Tag: teacher approved

Metro Atlanta teacher spends her own money to prepare classroom for new school year

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While many families are beginning their back-to-school shopping, teachers are also filling carts with supplies for their classrooms often using money from their own paychecks. Gisselle Velez is preparing for her second year teaching third grade at Hopkins Elementary School. During a recent shopping trip in Chamblee, she picked up copy paper, glue sticks, hand sanitizer and Expo markers — items she says her classroom uses quickly. “I tend to save about $150 to $200 just to buy those school supplies because there are students that don’t have the money to buy school supplies,” Velez said.

“I want to make sure I have those resources for them.” Velez teaches at a Title I school and said many families are doing everything they can to prepare their children for the school year. She wants to make sure students who arrive without something they need do not feel unprepared. Her experience reflects a broader trend among educators. The National Education Association says about 94% of public school teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies, with many spending between $500 and $750 each year. Velez said her motivation is also personal. Growing up, her family sometimes struggled to afford school supplies. “I used to be in their position when I was growing up,” she said. “It was really hard to afford school supplies.”

Velez said she wants her classroom to be a safe and supportive place where students can focus on learning instead of worrying about what they do not have. At checkout, Walmart surprised Velez with a $200 gift card that covered the cost of her purchase. For Velez, the supplies represent more than items on a shopping list. They are one way she hopes to give students and their families peace of mind as the new school year begins.

Source: Metro Atlanta teacher spends her own money to prepare classroom for new school year – CBS Atlanta

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.
Philippians 3:10

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Teen’s 1st Grade Teacher Pulls Off Cross-Country Graduation Surprise

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A high school graduate got the surprise of a lifetime after his elementary school teacher traveled across the country to surprise him — and the emotional reunion was caught on camera. Jordan Hodges, 18, tells PEOPLE that his teacher Denise Crocker, 58, had a tremendous impact on his life.

“She was my mother at school,” he says. “Not only did she teach me in the classroom, but she also taught me some of life’s most important lessons outside of it.” The Texas woman says she was Hodges’ first grade teacher at Rosebud Primary School in 2014 and worked with him in third grade when he had severe test anxiety. “After that year, we would usually talk before a big test to help him have the confidence to do his best,” she adds.

“He was a special student because he would try his best but would get frustrated with himself but he never gave up.” Even after finishing elementary school, and moving with his family to Florida, the pair stayed in touch and even talked over FaceTime.

“Anytime I needed her or any sort I asked my mom to call her,” he adds. “And as I came to visit she would come to see me too. It was hard with her not being there without her to rely on, but I did okay.” When the time came for the teen to graduate from Blake High School in Tampa, the Texas teacher knew she had to be there to see him “finish that part of his journey.”

“I wanted him to see his first grade teacher in the audience and see I was proud of him for the accomplishments he had made over the years,” she adds. “I wanted him to know that he will always have my support.”Months before Hodges’ graduation, Crocker — who has been teaching for over 25 years — started talking to his mom Atiah about flying in to be there.

“She was so excited I wanted to come, but we wanted to surprise him,” she says.

But the logistics of the actual surprise still needed some troubleshooting.

“At first, his mom said we could meet somewhere, and I just walk up and surprise him, but at the last minute that didn’t work,” Crocker shares. Then, on May 23, the night before his graduation, the two decided it was go time.

“She was busy getting the place ready for his graduation party so she told me just to come there,” Crocker explains. “She had sent him on an errand and he was taking forever to get back. So we were just sitting there talking with her and her family and luckily her best friend saw him about to open the door and jumped up to film.”

Hodges, who had no idea what was in store for him, says it took a second to register that his former teacher was there.

At first, he says he just noticed “somebody that looked very familiar in the window,” before quickly realizing that the woman sitting in a chair next to his mom was really Mrs. Crocker.

“He was so in shock when he walked in and saw me,” she says. “He kept asking how did I get there. I laughed and said I walked. He just kept hugging me.”Crocker shares she also gave Hodges a Bible monogrammed with his name and a journal as he moved forward into the next phase of his life, studying psychology at Albany State University in Georgia. 

In the meantime, Hodges says he plans to continue to stay in touch with Crocker as he grows up.

“Just because I’m older that doesn’t mean I will lose contact with her,” he says. “She was there for me as a child and now we can be there for each other.”

Source: Teen’s 1st Grade Teacher Pulls Off Cross-Country Graduation Surprise (Exclusive)

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13

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Denver Public Schools considering banning cellphones during school hours

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Denver Public Schools is now considering a bell-to-bell policy, which would mean students wouldn’t be able to use their cellphones, not even during passing periods and lunch. It would also include other personal devices such as laptops, smartwatches, and wireless earbuds to prevent students from working around the phone ban. All Colorado school districts must establish their own cellphone policies according to law.

“We all just realized, once you know better, you need to do better,” said Sarah Almy Moore, a DPS parent and a member of the Communication Devices Advisory Committee tasked with creating the cellphone policy recommendation for the school board. “We heard from a lot of different people,” she said. The committee spoke with and heard from hundreds of students, teachers, parents, and even members of the school safety team when doing the research. “There’s 17 states that have implemented a bell-to-bell ban on devices,” Almy Moore said. “So this is not like a groundbreaking thing.

Source: Denver Public Schools considering banning cellphones during school hours – CBS Colorado

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:13

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Google promotes ‘teacher approved’ apps for kids. Here’s what parents should know

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If you own an Android device and have young children, you may find yourself browsing Google Play for educational and age-appropriate apps. If you go to the children’s section, you will be led to a page with “Teacher Approved apps & games” featuring apps for children under 13 according to different age ranges and themes. Popular “Teacher Approved” apps such as learning app Lingokids and the game Bluey: Let’s Play have been downloaded more than 50 million times. YouTube Kids, another “Teacher Approved” app, has been downloaded more than 500 million times. Google says “teachers and specialists” rate the “Teacher Approved” apps. But in our research we argue it’s unclear who exactly those teachers and experts are. The educational value of Google Teacher Approved apps can also be unclear at times.

Source: Google promotes ‘teacher approved’ apps for kids. Here’s what parents should know

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:24