Author: Ina L.

Classroom Management, Miscellaneous, Teaching Tips

I’m a Dancin’ Machine…

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I just returned from a wonderful vacation. My husband and I spent five fun-filled days in Las Vegas—at Dance Camp. I have written before that dancing makes me better at what I do. Being a student for an intense week of lessons improved on that.

When was the last time you spent real time as a student? Having to deal with teachers who you may or may not like with teaching methods that didn’t do anything to enhance your learning style? Who had no concept of learning styles? Did they know or care that you might be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic? And here I was dancing all day–one might have thought they’d make it easier for us. Not so.

The teachers just believed we were all kinesthetic learners who would pick up a tango routine in just a couple of hours. They were wrong about that. Some of us really needed the words written down to remember. So we (I) took notes. Those words then played in my head, and I was able to get the routine much better. Can teachers help adapt the learning?

Then there’s the practice. We practiced on our own with a group of friends. After much discussion as to what the order of the steps was, we all tried to dance the routine. What a sorry lot we were. My husband and I had one step totally incorrect in the practice. It wasn’t until the next morning when we went to class that we found that out. Then we had to relearn it correctly. Hmm, how many of our students do that, practicing something incorrectly with no one ever really checking?

This was Dance Camp, and it was lots of fun. I wanted to be there and knew I would have to work hard. So I was willing to accommodate the teachers. I knew they were pros and I could change things as needed or ask questions.

What about our students? Do they really want to be in class? Sure some do, but what about those that don’t? They also are young and don’t always know what they don’t know. They make mistakes and no one fixes them. School should be like Dance Camp. Hard work, learning new things, practicing, and a reward of something new learned and enjoyed. Let’s think about how we can make learning work best for our students.

Miscellaneous

5 Reasons Why I Don’t Write My Book

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Do you have the world’s next best lesson plan?  You know who you are.  You’re the teacher who has led staff development using your own materials.  You’re the teacher whose students have soared because you have a unique way of presenting lessons.  You’re the teacher who everyone in your building says, “Why don’t you get that published?”

And have you tried to get published?  I don’t know about other publishers, but at TCR we look at everything that is sent in.  Our products come from the most creative teachers.  Sometimes teachers send us the most organized manuscripts.  Sometimes they send very specific ideas, but don’t have a clue of how to put it together to create a book.  They send in math, science, reading, writing, classroom management, and every other idea you can imagine.  It is one of the greatest joys to read through those submissions and find a gem.  Sometimes it’s a real diamond in the rough.  In either case, once the editing process is completed, we have a terrific “teacher created resource.”

So what’s stopping you from sending in your book proposal?  Here are some of the things I’ve heard through the years and my responses to them:

1. You have the idea but you’re not sure of the best way to present it.

That’s easy. Look at our submission guidelines. If you already have the book “done,” you can even send the whole thing.

https://www.teachercreated.com/contact/submissions.php.

2. There’s more than one of us involved in this project.

That’s fine.  We often work with writing partners.

3.  I have an idea but I don’t have time to write until the summer or spring break.

We work with teachers and know teachers are really busy people.  When we accept someone’s manuscript, we work around his or her schedule.

4. This book will need illustrating but I’m not an artist.

I’m not either, but we have some wonderfully talented illustrators.  We want your ideas, but we’ll take care of the art.

5. I’m afraid I’ll get a “no” for an answer.

In all honesty, that’s a possibility, but you’ll never know if you don’t try submitting something.

These are just a few reasons that I’ve heard through the year for not sending in book proposals.  I know there are more.  Let me know what they are, and I’ll address them. Maybe that will get you moving to send in a book proposal.  Then who knows, you may see your name in print.

Miscellaneous, Teacher Resources

A Paperless Project

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I have been immersed in paper for most of my adult life. First, reading and grading thousands of papers every year while teaching middle school English, and then as an editor here at TCR. After all, isn’t that what a publishing house is all about? The simple answer to that is, “It used to be.” But times are changing. I have just had the experience of completing my first totally non-paper product. These were the Lit Kits we just completed for Promethean Planet. These amazingly interactive products did not require us to print anything on paper.

In many ways, it was an odd experience. So many of the components needed to be treated as if we were going to publish a paper product. I had to figure out many new ways of doing old things. For instance, how would we keep track of who had proofread the product? Even more important, how was it going to be proofread—on hard copy or interactive whiteboard? (Full disclosure here, we finally did print out copies for proofreading but also spent lots of time at the interactive board.) These are monumental questions when you need to get a product out.

It took some good old-fashioned thinking (see my blog on Think Time, September 2010). I found myself starting things one way and then realizing they might need to be finished in another way. I also had to begin really thinking differently. How does a vocabulary page become interactive? Can you make a lesson in sequencing something that moves around? What about a cause-and-effect lesson? It’s usually such a tough thing to teach; will interactivity make it easier? All of this, and the whole idea of no paper to speak of, were rumbling around in my brain. All these were questions that needed to be answered to move forward on the project. Did the questions get answered? They really did. All you have to do to see them is to look at the Lit Kits at PrometheanPlanet.com and you can see for yourself.

So as our first paperless products appear, it just begs the question: Are you going paperless in your classroom?

Teacher Resources

In a Sea of Hot Pink

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It was a sea of hot pink, quite wonderful really, that sea of pink. Just looking at it brought a surge of joy to my heart. For every woman wearing a hot pink tee shirt was a breast cancer survivor. There were over 1,000 survivors on stage for the Survivor’s Tribute at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on September 26 this year. And so many of my friends and colleagues were among those swimming in that sea.

I was the captain of Team TCR as we proudly participated in the Race for the Cure held in Newport Beach, California. Over 30 team members proudly walked among 24,000 plus participants. Identifying us was our mascot T.C. Bear on a sign that was proudly held aloft for the whole route. Almost everyone was sporting something pink—shirts, boas, hats, and tiaras.

Being part of the race is always inspiring. So often we want to do something to help others, but we don’t know how to. As first-time participant James Grace commented, “I’ve said in the past, I don’t have time, I’m too busy, but this year I made the time, I did it. I didn’t stand on the sidelines. I made a difference.”

And making a difference is what Komen is all about. The organization funds programs that help women fight breast cancer. Early detection is the best defense against breast cancer, and just $125 can fund a mammogram for a woman in need. TCR has committed to that need. This year we have raised over $10,000 for the cause. If you’d like to make a contribution, go to the Team Teacher Created Resources – OC Komen page and make a general donation. Like James, you’ll be making a difference.

Visit our Facebook page to see pictures from the event.