Education
Dear Teachers
From the desk of Hope… Dear Teachers, You Do Make a Difference! At times you may think the barriers are too big and the task is too large but the truth is, you have what it takes to make a difference. The size of the contribution is not what matters. We observe you daily seeking…
Read MoreFirst Impressions
From the desk of Carol C. . . You never get a second chance to make a first impression. We’ve all heard this quote over and over, but I think of it every time I write an email to the parents of a student. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first email I’ve written them…
Read MoreEnthusiasm + Passion = Energy
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” – Oprah Winfrey This month’s focus at ERG is Enthusiasm, so I traced the etymology of the word and found it comes from the Greek meaning “divine inspiration.” Cool, huh? I think one…
Read MoreStop Talking…Please
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Walt Disney From the desk of Carol C. . . Recently my friend, Susan, asked me to dinner. She had invited another friend of hers, too…a person I hadn’t met before. Her friend was pleasant, and I found her stories of traveling interesting. …
Read MoreRevisiting Touching the Soul of a Child
From the desk of Carol C. . . There was quite a bit of feedback from my post “Touching the Soul of a Child”. A common question was “Do teachers still go above and beyond as this teacher did?”. My answer is…Yes. In this day and time for a multitude of reasons teachers may not…
Read MoreDifference Makers
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi I had dinner with four amazing women last evening, and as you can probably guess, the conversation revolved around teaching. We were dissecting the characteristics exemplary educators possess. What is it that gives them…
Read MoreHour of Code
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . “An understanding of computer science is becoming increasingly essential in today’s world. Our national competitiveness depends upon our ability to educate our children – and that includes our girls – in this critical field” – Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook To develop globally competitive students…
Read MoreQuality – Not Quantity
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . The word homework makes me cringe. I think back to the countless hours my now grown daughter and I spent at the kitchen table – more concerned about completing the seemingly endless assignments than actually learning from them. She survived, but my heart breaks as I…
Read MoreOpen the Gate
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . I just finished reading an article that called math “the gatekeeper of success.” Sounded a little scary to me, but got me thinking. A lack of skill and confidence in math problem solving can affect the ability to make some critically important decisions. Often when people…
Read MoreChanging My Mindset
From the desk of Carol C . . . A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a colleague, Katy, about what she did to make math so interesting for her students. “Oh, I just let them play games,” she replied tongue in cheek. Well, I knew better than that. Katy is an excellent math teacher…
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