Magical Moments

Once again, our nation is in the midst of dealing with another act of violence that has hurt, maimed and killed innocent Americans. As I watch the footage of the bombs that exploded during the Boston Marathon, I cannot believe that this atrocity has occurred in our country.  A nation where peace, acceptance and goodwill are supposed to be the norm.

What do we do?  How can we possibly explain this evil to our children when we cannot grasp the ugliness of it ourselves?  How do we continue to live within our cocoons of contentment when fellow Americans are . . . → Read More: Boston Bombing

Now that summer is ending, many of us are thinking about the upcoming school year.  Are you wondering how to reduce your children’s apprehension?  Are you trying to balance their self confidence with the ability to think critically and to express their concerns politely and clearly? Regardless of age, a blank notebook, a fresh backpack, new pencils, pens, markers, and/or crayons should be joyful and yet, for many children, those objects elicit feelings of insecurity and fear of failure.   I believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that our kids are emotionally, socially, cognitively, and physically ready to . . . → Read More: A New School Year 2012

Both teachers and parents have homework to complete before entering into a conference with each other.  Communicating and sharing information about a child’s progress, strengths, weaknesses, areas of concern, social-emotional and motor development must be handled professionally, calmly and in a manner that demonstrates sensitivity towards the parent as well as the student.

Teachers should gather and chronologically organize a cross section of work to share with the parent. He or she should be cognizant that the mom and or dad will be sensitive to the teacher’s comments and should always begin a session with a smile and a . . . → Read More: Conferences

Even though Easter and Passover are religious Judeo-Christian holidays,  we can and should address family traditions  holiday foods, celebrations, songs, games, and activities in the classroom,  while we  leave the religious aspects of the holidays at home with our families. I feel that if we skip over the holidays, we are compromising our teaching goals by ignoring what children are showing an interest in.  And so, I will share with you, a few developmentally and politically appropriate activities and songs to enjoy with your boys and girls.

Science:  Discuss where baby chicks come from.

Discuss which other animals lay . . . → Read More: Easter and Passover

It seems unbelievable that the month of February is upon us. Not only is it a special month for me because it is both my birthday and my dog’s, but, it is also one of my favorites for I absolutely adore Valentine’s Day. The original significance of the holiday is still intact for those who attend parochial school, but, for the rest of us, it is an awesome time to discuss feelings, build empathy, reinforce shapes, create colors, perform experiments, sing about loving and caring, learn about the postal service and writing letters, and of course making and sending . . . → Read More: Happy February

Many elementary schools have adopted policies that demand its teachers adhere to prescribed curriculums so that students’ chances of scoring successfully on standardized tests improves. Teachers who do not agree with the rigorous constraints cannot challenge their superiors without fear of jeopardizing their careers. And so, we have a state full of classrooms with many unhappy, unmotivated teachers teaching our children. I wonder what our children are learning and more importantly, what aren’t they being encouraged to do, think, and learn. What happens when children stop playing, for there is no time, stop creating, for there may be more . . . → Read More: Sad Classrooms

Now that summer is ending, many of us are thinking about the upcoming school year, how to reduce children’s apprehension, and how to ensure that they are self confident and ready for their new experiences. Regardless of age, a blank notebook, a fresh backpack, new pencils, pens, markers, and/or crayons should be joyful and yet, for many children, it elicits feelings of insecurity and fear of failure. I believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that our kids are emotionally, socially, cognitively, and physically ready to meet their new challenges. In order to transition from the carefree days . . . → Read More: A New School Year

The last week of school deserves special planning and sensitivity so that children experience both closure and an understanding of where and what they will be doing after their last day of school. Even if it requires phone calls to each child’s home, it is necessary for the teacher to be as informed as possible so that he/she can help each child to be ready and to feel confident about his/her next step in life’s journey. During this week, it is important for boys and girls to review the 2010/2011 school year, help pack away books and supplies, and . . . → Read More: Last Week of School

Did you ever wonder how a child feels when his/her accomplishments are not recognized, acknowledged, or cheered on? I thought I understood kids, but, nothing short of a shared experience has the impact of truly helping us to understand how someone else, especially a young child feels. Please allow me to digress for a moment. One Friday night, I was the guest on a friend’s radio talk show. The show went well; I felt as if I spoke succinctly, communicated my messages without appearing boring or too cocky and then, boom, the show was over. The show’s host and . . . → Read More: Reinforcement

It seems unbelievable that the month of February is upon us. Not only is it a special month for me because it is both my birthday and my dog’s, but, it is also one of my favorites for I absolutely adore Valentine’s Day. The original significance of the holiday is still intact for those who attend parochial school, but, for the rest of us, it is an awesome time to discuss feelings, build empathy, reinforce shapes, create colors, perform experiments, sing about loving and caring, learn about the postal service and writing letters, and of course making and sending . . . → Read More: February