Stop the Braggart, Win TpT Money, and Monday Music Moves Me

Stop the Braggart!

Although I'm a firm believer in freedom of speech, certain things should not be said in order for a classroom to have positive energy. As the adult in the room, you have the power to curb those words or phrases that may be hurtful to others. The obvious "no nos" are the direct insults given to fellow classmates, but some words can serve as indirect insults that are less recognizable for what they truly are.

Having taught gifted and talented kids for thirty years, I'd often come across that braggadocious child who always wanted to flaunt his or her high IQ. It's great that they see themselves as smart, but do they really if they must constantly remind you of this?

Art by Ron Leishman

Art by Ron Leishman

I never allowed children to shout, "This is easy!" Maybe the work is easy for them, in which case I'd encourage him or her to tell me privately because I can always make things tougher. But what about the kid sitting next to the braggart? Image being the child struggling over the assignment only to hear the bright kid boast about how easy the assignment is for him or her. Although this  comment may seem innocent, it's not. It can be hurtful to several kids!

Furthermore, shouting, "This is easy" in a classroom can also lead to a bit of social suicide. Just watch the other kids roll their eyes at the bright child's announcement and you know he or she won't be the first child picked at recess. It's important that these students understand that not only is their bragging hurtful to others but also harming him or herself.

I've also heard teachers comment about something being easy. My answer to that is "Don't!" You never know who may struggle with the lesson, actually, you probably do. That child feels awful when they can't figure out the lesson that you called "easy." I may sometimes tell kids that what we are doing is tough and good for you for working hard to figure it out, but to label something as easy serves no good purpose.

Art by Ron Leishman

See you next week when we'll discuss ways to encourage kids to do well.

$100 TpT Gift Card Giveaway!

Ends 03/13/20!

                 

Raffle CLOSES:  03/13/20

GOOD LUCK!

  

Prize: $100 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card 

You can win a Teachers pay Teachers shopping spree of $100!  

Enter Here!

If you'd like to receive freebies along with my posts, sign up for my email list! Although my email posts are similar to my blog posts, people on the email list often receive free resources with my articles. You can, too, simply by signing up to have my emails delivered. Plus, by signing up, you get the free product pictured below. So what have you got to lose? Nothing!

Click HERE to receive a FREE teaching resource.

Want to teach students about kindness? Click HERE to find a helpful bundle on Character Education. Guess what? It costs less than $5 because two of the resources in the bundle are FREE!

I'm also excited to have posted one of my novels on Teachers Pay Teachers. It's a story about bullying. Check out MRS. ZIMMERMAN'S DONUTS, HERE!

Monday Music Moves Me

Since my post was about the braggart, here is Carly Simon with, You're so Vain!

Next up is Taylor Swift and Brendon Uri from Panic at the Disco with Me.

And finally, here's what happens when the guy is not right. 

Algebra, Geometry, It's Math, Oh My!

Now, that you've learned all about teacher evaluations, it's time for a new topic, math. If you don't teach math, please bear with me. Afterall, I am the author of Catch My Products, which is The Gifted Department Store, so I change topics frequently. Were you around in the fall for my writing tips month? I have something for just about everyone. If you don't teach math, what topic would you like to see me tackle, next month?

MATH

As a child, I seemed to make better grades in reading class than mathematics; however, my math achievement test scores were always higher than reading. Go figure? Maybe I had harder math teachers who taught me more.

Nonetheless, everything went south in eighth grade when the teachers did not recommend me for algebra. This was not okay with my dad. He called the teachers and pushed me into a class I was not ready for. I believe this mistake had two results. First of all, I was not mature enough for the subject matter and thus not able to grasp it; two, I believe my teacher resented me being in her class and not understanding the concepts. It wasn't my fault that I was pushed into her class and therefore could not understand her teaching.

Math is developmental and is all part of Piaget's Theory of Development. Pour the same amount of water into a tall thin glass and a short wide glass and then ask a toddler which container contains more water. The kid will undeniably assert that the tall glass has more water in it. To try to explain that the amount of water in both containers is the same is like beating your head against the wall. Toddlers are just not ready to understand this concept. That is math. Understanding relates to maturity, even more than intelligence, all of the way up the grades.

I passed Algebra in eighth grade, which forced me into geometry come freshman year and advanced algebra as a sophomore. This set me up for a pattern of failure, or in my case, successes with a lot of hard work and frustration.

When I entered my freshman year of college, I was required to take a math class. I took one look at that textbook and saw the advanced algebra class that gave me a fit in high school. So, I did what any scared student would do. I took the class pass/fail. This was one of my biggest mistakes in college. By the time I had reached college age, I had matured a lot. This math class was the easiest class I ever took, yet I had signed up for it, pass/fail. When it came time for exams, all of my tests were scheduled for the beginning of the week with my math final on Saturday. So, I approached my professor and asked if my /A/ was strong enough to pass me, if I received a zero on the final exam. He said, "Yes," and with his blessing, I skipped town without taking the final.

So why tell you this? It's two fold. If you are a parent, please listen to teacher recommendations for your children and do not force them into classes that they are not ready for. As a teacher, please try to have patience with that child in your class who just doesn't understand math concepts. Although my eighth grade teacher never admitted that she didn't like me, I knew it. 

Please tune in next week for some ideas for teaching math concepts. It's ironic but having once struggled in math classes, I find myself to be a pretty good teacher when it comes to explaining these concepts.

Would you like a free resource? Although my email posts are similar to my blog posts, people on the email list often receive free resources with my articles. You can, too, simply by signing up to have my emails delivered. Plus, by signing up, you get the free product pictured below. So what have you got to lose? Nothing!

Click HERE to receive a FREE teaching resource.

Monday Music Moves Me - Blogger's Choice

Since I discussed math, how about some musical selections that contain math themes or numbers? First up is Harry Styles and One Direction with "Your Math Skills are Terrible."

Next up is one of my favorite bands from the past, Chicago with "25 Or 6 To 4."