Working moms have the best of both worlds, we get to work and be parents! However, it can be quite a rush when evening time rolls around and dinner, homework, and bedtime approach rather quickly. Homework is especially an important but difficult time because everyone is already tired, but it still needs done. Here are 10 homework tips for the working mom. Create a schedule and a timeframe in which the homework should be done in. This will give everyone peace of mind. Prioritize what needs done first. Is there demanding homework that your child needs to work on first? If so, help them with that first so there’s less pressure later. Know how your child learns. Another tip for helping your kids with their homework is knowing how they learn. Maybe they complete their homework better in a room by themselves. Don’t be afraid to work on big projects together. This can be an awesome bonding experience for you and your child. Do your “homework” as your children do … [Read more...]
10 Tips For A Seamless Beginning To The School Year! #FallBackToSchool @FollettNews #Ad
Now that school is back in full swing, I was just commenting to a teaching colleague this afternoon that most students are starting to feel more comfortable. This can be a good thing and a bad thing depending on how you look at it. It's important for students to be happy with their teachers and classes so they will be more productive academically. On the other hand, it's also crucial for them to maintain the momentum they started the year off with so they will progress in their classes. As an educator for over fifteen years, I know a little something about how to have a seamless beginning to the school year. Here are my tips for doing so: Maintain open communication with your children by asking them about their school day and engaging them in conversation daily. Homework shouldn't be stressful. It's okay to stop for a little while and have your child come back to it once they have … [Read more...]
Just In Time For Back To School, Kohl’s $100 Gift Card #Giveaway! #Sponsored
*This is a sponsored campaign on behalf of Kohl’s. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. As much as I would love for Summer to last just a little bit longer here in New York City, the reality is that it will be time for back to school in a couple of weeks. Thankfully, Kohl’s will make our family’s back-to-school shopping trip easier than ever before because they are now offering school supplies in-store for the first time! Through a partnership with Office Max, Kohl’s is excited to provide their customers with all the school supplies they need from folders to notebooks and pens to pencil cases. This year, both of my boys have extensive school supply lists since they are each going into the third and sixth grades. There were many new items that we had to supply them with this year that we haven't had to buy in years past. Believe me, as a Working Mom, my time and my budget is limited so I appreciate being able to get everything that I need for my boys in a … [Read more...]
The Return Of Working Mom Guilt
This afternoon, I received an email from my 7 year-old's teacher stating that she had sent a memo home last Friday alerting me to the fact that he was talking excessively in class. She went on to say that he had failed to copy down the homework assignment due to his socializing. No sooner had I read the message that I began to feel the all too familiar pangs of Working Mom guilt. You see, I asked him this weekend if he had finished his homework and he assured me that he had. The responsible mommy thing to do would have been to check his folder and make sure that he had indeed finished all of his work. Instead, I chose to give in to my exhaustion and take his word for it. Now I feel terrible. God knows what the teacher must be thinking of me. In her mind, I probably don't care about my son's academic progress. It's even more embarrassing because I am a teacher myself. The truth is that I check every homework normally and I always take care of everything and I think … [Read more...]
Calling All Parents! #Education
This past week, I have taken the opportunity to reach out to many of the parents of my students just to introduce myself and to give them an update on how their children are progressing in class. I cannot begin to tell you how many parents immediately get scared when I introduce myself because they think I am calling to give them a bad report about their child. Nine times out of ten I have to reassure them right away that this is a good call and that there is nothing to worry about. As an educator, it makes me wonder how often my colleagues are calling parents just to tell them that their children are doing well or simply to touch base. My experience has been that I get a lot more support and cooperation from parents that I contact regularly than parents that I only call to give complaints to. After all, nobody wants to hear bad things about their child all the time. I'm a parent and I hate when I get bad reports from my sons' teachers. The response to this round … [Read more...]
Back To School With Boys & Girls Clubs Of America! #Tools4BTS @BGCA_Clubs
*This post was written by me on behalf of Boys & Girls Club of America. All opinions are 100% mine. This morning, my boys and I had the pleasure of attending the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA's) Wake Up Call Back-to-School Kick Off event in New York City. The event was supported by JCPenney and aims to motivate kids to be prepared for academic success this school year. The event took place in Foley Square and we had the opportunity to see legendary basketball player Shaquille O'Neal participating with students in a unique obstacle course. We stood with students on the sidelines cheering our teams onto victory and, each child who participated in running the obstacle course, received an honorary diploma. Shaq and Mommy O'Neal also sounded the alarm to signal the start of the Back-to-School season. My boys also participated in running the obstacle course and it meant a lot to me because I want them to be excited about starting off the school … [Read more...]
10 Things I Learned This School Year…
The end of the school year is finally upon us. Tomorrow is the last day of school for all New York City public school students. It is a bitter-sweet time for me because I am saying goodbye to students that I have taught for the last two years for seventh and eighth grade. This time has really allowed me to develop meaningful relationships with these kids and get to really know them. I would be lying, however, if I didn't admit that I am ecstatic at the prospect of going on summer vacation and having two whole months off with my sons to make up for lost time that I did not get to spend with them throughout the year while I am working and they are in school. To mark the end of the academic year, I would like to reflect on some of the things that my students taught me this year. So, without further ado, here are... 10 things I learned in the 2010-2011 school year: 1. One can never be too cautious about personal hygiene so, when in doubt, it is okay to apply … [Read more...]
“Mom Cliques”
Lately I have been noticing more and more Mom Cliques when I attend functions as my sons' school or their sporting events. I have always been aware of them over the years since I had my boys but they seem to be multiplying and I never feel like I fit into any of them or that I even want to fit into them. Being a Working Mom, I have had limited opportunities to observe these cliques in action. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with being either a working mother or a stay at home mother. Both of these roles come with responsibilities that are unique to both and are equally stressful to both. This will not be one of those posts that pits mothers against each other for making very personal decisions about whether to work at home or away from the home. As women we all know that being mothers and wives is hard enough period and we don't need to compete with one another about who has it harder... The reason why I bring up that being a Working Mom separates me … [Read more...]
Let Down
Last night, my father sent me an email with a link to read an article that was recently published in our local paper about my old High School. It seems that the graduation rate at this school has dropped significantly and the New York City Department of Education gave the school an "F" on their yearly performance report card. Schools deemed as failing run the risk of being closed down or reorganized. In essence, what this means is that they relocate all of the current faculty to new schools and bring in a whole new staff and a new Principal. This was a big surprise to me because I have nothing but wonderful memories about the experiences that I had there as well as the interactions that I had with the staff. The school was destined to go downhill when its old Principal, "Mr. L", was dismissed under allegations that he was misappropriating school funds and paying teachers and other staff members for overtime that they were not doing. Mr. L was Principal when … [Read more...]
