Teacher’s Corner

NOTE:  Below is the last “Teacher’s Corner” for the 23/24 school year. Look for its return on August 26, 2024.  Have a safe summer. You can check out past Teacher’s Corner postings by clicking on “Teacher’s Corner” on the left side of our home page.

The prompts below can be used for writing or discussion on the topic of making amends.

All people make mistakes. No one is perfect.  Think about a time when something you did or failed to do hurt another person – even if you didn’t mean to hurt that person.

1. What would have made that person feel better? Think of something more than just saying you were sorry.  For example, if you trampled your neighbor’s plants – in addition to saying you are sorry – you could have given her some new plants or have done the work of planting some new seeds for her

2. When you care for a person who is hurt, you are also caring for yourself by proving to yourself that you are a kind and caring person. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or Why not?

3. Think of someone you care about who is younger than you. How would you explain this idea of repairing mistakes to that person?

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.