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Welcome back to our
StarTeaching newsletter,
Features for Teachers, packed full of tips, techniques,
and ideas for educators of all students in all levels.
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Remember
to bookmark this page and to visit our website for more great
articles, tips, and techniques!
http://www.starteaching.com Also,
feel free to email this newsletter to a friend or colleague!
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SQ3R
Sheet |
Check
out our NEW FREE online resources, including the SQ3R
sheet for reading
and the Paragraph
Graphic Organizer for writing. These are forms you
can fill in online and print, or have your students fill them in
and print them for class! |
Paragraph
Organizer |
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Would you be interested in
becoming a Featured Writer for the StarTeaching website?
Our Newsletter
is now posting a opening for a creative educator interested in
designing a set of weekly problem solving activities for
students and teachers to use.
Email your resume and letter of
interest to: editor@starteaching.com |
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Variety
is the Mother of Learning
By
Hany
Salah
Senior Teacher, Egypt
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Mr. Hany Salah Al-sherbiny is a senior teacher in Ahmad Lotfy
Secondary School, Sinbellawain, Dakahlia, Egypt. He has
composed 30 essays on methodology, supervisory work and education
included in his book "In Search of Distinction".
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"Even
the two halves of your face aren't the
same"
While you are teaching, pay attention to the different types of
intelligences dominating your students' learning. When you assess
your students' learning, measure multiple forms of intelligence.
The lines below deserve something more than a
quick look:
*Naturalistic
Intelligence Learners are able to recognize,
categorize and draw upon certain features of the environment.
*Bodily
Kinesthetic Learners are able to use the whole body to
solve problems.
*Musical
Intelligence Learners are able to perform, compose and
appreciate musical patterns.
*Interpersonal
Intelligence Learners are able to understand the
intentions, motivation and desire of other people.
*Intrapersonal
Intelligence Learners are able to understand
themselves, appreciate their own feelings, fears and motivations.
*Logical
Intelligence Learners are able to analyze problems
logically and carry out mathematical operations.
*Visual
Intelligence Learners are able to recognize and use
patterns of wide space and more confined areas.
* Linguistic
Intelligence Learners are able to learn languages and
respond positively to spoken and written language.
For
sure, there are other classifications of learners. And the
more you vary your techniques, the better your students learn. The
progress of your students rests on your shoulders as a flexible
teacher who tends to say "I always teach my student his way, not my
way." Additionally, one learns what one likes so through rooting
positive attitudes towards English into your students, whose
intelligences are not the same, enhances their proficiency.
Looking for more ideas on writing? See our
website by clicking the following link:
http://www.starteaching.com/writing.htm
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Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm
Want to check
out the articles in our Student-Teaching series? Check out our
special Student-Teaching page through the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/studentteachers.htm
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SCHOOL
FEATURES
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Third
Day of Class Writing
Assignment
By
Frank Holes Jr.
Middle School Teacher
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The writing process is important to focus on
for all teachers. The Third Day Assignment gets our kids
into the swing of essay writing for the year.
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This is the first real attempt by our students to
write a paragraph under the rules and guidelines for their grade level.
The topic is easy, because it asks them to describe something they
learned during the first two days of school. There are dozens of things
students learn those two days, in school (classes, passing periods,
lunch time, recess) and out of school (at home, at practice, at clubs or
organizations, with their families or friends).
Brainstorming and organizing are key to the first
paragraph, so we spend a great deal of time in discussion of the topic.
It is important that each student has a concrete example to use in his
or her paragraph. Have students fill out the graphic organizer, and go
over it with them. Even pair up students if necessary. Teach the
prewriting at this point and work hard at it so the students can go
through this step quickly in the next writing assignment coming up in a
few days.
Be sure to allow a generous amount of time this day
for the extended teaching of the prewriting and the students' attempt at
writing out a paragraph. Now we know some students will be good at this
and really fly through it, and that's fine. Make sure those students
have a secondary assignment to work on when they're done. Your real task
is getting those middle-of-the-road and below average writers kicked in.
Keep the time period risk free and encourage your kids, but also prod
and push them to finish. Regardless of how much they completed, be sure
to collect ALL the essays at the end of the class period.
Keep in mind that this is the first attempt by your
students, and there will be a few pretty good ones, several ok ones, and
probably a lot of bad ones. Keep the encouragement going. You want the
kids to give you an excellent effort, even if it is a poor product. It's
much easier to improve the writing than the student's effort.
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Frank Holes is a
middle school teacher and the editor of StarTeaching.
You can contact him at: editor@starteaching.com
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Three versions of the software exist:
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StarTeaching wholeheartedly supports
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with your child or student. |
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Year of the
Dogman
A new novel by Frank Holes, Jr. |
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Part mystery, part science fiction, Year
of the Dogman is an imaginative, compelling, and adrenaline-pumping
adventure. Author Frank Holes, Jr. takes no prisoners in creating a
diabolical creature that leaves the forest to prey on the hapless hamlet
of
Twin
Lakes
in
Northern Michigan
. When night falls, the nocturnal beast, Dogman, scares the living
daylights out of anyone he happens upon as he searches for a timeless
treasure stolen from a Native American tribe. In the midst of the chaos, a
young teacher is forced to put two and two together no matter how high the
cost to rid the village of the treacherous man-beast who thrives on
destruction and terror.
The Dogman, a creature of
MythMichigan, is an excellent example of modern-day folklore to
study in your classes.
http://www.dogman07.com
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Order your copy by clicking the link below.
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Teachers:
We now have special offers on Classroom Sets of our Novel.
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A CLASS SET
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New
Teachers' Niche:
A Place for New Teachers, Student Teachers, and Interns |
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Classroom Wrap Up Ideas
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Opening your lesson is always important to
focus your students for class. And a good wrap up activity is
great for summarizing and closing your lesson. Early on in my
teaching career, I focused on teaching 'coast to coast', right up
until the end of the hour. Often my lessons ran until the bitter
end, with students scrambling to pack up and rushing to their next
class. Later on (as I got better) I began using wrap ups to close
the lesson, summarize what the students learned, and provide a
launching pad to the next day's lesson. |
In English class, for example, the students will
often complete short writing assignments as 'tickets out the door'. I've
included a few short prompts at the end of this article that you can use
(or feel free to adapt) in your own class. Some prompts take the form of
short paragraphs, some are in the form of a quiz designed by the kids,
and we even have some that are in a creative writing style.
Wrap-ups can take many forms. There are some teachers who simply ask
questions of the class before students are released. If a student
answers correctly, that student is allowed to pack up and perhaps even
leave (depending on your school's policies). After a few questions,
allow the remainder of the students to go on the next correct answer.
You can take volunteers for the answers or use a random choice
technique.
Other teachers choose to have students write before they leave. Short
writing prompts are great. These should only last a few minutes, and be
easy for you to grade/correct/take credit if you choose to. An easy way
to check the writing is by length - a certain number of required words
or lines. Some writings take the form of answers to questions, so you
can check the number of correct responses. Another powerful way is to
have students create their own questions in the form of short quizzes.
Students can make up true/false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks,
short answer, or other types of quizzes.
Always have students include the answers.
There are even games you can play with your students as wrap ups.
Some store-bought games can easily be adapted and fit to your
classroom. Simply change the game data by inserting your own questions
and class curricular information. You might even create and develop your
own games to play in class. As always, remember to factor time into your
activity. You'll be able to get to only a few students in the time you
have, so create a plan to randomly choose students or keep track of who
has already participated. That way every student has an equal
opportunity to participate.
Wrap-ups can be easy to design and implement in your class. And your
students can have fun too using their creativity. The teacher must make
a commitment to doing these every day. Then the procedure is in place
for students and teacher alike. Wrap-ups are great for reviewing class
material not only that day but over past classes. And they make an
excellent transition to the next class.
Interested in FREE writing activities you can print out and use
immediately in your classroom? Simply click the following link to our
writing page: http://www.starteaching.com/writing.htm
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Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm
Want to check
out the articles in our Student-Teaching series? Check out our
special Student-Teaching page through the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/studentteachers.htm
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Book
of the Month Club:
The First Days of School
by Harry K. Wong & Rosemary T. Wong
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Our October BOOK OF THE MONTH award is
presented to The First Days
of School, by Harry and Rosemary Wong. This book is the
absolute 'Bible' for getting yourself started into
teaching. With over 2.3 million copies sold, this
teaching handbook is the most recognizable and best selling book
in the education field.
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This is it, the big one, the indispensable one, THE BOOK
for teachers, regardless of what area you teach, what age or grade
level, or what school you teach in. This book is for the brand new
teachers and student teachers, and yet it has all of the important
aspects of teaching that veterans know and understand. Even for
'seasoned' teachers, reviewing the ideas and concepts in Wong's book
each year reminds us and reaffirms us why we are in the educational
profession and how we make such an important impact on the lives of our
students.
Each chapter includes many pictures, illustrations, graphics, and quotes to give
simple directions for becoming an effective teacher. Step by step
instructions help to guide new teachers into setting up their classes,
developing effective discipline systems, and professionally developing
themselves. It definitely is the most important book any new
teacher can get his or her hands on!
Regardless of what subject matter, what grade level, or whatever
school I'm at, there will always be a copy of Harry Wong's book on my
school bookcase. I look it over each summer before school
starts, and I will constantly use it as a guide and handbook through the
year, even after my many years of teaching.
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“The First Days of School is written
to help all teachers 'jump-start' by beginning school
successfully.” (The First Days of School, p.ii)
“What teachers do is nothing short of a
miracle that humbles and inspires us all. For what you do,
know that you are respected, indispensable, and loved.” (The
First Days of School, p.xiii)
You can order a copy of The First Days of School by clicking the link to our
affiliate, Amazon.com
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Have you read The First Days of School? Do you have comments you’d like to share with our readers about
this book? Email your responses to editor@starteaching.com. Please type in
BOOK CLUB READER RESPONSE in the subject line. Responses will be posted
on our website with the StarTeaching Book of the Month
Club. All responses will be proofread, and may be
edited for content and space before publication.
| We welcome articles and
book reviews from our readers. Do you have a great
educational book to share with our readers? Write up a
summary, along with the pertinent book information, and email it
to us at editor@starteaching.com. Please type in
BOOK CLUB SUMMARY in the subject line. Book reviews will be
proofread and may be edited for content or space. |
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"A
Determined Spirit"
author unknown Themes
on Life
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The actions of just one person
can be huge...
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Once upon a time, a small bird named Tasoo lived in a
vast jungle. One hot summer day, a terrible wildfire erupted and the
flames devoured many trees and animals living in the jungle. Other birds
flew high into the sky and far away to safety, but Tasoo couldn't bear
to leave her precious jungle home to burn. Day and night, she flew with
all her might back and forth to the river, filling her tiny beak with
water to drop on the raging fires. Tasoo's rare heart of courage and
unshakable determination moved the heavenly gods to shed tears, and a
great rain poured down upon the jungle, extinguishing the flames. And so
it is that even the smallest actions of a determined spirit can change
the world.
See more of our Freebies as well as Special
Reports on our website by clicking the quick link below:
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Make sure to BOOKMARK our website so you can
keep up with more changes and additions through the year. And feel
free to share our site by EMAILING it to a friend.
http://www.starteaching.com
Email us at editor@starteaching.com
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In This Week's Issue
(Click the Quick Links below):
Variety
is the Mother of Learning
School
Features:
Third Day of Class Writing Assignment
New
Teacher's Niche:
Classroom Wrap Up Ideas
Book
of the Month Club
Themes
on Life:
"A Determined Spirit "
10 Days of
Writing Prompts
10
Days of Math Problems
Back
To School Book Sale for Teachers
Website
of the Month
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"Live
in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the
fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."
~ Henry David Thoreau
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Do you have a great TEACHING
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10 Days Of
Writing
Prompts |
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Day
1 |
How are students pressured to
wear particular types of clothing? |
|
Day
2 |
Describe Three fashion trends
that influence what clothing you wear. |
|
Day
3 |
Why is it good to donate your
older clothes to needy people? |
|
Day
4 |
How would you influence other
people to begin a fashion trend? |
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Day
5 |
Write a short story that
describes something we learned in class this week. |
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Day
6 |
Why is it important to stand up
for what you believe in? |
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Day
7 |
What are FIVE important beliefs
you have? |
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Day
8 |
Why do people feel so strongly about their
beliefs? |
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Day
9 |
Are beliefs right or
wrong? Why or why not? |
|
Day
10 |
Create a short FIVE question
true/false quiz to cover this week's class information. |
10 days of writing prompts
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Coming Soon:
Designing and Running a Medieval
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Technology & Teaching:
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Discipline Procedures in School
Teaching the Writing Process
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10 Days of
Math Problems
by Mary Ann Graziani |
| Day 1 |
Money:
Tom
took money out of his saving account and bought a basketball for $9 and
a soccer ball for $9. He
then took out $8 more from his savings account and now has $26.
How much money did he have before he bought the basketball? |
| Day 2 |
Probability:
Rachel put change
in her piggy bank.
She put 3 pennies, 4
quarters, 3 dimes,
and 2 nickels. What
is the probability of
picking out a
nickel?
A dime?
A quarter?
A
penny?
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| Day 3 |
Division:
If there are 250 apples split up equally between 50 crates, how many
apples does each crate hold?
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| Day 4 |
Division:
Barbara drinks 1 cup of juice. Samantha
drinks ¾ more juice than Barbara.
Nancy
has ½ cup more juice than Samantha.
Pam has ¾ cup more than
Nancy
. How much juice did they
drink altogether?
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| Day 5 |
Multiplying Integers:
Remember: Positive x
positive = positive
Positive x negative =
negative
Negative
x positive = negative
Negative x negative = positive
Solve: - 4 x – 2 =
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| Day 6 |
40 x -2 =
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| Day 7 |
-80 x 4 =
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| Day 8 |
-20 x -30 =
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| Day 9 |
Integers:
Solve the Integers:
1 + -4 + 10 + -5 =
-5 + -9 + -2 + -6 =
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| Day 10 |
Perimeter:
Mark
has to find the perimeter of a rectangle.
The top and bottom of the rectangle is 12 inches, and other sides are
4 inches. What is the
perimeter of the rectangle?
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Back
to School Specials!
Educational/Teaching
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