This week I have chosen a variety of topics to discuss. While Valentine’s Day brought some controversy to my school, fine motor skills and handwriting were also on my mind. If you happened to miss some of this week’s articles, read below for descriptions of each one written.
Saturday, February 17
Sending Gifts to School
On Valentine’s Day, my school was covered in balloons, stuffed animals, and flowers. Many students were excited about the delivery of their gifts. However, what about the students that received nothing? Is it right to send your child a gift to school to be received in front of his/her friends?
Monday, February 19
Howard Glasser and Difficult Children
I attended an in-service discussing Howard Glasser’s theory of discipline. He believes in focusing more energy into praise than punishment. The average child will likely be successful either way. However, the difference can be seen when focusing on difficult children. Many difficult children thrive on attention. Adults should focus attention on positive behavior.
Tuesday, February 20
High School Math Placement
Math is very important in our everyday life. Careful consideration should be given to the placement of a student into a high school math class. If children are placed into classes too difficult for them, they may become frustrated and develop a negative attitude toward math. When deciding which class is best for your child, you need to assess the child’s mathematical abilities, talk with the current teachers, and talk with future teachers.
Wednesday, February 21
Handwriting Without Tears
My school adopted a writing series, Handwriting Without Tears. This program allows students to develop the form of each letter through hands-on activities. Before writing, students build letters, sky write, use a magnetic board, write with chalk, and even sing songs. While I have found some challenges with the program in my classroom, I learned that it works very well for homeschool children.
Thursday, February 23
Strengthening Fine Motor Skills
An increasing number of children seem to be struggling with fine motor skills. Children are coming to kindergarten without the ability to write legibly. As teachers, we must create fun activities to help these children gain muscle strength. In this article, I list several activities that work for me.
Friday, February 24
Creating A Great School Yearbook
One of many past duties was yearbook creator. Although I enjoyed the job, it was time consuming. I was always looking for ways to create the yearbook more efficiently. In this article, I discuss some the tricks that I learned.