Category: Education

Homework Help for Teens

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

We’ve all been there. The progress report cards arrive and grades are not what we expected. Or, we check online and cannot figure out why there are so many zeroes where there should be numbers!

Are you tired of feeling the weight of your child’s homework? Are you done arguing and ready to start making a change in the way your teen does school?

If this is happening to your family right now, relax and try these five tips to get your teen back on track. I’ve tested them on my own students and children, and know they work!

1. Take a deep breath and let your teen talk. Kids want their parents to hear their side of the story. Listen as they tell you what they think is going on. Try to stay quiet and not interrupt – just nod your head until they’re done. They know you’re disappointed.

If you’re ready for more homework help tips, click here to read more on Yahoo!Shine.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Friday Photo: Opportunity Knocks?

Posted on April 1, 2012 by

Shortly after I posted this photo on Facebook I received a phone message from my mother.  She’s not a Facebook user, but became concerned after my younger brother alerted her that something might be wrong, since I posted a big red sign on my wall.

At first I had no clue what she was talking about.  I figured it was just a glitch in her understanding about Facebook.  Suddenly it dawned on me what they were worried about, and I reassured her that everything was OK.

Only, it’s not really OK.

These are difficult times for many Americans.  For teachers and students, it’s getting nearly impossible.

My school district is attempting to balance their deficit budget by laying off employees.  They’re threatening to furlough teachers again, which means at least a 5% pay cut next year.  Districts have met their March 15 layoff notification date ‘over notifying’ teachers, administrators and counselors in preparation for the state budget ‘worst case scenario’.

These people are me and my friends, my colleagues, and your child’s teachers, vice principals and counselors.  They are the people who run the after school programs children turn to for enrichment and support.  They are the teachers who used to make it easier for kids to have smaller class sizes and take elective classes that provide an alternative to core academic classes.   They are the elementary school teachers who create a stable foundation for the rest of your child’s education.

So yes, these are difficult times for me to go to work each day, wondering what my job will look like next year, what my school will look like, and what my son and his friends can expect to find as they end years of anticipation for junior high life.  These are difficult times for my daughter and her friends as they see the end of their high school years and now look forward to skyrocketing college tuition and challenging admission processes.

These are difficult times to see highly qualified professionals being released from their service.  These are difficult times to answer the probing questions from my students.  These are difficult times when I find myself questioning my 21-year career in education, and wondering how much longer it will last.

So I’m sorry, Mom.  It’s difficult to explain this sometimes.  It’s really difficult to see the opportunity here, but I’m trying.

I hope it makes you feel better to know that when I walk into my class each day, I smile.  That part is not difficult at all.

 

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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The Ride of a Lifetime

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

We loaded into the back of the small, dilapidated whiteToyota pickup truck.  No safety restraints were in sight, unless the roll bars along the top counted.  Eight children aged 6 to 14 years couldn’t believe their good fortune.  Eight adults searched each other’s faces for solidarity.  This went against all our instincts, but so did waking up in a Nicaraguan compound with an armed guard standing at the door.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Although native English speakers, my kids had only ever attended school in Spanish.  They had no choice about it – from kindergarten on, they attended a public Spanish Immersion elementary school and quickly became fluent.
At first, the road started out dusty but flat.  As we pulled out from behind the large black iron gates, I knew I was embarking on something that would take me far, far out of my comfort zone.  Dressed in shorts, t-shirt, sturdy shoes, bandanas, and hats to protect us from the blazing sun, I wondered how hard could it be? I had plenty of fresh water and granola bars in my backpack.  Two bottles of hand sanitizer – one in my pocket and a backup in my pack – would prevent any illness.  Our daily doses of malaria medication and enough industrial strength DEET bug spray to kill all the bugs in Nicaragua would keep us from insect driven disease.

 

As the pickup truck left town, I relaxed a bit.  Beaming smiles of bliss radiated from each child – there was no fear on their faces.  Moving slowly down the dirt road we waved as we passed children and parents beginning their days in their humble, dirt-floored homes.  Cement walls created a shelter for them, and chickens and skinny dogs sauntered in and out.  Wisps of smoke rose from the outdoor fire pits.  Broad, white grins mixed with confused countenances met our white-skinned faces and shouts of greeting – not many ‘chelles’ in this part of the world.

The tiny truck wound its way down the road, the homes spreading further and further apart.  A caballero and his companion greet our driver as he slows to a halt, carefully avoiding the emaciated cows on the road.  Relationships are key to survival in this part of the world.  The adults grab their cameras and snap away, most never having seen a real cowboy at work before.  The kids smile broadly in disbelief.

Sparse, green grassland dotted with the occasional tree line both sides of the road. Every few miles family home vegetable gardens interrupted the rocky outcroppings.  Undeterred, the farmers work around them.
Slowing to a halt, we notice a wrinkled old man on the side of the road.  Victor, our driver, calls out a greeting and waves him closer.  The man approaches the back of the truck, and I realize he intends to squeeze in with us.  As he throws one arm over the side and carefully enters the pickup bed, his two-foot long machete enters with him.  Our young American sons’ eyes widen in disbelief at the weapon within arm’s reach.  The old American parents’ eyes widen in momentary panic.
Continuing up the road, local Nicaraguans looking for a ride repeatedly greet us.  No one turned away; we realize the amazing opportunity to meet them up close and personal as we squish back to back and side to side in the shrinking truck.
The truck takes a sharp left turn and wheels begin to spin.  Victor, unphased, eases it into low gear and we begin to climb a hill.  The flat road has disappeared, replaced by small rocks at first, then enormous boulders.  The adults begin to bark safety directions and plan for the eventual rollover.  The truck lurches to the right, and I yelp in terror.  The boys fist pump in jubilation, and we find ourselves right side up.

After an eternity, we make one last turn and the tiny pickup groans and lurches to a halt.  As I wait for my brain to stop spinning and my heartbeat to ease, a sound like thunder reaches my ears.  Children, teens and adults begin to crowd around, pulling on the doors and grinning widely.   The entire community is cheering and screaming as if Justin Bieber has just walked on stage, when in reality it is just us, 16 Americans about to continue the ride of a lifetime in Nicaragua.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Education Issues Vol. 2

Posted on February 26, 2012 by

Are you a parent? A teacher?  
A concerned American?
Are you interested in what’s going on with our education system?  

Super power!
via Pinterest
Please read my articles on Yahoo!News and let me know what your thoughts are about:


California’s education budget crisis


Community Service in the Classroom


Global Education and my teaching grant


School Shooting in Washington state and protecting our children

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Education Issues Vol. 1

Posted on February 14, 2012 by

Are you a parent? A teacher?  
A concerned American?
Are you interested in what’s going on with our country’s schools?  
Please visit my articles on Yahoo!News and let me know what your thoughts are about selling junk food in schools and large class sizes in middle school!
“Junk Food Sales on Campus Are a Fat Idea”
Watching what we eat means more than just at the dinner table – today’s school kids are being tempted by junk food on campus in an effort to increase revenues.

“Large Class Sizes in Middle Schools Aren’t Worth the Gamble”
With astronomical budget cuts looming, districts are ballooning middle school class sizes and laying off teachers.  Is this what we want to gamble on?

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

More Posts - Website

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