Search Results for: blog experience makes a difference

Packing Preparation Makes Travel Easier

If you want to have a smooth vacation, start with the preparation before travel. Being prepared can mean the difference between a fun get-away-from-it-all vacation to a stressed-out experience. If you are contemplating waiting until the last minute to pack and prepare then I have to warn you. Becoming frantic the night or two before the trip can carry over to your vacation, making it hard to relax. Here are some things that you can do to prepare for your travel. Laundry Get all of the laundry done well in advance of the trip. This way you can get that … Continue reading →

Father Makes PTA History

When was the last time you saw a dad at a PTA meeting? Apparently, males are scarce at most Parent-Teacher Association meetings, which is why the appointment of Charles J. Saylors as the new president of the educational organization is making headlines around the country. The Parent-Teacher Association is a national organization of 5.5 million members, though most of them are mothers, who have a reputation of being domineering, highly-organized and driven (not that I’m into stereotyping or anything). According to The New York Times, men make up only 10 percent on the national PTA membership. However, studies show male … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading →

What Makes a Teacher Good?

Posted on by

I have been discussing some characteristics of different degrees of teachers. In my first article I gave my description of a super teacher. I then went on to describe an excellent teacher in my next article. In this article I will focus on good teachers. There is nothing wrong with being a good teacher. There are many students who are successful in their future and have good teachers in their educational career. Most of us only have one or two super or excellent teachers throughout school. Good teachers do their job and do it well. However they have stricter limits … Continue reading →

What Makes a Teacher Excellent?

Posted on by

Previously I discussed how in often cases teachers are labeled as being bad or great and all in between. I also gave some characteristics that are typically found in super teachers. While there are few super teachers to be found, there are many teachers that are considered to be excellent or good. Being an excellent teacher may not be super but it is considered to be an honor. Excellent teachers love to teach. They enjoy their job but it is not their life. While super teaches usually sacrifice their own personal lives for their job, excellent teachers are more balanced. … Continue reading →

What Makes a Teacher Super?

Posted on by

When describing your childhood teachers you typically use words such as bad, good, or great. We have all had teachers from each of the categories. So what characteristics is it that put a teacher into one of these categories? When thinking about teaching we all want to be or have the super teacher. But what is it that makes a teacher super? Not all teachers are or can be super. There are perfectly acceptable and sufficient teachers that do not deserve this title. Being an excellent or a good teacher is perfectly fine. However if you are ever labeled as … Continue reading →

Most Commented On Baby Blogs of 2007

As a means of reviewing the year, I always love to look at the blogs that had the most comments! Sometimes controversial blogs get noticed. Other times it has more to do with a topic of interest. Sometimes a commenter sparks a discussion. Regardless of the reason, these are the blogs that got the most comments in the baby blog in 2007! Is My Baby Gifted? How to Tell Merry Poison Free Christmas Dad’s Weird Things You Should Be Giving Your Baby Soda!! Why Breast Pumping Isn’t a Good Substitute for Breastfeeding Is Swaddling Overrated? Watching T.V. While Breastfeeding Unwanted … Continue reading →

Experience Makes a Difference

Research studies are constantly being carried out in almost every subject area that there is in the world. In some cases, I am surprised that a study is even needed to tell researchers what common sense should be telling them. Education is far from being exempt from the studies. One recent study finding that I read dealt with teacher experience and student achievement. The study found that students with experienced teachers did better than students with inexperienced teachers. When comparing the teachers’ degrees and the teachers’ experience, the study found that the teacher’s experience has more of an impact on … Continue reading →

The Joys and Challenges of Unique Experiences

We single parent families definitely do not always play things by the book. As a matter of fact, while our families may often look rather similar to two parent families, we are also just as likely to have unique perspective on things and our family history may include some rather unique experiences. The trick is to learn how to embrace this uniqueness and celebrate some of those unique shared experiences too. It seems to be human nature to want to “fit in” and feel like we are part of the group. And, in our society, we definitely have the whole … Continue reading →

Book Review: The Open Adoption Experience

The Open Adoption Experience, by Lois Ruskai Melina and Sharon Kaplan Roszia, is a comprehensive resource for birth and adoptive families. It talks about options on the spectrum of openness, from non-identifying information only, to letters and photos through an intermediary, through visits on birthdays, to frequent visits. The book was written in 1993 and so has only a small section on international adoption, reflecting the fact that few international adoptions were open at that time. (Most still are, but openness—at least through letters and photos—is becoming more common.) Nevertheless, the authors briefly share the experiences of half a dozen … Continue reading →