What Makes A Good Teacher?

Does a college degree make for a better teacher? Is a college degree really even necessary in becoming a great teacher? Many college degrees can teach methods and more about education. But, a really good teacher is more than a college degree, even a degree from the best university. A really good teacher knows how to motivate. A really good teacher knows how to direct a student to research on their own to truly learn. A good teacher knows how to instill wisdom and a spark for wanting to know more. A good teacher is humble, not arrogant. A good teacher doesn't have to know everything but should know how to direct a student to find out what he or she needs to know.

Are you a good teacher?
Do you know a good teacher?
Have you had the privilege of sitting in a classroom directed by a good teacher? If so, than the teacher.

A good teacher is a prize!

New Study Shows Teacher Is Not The Reason For Good Grades

A new study is out that shows the way kids learn things that really stick may have a lot more to do with the teaching method than the teacher.

Here's the article that describes the findings!

It's very interesting yet not surprising to me.

Top 25 Homeschool Blogs

Education comes in many forms.  When it comes to elementary education, there is public school, private school, charter schools, virtual school and home schools.  Circle of Moms is a Website that is hosting a contest to find the Top 25 homeschooling blogs.  You can vote to boost a wonderful homeschooling blog to make it within the top 25.

Teachable Scotts Tots is a blog of a homeschooling family.  It offers insights, journaling, lesson plans and what it's really like in the trenches of homeschooling.  Vote here!

Today is the last day to vote.  Voting closes at 5:00 PST.  

For Dummies Books Are Great Teaching Tools

I first ran across the series of books called "For Dummies" years ago and thought they were just a fun trend.  But, since that time the line of books has developed and published a book for just about anything you need to know.  There are For Dummies for computer programming languages and For Dummies for far simpler tasks.

The books lay out the information in a very humorous and understandable manner using cartoons and humor along with solid instruction.  Next time you need to learn something and it's just not clicking, you might want to check out a For Dummies book to make it clear.

And if you want, you can even design your own cover for dummies.  You pick the picture.  You pick the title.  You download and share how you like.  Have fun with the following link:

Design your own For Dummies Book Cover!

How many Mr. Men and Little Miss characters can you name on Roger Hargreaves' Birthday?

When I was younger and gone through some troubling times, I kept a little eraser with a picture of Mr. Strong on it.  It just was something I happened to find one day, it matched my car's interior, and it described how I felt I needed to be and how I should approach my troubles.

Whether my psychology was healthy or just immature youth, today, May 9, 2011, would have been the 76th birthday for Roger Hargreaves. Who is Roger Hargreaves? He was the creator of the Mr. Men an Little Miss Books. Apparently, his books started as an answer to his son's question as to what a tickle looked like.  His response was the first character of the line of books.  Google has created a Google Doodle in honor of the man. So, I thought it might be fun to conduct a little test. How many Mr. Men/Little Miss characters can you name?

There are 44 Mr. Men as follows:

1. Mr. Tickle
2. Mr. Greedy
3. Mr. Happy
4. Mr. Nosey
5. Mr. Sneeze
6. Mr. Bump
7. Mr. Snow
8. Mr. Messy
9. Mr. Topsy-Turvey
10. Mr. Silly
11. Mr. Uppity
12. Mr. Small
13. Mr. Daydream
14. Mr. Forgetful
15. Mr. Jelly
16. Mr. Noisy
17. Mr. Lazy
18. Mr. Funny
19. Mr. Mean
20. Mr. Chatterbox
21. Mr. Fussy
22. Mr. Bounce
23. Mr. Muddle
24. Mr. Dizzy
25. Mr. Impossible
26. Mr. Strong
27. Mr. Grumpy
28. Mr. Clumsy
29. Mr. Quiet
30. Mr. Rush
31. Mr. Tall
32. Mr. Worry
33. Mr. Nonsense
34. Mr. Wrong
35. Mr. Skinny
36. Mr. Micheif
37. Mr. Clever
38. Mr. Busy
39. Mr. Slow
40. Mr. Brave
41. Mr. Grumble
42. Mr. Perfect
43. Mr. Cheerful
44. Mr. Guilty

And, The Little Miss are:

1. Little Miss Bossy
2. Little Miss Brainy
3. Little Miss Busy
4. Little Miss Chatterbox
5. Little Miss Contrary
6. Little Miss Curious
7. Little Miss Dotty
8. Little Miss Pickles
9. Little Miss Fun
10. Little Miss Giggle
11. Little Miss Greedy
12. Little Miss Helpful
13. Little Miss Late
14. Little Miss Lucky
15. Little Miss Magic
16. Little Miss Naughty
17. Little Miss Quick
18. Little Miss Neat
19. Little Miss Sunshine
20. Little Miss Stubborn
21. Little Miss Quick
22. Little Miss Splendid
23. Little Miss Somersault
24. Little Miss Shy
25. Little Miss Scatterbrain
26. Little Miss Wise
27. Little Miss Twiins
28. Little Miss Trouble
29. Little Miss Neat
30. Little Miss Star
31. Little Miss Tiny
32. Little Miss Flirty

A Vocabulary List For Mommyjavascript:void(0)

When I had my first child, I was insistent upon using adult vocabulary and not turning words into baby talk. But, no matter my best efforts, there are just some words that crept in - some because it was an easy way to refer to something and others were brought about by the child. Following are some vocabulary words for mothers:

Da-Da - After spending months trying to get your child to say his or her first word, this is the word they say. We are told, whether it's factual or just to comfort the mom, that the "D" is, in fact, an easier sound to form than the "M" to instead say, "Mama!"

boo boo - An injury that usually is easily fixed with only a mommy's kiss.

potty - This is the place previously known by other terms such as bathroom, toilet, etc. From the moment your child shows an interest in using it, it will henceforth be referred to as "potty."

Deer-It-Is! - Yours may come with a different name entirely, but this is how my youngest referred to nursing. In fact, I believe it was technically her first 3-word sentence. When she wanted to nurse, she would lift my shirt and announce Deer-It-Is (There It Is)!

Binky - Again, yours may come with a different name entirely, but this is commonly how a pacifier is referred.

Nye-Nye - This is a way to say goodnight. Ni-ni baby!

Ah-Boo! - This comes about as a form of entertaining the child in a game of Peek-A-Boo. It is oftened shorted to just, Ah-Boo! out of necessity to get to the point of play quickly.

Bye-Bye - From the moment you become a parent of an infant who is learning to speak, you will find yourself never saying "Goodbye" or even "Bye" again. It will always be accompanied with the second "Bye!"

Giksimik - OK, I threw this one in on a personal note. When my son was little, he had a little Farm toy that made sound when touching appropriate picture. One day, my husband decided to write down what my son called these pictures and tape the word beneath the picture. He said "cow" "dog," etc correctly enough for a beginner. But, then he came to the farmer and he would refer to it as "Giksimik." We found it funny but thought nothing more about it till one day this year (my son is now 10) I found that toy and hit the button to discover when you hit the farmer button, it did not make a sound like the cow mooing or the dog barking. Rather, it played music. It took me 10 years, but I believe my son was trying to say "Music" and it came out as "Giksimik."

You have your child's cute mixed-up pronunciations too. Write them down so as never to forget these unforgettable precious moments. In the meantime, enjoy your new-found mom vocabulary.

Einstein's Mother And A Complete History Of Mother's Day

When you're observing your child learn, do you ever wonder what mothers of famous men and women did or did not do to help spur their offspring onto academic and intellectual success. Often, I think I wish I could spend afternoon tea with Einstein's mother or Thomas Edison's mother just to get some tips.

What is Mother's Day? The history can be found here. This is a complete history including Mother's Day from around the world and spiritual conceptions of Mother's Day, gods, goddesses, etc. It also includes the American version which was started by a woman named Julia Ward Howe.

Julia Ward Howe set out to bring honor to the job of being a mother. This song is a sweet tribute to mothers:

B2B Marketplace Vocabulary Word of the Day in Honor of ECPlaza 15th Anniversary

What is a B2B Marketplace? This is a great vocabulary word for the day. In fact, everyday vocabulary words that are tossed about can actually spur on questions as to what they actually mean. As adults, you may fear asking someone for a clarification of a term you feel you should know. But, if you are around children for very long, they show their curiosity to learn constantly and are not afraid to ask what you mean.

There is a really cool B2B Marketplace that is worldwide and is celebrating their 15th Anniversary this year! Find out who it is here! Once you read the blog post, visit the company's site and then come back to catch the links to their Social Networking sites. Visit them on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook or Linked In - Or all of the above - and wish them a Happy 15th Anniversary!

Now, onto what B2B actually means. B2B stands for Business-To-Business. The World English dictionary describes it like this:

B2C Compare B2E business-to-business; denoting trade between commercial organizations rather than between businesses and private customers

Happy Cinco De Mayo lesson plans

May 5 is, as the name implies, Cinco De Mayo. Like any holiday, even if you are not of hispanic/Latino/Mexican decent, you can learn a lot about history and culture through the celebration of a holiday like this.

There's lots of traditions. There are confetti eggs that are used by blowing out the yolk and filling with confetti. There are pinatas filled with candy and treats. There is salsa and chips and Mexican food. There is even a way to make a Mexican flag out of veggies for the health-lovers.

Here's some links to some great online learning:

Cinco De Mayo

Frugal Salsa Recipes and Veggie Flag of Mexico

It's time to drop some love in May

Hey guys! The Love Drop team is at it again! Last month they gave over $6,000 worth of cash and goods to their recipient, the Kahlen family, who had been going through a financially hard time due to the economy (and whose daughter is currently battling Tuberous Sclerosis). They focused on their love of spending time together, and brought them over 8 pairs of tickets to a whole bunch of local events. It was awesome, and you can watch how it all went down here.

This month they rally behind the Stalnakers - a family who, along with thousands of others along the gulf coast, are still reeling from the effects of the BP oil spill. Our goal is to get them a reliable used car this month as their previous two have died, and it's getting harder and harder for them to manage w/ the one they're currently borrowing. They've been giving back to their community since they moved in, and now it's time for US to help them!

Want to help? Here are three ways you can participate:

1. Help them get a car! - Our #1 goal is to give them a reliable used car in decent working order. If you have any leads, discounts, or connections in this area, please email Love Drop and let them know.
2. Give $1.00 - This money will help get them back on their feet, and relieve some financial burden. Every dollar counts!
3. Give a gift or service - Gift cards are always helpful. Places like Target, Wal-mart, restaurants, etc would definitely help them out. Services too - especially those you can offer yourselves, or from your company.

Thanks everyone! We'll let you know how it goes!

My 5 favorite books on writing

As part of the WordCount Blogathon 2011, there is a theme day. Today's theme is "My 5 favorite books on writing." What are my 5 favorite books on writing? I'm not sure I can recommend just five. Once excellent resource for children to learn writing is the Writing Srands books. They make writing fun with thought-provoking assignments.

In addition to this, a friend who is also a writer published this blog entry on Goodblogs:

For Those Of Us Who Never Took A College Writing Class - And Those Of Us Who Have!

The post has some excellent links to great writing advice. And, if you like her post, give her a vote for a Good Blog. Just click on the up arrow in the upper left corner of the blog. First, you have to be logged in as a member of Goodblogs, but this is fast and easy with just an entry of your email and a password to use on the site.

History Right Before Our Eyes: Bin Laden Is Dead!

This is history right before our eyes. The news came early Monday morning that Bin Laden is dead. After almost 10 years since the World Trade Towers attack on 9-11 of 2001, Bin Laden was found in a compound in Pakistan. He was killed by gun fire by United States Navy Seals and then buried at sea so as not to take the chance of having a shrine erected for the man known to be the leader of the Muslim terrorist group, Al Qaeda.

How did Americans respond? By dancing in the streets. College students and other Americans traveled for hours to dance in triumph at the very spot of terror almost 10 years ago.

It may not be written in the history books yet. But, it will be. We are living and watching history!

WordCount Blogathon

I'm not sure what I have done. But, I registered not one, but 2 blogs to take part in the WordCount Blogathon 2011. It will be my first year. And, this is officially my first entry since it is after midnight on May 1 now. I love to write, and love to connect with other bloggers. The purpose of my starting this particular blog was to share educational ideas. I hope I can successfully do that. In addition to this, I have written a children's book that I may present soon. And, my son has written a book which impresses his dear old mom. He is now working on his 2nd, and he is only 10. Perhaps I will reveal that as well. I wonder where this blogathon will take me. But, one thing can be certain, I will be writing my fingers off throughout the month of may with this WordCount Blogathon 2011. I hope it is enjoyable to read!