Teacher’s Corner

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. said, “There is nothing so common-place as to wish to be remarkable.” Do you wish to be remarkable? Do you think your students wish to be remarkable?

1. To be remarkable is not the same as being perfect. You and your students can be remarkable in one way, without having to be remarkable in all ways.
2. To be remarkable is not the same as being happy. Happiness comes from how you and your students think about and use what makes you and them remarkable.
3. To be remarkable is not the same as being first or the best. You and your students can be remarkable by simply being the best you and they can be.
4. One isn’t necessarily born remarkable. You and your students can become remarkable over time and with effort.

Read more about students being remarkable at Five Things to Know about Students Becoming Stars – Teacher’s Corner.

Writing Prompts and Discussion Topics on the subject of being remarkable.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., a famous American poet in the 1800’s, once said, “There is nothing so common-place as to wish to be remarkable.” Let’s think about what it means to be remarkable.

1. Do you agree with what Oliver Wendell Homes said? Do most people wish to be remarkable? Explain your answer.
2. What makes a person remarkable? Give reasons for your answer.
3. Do you think a person has to be born remarkable in order to be remarkable? Why or why not?
4. Do you have to be the first or the best to be remarkable? Explain your answer.
5. Do you think being remarkable makes people happy? Why or why not?

Teachers, you can use this blog in classrooms. Here are two ideas about how.

1. For middle or high school parenting or child development courses:

• Use the blog for discussion topics
• Require students to research the topics and agree or disagree with what the blog is suggesting.

2.  For all courses, especially English Language Arts:

• Use the blog for writing prompts for paragraphs, theme papers, journal entries, class starters, etc. Have students read the blog and respond to:
  • Do you agree with what is being said about kids? Do kids really act, think or feel that way?
  • Do you agree with what is being said about parents, grandparents, teachers and child caregivers? Do or should they act, think or feel that way?
  • What would be your advice on this topic?
  • What was left out of this article?
  • If you were a parent, would you use any of this information? How?

Why can this blog be a useful teaching tool?

• Students that see connections between their coursework and their lives do better in school.
• Most students will either be parents one day or have children in their lives that they care about, so the topical information can help them build their knowledge about children and parenting and develop a positive image of the type of parenting they want to do.
• The new core literacy standards adopted by most states call for frequent writing in all courses.
• Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can think critically. These prompts help students practice critical thinking.
• Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can analyze what they read. These prompts help students practice analysis.