I've been a teacher for over twenty years and I have always known how rewarding it is to be an educator. However, I never imagined that I would be juggling my role teaching my students remotely while also homeschooling both of my own sons simultaneously. This is exactly what happened here in New York in March when school buildings were closed and we made the transition to remote learning. It became more important than ever to have the right resources to make learning engaging, not only for my students, but also for my sons. My younger son is in eighth grade and he is a huge Peanuts fan so I knew exactly what to do to not only make his learning fun while working from home, but also to keep him engaged and motivated to complete assignments remotely. Thankfully, I don't have to do this alone because Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts Gang are here to help keep your kids engaged and educated with a range of subjects including STEM, Language Arts, Social Studies, … [Read more...]
Everyday Should Be STEM Day! #AstronautSnoopy #Giveaway @Snoopy #Ad
Here’s a great opportunity for kids to learn about space exploration in a fun-filled way with Snoopy, Woodstock, and the Peanuts Gang: Peanuts and the nonprofit Space Foundation are providing free, NASA-approved lesson plans—share them with your child’s teacher! You can check them out HERE! The first beagle on the moon celebrated National STEM Day this month! Astronaut Snoopy is eager to go on to Mars, and he knows that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math will take us there. Snoopy can now officially claim to be the first Beagle on the moon! As you can see, my son is absolutely thrilled to celebrate National STEM Day with all of his cool Astronaut Snoopy gear! Math and Science are his favorite subjects in school so this is right up his alley. We need to get more kids excited about these subjects in school and these STEM resources are perfect for doing so with them. We are very excited to also be hosting a fun giveaway for some really cool … [Read more...]
Start Saving For Higher Education Now! #NY529Event @NY529Direct #Ad
*This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Momtrends. All opinions are 100% my own. Since even before both of our sons were born, my husband and I were concerned about how we were going to save for the college educations. We value education tremendously but we are also realistic about the growing costs associated with going away to college. One of the savings options that immediately became appealing to us was the 529 college savings plan. It is a type of investment account that can be used for higher-education savings which is particularly beneficial for families. Just about anyone can open a 529 account, including parents, grandparents, other relatives, and even friends as long as they are a United States citizen or resident alien. This is very convenient because, very often, loved ones are more than willing to contribute to saving for the education of the young people whom they care for. Giving to a 529 plan for holidays and birthdays … [Read more...]
Investing In The Next Generation Of Leaders! #RemakeLearning #Ad
Photos courtesy of Remake Learning and Ben Filio *This post was written in partnership with The Motherhood and sponsored by The Grable Foundation. Photos courtesy of Remake Learning and Ben Filio. One of my greatest sources of pride over the last twenty or so years has been my work as a public school educator here in New York City. It is so rewarding to see the impact that I have had on the lives and minds of my students. In turn, they have also taught me many new things while in my classroom. I have also had teaching colleagues over the years who have branched out to teach in other public school systems across the country. Some have shared with me that Pittsburgh is also an amazing place to teach and to raise children. Its museums, schools, libraries, and after-school programs make it a center of innovation and excellence in education. HundrED is a global organization based in Finland that aims to research and share education … [Read more...]
Game-Based Learning Is Changing Student Learning! @LegendLearning #LegendsOfLearning #Ad
Imagine a classroom where students are actually having fun while learning at the same time! As an educator, this is a challenge that I have faced many times over the years. It can often be a balancing act to create fun and engaging activities while, at the same time, addressing the learning standards that are required for my students to master. Most teachers will tell you that students often have a better grasp on material and content that they learned while having such a good time that they didn't even feel like they were learning. Legends of Learning is a game-based learning platform that offers science-based games for grades 3-8. Although their educational games currently only focus on science content, they will be rolling out other subjects and levels in the near future. Those of you who are science teachers will also be thrilled to find out that all of their games are compatible with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Teachers and students alike will find … [Read more...]
Bloom Teacher Gift Tag Printable
It's almost surreal to think that the end of the school year is almost upon us. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were all getting ready for Back to School? The good news is that this means that warmer weather is coming along with all of the other wonderful activities that signal the beginning of summer. This past Friday, I was driving to school when I received a phone call from a former teaching colleague and dear friend of mine. She was contacting me to let me know that she had run into the parent of one of my former students. This particular parent also worked as the pupil services secretary at my former school so I had the pleasure of having two of her children as my students. Her older son is currently attending college in Westchester County and she wanted to let me know that he will be graduating in June with a degree in English. He told her to let me know that I inspired him to become an English teacher when he was in my English Language Arts class in middle school. … [Read more...]
Using Technology To Make A Difference In 2018! #ATTLatino #Ad
*This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with AT&T and #WeAllGrow Latina Network. All opinions are 100% my own. It's that time of the year again where everyone is scrambling to start the new year off on the right note by creating a list of resolutions for 2018. To be completely honest, I have never really made any resolutions but I have always seen the importance of setting goals and looking ahead to maximize on how I can make positive contributions to my community. As an educator who teaches in the South Bronx, I have many opportunities to see how poverty and lack of access to technology can have a negative impact on our Hispanic community. Let's face it, just about everything nowadays either needs to filled out online or you need to have an email address and the Internet to progress in our society. AT&T recently conducted a study to analyze how technology can be used as a resource to better the lives of individuals, allow people to connect with loved … [Read more...]
It Is Time To Get Active! #LetsPlayHSMakeover @DrPepperSnapple @LetsPlay #Ad
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Let’s Play, an initiative by Dr Pepper Snapple Group that provides kids and families with the tools, places and inspiration to make active play a daily priority by building and improving playgrounds and donating sports equipment to groups in need. Although I received compensation for this post, all opinions are my own. It's no secret that we a huge basketball family. My older son has been playing competitively since he was in the third grade. Being an athlete has give him the tools to stay confident in all areas of his life and it has allowed him to be active on a regular basis. Even though our younger son plays basketball only for enjoyment, he understands that it is also important for him to engage in active play. As an active family, we were really excited to find out about the Let's Play initiative by Dr Pepper Snapple Group. They are committed to making sure that kids and their families have all the resources that they need to … [Read more...]
Start Organizing For Back To School! #BTSReady @SchoolSpecialty @KidzVuz #Ad
I can't believe that back to school is right around the corner! Some states have already started the new school year but here in New York City we don't return until the beginning of September because school ended on June 28th. Although we still have about a month left of summer vacation, it's never too early to begin organizing for the upcoming academic year. As a parent and an educator, I have to prepare on both fronts to make sure my sons and my students start off the year on the right foot. Every year, I depend on SchoolSpecialty.com to help me get all the materials that I need to launch a successful school year beyond just basic supplies like pencils and crayons. It takes a lot more than just these traditional items to transform our home into a command center to coordinate and prepare for our daily routine once we all go back to school and work in September. In our home, I have to be very strategic about how I set up our back to school command center because I … [Read more...]
Should Teachers Take Students’ Phones Away On School Trips? #SquashTheBeef #Ad
This past week, my son went on his eighth grade Senior Trip to Philadelphia. This was the first time that he was away from his father and I for the whole day in another state. As you all can imagine, I was a nervous mom all day wondering if he was having a good time and if he was safe. As parents we want our children to have many wonderful opportunities and experiences but we also want to protect them and keep them safe whenever possible. Sometime in the afternoon, one of the parents on the trip messaged me to let me know that all the boys had gotten in trouble and their teacher was going to take their mobile phones away for the remainder of the trip. Now, let me tell you, as an educator of over seventeen years, I am keenly aware of how distracting phones can be when it comes to the classroom. Had his teacher chosen to take my son's phone away in school, I would have been all in support of it but this was not the scenario and I felt she was completely wrong in taking away … [Read more...]
