Search Results for: blog I am thankful to be a teacher

Illinois Teachers Lose Retirement Insurance Benefits

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It is now official. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed legislation that takes away the free health insurance benefits that were promised to retired government employees, including teachers. The purpose of this legislation is to help balance the budget for the state of Illinois. There was a point in time when I was living in Illinois, and working as a substitute teacher. Back then, my hope was to find full-time employment as an Art teacher in one of the public schools in Illinois. That plan didn’t work out. The state was in the process of cutting away Art positions, and … Continue reading →

Gift Giving in a Blended Family

Gift giving in a blended family can be a tricky practice. Especially if there are several kids and several active sets of parents. Unfortunately it is rude to tell others how to shop for your children unless they specifically ask you what they might like. So how do you deal with gift giving in a blended family? It is important to recognize who the gifts are coming from. There will more than likely factor in many different people who will be shopping for your child or children. The other parent, grandparents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers and so on. It is … Continue reading →

Older Students and Teacher Preferences

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My last discussion about students and the types of teachers that they like best involved middle school students. These students are typically not as interested in their academic career as younger students seem to be. This article will continue to work up the education ladder and address high school and college students along with their preferences in teachers. High School Students By the end the junior and senior year students in high school are usually really beginning to gain a grasp on the reality of life. They are beginning to understand why their parents and teachers pushed them as hard … Continue reading →

November in the Adoption Blog: Month in Review

I began the blog on All Saints Day with a tribute to certain “Saints” in U.S. Adoption and Pioneers in International Adoption. Then I wrote a tribute to the founder of my daughter’s Korean adoption agency, who has lived an exciting and multifaceted life and is remarkable for his humble concern for children. In honor of National Adoption Month, I wrote two blogs on Top Ten Myths about Adoption. For Part One, click here. For Part Two, click here. Then I wrote a blog about events on National Adoption Day, Saturday November 17. These events included finalizations of thousands of … Continue reading →

I Am Thankful to be a Teacher

Teachers can sometimes have a bad reputation. In most cases the media only reports bad situations that some teachers gets themselves into or low tests that some schools can receive. However, teaching is a good profession. I am proud to be a teacher and I stand behind public education. I feel that bad teachers are out just like bad persons in any other job. Likewise there are bad teachers in private schools, charter schools, and home schools. Today, I want to take an opportunity to be thankful for my job. I am thankful that every day is different. Children do … Continue reading →

Tips for Teachers: Keep All Notes Sent to You by Parents

Today I am adding another article to my Tips for Teachers section. I think that it is very important for teachers to learn from the mistakes of other teachers. My tip today is about paper work and noting keeping. It is very important to create a file for each child in your classroom. You can then add all of the notes from and to parents to the file. I keep all notes that are sent to me from parents no matter how simple or small they may seem. This I am thankful for doing. Last year I had a parent … Continue reading →

Substitute Teacher’s Corner: Medical Intervention

You know, one thing that teachers struggle with on a day to day basis are the individual needs of their students – as a sub, when you walk into a classroom where a student has specialized needs, it can really ramp up the pressure you feel. Recently, I was called in as a floater. In other words, I’d go where they needed me throughout the day. Sometimes, you get a class where you teach all day and sometimes you don’t. That day, I was assigned to a kinder class and that was fine. I like kindergarten, they’re young, they’re fresh … Continue reading →

Family Traditions: A Day to Give Thanks

Tomorrow is the day we will officially celebrate Thanksgiving and for the last decade or so, I’ve celebrated Thanksgiving with my husband, family and friends, but growing up – my parents were British and they didn’t make a big deal out of the Thanksgiving holiday. For my grandmother’s part, she believed that it was a nice enough holiday but that we should be thankful all year long and not just on one particular day. Over the last decade, I’ve developed a few of my own Thanksgiving traditions and embraced the traditions of my husband’s families. For their part, the holiday … Continue reading →

Dealing With a Traumatic Event

One of the ongoing discussions taking place since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary is how the survivors are going to cope.  Fearful children who are afraid to return to school, some asking if there are anymore “bad guys.”  Or having to explain to them why their teacher or friends won’t be returning. Then there are the horrific images that some of these children witnessed.  The sound of gunfire, hiding in closets and so much more than we can probably only imagine. I wish I had answers as to how a parent can help a child cope after a tragedy.  … Continue reading →

How to Teach About Electricity for Ages 8-13 {Review}

Book:  How to Teach About Electricity for Ages 8-13 Written by:  Susan Kilbride Published by:  Funtastic Unit Studies Price:  $2.99 {Kindle} Subject:  Science Use: For parents and teachers to learn how to teach electricity. Homeschool Method:  Any Grade Recommendation:  3rd-8th Book Synopsis: If you liked Susan Kilbride’s Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers, you’ll love this electricity unit. It is written in the same easy to understand format with fun activities to help kids master the concepts. Susan’s goal with her science units is to make teaching science easy for parents and teachers, and fun for kids. My Thoughts: … Continue reading →