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TEACHERS.NET GAZETTE
Volume 3 Number 8

COVER STORY
Harry & Rosemary Wong remind us that, "An induction program is an organized, sustained, multiyear process with many activities designed to help you succeed...."
ARTICLES
Preparing for the First Day of School by Jan Zeiger
Classroom Discipline Forum Will Support New and Veteran Educators by Kathleen Carpenter, Editor in Chief
Six Traits of Writing Forum by Kathleen Carpenter, Editor in Chief
Ideas for Welcoming Teachers & Students Back to School by Kathleen Carpenter, Editor in Chief
Classroom Rules??? by Bill Page
Learning Your Students' Names: Fun, Fast, Easy and Important by Bill Page
Making 2002-2003 The Best Year Ever by Bill Page
Your Summer Reading List: The Process of Change in a School System by Dr. Rob Reilly
Beware of the Standards, Not Just the Tests by Alfie Kohn
The Importance of Reading Aloud by Lisa Frase
Dear Old Golden Rule Days, Chapter 2 - Creative Activities by Janet Farquhar
Objection overruled, or You can always go to law school if things don't work out by Taylor Mali
Dealing with Dishonesty by Tom Lucey
The Maiden Week by P R Guruprasad
Is Learning to Read Easier Than Learning to Play the Piano? by Grace Vyduna-Haskins
School was GREAT today because... by Linda Todd
The New Teacher and Coping With Special Needs Students in the Classroom by Dave Melanson
Learning About Community Service by Jay Davidson
Book Reviews - We Can Work It Out: Creating Peace in the Home & Songs for Howard Gray by Susan Gingras Fitzell
Summer Recess by Joy Jones
Tips On Time Management by Jan
Class Books Around the Year Compiled by Terry
Literacy Centers Organization by Catherine Thornton
Why the Center Approach? from The Mentor Center
Classroom Teachers' Management Tips (Part II) from the Chatboards
Why Teach? by Lynda L. Hinkle
4 Blocks Literacy Tips: Storing "Making Words" Materials from: The Mentor Center
How to Encourage Substitute Teachers to Return to Your School by Lucy, Substitute Teacher
Teaching Students To Discuss Controversial Public Issues from: ERIC Clearinghouse
August Columns
August Regular Features
August Informational Items
Gazette Home Delivery:

 
About Susan Fitzell...
Susan Fitzell, M.Ed. is a dynamic presenter passionate about helping teaching professionals work together to build peaceful communities in schools. She combines her 16 years of experience as a learning disabilities specialist with her knowledge of the conflict education process to assist schools with conflict resolution, teambuilding, and special education inclusion.

Susan is in demand as a presenter at district, state, and national conferences. She fully understands the conflicts inherent in an inclusive school. The author of Free the Children: Conflict Education for Strong, Peaceful Minds, Susan adds a sensitive understanding of the roots of conflict, developmentally appropriate conflict resolution curricula, and issues surrounding the inclusion of special needs and at-risk students in the regular classroom.

Susan has recently completed a handbook for educators, Successful Inclusion Strategies and Techniques for Adapting Curricula to Meet IEP Requirements for Mild to Moderate Special Needs Students.


Teacher Feature...

Book Reviews

by Susan Gingras Fitzell, M. Ed.
www.aimhieducational.com


We Can Work It Out!
Creating Peace in the Home

By Fran Schmidt

I was on the phone with Fran when she excitedly told me of a handbook she had written for parents. After working for years in schools and with various parent organizations, she acknowledged that parents want to do right by their children. They want the help parenting books offer but often find themselves torn between reading a parenting book and cooking dinner, doing laundry or carting their children to activities. There just isn't enough time to read a book.

Fran asked parents what they wanted. They told her they wanted a simple, easy to read book that had very practical hints, tips, and skills that they could immediately reference and use. So Fran wrote just that booklet!

We Can Work It Out: Creating Peace in the Home offers parents countless tips on parenting, discipline, sibling rivalry and conflict resolution in forty-eight pages. She introduces the Foozles, characters that represent the hurtful words and actions that people often use in frustrating situations. Her poster, "Stop Foozles!" encourages children and parents to cool off, use their brain, and think before reacting.

As an added bonus, Joey Martinez' delightful graphics bring home the points that Fran is making in this easy to read, bulleted booklet.

You can get We Can Work It Out by calling Fran Schmidt at Peace Education International, Inc. 305-673-8299.

 

 

Product Review
By Susan Fitzell

Songs for Howard Gray
Video and audiotape renditions
By David Levine

"Howard Gray" is a song, which tells the true story of a student who is different and ridiculed by his peers because of his difference. The song helps the listener identify with the realities of the way people are often mistreated and the social issues that people face when in those situations.

I listened to the audiotape "Howard Gray" first. I've heard many songs about bullying and hurtful behavior, so I didn't anticipate my reaction to this song. I cried. Maybe I could relate all too well, or maybe it is simply a powerful song.

Since that first time, I've used both the audio tape and videotape with students from six years old through adult and it has the same impact: powerful. What makes this song different from others is that it is a song about a real person. This isn't fiction that children or adults can dismiss as an editorial on bullying. It's real.

In the video, Lee, the "boy" who wrote the song based on his childhood experience meets the real Howard in their old high school. The conversation between the two along with the final verse in the song, which asks for forgiveness, brings the impact of bullying and peer pressure home. It opens the door for discussion and learning around empathy, consequences of bullying, cooperation, sociability, forgiveness, and understanding of human differences.

Levine provides a handbook and discussion guide with the audio and videotapes to assist the facilitator in addressing the powerful emotions the song evokes and drawing out meaningful discussion around the issues presented.

I highly recommend Howard Gray be a part of social skills and bullying prevention programs. Empathy is a very difficult emotion to teach; yet, the latest research on emotional IQ and the brain indicates that development and nurturing of empathy is critical for internalization of pro-social skills and behavior. Howard Gray opens the door, powerfully.

You can get more information about Howard Gray by calling David E. Levine at Blue Heron Press (845) 687-8772 or email David at david@davidalevine.com.


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