writingbug070.shtml

Featured Articles
Friendship for "Floating" Teachers
Former "floater" Jodi McKay knows the challenges faced by teachers who have no classroom to call their own. So she created an online forum where floating teachers can share stories and advice.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev152.shtml

Historical Figure Day
Historical Figure Day is an alternative to the traditional Halloween hoopla. Find out how students bring the past to life.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr284.shtml

Connecting Kids and Soldiers
Most teachers discuss the war in Iraq with their classes. Many find, however, that both they and their students want to do something more concrete to help U.S. troops abroad. What can you do?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev060.shtml

Tips Library
Classroom Management: Parent Partners
Behavior Management: Gimme Five! Three Strikes! One Song
Motivating Kids: Make Sure They Understand
Book Report Makeover: Thumbs Up or Down?
Homework Tips: Homework BINGO
Best Idea Ever: Review on the Fly
Testing Tips: Word Perfect
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/management_tips/management_tips012.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/behaviortips/behaviortips012.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/motivation/motivation012.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/bookreport/bookreport012.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/homeworktips/homeworktips012.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/bestidea/bestidea012.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/testing/testing012.shtml

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The Principal Poet
Mr. Ivan, Education World's Principal Poet, presents this week’s poem, “Inside Recess.”

We can't go out for recess!
It's raining cats and dogs.
Teacher says it's too wet for playing,
'Less you're a fish or frog…
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/columnists/ivan/ivan007.shtml

Brenda Dyck's Blog
Northern Lights
When given the time to think and experiment with Web 2.0 tools, classroom teachers are able to make the cognitive jump from using the tool to using the tool to promote inquiry and deep thinking.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/dyck/dyck033.shtml

Carlton Ashby's The Power Is in You
A Small Pair of Eyeglasses Can Make a Big Difference
I first met Hillary Tavelli when I was a guidance counselor at Briarfield Elementary School. Hillary was straight out of college and was assigned to teach fifth grade. Our school was Hillary's first stop in her teaching career, and I knew she had her work cut out for her…
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/columnists/ashby/ashby003.shtml

Miguel Guhlin: The IT Crowd
The CTO Challenge: Building Your Personal Learning Network
As we externalize our thinking, it becomes less of "I am an expert expounding on what I know" and more of "I am a learner, just like you, sharing what I'm learning so we can learn together."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/guhlin/guhlin004.shtml

Pete Hall's Always Strive To Be a Better You!
Who’s Doing the Work Here, Anyway?
I'll just spit this out there: It's time that we, as educators, evaluate everything that we do in our classrooms. Many of us are spending a tremendous amount of time and a monumental amount of energy in low-yield practices.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/columnists/hall/hall021.shtml

Alma Row's Gadgets of the Week
BubbleComment
Add a narration bubble to any web page.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/gadget/gadget011.shtml
Glogster
A nifty tool that allows users to create electronic posters.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/gadget/gadget012.shtml

Starr Points
Duhs and Don'ts for Today's Teachers
Linda Starr says troubled kids don't need teachers who understand their problems; they need teachers who set high standards and stick to them -- no matter what.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/starr/starr344.shtml

School Issues Article
The Candidates' Plans for Education
Education World presents presidential candidate positions on No Child Left Behind, lowering the high school drop-out rate, ensuring teacher quality, as well as links to education platforms.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues/issues429.shtml

Passport to the World
Students in Chaska, Minnesota, explore countries and cultures within their school walls during the annual International Fair. Each student wears a "passport" that identifies the different countries s/he will "visit." To maintain interest, all sessions include at least one hands-on activity.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/partners/partners045.shtml

Wire Side Chat
Practical, Hands-On Financial Literacy Lessons
Managing money is not an innate skill, as the high rate of debt in the U.S. shows. Lessons on managing money should be part of a formal education, many believe. Programs like Hands on Banking give students practical lessons in handling their finances.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat211.shtml

Early Childhood Center
* Rhyme Time
This week's poem for Early Childhood educators:
Being Thankful
* Early Childhood Teaching Themes
Giving Thanks
More About Thanksgiving
http://www.educationworld.com/a_earlychildhood/newsletters/

School Doodle
The New Playground Shakedown
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/school_doodles/school_doodles48.shtml

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