Ramblings of a Teacher
Apr 11 2012

Summer Vacations for Teachers

by Christie

It’s that time of year, the weather is getting warmer, and we find our minds looking forward to May. As educators we are lucky in that we generally know each year when we are going to have the time to take a luxury tour which takes one step out of planning our trip. The down side? Every one wants to go on a summer vacation, and the prices tend to be highest this time of year. The good thing is that there are many vacation companies that offer discounts to educators.

Holland America Cruise lines has some amazing offers for teachers. We recently located a 7 day New York City to Bermuda cruise for only $499 per person. Ok so this is the price for an inside stateroom, and its on a lower floor, however, they have balcony rooms on the same date for $999 per person. What are the list prices for this cruise? $1059 for that inside stateroom, and $2499 for the balcony.

New York to Bermuda not exotic enough for you? How about Italy, Spain and France? Costa Cruises is offering a 3 day cruise that includes stops in: Savona Italy, Barcelona Spain, and Marseille France for $204. A hotel room for one night in one of these cities would cost that much, and you have the opportunity to see all three!

I know that this seems to be focusing on cruises, and the reason for this is that it allows us to visit great places in a short amount of time. It allows us time to unwind before coming back home and starting summer school, or fulfilling our other obligations. If you have a little more time there are some amazing companies out there that can take you backpacking through Europe for less than $50 a day.

The world is an amazing place, we teach out students this every day in the classroom. Its great to know that there are some great companies out there that recognize us for what we do. Get out there. Explore the world, It’s waiting for you.

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Apr 1 2012

The World’s Most Famous Schools

by Christie

Name a school, like Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies, and if almost everyone can picture it in their mind, then it is a famous school. Almost everyone has seen at least one Harry Potter movie, or read one or more of these J.K. Rowling books. This school, built like a castle, with its many towers and battlements, can easily be seen in one’s mind when the name of the school is mentioned. Any young person who has become a fan of Harry Potter books would love to know their name was magically recorded at birth to attend Hogwarts. Although it is a fictional school, Hogwarts is probably the most famous school in the world.

Other famous schools, which may be less fictional than a school of wizardry, include Yale, Harvard, Eton and Oxford. Maybe you’ve never actually seen these schools except in pictures, or maybe not at all, but the image is set in your mind regardless. Most people imagine large buildings, with walls covered in ivy, a landscaped campus with well dressed students strolling along. These Ivy League schools are featured many times in works of art, books and movies.

Schools are also famous for the well-known people that study and graduate from them. Yale alumnus includes presidents and politicians like the Clintons and Bushs. Harvard has taught Kennedys by the dozens. Prince William attended Eton, excelling in sports and receiving excellent grades. Oxford, which dates back to 1096, is also the oldest school in the world, as well as one of its most famous. Famous Oxonians, as they are called, include many of Britain’s Prime Ministers and other internatinal leaders. Most notably, the three last Prime Ministers all attended Oxford, as well as Abdullah II of Jordan.

Many interesting facts exist about these schools. It is interesting that while Eton College attracts princes and royalty, it was founded in the 15th century by King Henry the VI for poor children. From those humble beginnings, Eton has become one of Englands most prestigious schools. Yale University, a very famous and also the oldest institute of higher education in the U.S., was founded to educate ministers and the clergy.

Still, no school excites the young mind like Hogwarts, the most famous school of wizardry in all the world. This fictional school has become so real in the mind that it was voted as Scotland’s 36th best institute of education.

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Mar 7 2012

Creating a Website for Your Class

by Christie

The internet has become a leader in how information is retrieved. There are large benefits for any organizations who find a presence on the World Wide Web. This is a great idea for classes as it will keep all members informed. There are many uses for this type of site and ways to obtain it.

Creating a website for your class can keep students updated on assignments, tests and events. It gives teachers the ability to place videos of classroom sessions when a student is absent. This is great for parents who may need a refresher on the subject matter.

Websites are easy to create. Teachers have several options for creating a page for their classroom. Professional creators are available to do all the work at a charge. For the creative person, this is a task that can be completed without hiring a professional. Locating a web-hosting company is the first step.

A web-hosting company will sell the space necessary for the site. Depending on the amount of space needed the cost will vary. Many web-hosting companies also provide templates for teachers who are not familiar with designing their own sites. These templates will come pre-designed and walk a user through the steps of creating the page.

Information that is placed on the page is very important. It should not be complex and hard to locate. The first page should give an overview of what can be located throughout the entire site. It should also allow users to easily navigate through the site. Teachers should take time to write, proof and edit all material that will be placed on the site.

The function of the website should be decided prior to its creation. Many web-hosting companies will have various widgets. These are pre-designed applications. The user is able to customize the widget to their needs. For instance, email widgets are available for parents to contact the teacher. Calendar widgets allow the teacher to post events. There are also widgets for chatting and scheduling parent-teacher meetings.

Endless possibilities exist when a teacher is looking to create a website for their class. Parents are able to gain first hand understanding of what is happening in the classroom. Students can stay updated and engaged through online classroom chats, videos, assignment remembers and other resources.

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Feb 22 2012

Richest Colleges in America

by Christie

There are some great colleges out there that offer some of the best education available to students. These colleges typically are more expensive and have some of the best professors working under their university. Below is a list of some of the richest colleges in America.

Anyone attending this sure will definitely be from an affluent family. You can guarantee that these graduates will definitely be seeing a GMAT tutor on their way to obtaining their MBA. Just like attending these, schools, instructions combined with great study habits will definitely help out.

Coming in at number 5 is Stanford. This college has generous alumni that have contributed a lot over the years. The tuition fees are also very expensive, which is why they are one of the richest colleges in America. People attend Stanford to get a quality education, and there money certainly aids the college in many ways.

Coming in at number 4 is Princeton University. The undergraduate tuition is more expensive than Stanford, which is why it is a little more richer than Princeton. Princeton also has some of the smartest students in the world, and it truly is a prestigious school filled with a rich history and tradition. As of 2011, the school had $17,109,508,000. And in 2011, their undergraduate tuition ran around $54,780.

Coming in at number 3 is the University of Texas. It is the richest public university in the U.S. It is also one of the most popular colleges in the world, and many students get a quality education from the university.

Coming in at number 2 is Yale. As of 2011, they had over $19,374,000,000 in endowment funds. It is one of the most prestigious schools in the world and has world class education.

Coming in at number one is Harvard University. This is the most prestigious school in the world and the richest. As of 2011, it had over $31,728,080,000 in endowment funds. Many famous people have attended this university, and it has a rich history of excellence.

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Jan 18 2012

Notorious School Tragedies

by Christie

School is suppose to be a safe place for students to be able to focus on their school work and be as efficient as possible. However, there are some moments in the history of the school system that have gone extremely wrong. Whether they are the cause of the students and staff of the school or of the natural environment, these are the most notorious school tragedies.

The first and obviously most talked about school tragedy is the shooting at Columbine High School on April 20th, 1999. Two students, Eric Harris and Devin Klebold, brought guns to school and began terrorizing it soon after. This massacre ended up in the death of 12 students and 1 teacher and they also injured 21 more students during their rampage. After everything was over the pair committed suicide. This caused the media to be shocked and America as a whole turned their eyes to the safety of their children. New gun regulation laws were put in to place and even a movie by Michael Moore was directed towards it.

On March 18, 1937, Texas had one of the most horrific school tragedies that has ever occurred. At London High School the students came from families that recently had a burst of wealth due to the oil found in the area and the school reflected that. Also, it had a brand new heating system that used natural gas in order to keep the students warm. However, there was a leak in the pipeline and since the gas has no smell, no one knew about it. When a spark was created the whole front of the school burst into flames and the roof nearly popped off. This caused the death of nearly 300 students and teachers and is one of the worst tragedies in American history.

The families and friends of the ones who lost their life on these days were not prepared for such a tragedy. It is what brings a community together for the same cause. The school system tries to figure out how to become a safer place for students every single school year and hopefully in the future these tragedies will not be as common.

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Jan 11 2012

International Foreign Exchange Programs

by Christie

Studying abroad is not only a cultural, but educational experience for high school or college students. There are two types of International Foreign Student Exchange Programs students can choose from. The first is set up with a school overseas and a school in the United States. The same number of students are exchanged from each school to stay with families for a semester or year. These students report back to their school and share their experience of studying in a foreign country. The second type of program is when a student chooses a country that he would like to visit and attends school for a semester or year at a college or high school overseas. The student may choose to stay with a family, but can also stay in an apartment or student housing. No students are exchanged, but a similar experience is shared.

When considering participating in an International Foreign Student Exchange Programs it is most important to consider the benefits. Students are exposed to a different culture where they can compare and contrast the differences to American life. For example, if they study in London they learn that daily life is different. They don’t dry clothes, but instead let them air dry and iron them every morning, they conserve water showering every other day or once a week. The food is different and has less flavor, but Indian food is most dominant in fast food. Not only will they learn minor details, but they will be exposed to artifacts, art and other experiences that they won’t find in the United States. At a young age they will even learn how to be independent from their families.

After considering the benefits, discuss the best program for the student. Weigh out factors such as the classes offered, the length of the program, location and if they must live on their own or not. There are also aspects to consider such as language barriers. It may even be smart to recommend language tutors before they set sail. Then talk with counselors at school to find the best program for the student so they make the most of their time abroad.

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Dec 16 2011

Snow Days!

by Christie

If I can remember back that far, getting my sister and me to go to school in the winter was quite a challenge for my mother. Growing up in the suburbs of New York, there were many cold days when it was almost impossible for my mother to pry the covers off of me and get me out of bed. Who wanted to leave the warm comfort of a comfortable bed in the cold morning hours and get ready for school?

I remember coming up with a lot of excuses why I could not go to school on any given school day in the middle of winter. Sickness was a standard excuse that only worked on occasion. Complain of too many stomach aches and bad colds and you would be threatened with a visit to the doctor. The weather was only a good excuse when there was at least a foot of snow on the ground and school closings were being announced on the local news channel.

I was really not as bad about going to school in the winter as you might think from reading about some of the things I tried to do to avoid school. Once I was awake and out of bed, I did not mind going to school in the winter. I would get all bundled up with my blue parka, wool cap, gloves and boots, trudge through the snow and meet my friends at the bus stop. While we waited for our ride, the inevitable snowball fight would break out and we all forgot about the freezing weather.

The bus ride could also be an exciting adventure. Our bus driver was a real character – I think he was a WWII Veteran who had his own outlook on life. Believe it or not, he would tell us kids to “hang-on” as he steered the bus through big snow drifts. Once, he took a short cut through an open field and purposely sent the bus into a prolonged skid. We loved our “cool” bus driver and he made it fun going to school in the winter.

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