Tag: teacher approved

How teachers are keeping the lessons of 9/11 alive for a new generation of students

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In West Des Moines, Iowa, roughly 1,100 miles from Ground Zero, history teacher Ann Krois is tackling one of the most defining moments of the past half-century. “Teaching students about 9/11 is critical,” Krois told CBS News. “I want them to understand what their previous generation experienced, that trauma, and how an event like that brought millions of people, not even just in the United States, but globally, together.”

Krois was in the third grade and had never even seen a skyscraper when terrorists turned four airplanes into weapons, killing almost 3,000 innocent people — a catastrophe that’s now history class for eleventh graders like Fitz Carpenter. “I actually learned some new stuff. I didn’t know how many people were evacuated on the boats,” Carpenter said. To develop her lesson plan, Krois joined a group of teachers from all over the country this summer at New York City’s 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It’s part of a program designed to teach teachers what happened at Ground Zero from those who were there.

That includes people like retired firefighter Bill Spade, the sole survivor of Staten Island’s elite Rescue 5. He was one of the last men to evacuate the north tower before it collapsed. “I can see the smoke coming from that first tower, that North Tower,” Spade said at one of the sessions for educators. “I hear the chief say, ‘We need four more rescues here and we have jumpers.'” In Alabama, Chris Theilacker carries a different perspective. Just age 25 on Sept. 11, 2001, the young Army officer deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan following the attacks. Today, he’s a high school teacher, passing along lessons of the global war on terror and of the resilience that followed. “It’s one of those watershed moments in U.S. history,” Theilacker said.

“It must be taught, the patriotic side of it, the messy side of it. It’s a great rallying moment for what we can achieve when we decide to work together.” Krois believes that every teacher in the U.S. should be required to talk about 9/11. “I know it’s hard to try to teach on September 11th to students, because, you know, some of them, it’s just their second week of school. But at some point, it definitely needs to be every state’s standard,” Krois said.

Source: How teachers are keeping the lessons of 9/11 alive for a new generation of students – CBS News

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
1 Corinthians 2:2

For God so Loved the World

“God loved you enough to send His Son, Jesus loved you enough to give His life, and through faith, you are offered a hope this world can never take…

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2 Timothy 3:12 

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted Paul was reminding Timothy that following Christ does not guarantee an easy life. When we choose…

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John 15:18–20

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but…

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Galatians 1:6-10

“When truth becomes negotiable, faith becomes vulnerable so know the Gospel, stand on God’s Word, and seek His approval above the world’s applause.” “I am astonished that you are…

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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

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Isaiah 45:2

“I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, This verse reminds us that…

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Proverbs 21:23

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. This verse emphasizes that people who carefully watch what they say will protect themselves from serious trouble. “Guarding your…

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Slow to Speak: The Secret to Wise Reactions

Talk less, listen more, because wisdom speaks after it understands, not before. If you want stronger relationships and real influence, master this: control your tongue, calm your anger, and lead with…

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Psalm 5:8

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. In the verse David is praying in the morning while people who hate him…

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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)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
James 1:17

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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 by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:20

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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 the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
Matthew 28:5-6