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Today’s guest blogger, Sarah Kilway, wrote to us after receiving hundreds of new books for her students. We couldn’t resist sharing her story with you.

I teach 187 kids at Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center in Indianapolis, IN. The majority of my students live in poverty. Most have only one parent at home.

Not many of my kids own books, nor were they read to as children. Even as 9th graders, they lack basic common knowledge of fairy tales, fables and iconic book characters.

Our school has many great resources, but when something is lacking, my colleagues and I step in. This often means spending my own money on books and other items for my students, but it’s totally worth it. I also have First Book.

Thanks to First Book, I was recently able to give a new book to every single one of my students – all 187! A few told me it was the first book they’d ever owned. Some said it was the first book they have ever finished. Such a proud moment for me and them – one that I wanted to share with you.

My students now ask me to go to the library on a daily basis.

Please give to First Book today so I can continue helping them discover and enjoy reading, and so other teachers can too. Your support puts a whole new world within their reach.

The post 187 Reasons Why a Teacher Needs Books appeared first on First Book Blog.

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Today’s guest blogger, Adara Robbins, is 8th grade teacher at YES Prep Southwest, a public charter school in Houston, Texas.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

It’s a tough question. But imagine trying to answer if you didn’t know what your life would look like tomorrow – much less years from now. This my students’ reality.

My 8th graders at YES Prep Southwest face the constant stress of poverty. They can’t be sure where they will sleep tomorrow. They have to take care of younger siblings, leaving limited time for homework. They have few, if any, books at home. With so much uncertainty, it can take a lot of work for them to visualize a future where they will succeed and attend college.

But they will. By the time my students finish high school, 100% of them will be accepted to a four-year college – it’s a graduation requirement.

Many of my students come to me up to five years behind their peers academically. As their teacher, I guide them through a demanding curriculum that brings them up to grade level and inspires a genuine love of learning. Neither could happen without having great books to give them.

Because of First Book, my kids have the books they need to become strong, confident, enthusiastic readers. They’ve grown academically. They get along better with one another. They love and constantly ask for more books. My students are simply happier when they start their day reading.

They also work extremely hard. They attend school from 7:30am to 4:30pm, often staying late for extra help. Their tenacity and determination inspires me to do a better job every day.

All over the country, teachers like me face the challenge of helping kids living in poverty read, learn and succeed. Your support of First Book gives us the resources we need to help kids change the course of their lives. Please consider making a gift today.

The post My Kids Need Books appeared first on First Book Blog.

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In a book that's both fact-filled and fun, a ladybug compares the words used to describe male and female animals. Donna J. Shepherd's lyrical rhymes and Kit Grady's charming illustrations tell a delightful story of a spirited little bug who provides a unique perspective on why names can be deceiving. *Click on the picture, then print! It will print out full size ready to be colored. If

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Click puzzle to enlarge and print. Find more information about the book HERE. Buy the NOOKbook: OUCH! Sunburn

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By Pauline Hall

I spent my first seven years living in Amen Court in the City of London, 100 metres from the northwest corner of St Paul’s Cathedral. I still have vivid memories of this time including recollections of lavish children’s parties given by Dean Inge (the so-called Gloomy Dean) for the cathedral choristers, hearing the call of the cats’ meat man who fed the rat-catching office cats, and the daily round of the lamplighter who tolerated the ‘help’ of a seven year-old assistant.

Then my family moved to Yorkshire where I had my first piano lessons. My teacher was Isobel Purdon who I now realize was a first-rate (if eccentric) musician. She knitted throughout lessons but still managed to hear all my mistakes, and I remember seeing her on her way to the Stranraer ferry (probably 200 miles away) with the neck of her double bass sticking out of the roof of her Austin 7. At music festivals she would conduct the school orchestra with a knitting needle; very embarrassing for the young orchestra members but it didn’t stop us winning more often than not.

On leaving school I studied piano and violin at The Royal Academy of Music. It was war time and buzz bombs were falling regularly over central London. We often had to dive under tables as the air raid warnings sounded–one notable occasion was right in the middle of my first violin exam.

After graduating, I embarked on my teaching career. After a year teaching very young children I felt the lack of inspirational music for this age group and so began to write a piano method which was logical, well-paced, and at the same time attractive and enjoyable. Producing a simple tutor for young children that addresses all these needs is a challenge, but as I was already a teacher I had the opportunity to learn on the job, so to speak, and all the pieces were tried and tested. As a piano teacher, a mother of three, and the wife of a busy doctor, time was scarce and my first drafts were written sitting at the ironing-board. Those initial sketches grew into the Piano Time series, a method used by many thousands of teachers and pupils across the globe today.

Tarantella

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Dinosaurs’ Bedtime March

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On Parade

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Playful Plesiosaurs

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At this point I would like to mention that however dedicated the piano teacher is, and however rewarding their teaching career, there will be times when it can seem like drudgery. The late Philip Cranmer, who had a long and distinguished career as a teacher, once put an interesting proposition. Are you a piano teacher and have you ever taught Für Elise? Here is Philip Cranmer’s proposition:

“Let there be a teacher who has taught the piano for 40 years on an average for 44 weeks in each year. And at any time during that period let there be one of that teacher’s pupils learning Für Elise, playing it through twice at each lesson. Then the teacher will have heard the E/Sharp seesaw 180,000 times. The actual figure arrived at by multiplying out is 179,520, but the extra 480 takes account of all the times the pupil has played one too many because he has miscounted the beat.”

Although there are moments of drudgery, the rewards of introducing young pupils to the infinite joy of music making must make this one of the most satisfying and fulfilling of all careers.

Pauline Hall is the author of Piano Time, Oxford University Press’s award-winning series for young pianists. Oxford Sheet Music is distributed in the United States by Peters Edition.

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The post Pauline Hall recalls her early years and how her teaching career began appeared first on OUPblog.

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Video highlighting my children's books (all but Ava's Secret Tea Party) on Teacher Tube.

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How much fun! It looks like Ava is taking flying lessons from the Tooth Fairy! *Click on the picture, then print! It will print out full size ready to be colored. If that doesn't work with your printer, right click on the picture, and then 'save picture as...' and then you can print it out using your photo program.

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*Click on the picture, then print! It will print out full size ready to be colored. If that doesn't work with your printer, right click on the picture, and then 'save picture as...' and then you can print it out using your photo program.

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A Goodreads review of Being Frank by Suzan Rodgers:

“As a 31 year veteran teaching grades 1-5, I find this book to be a “top-notch” teaching tool full of teachable moments whether used in the classroom or with your own children. To begin with a “picture walk” for interactive read-aloud, the vivid illustrations are quickly engaging making the reader eager to begin the book. There is a rich vocabulary and many literary elements of story that make this book an excellent teaching tool for “mini-lessons” for Readers Workshop such as character analysis, plot (was there a problem/solution),making predictions using context clues, along with making inferences and connections to what they already know. Young readers will then be able to use their meta-cognitive strategies to focus on one of the most difficult literary elements for young readers – author’s purpose. The author used Frank to “teach a lesson”. Upon analyzing what the lesson was, young readers are able to “read between the lines” and add this to their background knowledge. Drawing upon my personal experience as a teacher, young readers would be so eager “to act out” this book for Reader’s Theatre. The author of this book is to be commended for the use of the many literary elements used to teach and enhance literacy for young readers !!! This is a “must-have”!!!”

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Absolute integrity. My wife said it so wonderfully tonight, "Such a grounded man. A breathtaking talent... But so unaffected and sincere."
Here is Tom in his studio.

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An article in The Writer's Chronicle got me thinking about a teacher. Credit: Elizabeth King Humphrey

Were you born a creative writer or were you taught to be a creative writer? I picked up a copy of the September issue of The Writer’s Chronicle, a publication for the Association of Writers & Writing Programs. It’s a publication I read often when I was getting my MFA in creative writing. One article immediately drew my attention: “Borges as Self: Toward Teaching Creative Writers” by Eric LeMay.

There is a line in the article, which I will paraphrase, that poses the question about whether creative writing can be taught or can students be taught to be creative writers. The article discusses various programs and what they may offer writers.

But when I read that, I didn’t look back on my master’s program. I didn’t reflect on an undergraduate poetry class with Kenneth Koch or a graduate workshop with Denise Gess (both incredibly passionate writers). I immediately thought of my high school English teachers.

And one in particular: Marilyn Griggs Riley.

To my knowledge (okay, to my memory!), she didn’t teach me anything about creative writing. I don’t remember the whys and wherefores of points of view or how to create suspense in a novel.

But Marilyn taught me a lot. She taught me about a love of writing. She opened a world of writing that I had never seen before—she wrote the introduction for poetry collections and, later in life, penned a collection of profiles of spunky Western women. Areas for writing that I hadn't considered before. Her enthusiasm didn’t teach me the craft of writing. Her Carol Channing hairstyle didn’t convince me to become a writer (or even influence my style choices).

Her enthusiasm helped me to discover writers I wanted to identify with—and could. Her passion and laughter and encouragement helped me to feel that writing—and being a writer—is an important skill/job/vocation/life.

We kept in touch even after I graduated and she remained a wonderful cheerleader and a fantastic teacher.

In my mind, writers can be taught. Writers can even be taught to be creative writers. But passion is a lot harder to come by. But when you have a teacher who is passionate and believes in you, you can become anything you want to be.

Including a writer.

I enjoyed LeMay's article because he made me think about those personal connections with teachers and their many influences throughout the years.

Do you have a teacher who helped move you to become a writer? Is there someone whose passion set you on the writerly path? Who was he or she?

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in Wilmington, NC. Her kids just started back at school, so she is excited for a bit more free writing time. (Ha!)

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We all had a favorite teacher, yes? They did really neat, cool things that we remember well after our school days. My most “cool” teacher was when I was in third grade. He taught us to knit, make bread, sprechen Deutsch (as well as sing Bach Fugues in German!), tumble, and make lye soap. And that’s also the first time I did a comic strip–and fell in love with cartooning. His name wasn’t Mr. McCool, but it may as well have been.

Having taught classroom myself for a number of years, I know how hard the job is. So godspeed to all you teachers out there, prepping for the new year!

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“Pollen.” Mz. Buzzbee, the second grade teacher called out to Beep.

“Pppollen.” Beep stammered. “Can you please use it in a sentence?”

………………………………………………………………………………..

UPDATE Aug. 24 2012

I woke up this morning to find my little bee was pick of the week on Illustration Friday. How exciting!!! Woooo hoooooo!!! Weeeeeeee!!!!!

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Doug Lucas, author of The Flats Teacher's Test, is my guest today with a post about why he wrote a book that one reviewer called "an explosive story...crossing the boundaries...behind the doors of the educational system". To all my teacher friends and parents, this may be worth your time.

The Flats Teacher's Test is ONLY $4.99 for Kindle (or FREE for Prime users) and you can get it here - http://goo.gl/9q9Ff

     What made me write The Flats Teacher's Test?
     Well in answer to that question you would have to understand my relationship with and pride I take where my daughter is concerned. If you've met my wife, this becomes a clearly understandable statement.
My wife is that rare breed of intelligent woman who decides what she wants for herself, knows how she intends to live her life and also takes no crap from me. With a combination like that…why wouldn't I dream of having a daughter?
     I've got to admit that I was less than thrilled when my daughter started growing into a beautiful young woman. I felt she should've set her sights somewhat higher than some of the low life types of cretins(none of whom were good enough for her I'll add) she dated. My nasty wife would remind me, that daughters tend to date boys like their fathers. This is not true of course and I will hold the gentle, loving, hard working man(only guy she ever dated that I now like) my daughter married as an example of just why this isn't true.
Sis became enamored with school at age four. We lived in Marine Corps housing while I was stationed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina. The Department of Defense elementary school, which served the families stationed at MCRD Parris Island and the nearby Marine Corps Air Station of Beaufort was located two blocks from the base house we were assigned. I can't count the number of times my wife would force our two sons out the front door for school…only to find Sis had already left out a window or the back door heading the same direction as her brothers.
     Left with a wagon loaded with "her" books, pencils, crayons and of course a snack.
     I watched as her dream of becoming a teacher took root, grew, and became a reality. I observed her work through a few bad educators, more than one tenured professor and several courses in college she hated in pursuit of her dream. In the process she never lost sight of who she was, where she was going and what she intended to do after she got there.
     I also watched her battle cancer and pursue her Master's Degree at the same time. How can you not be impressed with that type of desire and drive?
     I spent the entire time after she started teaching teasing her. The forward of my book fairly describes some of the alleged abuse I heaped on her. She's as tough as nails and gives as good as she gets; no man will ever brow beat that woman.
     I spent my last tour of duty in the Marine Corps as a Recruiter. That's much the same as saying most mothers put me in the same category as "Chester the Molester." It also required me to visit every school in my area(did I mention I had three counties?) regularly.
     Once Sis threw out her challenge(it's in the forward of the book) I decided to take what I knew already and add to that knowledge, just to prove her wrong once again.
     I really wish I had been right and will admit(but not to Sis!) that I wasn't.
     I combined the most common tales I was told into fiction based on facts. I was reminded that we still have some great folks beating their heads against brick walls in an effort to make a difference. In the process they are forced to swim in the cesspools: of politics, violence, stupidity, parental apathy, and government constraints that all but doom them to failure.
     If you can get a teacher to tell you what is really going on in our schools, you'll hear horror stories that make vampires, murder mysteries and war stories seem like a five year talking about their last birthday party.
Do I paint with a broad brush? Yes I do and will admit it. What I will also admit is we have some school systems that work, you just have to search to find them. Even the good ones have deadwood they can't replace…until after the deadwood retires. The problems I found are over simplified in my book and I know that. What I also know is the deadly triad of unions, government and local politics are a major understated part of the problem.
     The solution is easier said than done: fire the failures, let the true teachers do their jobs and stop telling ourselves everyone can or should go to college. Schools today are partly rated on their percentage of students to college…not how many of that number really go on and earn a degree. Also not considered is how many who do receive a degree, are able to make a living with their expensive education.
     We look at the percentage of a school's population who do pass some sort of state assessment exam as the benchmark for how effective the school really is. This practice forces school systems to stress(and sometimes teach to) the test. There's more…much more that goes into why our schools are failing and will get worse in the future if things aren't changed.
     Parents and communities are the only answer I think could make a real change and turn our schools away from the brink of failure. But most parents won't even set down and check their child's homework…"if" the child was assigned homework. Most high school students are shocked when they start college…shocked they have to do much more than attend classes and pass a few test.
     The PTSA's and School Boards are mostly filled with the same folks. Compare a PTSA meeting to the Band or Athletic booster clubs meetings and then tell me which have the most parents attending. You can get more folks to attend a school play than parent/teacher's conferences. If you doubt that statement ask any teacher.
     At the start of this ramble, that more than a few will find contain grammar mistakes, I talked about my daughter. Will She ever become an educator waiting to collect a retirement? Not a chance in hell could or would that ever happen. But I've watched her go from a starry eyed first year teacher to a seasoned professional. What scares me is there aren't as many folks with the drive and determination she has teaching.
     When she says, "I'm thinking about leaving teaching"�well this nation is in deep Kimchi.
If we destroy the desire of teachers to teach (note I said teacher and not educator) we have lost more than we'll ever know.

About the author: After retiring from the Marines I went to work for the Pennsylvania State police as a Forensic Photographer. I liked that job a lot because it was, for the most part, very quiet and peaceful—you might say dead-end. After working at that for a few years I became interested in Forensic video analysis. I think my main reason for interest in that field was as a way of proving to my father I could make a living watching television. I am now totally retired from all forms of work, with the exception of those small requirements my wife now inflicts on me—tasks preformed for little or no pay, I might add. My lovely and gentle wife added to this blend of joy and frustration by acquiring an attack dog for home security. Very few people have the slightest conception of the sense of failure a former Marine achieves as he walks behind a six pound miniature Yorkshire Terrier, appropriately named Trouble. With the profits from my book sales, I hope to be able to afford a “pooper scooper.”

About the book: A great teacher is a rock jutting from and sometimes engulfed by an ocean filled with the rip tides of passion, ineptitude, arrogance and ignorance. They are protruding spikes of granite which cannot be eroded easily. These are the teachers who make every effort against tremendous odds to polish young minds into the building blocks of society. Great teachers are awe inspiring in their efforts to create excellence and their influence is powerful, extending beyond even their own lifetimes. A fortunate few of us have had exceptional teachers who gifted our lives with knowledge as they challenged us and created a need to meet the potential of what we might achieve. These individuals changed the way we thought, possibly sent us down a career path or simply gave us a passion for learning. A passion which will move forward with us for all of our lives. All of us have encountered educators. More than a few of these educators started out to become teachers, only to be crushed at some point in their career. Those individuals have lost the desire to teach. Once this desire was destroyed, they ceased to care about anything but themselves and their retirement. A number of these educators can and should be faulted for their effort to instruct their students. There are more than a few teachers who've simply been beaten into submission by the very system they drove themselves to become part of. Most of those teachers who've been destroyed by our education system, toiled under the constraints of weak administrators. Administrators who care more about the system and the political realities of their own success, than education. For this type of administrator the people on the front lines of education and the children they strive to entice, excite or simply drag kicking and screaming into an academic environment are of little or no consequence. This type of administrator creates educators out of gifted teachers. In the process, they destroy the gifts and fervor for knowledge that could have been passed to future generations. I invite you to wander through the very foundations of our education system and spend a few hours with a few truly great teachers. When you finish I'd ask you to answer one very simple question, "Would I be a great teacher or end up an educator?"

If you are seeking insight into and are concerned about the future of our education system, then please have a look at The Flats Teacher's Test - http://goo.gl/9q9Ff

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Isn't that just like the Doodle? Always getting into something! To see more fun illustrations, visit Jacktoons. Visit Oodles of Fun for more funny pics and coloring pages.

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The conclusion to the debut story of Small World Protection Agency is now available from Trestle Press!

Josh and Madison are two elementary school students that have been recruited by a secret organization known as the Small World Global Protection Agency.

In the first issue, they headed to Australia to investigate a record producer that seemed to have some unusual plans. In the conclusion, Down Under Thunder, the junior agents confront the producer with the fate of the world in the balance.

Having the stories in this two-part format helps to not overload our young readers, but it also heightens the suspense. In my grandparents' days, they used to see cliffhanger serials in the cinemas and bookstores. Small World Global Protection Agency brings back that thrill to a new audience.

Also, at the end of Down Under Thunder is a set of questions, or Points to Ponder. This is a great opportunity for parents and teachers to interact with the kids who loved the story.

Both issues are ONLY 99 Cents each on Kindle or Nook! Click the title to get them now!

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Visit Salami's blog to print out a word search puzzle with words from Where is Salami?http://whereissalami.blogspot.com/2011/11/where-is-salami-word-search-puzzle.html

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Trestle Press is bringing my new Young Reader series to eBooks soon! Here's what Small World Global Protection Agency is all about:

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