What's your favorite Dr. Seuss book? If you are a child, were a child, or know a child, you MUST know the beloved works of Dr. Seuss.
Celebrate this milestone in the world of Dr. Seuss - his birthday on March 2. Born Theodore Geisel, Dr. Seuss as we know him best, was a prolific children's author and one that just about every reader is familiar with.
Says the NEA biography of Theodore Geisel, "Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards, Geisel authored and illustrated 44 children's books. His enchanting stories are available as audio cassettes, animated television specials, and videos."
I started thinking about my favorite Seuss book last weekend while attending a baby shower for a friend's daughter, who is also a teacher. Along with the usual baby gifts she got a number of books for her newborn, and it got my friend Terry and me started reminiscing about favorite Seuss stories. There are so many that it is hard to choose just one.
Here is a comprehensive list of all of Dr. Seuss's books and characters.
On the list are 54 books starting with And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street published in 1938 to his last published work, I Am Not Going To Get Up Today! published in 1987. In between are some of the most beloved children's books ever published. I had an "ah-ha" moment of recognition on countless occasions while researching this article - each time remembering a Dr. Seuss that I'd forgotten!! What a trip down memory lane!
One of my favorites is one of his earliest, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. This great story tells of young Bartholomew's encounter with King Derwin, the ruler of Didd and his attempts to convince King Derwin that he IS removing his hat! The visual impact of the drawings, along with Dr. Seuss's trademark rhyming, makes for a wonderful story - especially to read aloud. I shared this book with my students in every grade I taught, from first to fifth, and they all loved it!
Another that I love is The Lorax, now a popular animated film. I used this one in conjunction with my ecology units with great success. I can still see that Lorax, speaking for the trees - we need him around today, I think.
And who could forget that perennial favorite - How the Grinch Stole Christmas. That was a staple in my read-aloud library for the holidays each and every year!
I'm sure you have many favorites of your own that you use with your children year in and year out.
Many schools use Dr. Seuss's birthday to plan Read Across America events. The NEA has a great site for planning these reading events, as well as the Seussville site.
You may also enjoy author Anne Emerick's fictional account, The Day I Met Dr. Seuss!
Copyright 2012 +Irene Taylor. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
A Good Sub is Great to Find
Who in a classroom today hasn't been forever grateful for a good substitute? Where would we be without them? They come in, under often difficult conditions, and tend our classrooms with love and care while we are sick or taking care of family business. They are our "alter egos" and we should do whatever we can to make their jobs easier.
I'm sure each teacher has a method for preparing for a substitute. While I was teaching, I kept a special Sub Folder in my lesson plan book. In it I kept school policies, daily schedules, seating charts, bus schedules, extra duties, names of students who could be counted on for help, and the name of another teacher who was willing to lend a hand, and other useful and helpful information. In addition, I also prepared somewhat "generic" emergency lessons that could be used in a pinch, if for some reason my daily lesson plans could not be used. I also provided several fun activities that a sub could use if needed.
At the beginning of the year I prepared my students for the eventuality that they would have a sub during the school year. I outlined strict guidelines for work and behavior that I expected from them, and I assured them that no matter what - I WOULD be back the next day and they would have to face me and account for their behavior. I tried to "plan" my first day out, usually with a teacher workshop or other event that I knew about in advance. For those instances, I prepared very detailed lessons, and made sure there was more than enough work for the students to do.
And I told the students that I would be out, and the name of the sub who would be covering. Upon my return, I applauded good behavior, and dealt with the not so good, since there are always one or two in the class who really didn't believe there would be a consequence for their actions! I usually found that it only took that one time for students to realize that they needed to carry on with "business as usual" with a sub. I occasionally told them that what they needed to do was just look at the sub and pretend she was me - and behave accordingly.
I also came to appreciate the subs who came to the classroom prepared with a few tricks of their own. Many subs have their own "sub survival kit" which makes walking into a strange classroom easier. For those who find themselves providing this most important service, I offer a few tips and ideas that can be found at these sites. There are many great ideas to be found - and many can be used by new or experienced teachers as well.
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.
I'm sure each teacher has a method for preparing for a substitute. While I was teaching, I kept a special Sub Folder in my lesson plan book. In it I kept school policies, daily schedules, seating charts, bus schedules, extra duties, names of students who could be counted on for help, and the name of another teacher who was willing to lend a hand, and other useful and helpful information. In addition, I also prepared somewhat "generic" emergency lessons that could be used in a pinch, if for some reason my daily lesson plans could not be used. I also provided several fun activities that a sub could use if needed.
At the beginning of the year I prepared my students for the eventuality that they would have a sub during the school year. I outlined strict guidelines for work and behavior that I expected from them, and I assured them that no matter what - I WOULD be back the next day and they would have to face me and account for their behavior. I tried to "plan" my first day out, usually with a teacher workshop or other event that I knew about in advance. For those instances, I prepared very detailed lessons, and made sure there was more than enough work for the students to do.
And I told the students that I would be out, and the name of the sub who would be covering. Upon my return, I applauded good behavior, and dealt with the not so good, since there are always one or two in the class who really didn't believe there would be a consequence for their actions! I usually found that it only took that one time for students to realize that they needed to carry on with "business as usual" with a sub. I occasionally told them that what they needed to do was just look at the sub and pretend she was me - and behave accordingly.
I also came to appreciate the subs who came to the classroom prepared with a few tricks of their own. Many subs have their own "sub survival kit" which makes walking into a strange classroom easier. For those who find themselves providing this most important service, I offer a few tips and ideas that can be found at these sites. There are many great ideas to be found - and many can be used by new or experienced teachers as well.
- Teaching Heart's Survival Kit for Guest Teachers
- Substitute Teaching Tricks of the Trade
- Packet for Substitute Teachers
- Substitute Teaching
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
100th Day of School Celebrations
Do you celebrate the 100th day of
school in your classroom?
Depending upon when school started,
most schools will be celebrating their 100th day sometime during the January or February.
This kind of celebration is often held in the lower grades and involves the
idea of counting to 100 - 100 buttons, pennies, other objects.
There are many ways to mark this
day. This article will share a few and give you some great links to other ideas
for celebrations.
The first thing you'll need to do is
to get out your school calendar and figure out when the 100th day of school
falls, so you will know when to plan to hold your celebration. Once the date
has been set, you'll need to get your class excited about this special day.
You may want to begin with one of
the many great 100th Day stories. Here are just a few to look for.
In The 100th Day of School
by Angela Shelf Medearis, children do many "100" activities such as
learning 100 spelling words, decorating a tree with 100 ribbons, and baking 100
cookies. This book has a reading level of ages 4-8, and is intended for lower
primary students.
100 School Days by Anne Rockwell tells the story of a class who collects
100 pennies. A great way to introduce students to the idea of a 100 collection.
100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler is a great story of Jessica, who worries
about what to bring to her class 100th Day celebration. 100 ice cubes? Too
melty. Marshmallows? Too sticky. Her solution is ingenious and makes for a great
ending!
There are many more great 100th Day
stories - so read one or two to your class to get in the 100th Day mood!
You might also want to teach your
students a "100th Day" song. Here are a few great suggestions. I love the one to the tune of "We've Been Working on the Railroad..."
Now to the activities! You will
probably be inspired to come up with unique ways to celebrate with your students,
but in case you need a few ideas, Education World has a great article
called Celebrate the 100th Days in 100 Ways. It has 100 unusual and interesting
ways to make the celebration great.
Here are a few other ideas for
planning your celebration.
Enchanted Learning has a terrific 100th Day of School website. There are 100 ideas for teaching about 100 days in
different subjects and with many different activities. There are also some
great book links.
Finally, Vickie Blackwell's 100th Day of School Internet Guide has an exhaustive list of
activities.
Whatever you choose to do on your
100th day - celebrate and have fun!
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