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Education News >> Primary and Secondary Education >> Elementary Schools
Elementary Schools News
Some schools are implementing a structured recess program in an effort to discourage behavior problems on the playground. Rather than sitting around doing nothing or arguing over equipment, all students must follow the lead of a paid "recess coach" who facilitates organized games with mandatory participation.
Benefits may include: less bullying, fewer injuries, decreased childhood obesity rates, and improved social skills. A downside may be a lack of unstructured relaxation time for the children, which opponents argue is needed by adults and children alike.
Do you think this would work well in your school? Do recess behavior problems get in the way of classroom learning?
Structured Recess Programs originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 08:55:04.
Principals are people, too, and nobody's perfect. That's why I think it's best to be proactive and positive when dealing with a principal who may be a bit more challenging that you'd like. After all, a productive and cooperative relationship between teachers and the administration benefits the students, their parents, and the whole community.
Have You Ever Worked with a Difficult Principal? originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 08:48:28.
Education was all over the news this week. From curriculum standards to budget cuts to teacher quality, everything education-related is a hot topic right now.
- Panel Proposes Single Standard for All Schools
- Teach for the World
- Kansas City Adopts Plan to Close Nearly Half Its Schools
- Building a Better Teacher
Education in the News originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 08:47:05.
Are you tired of spending precious funds on little plastic toys and stickers to reward your students for their good behavior? I've always been opposed to material rewards for my students. I tend to focus on intrinsic rewards and fun no-cost incentives to celebrate my students making the right behavior choices.
One of the most popular free rewards in my classroom has always been Lunch Bunch. That's what I call it when students earn the privilege of eating lunch with me in the classroom. I enjoy this special time, too. Plus, I think it's sweet that my students are motivated by such a simple pleasure as eating lunch with their teacher.
What no-cost rewards do your students value?
No-Cost Classroom Rewards originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 01:29:52.
St. Patrick's Day is coming up on Wednesday, March 17th. How will you "go green" in your classroom? Here are a few St. Paddy's Day resources for you and your elementary school students to enjoy together:
- St. Patrick's Day Acrostic Poem Lesson Plan
- St. Patrick's Day Word List (for use in creative writing, spelling lists, puzzles, etc.)
- St. Patrick's Day Worksheets, Songs, Recipes, and more
If you have a favorite St. Pat's lesson, please share it in the comments section.
St. Patrick's Day Lesson Plans originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 01:00:15.
I've never job shared, but I am intrigued by the concept. Although it'd be great to have the flexibility to teach part-time, I wonder about the challenges that come along with working so closely with another teacher. Is it truly possible to present a unified front to the students and their parents?
I'd love to hear from those of you have job shared, whether it worked out well or poorly. Meanwhile, here's how I view the Pros and Cons of Job Sharing.
What Do You Think of Job Sharing? originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 08:43:34.
Are you tired of trying to manipulate your students into staying quiet hour after hour? Have you ever lost your voice from talking too much at work? If so, try some of these techniques for nonverbally quieting your classroom. Nobody wants to sound like a broken record, right?
If you've found other simple ways to get your student quiet and focused, please do share! It's important to have many different strategies in one's toolbox.
How to Quiet Your Students Without Saying a Word originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 08:32:21.
It's unfortunate but true: virtually all classroom teachers have to dig into their own pockets to buy necessary supplies to help their students learn. That's why it's so important for you to keep all of your receipts in a handy and organized place when it comes time to file your taxes.
Use these tax time tips for teachers to make sure you are maximizing your tax benefits. Hopefully someday we will be able to count on school budgets to cover the totality of our classroom needs. Until then, follow your state and federal tax codes in order to claim deductions and make your dollars count.
Tax Time is Coming Up - Get Your Receipts Ready originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 00:31:31.
New York Times columnist Bob Herbert shares an interesting snapshot of the life of educator Deborah Kenny and the outstanding charter schools she has started in challenging urban environments. She says that class size and curriculum (among other issues) are not the keys to successful education, but rather that it's all about hiring quality teachers. Kenny's teachers don't teach to the test, but they do positively change their students' academic and personal paths.
Do you think that teacher quality is the #1 way to create educational success? If not, what is the most crucial ingredient in the complex recipe for student achievement?
NY Times Op-Ed: Great Teachers are the Key to Educational Excellence originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 08:20:33.
Doesn't it sometimes feel like it's more trouble to prepare for a substitute teacher than to just show up and do the teaching yourself? But inevitably, every teacher will need to have a sub at one time or another. It's important to have a routine to help you prepare for absences so that the disruption is minimal for you, your students, and your educational program.
What's your top strategy for making sure the transition is as smooth as possible for any substitute working in your classroom?
How Do You Prepare for a Substitute? originally appeared on About.com Elementary Education on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 18:29:54.
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