Greller's Tips for Teachers

The Blog Has Moved!!

2007-09-29T22:32:00.002-04:00

Thousands of resources for K-12 teachers are on my site, "A Media Specialist's Guide to the Internet". I try to update the blog weekly with great new ideas, tips and sites.

Check it out today!

2007-09-04T15:42:00.001-04:00

Welcome Back! It's that time of the year again, so I've started out with something to make your day.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TEACHER?
by Jeff Foxworthy

1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.

2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.

3. You walk into a store and hear the words "It's Ms/Mr._________" and know you have been spotted.

4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.

5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.

6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and prep
period.

7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or
plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.

8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.

9. You want to slap the next person who says "Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off."

10. You believe chocolate is a food group.

11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.

12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."

13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.

14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.

15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.

16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.

17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!

18. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he made was a "good choice or a bad choice."

19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils

20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer and finally,

21. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.

FREE Printable Stickers

2007-05-29T10:56:00.000-04:00

Teachers, I know you are always looking for those FREE links, so here are some really great ones. How many times have you wanted to give out stickers but your supply had run dry? As long as you have blank labels you will be able to print from these sites. Good Luck!

Family Fun

Kid Printables

Pastiche Family Portal

Stickers and Charts

You Might Be a School Employee If.....

2007-05-15T18:33:00.000-04:00

I know this doesn't qualify as a tech tip, but it was so funny I had to share it with my fellow teachers:

YOU MIGHT BE A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE IF..
...you believe the playground should be equipped with Ritalin salt lick
...you want to slap the next person who says, "Must be nice to work 8 to 3:30 and have summers off"
...it is difficult to name your own child because there's no name you can come up with that doesn't bring high blood pressure as it
is uttered
...you can tell it's a full moon or if it going to rain, snow, hail....anything!!! Without ever looking outside
...you believe, "shallow gene pool" should have its own box on a report card
...you believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."
...when out in public, you feel the urge to snap your fingers at children you do not know and correct their behavior
...you have no social life between August and June
...you laugh uncontrollably when people refer to the staff room as the "lounge."
...you encourage an obnoxious parent to check into charter schools or home schooling and are willing to donate the UHAUL boxes
should they decided to move out of district
...you think caffeine should be available in intravenous form
...you can't imaging how the ACLU could think that covering your students chair with Velcro and then requiring uniforms made out of
the corresponding Velcro could ever be misunderstood by the public
...meeting a child's parent instantly answers the question, "Why is this kid like this?"
...you think someone should invent antibacterial pencils and crayons...and desks and chairs for that matter!!!
...the words "I have college debt for this?" has ever come out of your mouth
.... you know how many days, minutes, and seconds are left in the school year !

The Best on the Web for Teachers

2007-01-08T19:00:00.000-05:00

I'm proud to announce that my Teacher Resources webpage is listed on Teach-nology's Best on the Web for Teachers!

I invite you to take a look and vote for the site if you like what you see.

Thanks!!

Metasearch Engines and Directories

2006-12-20T19:36:00.000-05:00

The amount of information on the Internet can blow your mind. As teachers we are always taking work home, so I've come up with a page of metasearch engines and directories to assist you in your research. If you'd like me to add any engines or directories to the webpage, feel free to drop me an email.

Hanukkah and Kwanzaa: The Other Two Holidays in December

2006-12-11T18:33:00.000-05:00

Christmas is the holiday in December which we hear the most about. But let's not forget that there are two other holidays, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, which are celebrated as well. Here is a list of resources for both those holidays, including coloring pages, worksheets, recipes and games.

FREE Stuff for Teachers

2006-11-16T11:05:00.000-05:00

Free. What a great concept. As a teacher, I bet that you are unaware of the myriad of FREE things (and discounts) you are able to obtain just by using you school ID or union card. I have gathered the best of the free things here, including software, technology related, web stuff and miscellaneous. But aside from the free stuff, there are so many perks I just have to share.

If you are a member of NEA, you have access to the NEA bookstore (Barnes and Noble) where you can receive an extra 5% off on books, music and videos.

The NEA magazine service gives you 85% off the cover price!

NEA's long distance program charges only 3.9 cents per minute with no monthly fees or minimum.

For the full list of NEA discounts, click their Member Benefits page.

....and for those of you who need to get away for a vacation......
Cruise Direct Online- Carnival and Holland America are listed here

Celebrating Thanksgiving

2006-11-07T11:44:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again, folks. Too much food, weight gain.....you know the drill. Anyway, I've saved you some time by gathering a great list of resources for Thanksgiving which includes coloring pages, worksheets, recipes, puzzles and games. Happy turkey day. Too bad the little kids don't learn about the true story of Thanksgiving until they are much older.

Interactive Speech Games

2006-10-27T14:01:00.001-04:00

Whether you are a speech teacher, or a classroom teacher looking for games for your students, this listing will help you. All the sites contain games related to speech, including antonyms, synonyms, conjunctions, grammar and sequencing.

Hail to the Dinosaurs

2006-10-17T14:46:00.000-04:00

Kids LOVE dinosaurs! In my media center, I can never have enough books on them! Here's a list of sites with printables, coloring pages, online games and lesson plans with dinosaurs. Enjoy!

Halloween Resources

2006-10-06T10:50:00.000-04:00

Halloween is just 3 weeks from Tuesday, so here's a page of crafts, recipes and coloring for you to use in your classroom. Enjoy!

Teaching Kids About Tolerance

2006-09-26T13:33:00.000-04:00

It is very important that we teach our children about tolerance at an early age. Kids learn by example, and the world today is full of poor examples. Here is a page of suggested books and websites.

Back to School!

2006-08-10T15:46:00.000-04:00

Although I still have a few weeks of summer vacation left, I understand that school districts in other parts of the country are starting school as early as this week. So I decided to post a dozen links for back to school resources. You'll find everything here you need from forms to worksheets.

Summer Vacation

2006-07-13T23:41:00.000-04:00

Hope you are all enjoying your summer vacation so far. I will probably not be posting anything till September unless something awesome comes my way. Until then, I wanted to share two photos taken last Saturday while on my birthday party cruise. The first shot was originally three photos which were joined together for this panoramic finished project. Pretty neat, huh? The second photo was taken before we boarded the ship at sunset. If you are still shooting with film, you need to reconsider getting a digital camera. The best part is that if you take a picture and don't like what you see, you can delete it and do it over right then and there!

Father's Day Resources

2006-06-01T20:54:00.000-04:00

Although Mother's Day is the busiest day for the phone company, we can't forget about dads. Sunday, June 18 is Father's Day, and it falls close to the end of the school year. I'm posting this early so you can get some great ideas to use with your students.

Here are some best bets for resources:

A to Z Teacher Stuff

Apples 4 the Teacher- coloring pages

Education World

Kidscoop

Mrs. Jackson's Class

Simon Says-Father's Day bookshelf

Teacher Planet

Teachervision

Cinco de Mayo

2006-05-03T08:19:00.000-04:00

Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday in Mexico which celebrates the victory of Mexican forces over the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. There are many types of resources for teachers and students, from coloring pages to crafts and lesson plans. I've chosen some of the best out there:

A to Z Teacher Stuff- printables, worksheets lesson plans

All Recipes- this very cool site contains all sorts of recipes for Cinco de Mayo

Apples for the Teacher- crafts, word searches, puzzles and teaching ideas

How to Make a Cinco de Mayo Pinata- step by step instructions are clear and easy to follow

Kiddyhouse- lesson plans, webquests, crafts, printables

Kidscoop- very colorful site with a small list of resources

Scholastic- grade level specific lesson plans and activities are here

The Teacher's Corner- lesson plans and activities

Mother's Day Resources

2006-04-30T16:46:00.000-04:00

May 14th is Mother's Day, and I'm sure you're always looking for cool things to do in with your students in the classroom.

A to Z Teacher Stuff- download a book for Mom, lesson plans and resources

Education World- lesson ideas, resources, recipes, and crafts are all here.

The Holiday Spot-poems for Mother, recipes, wallpaper

Mother's Day Coloring Pages

Teacher Planet- games, puzzles, coloring pages, lesson plans, cards and crafts

The Teachers' Corner- Mother's Day activities and crafts

Understanding Tech Talk

2006-04-20T09:44:00.000-04:00

Are you lost when others speak of downloads or MP3 files? Do you know what an attachment is, let alone how to send one in an e-mail? There are hundreds for new words we have added to the English language since the advent of computers and the Internet. I've chosen a few of the best sites for you to brush up on "tech talk".

Basic Internet Definitions- this site is set up in the form of questions

NetLingo- online definitions and text messaging terms

The Netsmartz Workshop- you will find many definition here; the site is great for educators, parents and kids.

Webopedia- online computer dictionary for computer & Internet terms

Earth Day Resources

2006-04-19T08:55:00.000-04:00

This year, Earth Day falls on April 22, 2006. Resources for teachers and students can be found here.

When Technology is Too Much

2006-04-16T13:18:00.000-04:00

Although this entry is not related to teaching with technology, you will thank me for posting it.

I love technology. It's the truth. But there are times when it hasn't changed things for the better. Ever since the human operator has been replaced by "press 1 for this" and "press 16 for that" it has become very frustrating for the customer who just wishes to bypass everything and speak to a human being. The gethuman database has solved that problem for us. Over 350 companies are listed in this database, which was created by Paul M. English. Credit cards, banks, utilities, airlines, phones companies, software, stores and pharmacies are listed with clues on how to get your phonecall immediately routed to a human being. Technology is great most of the time, but hearing another human being on the other end of the phoneline is more important than listening to all the prompts first. Bookmark this list today because it is invaluable!

What is a Cyberhunt?

2006-04-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

The cyberhunt. If you try to look it up in a dictionary, you won't find it. That's because it is one of the many new words which have joined the English language since the advent of the Internet. According to webopedia.com "cyber" refers to "a growing number of terms to describe new things that are being made possible by the spread of computers. Cyberphobia, for example, is an irrational fear of computers. Cyberpunk is a genre of science fiction that draws heavily on computer science. Cyberspace is the non-physical terrain created computer systems. Anything related to the Internet also falls under the cyber category". Okay, with that said, you're probably asking how a CYBERHUNT differs from a WEBQUEST. The CYBERHUNT is like scavenger hunt, only it's online. How about that for simplicity? I've made a special page just for cyberhunt links: Hilldale LMC Cyberhunt Resources.

Defining the Webquest

2006-04-11T14:14:00.000-04:00

For those of you are unfamiliar with what a webquest is, here is a very simple answer: an interactive online lesson for your students. Kids today are very saavy, and believe it or not, you can start them on webquests as early as kindergarten! The webquest template was created in 1995 by Bernie Dodge, Professor of Educational Technology at San Diego State University. The following steps are found in a webquest: Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation and Conclusion.Be sure not to confuse a webquest with a scavenger hunt; they are NOT the same thing. I have collected a page of webquests covering grades K-6, including templates to make the process easier for you. Here's the link to my page of webquests.

Spotlight on The Literacy Web

2006-04-08T22:30:00.000-04:00

The University of Connecticut has created a wonderful website called The Literacy Web. On this site you will find all sorts of resources for preschool through higher education, with subjects including comprehension, writing, literature, effective teaching, literacy standards, multicultral literacy and assessment in literacy. Teachers just select their grade level, and are then lead to a page which has links to websites for students, classroom webpages, webquests for that grade level, literacy standards and professional development. There is even a section of literacy topics online, which includes literacy and technology and media literacy. In the research section, there are research articles, literacy journals, professional books and online discussions. No matter what grade you teach, you will be sure to find helpful information about literacy on this site!

School Nurses are Teachers Too!

2006-04-05T19:33:00.000-04:00

With all the information out there for teachers, including lesson plans, curriculum guides, webquests and rubrics, it is rare that there are resources for school nurses who have the added responsibility of teaching classes during the school day. Health classes are taught by the gym teachers in middle and high school, (with the possible exception of some very small districts) but elementary school nurses need resources as well. So today's post has a list of links I have scoped out and tested. Hope you find it helpful.

Dole 5 a Day- sponsored by Dole, this site has information for teachers and students, including printables, puzzles and fact sheets.

Food and Drug Administration- this is the kids' homepage, with various links and a quiz

Health Lesson Plans- from Teach-nology.com, this is a list of over 200 lesson plans for health teachers.

Health, Nutrition & PE Lesson Plans- there are a load of ads at the top of the page, so scroll down and you will find many links which tell you the grade level appropriateness for each one.

Hooray for Health Guide- kids will love seeing Arthur on these pages! There are recipes, activites, worksheets and lesson plans in this 36-page curriculum guide. Excellent!

Kids' Health- this is a site geared towards kids and has areas such as: dealing with feelings, staying healthy, everyday illnesses and injuries, my body, growing up and kids' health problems.

Lesson Plan Central- activites and resources for health

Teaching Toolkit for the School Nurse- from SchoolAsthmaAllergy.com, there are many good things here related to asthma and allergies.