Category: Current News

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A Difficult Post

Columbine High School. Robb Elementary School. Sandy Hook Elementary. Santa Fe High School. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school. Virginia Tech University.

Do any of these sound familiar? These schools are all tied together by one thing— one thing that no school should ever be marked by: senseless acts of violence in the form of mass shootings. 

Today feels heavy. Another school experienced tragedy this morning as it was attacked with a senseless act of violence. More children, teachers, school staff, and families traumatized because of one person’s decision. Their lives will never be the same again, forever marked by this day and its events. 

Hearing about these kinds of tragedies happening is hard, and it never gets easier. I think if it did easier to hear, that would mean we’ve become desensitized and numb to the issue, and I hope we never reach that point. I honestly hope there comes a day when we don’t even have to worry about this kind of stuff happening in our schools. 

It’s horrific to think that our children have to practice shelter in place and active shooter drills at school. No child should ever have to worry about that. But the sad reality is that they do. I’m grateful for teachers who take these drills seriously and who would do anything to keep their students safe in the event of an emergency. It’s a heavy responsibility to place on our teachers’ shoulders, but it’s one that they take on when they choose to become a teacher. 

I was a sophomore in high school when the Columbine High School Massacre happened. I remember being in complete shock and disbelief that something so evil and cruel could happen. It was such a foreign concept to me. I wish it was still a foreign concept. 

While I wish I could say that this sort of thing will never happen again, history has proven to us that that is unfortunately not likely. Even though we cannot control what other people choose to do, we can control ourselves. As teachers, we can create a safe, loving environment in our classrooms. We can prioritize the safety of our students and make sure we have a plan of action that can be quickly implemented if ever the need arise. 

And while I know that there isn’t a one-and-done, super easy solution to this epidemic, we can do our best to treat one another with kindness, respect, and love. We can teach our children to do the same. We can and must stand up against violent, senseless acts, because our children deserve that from us. 

So today, take a minute to hold your loved ones a little closer and a little longer. Teach them to be kind. Teach them to respect others and to stand up for what is right, even if no one else does. 

This world we live in today is anything but easy, but we can do our best to face it with courage and strength. And to those who have personally been affected by these terrible, senseless acts, I send my love and share your heartache. May you be lifted and carried as you grieve. 

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Inauguration Day Freebie

Inauguration Day only comes every four years, so it’s likely that your current students don’t have any memories of the last one because they were too young, or they were old enough to know it was happening, but not old enough to really care too much. Since our next Inauguration Day will be one week from today, I’ve created a word search for you to print off and use with your students. You will find a list of words that have to do with the inauguration, which provides an excellent teaching opportunity as you go over the words and what they mean– and how each word ties to a Presidential Inauguration.

*Please only use for classroom or home use*

Inauguration Day WordsearchDownload
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Election Day: A Chance to Educate Ourselves and Choose

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, ”Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” What a powerful statement! We, as the American people, have the incredible opportunity to vote for our leaders. With that privilege comes the responsibility to educate ourselves on the candidates and issues being voted upon. Voting is so much more than checking off some boxes on a ballot; educated decisions play a huge role in the outcomes of elections. 

It happened to be an election year the year I turned 18, and I was ecstatic to finally have the chance to cast my vote. I had gone to the polls with my parents in previous years, and had seen and felt the impact of this incredible privilege. But to get to do it myself? Amazing. Me, and 18 year old woman, getting to have my opinion heard on political leaders was something I knew I couldn’t take for granted.

My husband isn’t a natural born citizen; he was born in Brazil and was adopted by American parents. He didn’t become a citizen of the United States until he was almost 20. When we got married, he had yet to vote in an official election. When the 2016 election was nearing, we sat down together and researched each candidate. We read through pamphlets and brochures, scoured websites, talked to people who were informed on issues, and so on. We felt educated and ready to make a decision, so when the day to vote came, we confidently went to the polls together and cast our votes. 

There are an abundance of resources that provide information for voters in today’s digital world. A simple internet search will give you multiple websites to review for candidates and issues. Voters must use good research skills to make sure they are reading fact based information, rather than emotionally charged and biased information. 

In a classroom setting, teachers of any content area can educate students on how to effectively search for and understand the information that is available to them. Reading through candidates’ websites would provide an excellent opportunity to discuss how to determine if a website is heavily biased one way or the other. Election seasons also provide an opportunity to discuss just how much of a privilege it is to have the right to vote. We are so lucky to have such an incredible privilege. 

Whatever your political stance, please exercise your right to vote by heading to the polls today! Educate yourself and go into the polls ready to cast your vote with confidence. Vote with an attitude of gratitude for those that came before us to make it possible for democracy to work in this great nation of ours!  

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Current World Happenings: A chance to enrich the curriculum

Over time, the way we take in information has changed. We’ve gone from verbal and written communications that took days or even weeks to reach people to information being available instantly. I remember reading various Scholastic publications that my teachers would receive every week or month, and that was, for the most part, how I learned about current events. Today’s kids have access to information literally at their fingertips, and can access it almost immediately after an event happens— or even as it happens. 

Because of this easy access, teachers have a great advantage. They can teach current events in real time, using articles, posts, videos, and livestreams to inform their students what is happening in our world. It gives teachers the opportunity to enrich their curriculum.

Science teachers can use current weather events like hurricanes or tornadoes to teach students how events like this happen. They can use interesting news about space to enrich their instruction on the cosmos. If there is a breakthrough in medical research, it provides an opportunity to study health and medicine. 

History teachers can use various political happenings, wars, social injustices, and so on to create meaningful curriculum that can link to the past and allow students to make connections between the past and present.

Geography teachers can integrate information about the places where big events are happening. A class might learn about the physical lay of the land where a war is taking place, and learn how the landscape can impact how the war is fought. 

Art teachers can have students create pieces based on the emotions they feel when they learn about current events. Art is a great way to process feelings and emotions. 

Math classes can use current events to produce graphs, charts, and equations of varying forms. One class might choose to conduct research to see who has experienced different kinds of weather, then create a bar graph based on what they have learned. Another class might calculate the cost of providing needed items to war torn or weather ravaged places and peoples. 

English teachers can use all kinds of events to have students produce pieces of writing. An election would provide students with a good opportunity to write an opinion piece. A catastrophic weather event would give students a chance to research and write about that particular kind of weather. Students could also use current positive world events to write a piece highlighting the good there is in the world. 

Whatever the content area may be, using current events is a surefire way to enrich curriculum, let students learn about current happenings in new and exciting ways, and allow them to draw deeper connections to what is happening in the world around them.