Canvass People makes a print of a favorite picture on cloth that is then framed and “hangable.” It’s a unique way to display a class picture. If you’re a new customer you can get a free 8×10 canvas made from a favorite photograph. You just have to pay the S&H. It’s a $55 value for a very cool picture. Check it out!
Benito Mussolini and Mr. T. It’s an oddball collection, filled with the strange and gifted, but what they all have in common is that they were schoolteachers first. Here’s a list of ten who were teachers.
John Hamm a.k.a. Don Draper – The five o’clock shadow man from Mad Men was a teacher in his own high school before he tore up Madison Avenue.
Lyndon Johnson – Politics was second; Johnson was set to become a career teacher. He was fully involved, coaching the debate team (vomiting when they lost). Only his passion for social reform pulled him away from the schoolhouse.
Art Garfunkel – Haven’t you always wondered about the brains in that high forehead? Well, he actually is a brainiac. Garfunkel was a math scholar and taught in a prep school before making pop music history.
John Adams – My favorite president, known for his grumpy ways was once a grumpy schoolmaster who complained that the students were a “large number of little runtlings, just capable of lisping A, B, C, and troubling the master.”
Mr. T – The original bling-bling, former bouncer is a well-read, college scholarship winner, devoted to young people. In the 1970s he was a gym teacher in the Chicago public school system.
Joy Behar – Undoubtedly, she had a view and a sense of humor in the classroom. Now widely know as having two shows and national recognition, this stand up comedian once taught high school English.
J.K. Rowling – Before she was rolling in millions by writing about magic and an owl, she was teaching English in Europe.
Stephen King – When you read King you know the man has poked the dipstick straight into the black heart of humanity. What about his students? Fortunately, there were no reports of sudden loss of affect, or strange smells emitting from the kids he taught in Maine.
Benito Mussolini – Before he was a fascist and while he was still a socialist, Mussolini taught elementary school. Parents were not fond of his drinking and gambling. He left his teaching assignment to become a full time dictator.
The Cochranes – John and Kathleen, my parents. In spite of Catholic educations, both of them became strong supporters of public schools and taught for many years in Sacramento. Even today, it’s hard to go places with my dad (at 92) without someone taking a second look and recognizing “Mr. Cochrane.”
I added a button for Grant Wrangler on the side of the page. It’s a site that finds grants for teachers and awards by grade level, subject area or deadline. Featured this month is the Open Meadows Foundation, a grant-making organization for projects that are led by and benefit women and girls, particularly those from vulnerable communities. It offers grants up to $2,000.
Most of the carriers offer government and teacher discounts. Call your provider to check. Here are some links that can help you check on line.
High end music systems are available at a discount for educators. Special pricing is available only by calling the Customer Focused Development Team. For inquiries, pricing and to place an order,
call 1-800-353-4207. Check out Bose on the web.
It’s impossible to have one perfect template for set up, since we all teach different subjects and grades, and have different personal styles. But there are some things to remember when organizing the physical classroom. Spatial design can have a huge impact on how well a classroom runs.
One thing I have learned is that students love an organized teacher but balk at over regimentation. Keep the classroom seamless in function. You don’t need to draw arrows on the floor or number desks to get results.
Other aspects of classroom organization are saved for other posts.
Classroom on a Grid
Stand in the center of your room and survey the whole classroom. Think of your space as a grid in your mind’s eye. Notice your critical work areas (art station, books, student computers…). Identify defined storage spaces for tools, supplies and filing. Are your spaces orderly and neat, and do all tools (computers, staplers…) function? Can human traffic flow in and out smoothly? It can be fun to work with graph paper to organize your set up. If you’re a real geek you can cut out models for desks and shelves (cut at the correct ratio) and put them on graph paper to play with the placement.
Efficiency Expert
Be your own efficiency expert. Consider how you move around the room to do your job and how the students need to move. Arrange to accommodate traffic flow and efficiency of movement. Keep the student computers, out of room tasks such as copying, and even discipline steps in mind. You don’t have to be a traffic engineer to get it right for your room.
Student Seating
Last year I tried the reverse fan, forum, groups of two, four and six, inner and outer circles and traditional rows, just to name a few. I surveyed the students to discover their preferences (groups, of course). Mike the custodian quickly answered, “rows” when I asked him what was easiest to clean. The fact is there is no perfect seating arrangement. Age, class size and goals all dictate which way to seat your students. I personally ended up going back to traditional rows (because of easy student access) and occasionally forming temporary groups as needed.
Know Yourself
Are you a hoarder, a spreader or a minimalist? Be honest and create space to accommodate your style. I can’t work unless I have a large flat surface to organize my class paperwork and teacher manuals. I HATE looking for stuff I’ve misplaced. This area is my go-to space for everything important for the class lesson of the day. If you need to create a secret area for hoarding, do it. Just make sure you contain it somehow, in a file cabinet, or small cupboard.
Filing and Storage
There are heaps of manuals on filing systems and storage organization, but where these work points are located in the classroom is important. Again, we all have different spaces given to us, but my point is that you want to know where stuff is and not travel or hunt to get at it. Obviously, supplies should be secure and important files such as your personnel documents and confidential student information should be close to your desk and locked up.
On a final note, your keys should be around your neck and your personal items (cell phones, purses…) locked up the minute you arrive. This seems so simple, but we get so distracted! I can’t tell you how many excellent, super organized teachers lose keys or become a victim of theft.
The National Education Association posted a lengthy list of free things for the classroom on their web site.
The Pet Care Trust is sponsoring a grant to support pets in the classroom. Awards are for $50, $100 or $150 dollars (k-6 classrooms). It it is a simple on line form to fill out. (Takes about 5 minutes.) Good Luck! (click here to apply)
The Debt
Sarah spent big money to become a teacher. Just the bare bones cost of her tuition would support a middle class Bombay household for years. Despite living frugally, she’s tens of thousands of dollars in debt as she starts her career.
She’s a thrifty young woman, went to state college and followed up her four-year degree with her teaching credential. She lived frugally in an apartment with roommates and worked while she went to school. The money she spent was on the lower end of cost for an American teacher’s education.
The Damage
More than thirty thousand dollars in debt she launched her career. She was lucky to land a job, which started at $39,586 a year. However, saddled with this monster debt, she’ll be in her late 20s before she pays it off.
As time goes on Sarah will be offered yearly raises on a salary schedule, but she will not make significant salary gains unless she continues her education. The average unit of continuing education costs $100, and that doesn’t include books and materials.
If Sarah decides to train for administration, it could cost between $6,000 and $10,000.
Good Luck Tough Luck
I am an extremely lucky person. My parents helped me pay for my education. And my free, public school education at Sacramento High School was of a good quality.
But what about bright, young people who don’t start out with the advantages I had–foster kids, poverty level students, children of immigrants, children of the working poor, and these days the children of the hard working middle class? This is a pool of promise we don’t want to ignore. These are the shapers and leaders of tomorrow. It is wrong to burden our future with debt from education.
Solution Offered
We must consider free state university education for students who can meet a tough academic criterion. Those who don’t make it right out of high school can improve and qualify through the community college system.
An absolute no fur no feathers policy in public schools is rare. Just this May I met Doris the puppy a Seeing Eye in training and watched Elvis stroll with his math teacher Momma on the quad lawn.
My Dog: Buttercup
Through the years I’ve managed to kill about 20 gold fish, and two rather stinky rats. (I actually saw one of the rats die– head suddenly raised, keeling over, twitching and then nothing–all in about 10 seconds.)
If you do decide to bring your pet to school here are some guidelines. I’m sure you won’t kill your dog at school, or watch as your rabbit brutally attacks your students, but just in case make sure you’ve got these covered.
1. Get permission first. This is not one of those “ask for forgiveness” moments. You want to make sure that administration is on board.
2. Demonstrate that you can control your animal, and that the creature is kid friendly. If you have any doubts, don’t bring it.
3. Pick up the poop and put it in an outside trashcan.
4. If a student or faculty member seems uncomfortable stay clear. Don’t insist on “introducing” your animal. Respect people’s space.
5. Understand that YOU are the responsible party and that YOU can be sued. Be aware that if you don’t have umbrella insurance an injured party can go after your assets for compensation–including your house.
6. Be mindful of your animal. Prepare a quiet space and make sure plenty of water and potty breaks are available.
There’s always the surprise ending. You may go to school dogless and come home with one, like I did. Mike the custodian found little Buttercup poking around the drink machine. No one claimed her so I took her home on a trial bases. That was three years ago.
