In only a couple of weeks, May 7-11, Teacher Appreciation Week will be celebrated at schools across the country.  It is an opportunity to say “Thank You” to teachers, staff, and volunteers for the work they do all year long.  Whether educating children or adults, from elementary school to secondary to graduate programs, teachers show commitment, patience and caring to their students to ensure they receive the best education available to them.  It is important to take time to thank teachers and educators, so they know that they are appreciated and the work they do matters.  Do something meaningful and special that they will remember, such as sponsoring a light breakfast with coffee, tea, and fruit or offering a gift of something they can enjoy in their personal time, such as golf or gardening.  It doesn’t take much, but a simple “thank you” can mean the world and shows that you recognize the talent it takes to guide our leaders of tomorrow.

As we near the end of the school year, we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, this week, May 2-6.    Whether educating children or adults, from elementary school to secondary to graduate programs, teachers show commitment, patience and caring to their students to ensure they receive the best education available to them.  It is important to take the opportunity to thank teachers and educators this week, so they know that they are appreciated and the work they do matters.  A little thank you can go a long way.

Thank you for all you do!

I was reading an article on CNN recently, entitled Principal to Parents: Take Kids off Facebook, and it started me thinking about who use social networking, and why.

The article addressed a principal’s concerns that students, in this case middle-schoolers, use Facebook and other social media for inappropriate reasons, such as bullying.  It also opens up the door for personal information to be spread across the web, which can cause difficulties for students down the road.  They may not be aware of the complexities that can arise for them now and in the future, as a result of personal information being shared.

The article did not address positives of students using social networking sites, however.  It can be a way for students to interact with relatives and friends, to communicate successes in school, on the athletic field, or other events in their lives.  Students can also be ‘friends’ with parents, older siblings, or even teachers and coaches, any of whom may provide guidance through positive online conversations, posts and updates.

As adults, many of us do use social networking tools for keeping up with family, friends, and acquaintances.  It is ideal for planning reunions, parties and events.  It is also a great tool for businesses, to communicate with customers and prospective customers.  For your school, it can be a practical tool to communicate fundraisers, schedules, and accomplishments to parents, PTA, and alumni.

Does your school use social networking sites as a way to communicate?  Do you also block social networking sites on school computers for students who may not be a particular age? Let me know.  Given today’s technology, this is certainly not an issue that will be going away anytime soon.

As most of you are probably aware, there seems to be a lot of discussion right now in the world of education, and the relative balance with the current economy.  I find myself trying to find good resources that help me to keep up with the ever changing dialogue regarding budgets and stimulus funds and how they are going to affect the upcoming year.

Education Week, at edweek.org, has a “Schools and the Stimulus” site which is a good resource for articles and commentary of what is going on with these very topics.  Enjoy!

http://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/schools-stimulus/index.html