Clip Art: Cosmic School Teacher

The cosmic school teacher inspires students by exploring boundless ideas, from black holes to the meaning of existence, opening minds to infinite possibilities. 

Source: Created by Stones of Erasmus, coloring page (with digital elements added by open-source artificial intelligence). This image is created and made with love by Stones of Erasmus (stonesoferasmus.com).

PDF Copy for Printing

Clip Art: The Greek God Dionysos (Bacchus) and Panther

This public domain image depicts the god Dionysos seated with a panther. Dionysos, the god of wine, is known as Bacchus by the Romans.

The image comes from page 55 of "Mythology: Illustrated Chiefly from the Myths and Legends of Greece (Chambers's Elementary Science Manuals) by A.S. Murray (Senior Assistant in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum). Published by W. & R. Chambers, London and Edinburgh (1876)". 

Image source: First scanned by Google Books (books.google.com).

PDF Copy for Printing

Doing and Being Well: Summer Reading Campaign

In this post, I outline a Summer reading campaign I designed for middle and high schoolers to use that promotes the concept of "doing and being well"!

The Summer Reading campaign "Doing and Being Well" is available as an educational digital download on my TpT store.

Take a Break for Summer and Read a Book
Summer is finally here, and for many of us, that means taking a well-deserved break from the demands of school or work. However, even though the academic year has ended, we should continue learning and growing. Reading is one of the best ways to expand our minds and stay engaged during the summer.

Fortunately, many schools and libraries recognize the importance of summer reading and publish campaigns to promote it. However, not all summer reading lists are created equal. If you're looking for a summer reading campaign designed to engage and challenge students while supporting their critical thinking skills, look no further than this comprehensive campaign created by a thoughtful educator.

Design an Immersive Campaign that Provides Plenty of Resources

Create an easy-to-read newsletter and poster
to promote your reading initiative.

The campaign includes various materials to keep readers engaged and motivated throughout the summer. These include editable files, a book review Google form that make it easy to customize the campaign to fit your needs, and a Summer Reading Book List Poster highlighting a range of titles specifically chosen to address students' identity, skills, intellect, and criticality.


In addition to the book list, the campaign includes a "One Book" project focusing on Sean Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, a popular and engaging book that teaches valuable life skills that apply to students of all ages. The campaign also features grade-level books specifically chosen to engage students at different levels of reading ability, from "Heroes, Gods, and Monsters" for 7th graders to "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" for 12th graders.

Summer Reading Project Options

One of the standout features of this summer reading campaign is the inclusion of Summer Reading Project Options and Rubrics. These eight different project options provide students with various creative ways to engage with the books they are reading, from creating a graphic novel to producing a podcast. The accompanying rubrics ensure that students are held to high academic standards and receive valuable feedback and grades for their efforts.

Finally, the campaign includes a bibliography with links to all the books mentioned in the campaign and additional resources to complement the theme of being and doing well. This comprehensive and thoughtful campaign provides everything you need to promote summer reading and keep students engaged and motivated throughout the summer months.

But why is summer reading so important, anyway? 

Google Forms offers a compelling way to collect student work.

Research has shown that students who don't read during the summer can lose up to three months of reading progress, leading to a "summer slide" that can set them back academically when they return to school in the fall. Reading during the summer helps students maintain their reading skills and stay engaged with learning, even when they're not in the classroom.

But summer reading isn't just important for academic reasons. Reading can also be a valuable source of pleasure and relaxation during the summer months, helping to reduce stress and promote mental health. Whether reading for pleasure or for academic purposes, summer reading is a great way to stay engaged and continue learning throughout the summer.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a summer reading campaign designed to engage and challenge students while supporting their critical thinking skills, look no further than this comprehensive campaign. With a wide range of resources, including grade-level books, project options, rubrics, and more, this campaign provides everything you need to promote summer reading and keep students engaged and motivated throughout the summer months.

 

Why not prioritize summer reading this year and encourage your students to keep

learning and growing, even when school is out?

PDF Copy for Printing

POV: Counting Time as a School Secretary (If You Are Seated at the Front Desk)

In this post, I articulate the unique perspective a school secretary has on the inner workings of a school.

Point-of-View: The Main Hallway of a School as Seen by the School Secretary

Ms. Lauren Yandow walks down the main hallway
with her kindergarteners and
waves to the school secretary.

School secretaries have a unique insight into how the inner workings of a school function, allowing them incredible insight that few other people can even begin to fathom. Sitting at the front desk during the school day is almost like being immersed in an ever-flowing river of students — it's fascinating! Each passing moment brings new surprises and never fails to remind you just how diverse and vibrant life at each school can be.

PDF Copy for Printing

Video Repost: On Generation Z and the Art of Teaching (Or, What It Will Be Like to Have Gen Z as a Teacher)

In this post, I talk about Generation Z, TikTok, and What It Might Be Like to have a Generation Z teacher in twenty years.

Video Credit: Sir Carter (Sir the Star) @sirthestar

Generation Z has been making waves in the social media landscape, particularly on platforms like TikTok. This cohort of digital natives has embraced this platform as a way to express their creativity and engage with others around the world. From funny videos to dance challenges and pranks, Gen Z'ers are taking full advantage of the freedom that comes with creating their own content on TikTok.

     A closer look at how Gen Z-ers use TikTok reveals some interesting insights about this generation's behavior and preferences regarding social media platforms. For example, it appears that members of Generation Z prefer short video clips (less than 30 seconds) over longer format ones; they often post comedic content or take part in trends or challenges; they also love creating "duets" — videos posted by other users which allow them to join in on someone else's original post and responding to comments left by other users.

     TikTok is not just used for fun, though — many members of Generation Z have found success by utilizing its features for marketing purposes.

     Brands such as Nike have seen great success partnering up with popular creators who leverage their large following base across different demographics while giving exposure to new products and services offered by these companies. Additionally, influencers have made money directly from sponsored posts and collaborations via partnerships/brand deals available through TikTok's "For You" page (the main page where all recommended videos are posted).

     Such lucrative opportunities might explain why more companies are now turning towards this platform for promotional campaigns targeting young people specifically due to its ability for rapid reach within a matter of days!

     Overall, Gen-Z has proven itself adept at capitalizing upon the wide range of possibilities provided by social media platforms like TikTok - whether it be entertainment value or financial gain - making them an ever more important factor in today's marketplace environment moving forward into 2021 and beyond!

PDF Copy for Printing

Video Repost: The Dark Forest Theory Says We Should Leave the Aliens Alone! (Hint: They Don't Want Us to Contact Them)

Hello, astrobiologists! I assemble some interesting facts about the Dark Forest Theory in this blog post.

The Dark Forest Theory is distinct from the Fermi Paradox in that it posits that any advanced civilization will be so intent on its survival that it will keep itself hidden to avoid detection by possible hostile civilizations. This theory argues that whatever evidence exists of intelligent life will likely remain hidden and unknown due to a collective decision of self-preservation among civilizations.

PDF Copy for Printing

Video Credit: @arie.loo

Clip Art: Bust of the Olympian God Zeus (Jupiter)

Bust of Zeus (Jupiter), the supreme deity of the Olympian gods, is depicted in a Roman copy of a Greek original from the 4th century B. C.E. The bust was found in Orticoli and is displayed at the Pius-Clementine Museum in the Vatican.  

Bust of Zeus

Image Source: "Head of Jupiter from Otricoli. Marble. Roman copy after a Greek original from the 4th century BCE. Rome, Vatican Museums, Pius-Clementine Museum, Round Room, 3 (Roma, Musei Vaticani, Museo Pio-Clementino, Sala rotonda, 3)." I made a Zeus-themed unit plan on TpT!.

PDF Copy for Printing