You’ve heard the story about reinventing the wheel. Teaching is one of the oldest professions right up there with farming and doctors. Teachers have a passion for helping children learn and develop. Throughout the years teaching has become much more demanding. Curriculums, standardized testing, qualifying exams, senior projects, etc. The bar for teachers is undoubtedly set high. Regardless of having a diverse group of students they are expected to be able to teach kids with all different learning styles from all different backgrounds and give them an equal chance to succeed. Because teaching has become an overworked and underpaid profession it’s no wonder that teachers are willing to share their experience and what has worked for them. Teachers are helping teachers.
Tried and True
The basics of learning have not changed. Math, reading, science and english are essential building blocks for the rest of learning and teaching. While it is true that the world has evolved and we have access to more information than ever before, there are still things that a student must understand in order to learn more difficult subjects. Credit cards negate the need to count change or balance a checkbook. Phones all have a calculator, and restaurants print the tip amount by percentage on the receipts. Google, Siri, and Alexa can answer even the toughest of your science and history questions in a matter of seconds. Grammar and spell check have alleviated the burden of making mistakes. However, you still would not be able to develop your own thoughts, ideas, reasoning, and character without these fundamental skills. There are a few books that take a look into the idea of a society that controls what its people can learn, read and do. None of them end well. Having the freedom to learn these subjects is a blessing.
Lap Books
Reading and comprehension are tested at every level. A common assignment throughout education is a book report. A book report has multiple parts. It requires the student to not only read the book but to comprehend it, dissect it, and share or prove what they have learned. One of the latest trends in teaching is lap books. Teachers love them because they give their students a direction and uniformity for the project. They are an effective project that is not just busy work. Students love them because they are fun to prepare. Parents love them because they are quick, cheap and easy. Here you will find step by step instructions on how to make a lap book. Lap books can be used for all kinds of school projects and learning models, but on this website you will find a free printable for a lap book designed specifically for book reports.
Reading is a Privilege
Ray Bradbury said, “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” Reading teaches vocabulary. Reading teaches ideas. Reading teaches opinions and perspective. Reading opens the door to learning about other cultures. Reading can make someone more well-rounded and less judgmental. Reading is a gift. You will be hard pressed to find a teacher that will not stress the importance of reading. As mentioned above, teachers are passionate about what they do and giving their students every opportunity to succeed. To quote the famous Dr. Seuss, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
