Norah Colvin

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  • In search of history

    In search of history

    When we introduce young children to history, we usually begin with the history of their own families and then extend the circle outward through space and time to other families, other localities and other times.

    It was for this purpose that I wrote the Family Traditions and Celebrations history unit for readilearn.

    As children love to hear stories about themselves and their families, there’s no better way to introduce them to history. Sadly, some of us miss the opportunity of learning our family’s history until it’s too late.

    Carrot Ranch flash fiction challenge Keweenaw microhistory

    This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story using your choice of microhistory from Keweenaw National Historic Park. Be historical, funny, or flagrantly fictional. Choose a character, time, place, or event. Be as creative as you want in telling the story.

    So, our task was to use one of the histories from the Keweenaw National Historic Park website as the basis for a story to be shared in a public reading at Fort Wilkins on 25 July. I’ve interpreted the task to be one of filling the historical gaps with fiction.

    The history I chose as the beginning of my story is that of Mary Metesh Plutt, an immigrant from Yugoslavia. Mary had eight children before the age of 38, seven of whom lived until adulthood. The second youngest was Agnes who married at age 20, had one child, and died at age 24. Agnes and her husband did not live in the Keweenaw. They lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When Agnes died, her husband returned her to the Keweenaw to be buried. No further details of the husband or the child were supplied.

    My story attempts to fill in a little of that gap, taking up the story of Agnes’s daughter Nette towards the end of her own life. It was assisted by the information and photographs supplied by the Houghton County Historical Society about the Traprock Valley Schoolhouse. Although this isn’t the schoolhouse that Agnes would have attended, it is of the same era in which she would have attended school.

    I hope you like my story.

    In Search of History

    Sorting through her father’s papers, Nette discovered secrets never revealed in life. “Mum” wasn’t mum. Her birth mother died when she was two. Although obviously named Antonette Mary after her maternal grandparents, their stories had never been told. Now, she needed to know. In the old schoolhouse, she traced her mother’s name—Agnes—so long ago carved into the wooden desktop. She’d felt no connection at the cemetery, nor reading the family’s Census record. But when the school bell rang, she shivered as the spirits of children past, her mother, aunts and uncles, joined her for Keweenaw history lessons.

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

  • School Days, Reminiscences of Susan Scott

    School Days, Reminiscences of Susan Scott

    Welcome to the School Days, Reminiscences series in which my champion bloggers and authors share reminiscences of their school days. It’s my small way of thanking them for their support and of letting you know about their services and publications.

    This week, I am pleased to introduce Susan Scott, author and blogger. Susan and I have been following each other’s blogs for quite some years now. Susan’s posts are often philosophical and intrigue me with new ideas to contemplate. She thinks deeply and writes about a range of subjects from as big as our place in the universe to the smaller like her garden in South Africa. Her outlook is always optimistic with a wish for peace in the world. I like the way she concludes her posts with the words, “May the force be with you” or similar that reflects her desire to find the good in every situation.

    As I usually do, before we began the interview, I invited Susan to tell you a little of herself.

    Born in Port Elizabeth, lived in various parts of the country and abroad. Married, two adult sons, one a musician, the other an animator. Author of two books, ‘In Praise of Lilith, Eve & the Serpent in the Garden of Eden & Other Stories‘ (a collection of psychological essays); and 2nd book co-authored with Dr. Susan E Schwartz Jungian analyst in Phoenix Arizona “Aging & Becoming ~ A Reflective Enquiry‘. We express our own thoughts on the process of aging in letters to each other.

    BA Clin. Psych. Hons

    At the moment I’m living between two worlds. We are relocating from Johannesburg to Plettenberg Bay on the south-west Cape. It’s a big move, packing up personal belongings so that a corporate rental can take over in a week’s time.

    I enjoy walking and hiking, reading and writing.

    My blog, which is intermittent, is usually of a psychological nature. I’m an ongoing student of my own inner world and of that around me – living between two worlds as I said earlier!

    Garden of Eden Blog. https://www.gardenofedenblog.com

    Books by Susan Scott

    Welcome, Susan.

    Let’s talk school. First, could you tell us where you attended school and if they were government, private or independent schools?

    I attended a variety of schools in South Africa and Zimbabwe, some private some public (government schools). Some girls-only schools, a few co-ed – boys! – in high school. Which took my attention off the lessons to be learned. The fingers on both hands are insufficient for the number of schools I attended.

    What is the highest level of education you achieved?

    BA (HONS) Clinical Psychology, as a mature student, in my late 20’s and early 30’s. 

    What work or profession did you choose after school and was there anything in school that influenced this choice?

    I was in banking for many years – different branches around the country here in South Africa, and a stint in London. For several years after that I worked for an American computer company that had set up a training course exclusively for black students pro bono to learn computer skills. My job was to guide the students for placement in the industry which meant meeting with the captains of industry to secure employment for them. Apartheid was entrenched in those days though businesses were keen to show otherwise. My job was to place the graduated student in a suitable environment.

    What is your earliest memory of school?

    It’s not a happy memory –  that of being around 8 years old at a school in Harare (Zimbabwe. Then it was Salisbury, Rhodesia). The girls circled around me and called me all sorts of unmentionable names on account of my very dark skin. It’s strange that this is the one that stands out and that I don’t recall from any earlier …

    What memories do you have of learning to read?

    It helps to have siblings who occasionally fill in the gaps. My older brother was visiting recently, and he said that I was a very early reader happily ensconced in e.g. Enid Blyton preferring nose in books instead of my nose outside playing. Which of course I did do, in the sun, hence an olive skin that darkened easily.

    What memories do you have of learning to write?

    If I dredge my memory bank, I recall teachers admonishing us to hold the pencil correctly. Write upright, hold the pencil straight between the thumb and forefinger, other end to point over your shoulder close to your neck. Thumb, forefinger and middle finger on the pencil. Cross the t’s dot the i’s. Write neatly.

    What do you remember about math classes?

    School days, reminiscences of Susan Scott

    In a way I loved maths, the order and logic of it all. I could see the bigger picture, arriving at a correct conclusion, rather than the details as to how the answer was arrived. This was not especially pleasing to any maths teacher, nor my father who was a mathematical whizz. The times table was drilled into us until we could say them backwards as were theorems. To this day I calculate the cost of goods as I unload the shopping trolley and am pretty accurate most of the time!

    What was your favourite subject?

    School days, reminiscences of Susan Scott

    My favourite subject was probably English and the set works including the poetry of the greats. Writing essays (in a very neat cursive handwriting) gave me a measure of pleasure for the opportunity of expression as I saw it.

    What did you like best about school?

    I came into a little bit more of my own in my last years of high school, a co-ed. I finally gave up my very bad stuttering around age 16 which made my life a lot easier as I could hold a conversation and be part of life instead of apart from it. And of course, boys! Bunking school became an art with a few of my subversive girlfriends. My mid-teen years were possibly those that formed me into a closet anarchist (in the best sense of the word).

    What did you like least about school?

    School days, reminiscences of Susan Scott

    My earlier years in school were always difficult because of my stuttering. I felt I was deliberately picked out to answer a question in front of class or read from a passage, which was practically impossible for me to do. And if I didn’t answer, being put in a corner with my back to the class. Some say that their school years were among the happiest of their lives – perhaps because of my perception and experience I always find that response somewhat suspect. (Though my younger son loved high school and I know others of my sons’ peers who feel likewise. My husband loved his school years). I can’t say I hated school or the many schools I attended. The one I attended here in Johannesburg for 18 months were good. I made a lasting friend from then, even though for many years we lived in different parts of the world until her death two years ago.

    How do you think schools have changed since your school days?

    Similar dynamics from my schooldays probably still reign in contemporary schools among classmates, those of e.g. bullying, scapegoating and meanness. There was no violence in my days among pupils such as we see or hear of today where pupils carry weapons to school and knock off a fellow pupil or teacher. We were ‘pupils’ at school; here in SA we are ‘learners’. Classes are usually larger in government schools, certainly for the majority and there are not enough classrooms. It is not uncommon to hear of 50 pupils sharing 3 or 4 to a desk. There is high teacher absentee-ism in many government schools and badly trained teachers to boot. Children seem to have more rights than their teachers or the stated school philosophy. Parents sadly leave it all up to the school to instil good behavior, not realizing that their role as parent and early educator is the most fundamental one.

    What do you think schools (in general) do well?

    There are many examples of government schools providing an excellent education for their pupils even those from extremely impoverished backgrounds. I guess it takes a stern yet caring approach from those in authority, from the headmaster down. Schools that do well encourage learning from the beginning, as do parents of course who can set a good example by early reading to their children.

    There are many NGO’s who do their best to improve literacy in schools. Illiteracy, despite matriculating, is still very prevalent.

    This next, Norah, is recent and interesting but I couldn’t find the URL for it. Please shorten as you see fit. (Norah’s note: I didn’t shorten it as I enjoyed it and hope you will too. I also found these links to further information here and here.)

    Nal’ibali, the national reading-for-enjoyment campaign scooped a big international award for their hard work of encouraging good reading habits in South Africa.

     Aarhus, Denmark – Nal’ibali, the national reading-for-enjoyment campaign aimed at sparking children’s potential through reading and storytelling, has been awarded The Joy of Reading Prize by the Systematic Joy of Reading at Dook 1 in Aarhus, Denmark. The award was presented by the president of the International Library Association, IFLA, Glòria Pérez-Salmerón from Spain on Saturday, 1 June.

    Twenty-eight projects from around the world were nominated, focussing on initiatives that disseminate the joy and ability to read, and thus engage in the fight against illiteracy. Jade Jacobsohn, Nal’ibali’s Managing Director, received the award on behalf of her dedicated team in South Africa.

    “I would like to dedicate this award to the 17000 literacy activists in South Africa – we call them FUNda Leaders – everyday ordinary people who have signed up with Nal’ibali to create opportunities for children in their lives to fall in love with books.”

    “I’d also like to dedicate this award to my fierce and fabulous team of fellow Nal’ibalians who are immersed on a daily basis in the hardships of social inequality and poverty, as they fight to give children the best chance they can get of rising out of it. The ability to read with understanding” lauded Jacobsohn.  

    She concluded with the formidable words of Nelson Mandela, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. The foundation of education is literacy.’ 

    The international jury applauded Nal’ibali for its long-term impact and influence on local communities in South Africa and for parents in particular, who have become role models for their children’s reading habits. They complimented Nal’ibali’s framework that creates a nurturing environment, as well as generating the assortment of multilingual reading materials, so that children from all age groups, can learn to love reading in the many mother tongues spoken in South Africa. 

    This international recognition award comes with a prize of $10 000 which will go towards stocking up Nal’ibali’s newly launched mobile libraries for Story Power in Motion, ensuring both children and adults have access to great stories in their home languages.

    How do you think schools could be improved?

    You’ll note that the last sentence ‘…says access to stories in their home languages’. This is a debate that rages on, and is relevant as we have 11 languages here in SA, including English and Afrikaans, of whom only about 8% have English & Afrikaans as home languages. Which means that when black children enter into school and are taught in English, they are already back footed. This apart from education still being for the most part barely up to scratch in spite of SA spending the most worldwide on education and yet having an abysmal record.

    You ask how I think schools could be improved. Literacy begins long before schooling. Children could be encouraged to read firstly which allows for the imagination to come into play. Einstein, when asked by parents how they could help their children become clever like he was, he replied ‘Read them fairy stories, and read them more stories’.

    Later on they can develop critical thinking skills. Chess would be a good subject to learn. Schools could encourage the art subjects more and I read that this is being encouraged around the world in order to develop both sides of the brain. Each side enhances the other.

    School days, reminiscences of Susan Scott

    There could be more time for the playground, away from the confines of the classroom. They could learn to tend to a vegetable patch. They could see Nature in action more, e.g. the worms in the soil, or the ants, birds, butterflies and bees going about their business.

    It is as well that schools have rules and regulations of which parents and children are aware. From this basis they can break the rules, when they have the critical skills to do so.

    Schools should provide safe and secure places of learning where children have no fear of being attacked and bullied by fellow classmates and/or teachers.

    There could be skilled social workers or psychologists on hand to attend to any child or teenager who appears to be suffering from problems at home and with whom the child or teenager feels safe in revealing their problems.

    Quality education for all requires the support of government, schools, civil society, NGOs, families, communities and funders.

    thank you for your participation

    Thank you for sharing your reminiscences of school and thoughts about education in general, Susan. It’s been wonderful to have you here. I especially enjoyed reading about Nal’ibali, the national reading-for-enjoyment campaign. While I agree with the improvements you suggest for education, I am disappointed to hear that your schools days were not so enjoyable and that you were bullied in school. The situation that you describe existing in many schools is also something that none of us anywhere can be proud of when education should be universal.

    Find out more about Susan Scott

    on her blog: Garden of Eden Blog

    Connect with her on social media

    Facebook: Susan Scott – Author

    Twitter: Susan Scott

     

    Purchase your own copy of Susan’s books:

    Books by Susan Scott

    In Praise of Lilith, Eve & the Serpent in the Garden of Eden & Other Stories

     Aging & Becoming ~ A Reflective Enquiry

     

    If you missed previous reminiscences, check them out here:

    Charli Mills

    Sally Cronin

    Anne Goodwin

    Geoff Le Pard

    Hugh Roberts

    Debby Gies

    Pauline King

    JulesPaige

    D. Avery

    Christy Birmingham

    Miriam Hurdle

    Robbie Cheadle

    Marsha Ingrao

    Ritu Bhathal

    Joy Lennick

    Darlene Foster

    Look for future interviews in this series to be posted on Sunday evenings AEST.

    Coming soon:

    Barbara Vitelli

    Sherri Matthews

    Mabel Kwong

    Chelsea Owens

    Pete Springer

    Carol Taylor

    with more to follow.

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

     

  • Lessons ready to teach critical thinking in early childhood classrooms – readilearn

    Lessons ready to teach critical thinking in early childhood classrooms – readilearn

    Even young children in early childhood classrooms can be taught to think critically about material that is presented to them. Being able to discern the accuracy of what they read is increasingly important in this era of fake news.

    In this post, I provide some suggestions with lessons ready to teach using children’s picture books. The types of questions and ideas can be applied to other books for checking the accuracy of information.

    To assist in verification of information, children can be encouraged to ask and answer questions such as:

    • What do we already know?
    • Does this match what we already know?
    • What do we want to find out?
    • How can we find out?
    • How can we be sure the information is true?
    • Is it fact or is it fiction?

    Children, and adults, need to be aware that misinformation, often cleverly disguised as fact, is available everywhere, including on the internet. Being able to navigate one’s way through it all is a very important skill, regardless of age. This article by Tech Teacher Jacqui Murray has some useful advice about Fake News or Fact? How do you tell?

    We don’t need to present young children with fake news stories to teach them the skills of critical thinking. We can begin with discussions of stories and information we present to them each day.

    Continue reading: Lessons ready to teach critical thinking in early childhood classrooms – Readilearn

  • Art Class 101—Portrait Painting

    Art Class 101—Portrait Painting

    Carrot Ranch flash fiction challenge - painting

    This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that involves paint. It can be fresh, peeling or in need of a coat. What is being painted and why? Go where the prompt leads!

    For my response to the challenge, I have written a story that begins with an innovation on a true-life story but finishes with something much more common. Potential is not always recognised, even when visible, in children and students. I hope you enjoy it.

    Art Class 101—Portrait Painting

    The task completed, he took a fresh sheet of paper and sketched the teacher with an enormous warty chin and hair sprouting like an unravelling steel wool pad. He added her name and then, with a flourish, his. He nudged his neighbour whose stifled guffaws drew attention. When the teacher investigated, only the task was visible.

    Behind the papers, the portrait remained forgotten at class end. Until discovered by the teacher.

    Later, having no satisfactory explanation, he was sentenced to weeks of lunchtimes painting bricks.

    Years later, when he was a famous cartoonist, they delighted in telling his story.

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

  • School Days, Reminiscences of Darlene Foster

    School Days, Reminiscences of Darlene Foster

    Welcome to the School Days, Reminiscences series in which my champion bloggers and authors share reminiscences of their school days. It’s my small way of thanking them for their support and of letting you know about their services and publications.

    This week, I am pleased to introduce Darlene Foster, world traveller and writer of travel adventure books for children and adventurers of all ages. Darlene joined in the conversations about school days from the beginning and was keen to share her own reminiscences with you.

    Before we begin the interview, I’ll allow Darlene to tell you a little of herself:

    Growing up on a ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world, and meeting interesting people. She also believed in making her dreams come true. It’s no surprise she’s now the award-winning author of Amanda Travels, a children’s adventure series featuring a spunky twelve-year-old who loves to travel to unique places.  Readers of all ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another. When not travelling herself, Darlene divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, Spain with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot.

    Darlene Foster and her books

    Welcome, Darlene.

    Let’s talk school. First, could you tell us where you attended school?

    Until grade 4, I attended a small rural school in the Canadian prairies, Hilda, Alberta, in which one teacher taught two grades. Then we moved to another rural community, Irvine, Alberta, where I attended a much larger school with separate grades including high school for the rest of my school days.

    Did you attend a government, private or independent school?

    These were government schools, which we call public schools in Canada.

    What is the highest level of education you achieved?

    I left school in Grade 11 so did not graduate with my classmates. I did however complete high school via correspondence. I took many college courses over the years and when I turned fifty, I graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Diploma in Teaching English as a Second Language, via distant learning. I also acquired a number of Certificates in Human Resource Management and Job Search Facilitation. I believe in lifelong learning and will continue taking courses for the rest of my life.

    What work or profession did you choose after school and was there anything in school that influenced this choice?

    I worked in retail management, recruitment, employment counselling and as an ESL Teacher, all as a result of courses I have taken. I have also taken many writing courses over the years, including university-level courses, which have been very beneficial to me now as a writer.

    Darlene Fosters's earliest memory of school

    What is your earliest memory of school? 

    I remember the first day I walked into the classroom. I thought I was in heaven, all those books and so much to learn. I was like a sponge, thirsty for knowledge. I loved school from before I even started and could easily have been a professional student. Even now when I walk into a classroom for an author presentation, I get that same feeling of awe.

    What memories do you have of learning to read?

    I could read a bit before I started school. I recall my dad reading the comics, which we called the funny papers, in the weekly newspaper with me. That may have been how I started to read. I loved the Dick and Jane readers at school and being able to read a story on my own was so exciting.

    What memories do you have of learning to write?

    I recall that being able to print was great but when I learned cursive writing, I was delighted. My writing was very neat and tidy for the first couple of years and I even won prizes for it. Then I started to write stories of my own and my writing couldn’t keep up with my thoughts and ideas. It soon became very messy, but I just had to get it all down on paper. It is totally unreadable now. Thank heaven for computers.

    What do you remember about math classes?

    Math classes were OK but not my favourite. I always had to work harder on math but still got good marks. I do recall enjoying algebra though, while everyone else hated it. Proof that I am a letters person, not a numbers person.

    What was your favourite subject? 

    It was a tie between English Literature, Social Studies and Drama.

    what Darlene Foster liked best about school

    What did you like best about school?

    Learning new things and the teachers. My grade three teacher, in particular, was amazing. She taught us about other countries by getting us involved. When we learned about Mexico she gave us Spanish names, cooked Mexican food for us and brought in colourful serapes and sombreros for us to wear. She instilled in me the desire to travel and see the world. She also encouraged me to write my stories down. I will be forever grateful to her.

    I was an odd child and actually enjoyed taking tests. When we moved, the school season had already started by two months and I had started grade 5 at the old school. I was so excited about going to what I considered a much more modern school. It was a day the class was taking a provincial pre-packaged test and there wasn’t a package for me. I was devastated that I couldn’t take the test and actually cried. The other students thought I was crazy as they would have happily given up doing the test.

    Darlene Foster reminiscences of school days

    What did you like least about school? 

    Physical Training. I was never good at sports and was always the last to be picked for a team. I came up with all kinds of excuses not to participate and was often sick on P.T. day. And those awful bloomers we had to wear! One wise teacher gave me the job of being the scorekeeper, which I enjoyed.

    How do you think schools have changed since your school days?

    Since it has been a long time since I went to school, they have obviously changed, a lot. They have changed since my own kids went to school. The biggest change is the use of technology of course. I love those whiteboards that act as a computer screen. They are like magic. There is much more positive reinforcement and focus on diversity and individuality today. I like the fact that school is less formal and more relaxed. We couldn’t even wear pants (trousers) to school and had to wear skirts even on -40C days. Now they even have pyjama days!

    What do you think schools (in general) do well?

    As a writer, I often visit schools to do readings and I am very impressed with schools today. The students are so eager to learn and proud of their accomplishments. There seems to be an emphasis on reading and creative activities which is so good to see. Children respond to learning if it is fun and there is no reason for it not to be. Personally, I would love to be a student in today’s schools.

    Darlene Foster reminiscences of school days

    How do you think schools could be improved?

    I do think teachers are often overworked. It is a demanding job and one in which you have to be on all the time. Many get burned out which is too bad as it is often the most dedicated that do. Perhaps hiring more assistants or having smaller classes would help. It is such an important job as these kids are our future.

    thank you for your participation

    Thank you for sharing your reminiscences of school and thoughts about education in general, Darlene. It’s a pleasure to have you here. I especially love that you are excited about learning and particularly being a life-long learner. I enjoyed reading your positive views about schools today.

    Find out more about Darlene Foster

    On her website: http://www.darlenefoster.ca/

    On her blog: https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/

    Or her Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Foster/e/B003XGQPHA/

    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3156908.Darlene_Foster

    Connect with Darlene on social media

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarleneFosterWriter/

    Twitter:  https://twitter.com/supermegawoman

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlene6490/

    Books by Darlene Foster

    Purchase your own copies of Darlene’s books from Amazon.

    If you missed previous reminiscences, check them out here:

    Charli Mills

    Sally Cronin

    Anne Goodwin

    Geoff Le Pard

    Hugh Roberts

    Debby Gies

    Pauline King

    JulesPaige

    D. Avery

    Christy Birmingham

    Miriam Hurdle

    Robbie Cheadle

    Marsha Ingrao

    Ritu Bhathal

    Joy Lennick

    Look for future interviews in this series to be posted on Sunday evenings AEST.

    Coming soon:

    Susan Scott

    Barbara Vitelli

    Sherri Matthews

    Mabel Kwong

    Chelsea Owens

    Pete Springer

    with more to follow.

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

     

     

  • #WATWB Engagement through music and song

    #WATWB Engagement through music and song

    On the last Friday of each month, We Are the World Blogfest invites bloggers to join together in promoting positive news. I join in as often as I can as we need to look beyond the alarmist headlines and see all the good that is happening in the world. If you would like to join in, please check out the rules and links below.

    This month I am sharing a story of a small community in Western Australia that is using music and song to engage at-risk Indigenous youth. Since the town was established in 1992, the community has been suicide-free, reversing a trend that is all too common in Aboriginal communities.

    The song in this video was written and recorded by the children of the town with the support of the youth engagement coordinator, Robert Binsiar. It is a song about their lives and their town.

    Click to read the whole article:

    WA town using music to engage at-risk Indigenous kids and keep town suicide free

    As stated by #WATWB, “There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

    I think the world could do with some more light at the moment. Please join in and share positive stories to lift the clouds.

    Here are the guidelines for #WATWB:

    1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

    2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

    3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

    4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

    5. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

    Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

    The co-hosts this month:
    Sylvia McGrath,
    Susan Scott,
    Shilpa Garg,
    Eric Lahti,
    and Belinda Witzenhausen.

    Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

    Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

  • Celebrating 100 days of school with lessons ready to teach – readilearn

    Celebrating 100 days of school with lessons ready to teach – readilearn

    Celebrating 100 days of school is a wonderful opportunity for acknowledging the passage of time, learning progress and a growing understanding of number. Children love a party and there can be nothing better than a celebration to increase their motivation and get them all involved.

    As the school year in Australia consists of approximately 200 days, the 100th day occurs close to the half-way mark. While it is fun to count up to 100, it can also be fun to count back from 100 to know how many more school days remain in the year.

    Celebrate 100 days

    Several readilearn resources with lessons ready to teach support you and your students as you count up to and celebrate one hundred days, including:

    Whether you’ve used it from the beginning of the year or not, the interactive digital resource Busy Bees 100 chart is great for all your usual number board activities and can be used to keep a count of how many days you’ve been at school. Simply display the resource on the whiteboard at the beginning of each day and move the bee to the next number. The chart also helps to develop a visual idea of what 100 objects look like.

    Each of these next three resources can be accessed individually or through the Busy Bees 100 chart.

    Continue reading: Celebrating 100 days of school with lessons ready to teach – readilearn

  • Waiting for life to begin

    Waiting for life to begin

    Carrot Ranch flash fiction challenge waiting

    This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about having to wait. Who is waiting and what for? Think about how the wait impacts the character or the story. Go where the prompt leads!

    There are many things in life for which we wait. Children wait for the holidays, for birthdays, for Christmas and Easter. We often say that much of the joy is in the anticipation. But if we are always focused up what’s up ahead, we may miss the pleasures of the present moment. So, while I’ve gone dark in my response to Charli’s prompt, it is meant simply as a reminder to not let the everyday pleasures of the here and now slip by unnoticed. Enjoy life! We never know what lies ahead.

    The Waiting Game

    Her entire life, she’d waited:

    To be old enough, big enough—

    To have left school, completed her degree—

    To have enough money—

    Until after the wedding—

    For the birth of her children

    For her children to have started school, left school, left home—

    When would be the time, when she could choose what she wanted, for her, no conditions imposed?

    In the waiting room, she contemplated these things and delivered her own answer—never! Death was knocking, refusing to wait. She’d hoped to live before she died but life got in the way.  Ah well, the waiting was over.

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

  • School Days, Reminiscences of Joy Lennick

    School Days, Reminiscences of Joy Lennick

    Welcome to the School Days, Reminiscences series in which my champion bloggers and authors share reminiscences of their school days. It’s my small way of thanking them for their support and of letting you know about their services and publications.

    This week, I am pleased to introduce Joy Lennick, author and poet. Joy joined in the conversations from the outset, sharing snippets from her war-time schooldays. Intrigued to learn more, I invited Joy to join in with a post dedicated to her own reminiscences and she accepted. I’m certain you’ll find them as interesting as I do.

    Before we begin the interview, I’ve invited Joy to tell you a little of herself:

    From a young age, I was never happier than when reading or writing (and perhaps dancing!). I was evacuated with my two brothers to live on a mountain (Hare) in Wales, being half Welsh on my mother’s side, and grew to love Wales. My education was completed in Pitman’s College, London, from the last year of the war. At fifteen, I became a shorthand-typist, and worked for an agency in the East and West ends of London, which I really enjoyed.

    After marriage just before the age of 21, and living in London for a few years, the Suez Crisis debacle flared up and petrol was so short and the atmosphere so “war-like,” we set sail for Canada, where we lived and worked for eighteen, unforgettable, months.

    Returning to the UK due to home-sickness…in 1960 I had my first son, followed by No.2 in 1962 and No.3 in 1968. I contracted but beat cancer, so was very lucky. We then ran a green-grocery/grocery store for several years. After its sale, and the children went to school, I returned to work in the city as secretary to the two editors of Kaye & Ward, an old established publishing company in the city. (My dream job!)

    The next chapter saw us buying a small hotel in Bournemouth as we both enjoyed cooking and people. We turned a dark, mean place into a thriving business, I lost a stone (yippee) and gained a few muscles, and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole business, even though it was hard work.  Tastes were changing and the hotel was old. We needed more cash than we had to make it more comfortable, so – with regret, sold it and returned to Essex to live. And that is when I learned about “Serendipity,” and became a writer, quite by chance.

    A letter from Kogan Page Ltd of London “commissioned” me (?!) to write a book for them, subject to approval of the first two chapters. I couldn’t wait! “Running Your Own Small Hotel” was approved. I had been recommended by one of the editors I’d worked for who had read some of my poetry and an article I’d had published. The book did well and went to reprint. There was even an exciting “Authors’ party,” and I updated two of their books and wrote a second called “Jobs in Baking and Confectionery,” which also sold well.

    In between working for my local junior school, part-time, I then ran a modest, while successful poetry club, and wrote a few poems and articles, which were published. I also received a few rejection letters…par for the course!

    Fast forward too many years, and we retired to Spain, I joined The Torrevieja Writing group and won the first Torrevieja International Short Story competition with a Time Traveller tale called “Worth its Salt,” then was a writing judge for two years.

    Next came a memoir: “My Gentle War” which went to No.1 in Kindle’s Social History and Memoir category. A true sea adventure story: “Hurricane Halsey” followed, then my only novel “The Catalyst,” covering one of the terrorist bombings of a train in London in 2005, but with fictitious characters. I also wrote several stories which were included in WordPlay’s anthologies – later called Writers’ Ink (our off-shoot Ezine is called INK SPOT). Then came “Where Angels and Devils Tread,” a collection of short stories written with author friend Jean Wilson; and a modest collection of jokes and humorous poems written with my husband, Eric: “The Moon is Wearing a Tutu.” I also edited husband’s book “A Life Worth Living,” and updated “From the Prairies to Paschendeale,” for a friend. I am at present working on a book about the “Dombrowski family.”

    I took a Creative Writing class for the U3A for several years and am in the “Chair” for Writers’ Ink here in Spain.

    Joy Lennick and her books

    Welcome, Joy.

    Let’s talk school. First, could you tell us where you attended school?

    Where did you go to school?

    1937: Dagenham Infants school

    1939: Twynrodyn Junior School

    1941: Hunters Hall school

    1943: Eastbrook senior school, Long Eaton senior school, Derbyshire

    1944: Neath senior school

    1944: Pitman’s College, London.

    Did you attend a government, private or independent school?

    All Government schools, except Pitman’s College, London, which was private.

    What is the highest level of education you achieved?

    Highest level: Pitman’s where I received various certificates for hand-writing/typing/shorthand and commerce.

    What work or profession did you choose after school and was there anything in school that influenced this choice?

    I started as a shorthand-typist, became assistant secretary and then secretary. Also assisted husband in running a greengrocery/grocery shop and became a hotelier.  I was then a Dinner Lady/School assistant and did voluntary work with the elderly before writing professionally.

    What is your earliest memory of school?

    My earliest memory at Infants school was writing my name in sand on a shallow tray and playing the triangle and the tambourine in the school band.

    What memories do you have of learning to read?

    I was immediately fascinated by the letters and words on a page and took to reading straight away. I read anything and everything: ingredients on cereal boxes, comics, etc., and was always lucky enough to be given books for my birthdays. I joined the library in MerthyrTydfil and devoured books from age seven — Hans Christian Anderson and the frightening Bros. Grimm, et al.

    What memories do you have of learning to write?

    As for writing, my father was a keen letter-writer (positive views on many subjects to the local newspaper) and wrote beautiful Calligraphy which I greatly admired and wanted to emulate. He kept stamps and made a few admirable displays with delicate work around each stamp. I was proud to be told I had a “good hand!” and of my hand-writing certificate. Shorthand later made it a bit scruffier…

    What do you remember about math classes?

    I had a problem with maths. Adding, subtracting, decimals and fractions was coped with OK but  if I was thrown a maths ‘puzzler’ I’d freeze…I coped fine when we had our shop, and did the accounts when we ran the hotel as it was comparatively straight-forward, but I much preferred English.

    What was your favourite subject?

    Most definitely English, and because of the very nature of war — between the years 1939,when it  began and 1945 when it ended, there were, periodically, huge disruptions in my schooling,  especially when the siren sounded. At such times, we were read to and had to ‘Read quietly!’ by ourselves, which I found a joy. I also loved composing stories and enjoyed spelling. I even wrote a silly play which was acted on the stage. Poetry also pleased my young ears. I was particularly fond of Hiawatha because of the delightful rhythm. I couldn’t take to Shakespeare when young but loved it later when, at the ripe age of 66 I finally took and passed the English Literature exam – much to the amusement of my younger peers…

    Joy Lennick at age 4

    What did you like best about school?

    I made friends quite easily, despite being shy and was a chatter-box, in spite of the annoying habit of blushing if a boy spoke to me. In fact, I blushed a lot as I was often unsure of myself, but always enjoyed having friends at school. There was so much to learn, and I have always been a curious person. I was lucky in that I was never bullied and got on with most children, and was also fortunate with  the teachers, except for my maths teacher at Pitman’s who had no patience with my many questions…Miss Jones, my English and Games teacher at Pitman’s was my favourite.

    What did you like least about school?

    To be fair, the mores of the times were dictated by the state of the whole world, as very little was as ‘normal’ as in peace time. Some children were killed or injured and lost loved ones and air raids disrupted many classes, especially in London, Coventry, Norwich and many other towns. We children went back-wards and forwards to home and Wales several times in between the bombing for long weekends and holidays. And when I attended Eastbrook senior school in Dagenham, the bombing increased and the whole school was evacuated to Long Eaton in Derbyshire. It must have been a nightmare for the teachers to keep to a curriculum!

    How do you think schools have changed since your school days?

    There is no comparison between my schooldays and those of my three sons. Only one was bullied because he was more studious and wouldn’t join an unruly gang. Fortunately, the headmaster sorted it out. All three received a fair and satisfactory education. I have no grand- children to comment on present conditions but do have friends who were teachers. They both complained about the increased paper-work, which – apparently – is an ongoing problem for teachers today.

    What do you think schools (in general) do well?

    From my ten years working as a Dinner Lady and reading/poetry assistant in a junior school, I’d say that, over-all, today’s children are in pretty safe hands, education-wise. The technological strides forward are amazing, and I’m personally pleased to see more musical appreciation and tuition being introduced in some schools

    How do you think schools could be improved?

    It’s no secret there are a lot of problems in the world, generally – of course there always have been – but because of technology and the immediacy of news reaching eyes and ears, it is often exaggerated in our minds. Too much paper-work still seems to overload some teachers, and I wish there was more emphasis put on caring for each other. Not all parents are equipped for the job they undertook…(as my husband says: ‘You have to pass a test to drive a car, but any idiot can have a child…’ Religion should be discussed broadly, but taught and practiced in specific schools,  not mainstream, although children should be helped to accept and live and let live, when taught about caring.

    thank you for your participation

    Thank you for sharing your reminiscences of school and thoughts about education in general, Joy. How disruptive your schooling was as a result of the war. You seem to have overcome any obstacles that it may have created. It’s been a pleasure to have you here and get to know you and learn about your school days and your achievements.

    Find out more about Joy Lennick

    Website: https://joylennick.wordpress.com/

    Contact her at joylennick@gmail.com

    Or connect with her on social media

    Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Writers’ Ink

    also a member of Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook

    If you missed previous reminiscences, check them out here:

    Charli Mills

    Sally Cronin

    Anne Goodwin

    Geoff Le Pard

    Hugh Roberts

    Debby Gies

    Pauline King

    JulesPaige

    D. Avery

    Christy Birmingham

    Miriam Hurdle

    Robbie Cheadle

    Marsha Ingrao

    Ritu Bhathal

    Look for future interviews in this series to be posted on Sunday evenings AEST.
    Coming soon:

    Darlene Foster

    Susan Scott

    Barbara Vitelli

    Mabel Kwong

    Sherri Matthews

    Chelsea Owens

    Pete Springer

    with more to follow.

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

     

     

  • Developing Number Concepts with Lessons Ready to Teach – readilearn

    Developing Number Concepts with Lessons Ready to Teach – readilearn

    Ensuring children have a firm understanding of number concepts is important before moving them on to working with larger numbers and more abstract concepts. A strong foundation makes for greater confidence when working with numbers of any size.

    To support your teaching of early number concepts, I have produced a new interactive resource, Count with Teddy Bears, with lessons ready for you to teach on the interactive whiteboard. The resource extends the range for teaching understanding of number already available from readilearn.

    The lessons in Count with Teddy Bears provide opportunities for teacher explanations, teacher-student discussions, and student demonstration of understanding.

    Interactive lessons are engaging for students, and with the children focused on the lesson, the teacher can identify areas of misunderstanding that require further teaching as well as concepts about which the children are already confident.

    About Count with Teddy Bears

    Count with Teddy Bears incorporates five separate sections with teaching in five main concept areas:

    Count Teddy Bears — Counting in ones from 1–12.

    Children click on each Teddy to count. As it is clicked, the Teddy is coloured, and one is added to the total.

    Teddy’s Cupcakes — One-to-one matching up to 10.

    Continue reading: Developing Number Concepts with Lessons Ready to Teach – readilearn