Abby says the cutest thing...

This past two school years is a pleasure watching Abby grow and learn. Her schedule after getting off the bus consists of: washing hands, nibble some snacks, prepare for homework. Homework consists of math, (usually two pages long)reading, (usually four to five level appropriate books) and writing. When done, she usually heads off to do all sorts of drawing and scribbling. Then she gets ready for supper, bath/clean up, prayers and bed.
On Wednesdays and Tuesdays the afternoon/evening schedule is altered a bit due to extra activities. She is allowed to watch TV on Saturdays and some Sundays.

One afternoon while I was assisting her with her Math homework, I got a bit impatient as to how much time she was spending on one problem. I said to her "what's taking so long? we don't have all day." She didn't look up but continued concentrating on the problem, then she finally answered (still her eyes glued to the problem) "I'm thinking, thinking is good for you."
To this day, I let her spend as much time as possible on any given Math problem. I have been impressed on the idea that her lingering has something to do with her having to think through the problem. What a child!I wish for her to continue thinking things through as opposed to rushing and be proven wrong. Especially when it comes to solving Math problems.

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Parenting...

I finished reading just recently one of the better biography on Joseph Pulitzer, 558 pages long by James McGrath Morris. In this book three things stood out in my mind.

One, the issue of discipline. Though Pulitzers (seven, two passed away before his time) children were mostly raised by nannies, tutors and people from boarding schools, he saw to it that proper respect be accorded him. One incident was when he told his daughter to leave the dinner table because he would not allow her to talk to Joseph in a disrespectful way, nor would he allow her to explain her side of the blame in such an angry tone of voice.

Two the issue of filial disrespect. The above incident could be under this. However this particular assessment has something to do with his children not having any communication with their father. To Joseph(Jr.) his son, he wrote: "Thirty five days since I sailed and not one word from you" Thirty five times I have told you with pain, how much pain you give me when you don't write simply as evidence of neglect-and that you do not think of."

Three the issue of encouragement(or discouragement).
The book writes: His father's harsness inflicted great pain on Joe. Only a few months earlier, during a carriage ride and in front of Ralph (his oldest son) Joseph had dressed Joe down as "utterly worthless, ignorant and incompetent." In another part of the book Father told son: "I donot expect perfection and Lord knows I am indulgent enough and affectionate enough and weak enough in my children," But I leave you under no delusion; I must say that if you should work ten times as hard with a hundred times the talent you possess, it would still be no equivalent or recompense for the constant pain and suffering and distress, mental, moral, and consequently physical, by day and by night, and almost every waking hour of the night and day, you have caused me this winter before and certainly one winter before that."
Sadly, this Joseph is the one brother to inherit his father's journalistic talent. Despite his father's lack of confidence in him, he guided his father's Post-Dispatch and it flourished as one of the nation's important and profitable newspaper.
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Kids say the cutest thing...

Teaching at summer time is a lot of fun. The mornings are usually about the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The afternoons are usually about fun stuff. About the middle of the seven-week session, one afternoon, the teacher's lesson was a poem written by a blind poet. The teacher introduced the poet by way of reading about her life, then he explained the background and the story line of the poem. He said that at first the poet was bitter about being blind but later discovered that her other senses were helping her cope with the lost of her sight. The teacher then read the poem, occasionally stopping between lines and asking the students what the author meant. In the middle of the poem the line reads "....and in time I came to see the light." The teacher paused and again asked the students what the author meant by that. There was silence, the students were thinking and thinking hard. Then Jesiah excitedly raised his hand and said..."I know, I know, she got saved!". I smiled and just fell in love with that child. I thought, with a name like Jesiah, there has got to be some Christian exposure in that home. Going back to the classroom my belief was confirmed. Jesiah told me that they go to church but not as often as he wants to.


The earliest record of the name Jesiah is found in the Bible. Referred to as Isshiah and then translated to Jessiah and finally shortened to Jesiah. He was said to be an ally of David at Ziklag. (Bible, 1 Chr. 12:6. B.C. 1055). He was also known as the second son of Uzziel, the son of Kohath. (1 Chronicles 23:20).
The name Jesiah means "Sprinkling of the Lord" and "whom Jehovah lends". Jesiah also means "The Lord Exists". Jesiah is very often spelt Josiah.

Healthy Teachers.

I have recently read a good piece of information on teachers' health. The following are some of the great ideas from the story/article.

COPING WITH TEACHER STRESS:
A RESEARCH SYNTHESIS FOR PACIFIC EDUCATORS

by Zoe Ann Brown and Denise L. Uehara*

Teaching can be a stressful occupation. The daily interactions with students and coworkers and the incessant and fragmented demands of teaching often lead to overwhelming pressures and challenges, which may lead to stress. Where work stress is unrelenting, some negative physiological, psychological, and behavioral consequences may result. (DeRobbio & Iwanicki, 1996, p. 1)Many teachers would agree. Teaching is not only hard work, it can be full of stress. Pressure due to school reform efforts, inadequate administrative support, poor working conditions, lack of participation in school decision making, the burden of paperwork, and lack of resources have all been identified as factors that can cause stress among school staff (Hammond & Onikama, 1997).
Teacher stress
Teacher burnout
“When a qualified educator is absent from the classroom, student achievement is negatively affected.”
Woods & Montagno,
1997Once causes of stress have been recognized and identified, preventative measures can be taken. Bunce and West (1996) demonstrated that participants can become empowered through various stress-management activities. After helping employees identify primary stressors, employers can provide training in counseling skills so that staff members are able to offer support and guidance to colleagues who are facing difficulties at work.
Physiological Training
Biofeedback—Electronic measurement of mind-body functions (muscle tension, intestinal activity, blood flow, breathing, heartbeat) and techniques to control those functions.

Muscle relaxation—Self-regulated, progressive body relaxation that puts the respondent in an extremely restful state.
Focused meditation—Perhaps the oldest of all mind-body techniques. There are many meditation techniques; the most current and popular form involves focusing on a “mantra” (single word, number, or phrase) for about 15 to 20 minutes.　

Breathing techniques—Learning how to breathe for relaxation purposes; typically combined with other coping strategies. Simple exercises include closing one’s eyes; counting backwards from ten to one; inhaling while saying to oneself, “I am…,” and exhaling while saying “…calm and relaxed.”

Aerobic activity—Any type of activity that raises the level of one’s pulse rate. Suggested exercises include bicycling, swimming, or jogging. And this blogger’s minute addition. I take three packets of this a day (Airborne or Emergen-C) and it works wonders for my immune system! Here’s a picture of the Raspberry flavor.

Most successful stress-prevention programs also provide training in physiological coping strategies such as the following: is defined by Kyriacou (1987) as “the syndrome resulting from prolonged teacher stress, primarily characterized by physical, emotional and attitudinal exhaustion” (p. 146). is defined by Kyriacou (1987) as “the experience by a teacher of unpleasant emotions, such as tension, frustration, anxiety, anger, and depression, resulting from aspects of work as a teacher” (p. 146).

I Love to Read Challenge...

The "I Love to read" challenge is perhaps the most exciting thing happening in Indiana schools around February of each year. A BIG thank you to the organizers and supporters. If you have avid readers at home this is the time for them to double up on their reading. Come summer time we won't be as guilty for reading less. Of course we really should read every chance we get. Just look at this girl, she found a great interesting book and she read it, and read it, and can't put it down. She is so undisturbed by what's going on around her. She actually bothered me because I was admiring her more when I should have been paying attention to the high school basketball Hoosier style game. What a reader!Good job Abby!