Below is our newsletter for this week. Sorry it is a little bit late. I was in New York celebrating our newest award! Read below for more details!
Remember, we are not the end-all, be-all! We are just teachers
sharing our thoughts and ideas with you. Feel free to modify strategies you receive from us to fit you
and your classroom!
=============================================================================== The Truth About Teaching - Winner of Benjamin Franklin Book Award!!
===============================================================================
Check out our blog at
www.inspiringteachers.com/wordpress2/ to read all about our excitement in winning this national award!
Those of you who helped us with choosing the cover and offered feedback/reviews about the book, we could
not have won this award without you! You have our deepest thanks and respect for participating in the
publishing of The Truth About Teaching by Coleen Armstrong.
If you are wondering what all the hoopla is about, please click on one of the links below and check out
this national award-winning book written by a 31-year veteran teacher. Don't forget to read the
Testimonials of other teachers on our list who have already read and reviewed The Truth About
Teaching:What I Wish the Veterans Had Told Me Learn More about The Truth
about Teaching by Coleen Armstrong!
The Truth About Teaching is also a Finalist in the IPPY Book Awards and the ForeWord Book of
the Year Awards. It is truly an award-winning book!
=============== Idea Share
===============
The very best teacher I ever worked with had an awesome way to handle behavior problems. She set up her
classroom and procedures so that it was difficult for students to misbehave by anticipating problems. Then
she solved them before they became problems. For example, some teachers have students wait in line for
long periods of time and expect them to be totally quiet. She never called students to line until she was
ready to go. Then out the door she marched. If the line got noisy, she stopped. Nothing was said, but
students soon caught on that they would never get to recess or music or whatever until they choose to
follow the rules.
~Marianne Welker
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Every month we have a different contest. I use a bulletin board and give the contest a name like "March
Madness" or "Awesome April." I pick 4-5 prizes that I think will be appealing to the students. I list
each prize on a piece of construction paper and staple a ziploc baggie to the bottom of the paper. During
the month students can earn "entry slips" for that prize. The criteria for entry slips are: bringing
pencil and paper to class, doing homework on-time, making 100 on a test, being kind to others, perfect
attendance for the week, and entries at "teacher's discretion." Every time a student does one of these
things, the student can get an entry and put it into the ziploc bags. Teachers can use anything for
criteria that they want to improve behavior-wise. At the end of the month, I get a student from the CDC
class to draw out the winners. This can also be a lesson used to teach math lessons - statistics, ratio,
probability etc.
Since some teachers give out candy, stickers, etc. I figured that this could be used and be a healthier
option. Teachers spend $20 easy per month on junk for prizes. Some of the prizes I use are: Scholastic
flyers (the student gets to pick $5 work of books), a grab bag (homework pass, 30 minutes on computer, and
choice of candy), a $5 giftcard to a store, specific Scholastic books that I buy with bonus points, a
basketball or football (currently $3.88 at Walmart [MacGregor Brand]), and perfumes (I get sample perfumes
from the ladies at my church that get them as gifts with purchase). Also, don't forget that if you use a
child from the CDC classroom for drawing - that child should receive a prize as well.
This is a positive way to reward good behaviors. The children that don't receive prizes see what they are
missing! I have had very positive results!
~BeLinda Ivins
Coalmont Elementary School
============= Weekly Tip
=============
Giving it Your All, Even When You Don't Want To
The life of a teacher is full of ups and downs. Although it isn't all roses and sunshine, we do have our
inspiring moments. These are the times when we feel the excitement for our topic, our students, and
teaching in general flowing through our blood. We want to get up and get into the classroom to awaken the
minds of our students. We want to see our carefully planned lesson flow from start to finish. We are fired
up and everyone can see it. But what about those times when we feel as though teaching is a monkey on our
back that we can't seem to lose? What about the days where we drag ourselves out of the bed wondering why
we chose a profession that requires rising before the crack of dawn and grading papers late into the
night? What about the days when we feel ourselves getting irritated at the slightest offense by a student
wishing that we could be anywhere be the classroom? My friend, fellow teacher, and song-writer Judy Domeny
has a song about chucking it all and going to Tahiti that really fits the bill sometimes. What do we do
when we must give it our all even when we don't want to? I don't know how you handle those situations, but
I thought I might give a few tips on how I manage to make it through those doldrums.
One of the first things I do is force myself to get out of bed. I know that seems rather commonplace, but
how often have you lay in bed contemplating calling in sick because you simply don't want to face it all?
Getting out of bed, taking a shower, and getting dressed at least moves me into action.
The next thing I do (many times while I'm getting ready) is count my blessings. What am I thankful for? I
generally start with personal blessings such as my health, my family, my home, etc. Then I move into being
thankful for a principal who listens to me, a colleague who lets me cry on her shoulder, a parent who is
always understanding and helpful, etc. Rather than focusing on the things I wish I had - a bigger budget,
more books for my students, a classroom full of compliant, polite, and thoughtful students - I really try
to look at those positives I do have. Remember - no matter how bad you have it, there is always going to
be a teacher/person out there who has it worse! If I keep that in mind, I find it easier to be
thankful.
Although it seems macabre, another exercise that helps me become purposefully positive is thinking about
my retirement and/or funeral. What do I want to have accomplished by that time? What do I want those
attending to say about me? Do I want my graduated students to be there? What would make them come? Would
my current attitude lead to this ideal? (If I'm really stuck in the mud, the honest answer is usually No)
This kind of thinking literally makes me shake my head at myself and say, "Pull yourself together. This
attitude is not working for you or anyone else." Sometimes that verbal reprimand to myself will help me
move out of the negativity.
When I arrive to school I think of one very nice thing to say to each person I pass. I force myself to
smile, say hello, and then say one nice truthful comment. The more I do this, the more I begin to feel
uplifted inside and have a more positive outlook. Sometimes if I can't think of a positive comment, I
might ask a question such as, "How was your weekend?" or "Did you enjoy your time at...?" Not only do I do
this with fellow teachers and school staff, but with parents and students as well. It is amazing how
quickly my poor attitude can change into a good one by passing along positive vibes to others.
When I face a topic that I'm just not feeling the love towards, I ask myself, who really loves this stuff?
There is often a teacher or a student who is really into the topic when I'm not. I sometimes take the time
to ask this person for tips on teaching it or for fun facts about it that I can pass along to my students.
If I can't think of anything interesting or fun about it, I pull out one of my fun activities and change
it up so that we are thinking about the topic in a different way.
For example, I hate teaching grammar, but I absolutely love mad libs. If I'm really in the blues and can't
stomach teaching a grammar lesson, I'll pull out a mad lib sheet and have the kids complete it as a class.
Then after reading the crazy story, we then focus on the aspect that matches the required grammar lesson.
"What would happen to the story (or this sentence) if we changed everything to plural? How would the words
look? How would they sound? Would it be more crazy or more normal?" Just by adding a fun game and using
the outcome to teach the lesson makes it more fun for the kids and a heck of a lot more exciting for
me.
When all else fails I watch an inspiring teacher movie. I know you all are probably tired of hearing me
say that, but I am a movie buff, so I can't help it. Mr. Holland's Opus gets me every time. Talk
about a reluctant teacher. This guy didn't want to be there most days, but he pulled himself together and
made it through year after year until finally it became something he loved rather than tolerated. Who can
resist a movie like that? When I watch Michelle Pfieffer take that group of hoodlums and turn them into
kids with a purpose and a love of learning I think to myself - "I can be inspiring like that!" and then I
watch it again.
Most of these tips are mental exercises because our actions are ruled by our attitudes. When I have a
negative attitude, then everything and everyone is irritating. It feels as though I'm having nothing but
bad days and all I can see about my job are the frustrations. When I have a positive attitude, even the
irritating stuff is easily dismissed with a philosophical shrug of the shoulders. I feel as though I am
making a difference no matter what is happening and see the silver lining through the darkest clouds. How
about you? When the pressures and stress of teaching start getting you down, just remember that although
it is hard to force a positive outlook, eventually you won't be forcing the issue - you simply will have a
positive outlook.
Want to respond and share your thoughts about how you get through those tough times and still give it your
all? Respond to this email and we'll combine them all together in our Idea Share!
====================== Inspirational Thought
======================
"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned
from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not
upon our circumstances."
~Martha Washington (1732 - 1802)
=========================== Thoughts for Reflection
===========================
Do you find yourself wallowing in self-pity or feeling as though the world is getting you down? Do you
ever wonder whether teaching is your calling after a particularly bad day? How do you get through those
times? Think back over specific instances and reflect on what actions you or others around you helped you
get back into a more positive frame of mind. Were these actions unconsciously or consciously done? How
long did it take for you to move from that negative attitude to a more positive attitude? How were/are
your students affected by your negative attitude? How do students respond to you when you are in a
positive frame of mind? What is the difference between the two? How do you force yourself to move from the
negative to the positive, if at all? If you don't, why not? Do you feel that outside factors cause you to
fluxuate between positive and negative attitudes towards teaching? What sorts of factors influence you?
How can you offset those influences so that you can maintain a positive outlook? When thinking about your
retirement/funeral, what do you want those attending to say about you? Are you on track for this to
happen? Why or why not? What can you do to change it so that you reach that goal?
=========== Feedback
===========
Want to respond and share your thoughts about how you get through those tough times and still give it your
all? Respond to this email and we'll combine them all together in our Idea Share!
------------------------------------
These thoughts and ideas are brought to you by Emma McDonald co-author of Survival Kit for New
teachers AND the AWARD WINNING Classrooms that SPARK. Find us at
The entire contents of this e-zine are Copyrighted by Inspiring Teachers and Emma McDonald. If you would
like
to reprint all or parts of this e-zine, please contact Inspiring Teachers at 972-496-7633 or toll-free at
1-877-496-7633 or via email to info@inspiringteachers.com