T.G.I. Facebook

When I set up a page for Teaching Resources on Facebook last month, I had no idea what a blessing it would turn out to be for me personally. I figured it would be a great way for me to send out quick updates about new materials I added to the Teaching Resources site. But I what I didn't anticipate was how Facebook would allow me to interact with others and ask for advice myself!

Every year in the classroom is different, and every year I face new challenges, just like other classroom teachers. Last week I posted two messages about areas where I needed help, and both times I received dozens of responses in a matter of hours! The truly wonderful thing about this was that not only was I getting help, everyone who visited the page could benefit from the responses. One question was about needing some great math tutorial sites and the other was about how to teach kids about 9/11. Both questions resulted in some really useful information and websites.

I've also noticed that other teachers are posting questions about their own classrooms, and teachers who have experience with these issues are responding. It's so uplifting to me to see these exchanges, and I'm very grateful to the teachers who have signed up as "fans" of the site. Where can I sign up to be a fan of all the fans? :-)

For several years I've been setting aside a part of my Power Pack eBook earnings to support teachers and classrooms. I've donated some of the money to Donors Choose projects, and now I'm also going to start sharing it with Facebook fans of the Teaching Resources site. Every Friday I will give away a free Power Pack to one Facebook fan, and I'll also give a free Power Pack to the person who referred them to my site! On the last Friday of each month, I'll also give away two $25 Amazon.com gift cards. To learn more about the T.G.I. Facebook Freebie giveaway, go to http://www.lauracandler.com/facebook.php. You can sign up as a Facebook fan by going to http://www.facebook.com/TeachingResources.

Thanks to those of you who have been participating in the exchange of ideas and information on Facebook. You have blessed my life, and I'm happy to share some of my good fortune with you!

How to Earn 4,000 Scholastic Bonus Points

Every year I cross my fingers in August, hoping that Scholastic will repeat its back-to-school deal. This deal is so terrific that I love to share it with other teachers!

Did you know that with a little bit of know-how and persistence, you can get 4,000 Bonus Points in just a week or two? I've been able to do this every year for at least 5 years, whether I worked at a Title I school or a more affluent one. I've created a system that works every time! Read on to learn how you can do this, too!

How to Earn 4,000 Bonus Points

The Deal:

• Put together a $200 or larger order from one catalog and you'll get 20 times the Bonus Points! With a $200 order you'll get 4,000 points.
  
• The larger the order, the more points you'll get up to 10,000. Don't panic about how you'll get a $200 order when you usually can't get a $10 order! Just read on. Follow my system and you can do it! It works!


• If you don't want to do this on your own, you can work with another teacher or your grade level. After you get the 4,000 points you can call Scholastic and have the points distributed to each person's account according to the amount their class contributed to the total.

Secrets of Success:

• Make sure you have a Scholastic account. If you don't, go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs to set one up. Then hunt around your school for a September catalog or wait for one to be mailed to you.


• Look through the Scholastic September catalogs for the ones that offer 20X bonus points for getting a $200 order. Choose one and only one catalog. You have to get together a $200 order from one catalog to qualify, and if you send home 3 catalogs you'll never make it. Just pick the one that has the most books that would appeal to your students. Choose Lucky, Arrow, Tab, or whatever, but make sure it has the 20X bonus point offer.


• Compose a letter to send home to parents with the order form. See the sample Scholastic Arrow Book Letter on the Teaching Resources Back to School page.


• If you haven't set up online ordering, do that at this time. I've found that parents order more books when they are using a credit card online. Go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs to set this up. Do not activate the option that gives parents 500 more book choices at this time or parents may place orders in that catalog. You want all the orders to come from the catalog you chose earlier. Write down your Class User Name and Password for reference.


• When you give the order form out, devote some class time to discussing the books. Have the kids highlight the ones they like and allow students to tell the class about books they love. Tell them that if the class can get a $200 order, you'll be able to buy over 100 books for the classroom!


• Distribute the letter and go over your book picks with the kids. Require them to get the letter signed by a parent even if they don't think they want to order. That way the parents will be aware of your goal and may want to help out, even if they don't usually order books.


• Make a deal with students. If the class gets a $200 order, anyone who places an order will get a free book pick worth $3 or less from a future catalog. You can use the Scholastic Coupon on Teaching Resources to do this.


• If you have access to a computer, demonstrate how to place an online order. That way your students can help their parents with this process. Make sure they know the Class User Name and Password.


• As the orders come in, keep a running total on the board. Do not post individual student names and the amounts of their orders! Just announce the daily total. You can also use the Scholastic Stars $200 Countdown on Teaching Resources. Each section is worth $10, so you can color in the sections as you work to reach your goal of $200.
  


• If you have a parent night or open house, put out some extra order forms and be sure to mention your class goal. If you have a copy of the Scholastic dictionary, display it. Explain why you want the bonus points - to order free books and materials for your class.


• If the deadline passes and you are close to $200, send out another message letting parents know how close you are to the goal. If you have parent email addresses, send them a note and include a direct link to Scholastic's ordering page. You can also combine orders with another teacher to reach that goal and share the points later.

Other Strategies - Have you developed any strategies for cashing in on Scholastic's September deal? Please share your experiences!

Rethinking Praise

I recently discovered that learning something new just might be the best way to improve my own teaching. A few days go I experienced a powerful lesson about praise. I was learning a new style of cross-country skiing, and it was quite a challenge for me. I'm very comfortable with the "striding" style of that sport, but I had never tried the more athletic "skating" style. It looked fun, so I decided to take a lesson. Wow! It's been years since I tried anything that physically challenging! I felt completely uncoordinated and off-balance the entire 90 minutes! The instructor was wonderful, but she had the nerve to do something that I do every single day in the classroom . . . she praised me when I was struggling! The problem was that hearing "good job" when I felt like a duck on skis was more insulting than encouraging. I knew that I wasn't doing a good job, and the praise did not ring true. What I would have liked to hear was, "Keep on working - it will get easier in time." Experiencing praise from the standpoint of the learner really opened my eyes and made me rethink the role of praise in learning.

This ah-ha moment may have been partly due to the fact that the role of praise was already on my mind. A few weeks ago I read "The Perils and Promises of Praise," an article by Carol Dweck that appeared in the October 2008 edition of Educational Leadership.This article examined two kinds of praise that teachers often give students and the long-term effects of praising in those ways. It seems that how we are praised may impact how we view our own intelligence. Some students believe that intelligence is a fixed trait - that people are just born with a certain amount of intelligence. Others believe that they can develop their intellectual abilities by working hard and learning more. As it turns out, praising students for being smart causes them to adopt the former attitude, with quite damaging consequences. Students who think their intelligence is fixed become easily frustrated when they face a challenge. Their self-confidence is tied up in "being smart," and they are afraid that if they ask questions, they won't seem smart. On the other hand, when students are praised for working hard and putting forth effort, they don't worry about appearing smart. Instead, they are willing to tackle challenges and try new experiences. This article is a must-read for any teacher or parent.

There's a happy ending to my cross-country ski story. I didn't give up, and after a few days of sticking with it, I was able to navigate my way around the green beginner trails of Tahoe Donner Ski Area. The weather was gorgeous and I had a wonderful time skiing with my family. Maybe I'll be able to tackle those blue trails next year! I must have had teachers and parents who praised me for working hard rather than being smart, because I've never worried about asking questions. In fact, I have discovered that the more you know, the more you realize you DON'T know! My new year's resolution is to use praise more effectively in the classroom, never giving false praise and always praising students for their efforts rather than because they are smart.

Let the Adventure Begin!

Last year my husband and I bought two kayaks, and we love paddling the Lumber River here in North Carolina. It’s a peaceful, quiet river, and within moments of starting each trip, it’s as if we have left civilization behind. The section of the river we paddle is narrow and winding, full of twists and turns, and we never know what we might find around the next bend.

One thing I love about kayaking is the way I can think through things as I paddle along quietly. I’m away from my computer and all of the hectic activity that fills my life at home, and my mind just drifts quietly from thought to thought. With school starting in just a few weeks, the end of summer vacation is on my mind. I do love summer with its freedom and time to relax, but I’m also looking forward to a new school year. I can’t imagine being anything else but a teacher!

As a paddled along, I reflected that each school year is like another trip down the Lumber River. It’s the same river, yet it’s always different. Sometimes the water is so high that it rises over its banks, and other days it’s so low that we have to navigate around stumps and trees, frequently getting out to drag our kayaks over obstacles. Teaching is like that for me, and I would go crazy if I had a job where every day was the same. One reason I love teaching is that each day is different, and I can never predict exactly what is going to happen next. In the same way that I can get ready for a river trip, I can plan and prepare for teaching, but I have to meet each obstacle as I encounter it, using my creativity to overcome problems. Sometimes I have to paddle furiously to battle against the current, and other times I can just drift along, enjoying the ride. No matter what, each day in the classroom is an adventure! Let the adventure begin!

Finding My Voice

As I write my first blog entry, I realize that I’m embarking on a new endeavor. I have used blogs for specific purposes and projects, but never just as a place to express myself and my views. When I decided start a blog as a form of personal expression, I immediately began worrying about what I should name my blog. I thought about what I might want to accomplish with this blog and brainstormed a list of possible names, but nothing seemed just right. As an educator, I knew I would be writing about educational topics and I felt that the title should reflect that, but nothing clicked. Then I realized that I don’t really want to accomplish anything at all. I just want a place to explore my thinking on a variety of issues. I’ve always found writing to be a creative process. It’s almost as if I create my own reality as I write! Ideas seem to take on a life of their own as they flow through me and onto the paper (or into cyberspace!) I’m an avid reader, and when I read inspirational books, I like working through those ideas and making them my own. Since I love teaching, I often find ways to connect what I’m reading with what I’m doing in the classroom. Therefore, this blog will probably have a highly educational focus. Yet I want to be free to explore whatever thoughts come to mind, so I’ve settled on the very simple title of “Laura’s Voice.” It’s not meant to be the voice of authority or the voice of an expert, - it’s just me sharing my thoughts. I’m going to fight the urge to be a perfectionist about this and just let the ideas flow freely. I invite others to read my blog and add their voices to mine!