Teachers Making A Difference Issue 3 Halloween Issue

TEACHERS Making a difference

Welcome to Issue 3: Halloween Dia de los Muertos Activities What is House Bill 3?

World Teacher’s Day

The magazine by teachers for teachers

October 2022

Who is Influencing Our Boys?

Andrew Tate good or evil.

Who makes that decision?

Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

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The Science of Teaching

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Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

Editor’s letter Quiet Quitting Dr. Cathy Coker I recently added quiet quitting to my vocabulary list. I learned that when folks just put in the bare minimum they are quiet quitting. I hear that this practice isn’t a new phenomenon. I do not think it is related to teachers.

Readers ask yourself, is this detrimental for teachers? Yes, it is detrimental if teachers are quiet quitting because when you only do the bare minimum in the classroom the teacher’s efforts have a ripple effect on the students’ quality of education.

I know that most teachers are known for not having a very good work-life balance, they become dedicated to their children. They work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 12 months a year and even forget to take care of themselves because it is much easier to go to school sick than to plan for a substitute.

Quiet quitting may be a popular term in other professions but not in the field of education. We may have too many things to do and may be slow to get them done but that does not mean that the teacher is a quiet quitter. It means that we have too

many things to do and not enough hours of the day to do them. Ask our families, loved ones, and ex’s.

When we chose to become a teacher we chose our students above our love life, our home life, and above our own health.

What was most interesting was that this term was used for teachers. I find it hard to believe because teachers are not at their job for the money. All of my colleagues love their job. We’ve complained about the many tasks that COVID-19 has put on our plate but we continued to do our job. Teachers adapted as well as parents and students. Readjusting our teaching modalities made us more dedicated to our jobs. Teachers above all other professions care.

I can tell you from experience that talking to my student’s through their emojis on the screen wasn’t fun but at least I got to enteract with my students.

I get offended when you call any teacher a quiet quitter. If we were and have been you would not have been able to read this Editor’s Note! For this Thank a Teacher! We did not quit on you. It is NOT in our vocabulary!

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CONTENTS Published by: C&P Educational Consultants Editors: Dr. Cathy Coker Rivette Pena Designers: Rivette Pena Stephane Bowker Contributing Photographers and Stock Libraries: Adobe Stock Unsplash Andy Dominguez

6 Dia De Los Muertos A beautiful celebration of loved ones that have moved on.

18 What is Housbill 3 Dangling the carrot in front of us does change things.

Advertisements: Dr. Cathy Coker Marketing: Alicia Grace Thank you to Stephane Bowker at Working Dog Resources for providing tailored training for the layout of Teachers Making a Difference.

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Who’s Influencing Our Boys?

Have your male students mentioned Andrew Tate? You should be informed.

24 World Teachers’ Day Let’s celebrate each other on this day.

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Editors Letter

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Dias De Los Muertos Activities

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Brown Bagging It

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Quiet Quitting

Stories to read and activities to complete.

Bullies aren’t only in the school yard, they are in the teacher’s lounge as well. What can you do?

Solving Equations Halloween Worksheet Middle School/High School worksheet.

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Calendar of October Holidays

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Teacher Authors

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What to do with Students who Remain Silent?

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Fun October Review Activities

Lot’s to celebrate in October

A preview of a soon to be released book with accompanying activities.

How do you handle students that don’t ever want to participate?

Here are some fun activities that can be used at any grade level.

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Dia de los Muertos

by Rivette Pena

We’ve all seen the beautiful decorations and sugar skulls. Such a beautiful expression of culture.

But what does it mean? The annual Mexican celebration, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), is a time when families gather to honor and remember deceased loved ones. It is believed that the souls of the dead return to visit the living families in homes, businesses and cemeteries. The Aztec honored their dead with fiestas and rituals during the harvest season. They viewed death as the beginning of the cycle of seasons and life.

children, called los angelitos. On November 1st, we remember the spirits of adults. The spirits are believed to depart the following day, November 2nd. Entire Mexican families construct traditional ofrendas (altars, offerings) that reflect a mixture of Catholicism and ancient Mexican/Aztec cultural practices. The altars vary greatly, depending on village and regional traditions. In the homes, much effort goes into preparing traditional foods.lifetime.

So what does that mean for a classroom teacher?

I’ve worked at predominately hispanic schools.

I usually steered clear of this topic due to the religious aspect. However with Hispanic Heritage month and in honor of hispanic culture there are things you can do.

Día de Muertos festivity takes place at the end of October and November 1st and 2nd each year in Mexico. This is a joyful festivity for families and the community. Music is played at home and at the cemeteries. October 28th is the day of the Accidentados, those souls that died in accidents. On October 31st we honor the souls of

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Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

The movie Coco is a wonderful Disney movie that explains the Dia do los Muertos. It is full of beautiful images and interesting tales.

I myself was inspired to start an alter at my home.

This will be my first year and I have many pictures to place. I will spend the time with beautiful

memories, lovely stories and vibrant decorations.

Anything can be placed on the altar for the visiting souls, including traditional food, fresh flowers, pan de muerto (or bread for the dead), candles, copal incense (aromatic tree resin), fruits, cloths, photographs, favorite drinks of the deceased, sugar folk toys, religious images and clothing.

Decorations also include tombstones, skulls and skeletons made of clay and other materials, sugar skulls, and papel picado. Most importantly, a photograph of the departed soul is placed on the altar.

Get your free guide here www.workingdogresources.com

Pan de muerto, bread for the dead, is sweet and baked in shapes of skulls and human figures.

Traditional loaves are round with a central raised knob of dough, representing the skull, with crossed bone-shaped decorations radiating from the central knob. Día de Muertos also includes traditional dishes; tortillas, tamales made from ground corn; soft drinks or aguardiente (“whitelightning” liquor),tequila and always a glass of water. It is believed that the returning souls are thirsty after a long journey. Water is also believed to be a main support of life.

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Dia De Los Muertos D C N I T L E D E C E A S E D

V O P A P E L P I C A D O N O

Y A S U G A R S K U L L S H D

B S V X C O N T D Y C G PWE L Z A F HO A L F C C F E U E P L R A T I I U N N R G T E S

S A UM OGU E U I MM L B E O S S X R S N I I L T C E M T O S F H E R O GWR OMGD D E U H O A C F M L C C D S Q C

Papel Picado

offerings

face paint

Ancestors

Tradition

Sugar Skulls

ofrendas

memories

flowers

Deceased

Alters

Culture

souls

drink

meals

history

Mexico

bread

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U C A C R G E GO T B F N R R T E E R A N A DD D F A I L S T OU I W I O E P N R H A S P

Y D R I N K N E L S S V I H K

X T E O H I S T O R Y P B Q R food

®

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Build your own custom worksheet at education.com/worksheet-generator © 2007 - 2022 Education.com

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Writing Activities for Dia De Los Muertos You have just found a beautiful doll that tells you she is here to celebrate Día De Los Muertos Directions: Use the following questions to create your story. ● What is her name? ● Where did you find her? ● What was she doing and why is this a special day for her? ● Where is her family? ● Why is she alone? ● What does she like to do? ● What will she be doing after November 2nd? ● What did she tell you about what it means to celebrate The Dia De Los Muertos for her?

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Actividades de escritura para el Día de los Muertos Acabas de encontrar una hermosa muñeca que te dice que está aquí para celebrar el Día De Los Muertos Instrucciones: Usa las siguientes preguntas para crear tu historia. ● ¿Cuál es su nombre? ● ¿Dónde la encontraste? ● ¿Qué estaba haciendo? ● ¿Por qué es este día especial para ella? ● ¿Dónde está su familia? ● ¿Por qué está sola? ● ¿Qué le gusta hacer? ● ¿Qué estará haciendo después del 2 de noviembre? ● ¿Qué te dijo sobre lo que significa celebrar el Día De Los Muertos para ella?

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La Historia de Mi Muñeca ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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My Doll’s Story ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ __________________________

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Empowering Educators

Curriculum Ideas

Need help?

Career Counseling Emotional Support Classroom Management T-Tess Strategies Contact Information

drcathycoker@gmail.com (210) 313-7739

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Brown Bagging It

Halloween Party Ideas INGREDIENTS 1 package of oreos 1 bag of hersheys kisses 1 tube of orange icing 1 bottle of Halloween sprimkles Directions 1. Put a dollup of orange icing on the top of an oreo cookie.

2. Place the unwrapped kiss on top of the icing and press down.

3. Sprinkle the sprinkles on the icing that is pressed out from the kiss.

Perfect Halloween treat for a class party. It took us 15 minutes from beginning to end and even less than that to eat them. -Busy Mama

Please submit any recipes you would like to share by sending them to articles4magazine@gmail.com subject: recipes visit www.testprepcertification.com for submission requirements

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What is House Bill 3?

by Dr. Cathy Coker In 2019, the 86th Texas Legislature overhauled the school finance system as part of House Bill 3 (HB 3).

The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) is a key part of House Bill 3, dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and retaining highly effective teachers in all schools, with particular emphasis on high-needs and rural schools.

That is not how this allotment is being used. Why do we have to prove ourselves to get better pay? HB 3, is a Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) that was established with a stated goal of a six-figure salary for teachers. TIA allotment funds help Texas school systems reward, retain and recruit highly effective teachers.

This is only part of how we qualify for this allotment.

•

Districts will determine how to measure a teacher’s impact on student performance.

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Districts could consider using measures such as pre- and post-tests, value-added measures, portfolios, and student learning objectives, or other standardized test results.

•

Guidance on Student Growth in T-TESS provides a description of suggested student growth measures.

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I am a teacher. I deserve to be paid fairly for the hours I work. I deserve learning materials and resources to be provided for the students and for me to do my job. I deserve to have a safe working environment. I’d love to get paid more. Yes, I believe we should get paid more but not make us jump through hoops. This just causes competition amongst teachers because realistically we are competing against each other to be better than our colleagues.

The bottom line, though, is that we’re willing to pay for what we value. So until we begin to value the contributions teachers are making to not only individual lives but also to our general society nothing is going to change.

Teachers empower people to unlock their potential. People become teachers because they love learning, they love kids, because education is their passion, and because they believe in the power of education. I think most teachers would be happier with their piddly salaries if they had the unmitigated respect of students, parents, administrators, and politicians and if they were seen as valuable members of our nation, rather than the ones who get all the blame for every problem in society.

No allotment will improve the teacher’s attitude of being disrespected and unvalued by their administrators. The salaries of teachers suggest that we don’t value them very much. In fact, we pay more for the people who look after our money than we do the people who look after the education of our children. We expect teachers to have 100% success for measly pay, but we pay highly for a baseball player to hit the ball only 1/3 of the time! Yet we claim that our children are the most important things in our lives and in our futures.

Would higher salaries attract better teachers?

Possibly. Good teachers who have left the profession have gone on to much higher-paying jobs. They might have stayed where they were making more money and respect for what they do.

Teachers help raise your children, help raise our teacher salaries please.

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Who’s Influencing our Boys?

By E.L.Mendes Who is Andrew Tate?

He was a professional kickboxer and struggling reality TV star. He is now a well-known influencer.

Why should I care?

We should care because his opinions are influencing our young men. His views on women, money, and society are all over social media.

He lives in a violent misogynistic world. Women are property. Men are superior. Depression isn’t real. Illness is a sign of weakness. Weakness is unacceptable.

Eleven-year-old boys are chastising classmates for being fat, lazy females who do nothing but lay around all day eating while men go out and make a living. He encourages his followers to be violent and treat their women as property. He believes that his girlfriends are monetary assets.

The worst thing he has spewed forth like word vomit is that women should “bear responsibility” for being raped.

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“You can’t be responsible for something that doesn’t listen to you.

You can’t be responsible for a dog if it doesn’t obey you, or a child if it doesn’t obey you, or a woman that doesn’t obey you.”

He says that teachers are liars. They tell you that you will amount to nothing if you make bad grades; it is a big con game. He believes you shouldn’t trust a teacher.

Hard to believe? Well, believe it. Our boys are lapping it up.

What can we do about it?

Do we ban the mention of his name in class?

Do we punish anyone who repeats any of his rantings?

I don’t believe this is the answer. If he is banned, he becomes more desirable. The best advise I have heard on the subject is to teach our kids about entertainment. He is an entertainer and this is his persona. It is an act. He has some good things to say and some outrageous things to say.

Be an independent thinker and decide what is good and what is bad.

He has some good inspirational quotes. Our students have to be able to decipher the good and the bad. Let’s have a discussion, not a mandate.

“I encourage people to work hard to become the best version of themselves.”

“It doesn’t matter who your are, it doesn’t matter what you say, there are some people who don’t like you.

Don’t be a sheep. Our students are able to relate to what is true and untrue. They need to understand that everything they see on social media is not true. The lives you see are only snippets and are usually scripted for your entertainment.

And the people who don’t like you are not interested in the truth.”

“Close your eyes. Focus on making yourself feel excited, powerful.

Imagine yourself destroying goals with ease. Do this until you can no longer contain a smile. And when the smile comes... open your eyes.

Let’s go!”

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Observance Days In October

Oct 1 International Coffee Day

Oct 15 National Pug Day

Oct 3 National Boyfriend Day

Oct 17 Boss’ Day

Oct 4 National Taco Day

Oct 19 Pronoun’s Day

Oct 5 World Teachers’ day

Oct 22 National Nut Day

Oct 6 National Coaches Day

Oct 23 World Mission Sunday

Oct 7 World Smile Day

Oct 24 United Nations Day

Oct 10 Columbus Day

Oct 26 National Pumpkin Day

Indigegous People’s Day

Oct 27 Nationald Black Cat Day

Oct 11 International Day of the Girl

Oct 28 National Chocolate Day

Oct 12 National Farmer day

Oct 29 National Cat Day

Oct 13 World Egg Day

Oct 30 National Candy Corn Day

Oct 14 National Dessert Day

Oct 31 Halloween

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October 5th World Teacher’s Day Did you know that in 1966 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization declared the status for teachers. October 5th is World Teachers’ Day.

On this day we celebrate all teachers around the globe. This day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. It is a day to celebrate how teachers are transforming education but also to reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their talent and vocation, and to rethink the way ahead for the profession globally.

This editor knows that teachers should be supported and empowered to innovate and transform their teaching from within. Do not tell us what we need to do. We already know what to do. We are the ones that are in the trenches of this system. Please stop writing scripts for us to follow.

Teachers are not puppets and neither are the students to be read to. Throw scripted educational curriculum away. Why get a teacher certified if all we have to do is read a script to teach Reading, Math and Science. Not saying much for what is going on in the field of Social Studies. We have no idea how those in power think about changing our history. You can’t change history. We know what has happened. Just look around at the institutions that surround our education system.

Education itself must be transformed. In this transformation of education, teachers need to play a central role, as witnessed at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Teachers have reinvented their role in order to face changing and emerging demands. Most of them had to re-organize and adapt teaching and learning processes, particularly related to online and remote education. They had to take part in the activities to safeguard the material safety of learners and their families, providing socioemotional and psychological support to students and their families.

I say let teachers do what they do best, which is teach! Let students learn from the experts that the higher education system created them to be.

If curriculum is being created so that teachers

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read the scripts then that doesn’t say very much for the teachers’ pedagogical education that our universities are instilling to our future educators.

Are universities lagging behind in the curriculum that they are using?

education systems as a whole. In order to be able to bring innovative pedagogies and practices into classrooms, teachers need an environment that values the autonomy and leadership necessary to seize opportunities to depart from established practice. Teachers are the engines at the heart of our education systems, without whom it is impossible to provide an inclusive and equitable quality education to every learner.

Living through the Covid experience through 2019-2022 has made us aware of our fragility and interconnectedness that teachers have had to adjust and accommodate while caring for their families.

The system says that our students are entitled to an adequate number of qualified teachers with access to quality initial education and continuous professional development throughout their careers, improved status, and working conditions.

Then why have professional development if all we need to do is read a script to teach?

Where is a pedagogical best practice where it says that you read the script and internalize it to regurgitate to our students. We need solid lesson plans to follow. Students need to know what the lesson objective is.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that teachers are ready, willing and very capable to transform education. However, education systems do not seem to be equally ready to support teachers to fully deploy their talent, their knowledge, and make use of their pedagogical judgment to transform education to fit their needs and those of their students.

As the airline stewardess states, “in case of an emergency, you should take care of yourself first by putting on your oxygen mask before taking care of those around you”. I plead with those that are in the position of authority to please let our teachers teach. The scores will speak for themselves. We can only cope with these 21st century challenges, such as climate change, rising inequalities, test scores, and rapid technological change if we work together. Teachers and students will flourish in an educational environment that takes care of those that are molding the future of our great country to make our country Great Again.

Our education system needs to let go of the strings that bind our teachers from transforming the lives of our students. This transformation relies on innovations in classrooms, schools, and Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

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Teacher Authors

by Cathy Coker

All excerpts are taken from this delightful children’s book about All Hallow’s Eve from the Timid Rabit Series ®.

Available for presale first week of October.

Submit Teacher Author information to articles4magazine@gmail.com Subject: Teacher Authors visit www.testprepcertification.com for submission requirements

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Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

Name:_________________ Date:________________

The All Hallows Eve Story Activity 1

On Friday the 30th of October before school let out, the teacher taught the students a history lesson about All Hallows’ Eve. The teacher told them that it is a celebration observed on the 31 of October. She taught the children that on this day the world would be made visible to mankind, and that spirits could play tricks on them just to help keep their memory alive. She also said that on this day its practice was that of pulling harmless pranks on others.

Those that pulled pranks were called Trick-or-treaters. Trick-or-treaters would wear masks and costumes and go from house to house with the threat that they will pull a trick if they do not receive a treat.

The teacher gave each one a bag of treats so they would be good boys and girls and not go begging for any more treats. No tricks and no more treats for them since she had now satisfied the rule for that day. Each child went home happy with their big bag of goodies that their teacher had given them in celebration of All Hallows’ Eve that would begin tomorrow.

You will never guess who was in the classroom eating the leftover lunches in the student’s backpack. You guessed it right. The dirty rat, Mitch the Snitch.

Mitch waited for everyone to leave before leaving the classroom because he had a lot in his belly that day. His belly was hurting because of all the different types of food the children’s moms and dads had filled the kids' lunch bags. Those kids were spoiled and Mitch loved it. He liked school too because he learned a lot about the world, and on this day he learned that it was going to be a free for all when it comes to tricking the people in the village. This is one time he wished he had NOT just learned about All Hallows’ Eve because knowing this made him even more mischievous. He took the last bite of a bologna sandwich that little Sally left behind and rubbed his belly with a sinister laugh, “Oh, the things that I shall do to help the children remember this day. It will be my pleasure to help them remember All Hallows’ Eve for the rest of their life. hahaha!” said Mitch.

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Comprehension Questions

1.

Where does this story take place?

2.

Why does the teacher give each child a bag of goodies?

3.

Who is Mitch?

4.

Why do you think Mitch wished he had not learned about this day?

5.

What does this holiday mean for the children?

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Name:_________________ Date:________________

The All Hallows Eve Story Activity 2

On Friday the 30th of October before school let out, the teacher taught the students a history lesson about All Hallows’ Eve. The teacher told them that it is a celebration observed on the 31 of October. She taught the children that on this day the world would be made visible to mankind, and that spirits could play tricks on them just to help keep their memory alive. She also said that on this day its practice was that of pulling harmless pranks on others.

Those that pulled pranks were called Trick-or-treaters. Trick-or-treaters would wear masks and costumes and go from house to house with the threat that they will pull a trick if they do not receive a treat.

The teacher gave each one a bag of treats so they would be good boys and girls and not go begging for any more treats. No tricks and no more treats for them since she had now satisfied the rule for that day. Each child went home happy with their big bag of goodies that their teacher had given them in celebration of All Hallows’ Eve that would begin tomorrow.

You will never guess who was in the classroom eating the leftover lunches in the student’s backpack. You guessed it right. The dirty rat, Mitch the Snitch.

Mitch waited for everyone to leave before leaving the classroom because he had a lot in his belly that day. His belly was hurting because of all the different types of food the children’s moms and dads had filled the kids' lunch bags. Those kids were spoiled and Mitch loved it. He liked school too because he learned a lot about the world, and on this day he learned that it was going to be a free for all when it comes to tricking the people in the village. This is one time he wished he had NOT just learned about All Hallows’ Eve because knowing this made him even more mischievous. He took the last bite of a bologna sandwich that little Sally left behind and rubbed his belly with a sinister laugh, “Oh, the things that I shall do to help the children remember this day. It will be my pleasure to help them remember All Hallows’ Eve for the rest of their life. hahaha!” said Mitch.

He called all the animals to the pond to tell them of their next great adventure. He even took attendance just like the teacher does every morning before starting her class.

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The All Hallows Eve Story (continued) Steven the skunk - Here!

Paul the porcupine - Here!

Donny the Donkey - Here!

Raleigh the raccoon - Here!

Henry the Hyena - hahaha!!!! - I mean - Here!

Mikey the mosquito - Here!

The Dirty Rat, Mitch the Snitch - me I am Here!

Bear - Here! Pig - Here!

Rabbit - Here!

Turkey - Here!

Ms. Swan and her ducklings - We are all Here!

Mrs. Owl - Here!

Python - slithering close to Mitch as if to bite him he hissed - Here!

I have called you all here today to let you know that tomorrow is All Hallows’ Eve Day. All Hallows' Eve, is a celebration observed in many countries on the 31 of October. The teacher taught the children that on this day the spirits would be made visible to mankind, you know Us, and the spirits would play many tricks on humans just to remind them that they still exist but on the other side, called heaven. It was one of the practices of pulling tricks for treats which are usually harmless pranks but I think it is a fun thing to do. We ladies and gentlemen, are going to be the celebrants or shall I say, the Trick-or-treaters.

Activity 2 - Create a bag puppet costume to match each of the critters and how they will dress for All Hallows Eve and retell the story.

Steven the skunk, Paul the porcupine, and Raleigh the raccoon all agreed to dress up like the Mexican Three Amigos. They were so excited to be portraying the Three Amigos in Mexico that they practiced saying, “Wherever there is injustice you will find us, to defeat the defeatless, to defend the defenseless, and to oppose the opposeless, and do you have anything else besides Mexican food?” These were great quotes that the Real Three Amigos said in the movie. They saw that movie a hundred times and they memorized all the lines to it. Raleigh had some sombreros they could wear. They already felt like brothers. Why not? Or they also discussed dressing up like the Three Musketeers. Both were great ideas but Raleigh had the hats and the speeches ready so they decided to stay with the Three Amigos.

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The All Hallows Eve Story (continued) Donny the Donkey wanted to dress up like a bull. He had always wanted to be known as being brave and strong and save the world from bad critters. Mother Earth made him a donkey because donkeys have a kind heart. They always help people and that was his destiny. Henry the Hyena and Mikey the mosquito were a little confused because no matter what they dressed up as, their size and their behavior gave them away.

Mikey likes to suck people’s blood just for a little nourishment and health purposes, he says. He often reminds us that he needs a little sugar now and then. It helps keep his metabolism going throughout the day or night. He mentioned once that he especially likes to suck the kids' blood because it is a lot sweeter. They eat a lot of candy. Mikey would often tell us, “All I need is just a little bitty taste, to satisfy my urges to sting people.You know I am a mosquito and mosquitos like to sting and suck blood. That’s just what I do, I can't help myself.”

Henry the Hyena, had a very particular laugh that was very distinguishable. That was going to be very hard for him to hide, if he was going to try and trick people he would have to disguise his laughter. Everyone and anyone that had visited the Judge at the courthouse knew Henry. They hated the times he laughed when they had to pay their fines. So Henry thought he would dress up like the Honorable Judge Jaguar. He practiced that night slamming his gavel and saying, “Guilty! Off with your head if you don't give me some treats!”. Of course that is something he saw on cable TV. Judge Jaguar never said that. I do not think that was legal even for those that were sentenced like that a long time ago.

Bear, Pig, Rabbit, and Turkey went to Rabbits house for some popcorn and a late night episode of Animal Kingdom. They all agreed that some of the animals had to keep an eye on the pranksters. So they decided to dress up like ghosts. They each got a white sheet and cut holes for the eyes and nose to breathe. Bear was a little too big for just one sheet. Remember bears love their honey and this Bear had lots of Honey to eat that year. The group had to give up a portion of their sheets and share it with Bear. They patched their pieces to make one very large ghost costume for Bear. He tried walking but the sheet made him stumble and fall a few times. So they made some white sheet shoes so that Bear’s ghost costume would fall above his ankles.

After measuring and stitching the arms and pockets they all called it a night and went home to sleep. When Panther saw that the village was resting in peace. He went to visit Mitch. Panther looked like a real ghost without the sheet, because he was black and all you could see at night were the red circles called eyes.

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What To Do When Students Remain Silent When Students Remain Silent the silence in a classroom can make you long for a little heated debate. If you have students who never answer a question, offer an opinion, or participate in a demonstration, try these strategies for involving them in the classroom: •

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Make sure that you know the names of your students and that all the members of a class know each other by name.

Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

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Create a safe environment by responding positively to all student feedback, even if you need to correct a statement. Thank each student for his or her contribution and try to find the seed of a correct or more developed answer in the student’s response. Give students the opportunity to revise or clarify their response.

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conversation at an appropriate point. If they email you after class, they have the chance to put together a thoughtful response without the pressure of being in the classroom.

Prepare students for full-group discussion by having them first discuss the topic in pairs or by spending a few minutes writing out their response to a question.

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Do not put a silent student on the spot unless you have established a norm of calling on students who have not volunteered. A student’s embarrassment at being singled out may make it even less likely he or she will want to participate in class.

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Establish a norm of calling on students who have not volunteered responses, begin with questions that do not have a single correct answer or questions that ask students to make a choice between options. This makes it more likely that students will be able to answer your question without feeling embarrassment or resentment.

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Getting to know each student may encourage them to participate more in class.

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Consider asking quiet students to email you their thoughts before or after class.

Some students will readily accept this invitation. If they email before class, you will have an opportunity to draw them into the

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Remind them that in a class discussion there are no wrong answers.

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Lastly, start your class off with a joke. Laughter is the best medicine in getting your class to talk.

Talking with the student privately can also help.

Reasons for being silent vary. A student may simply enjoy listening. Another may lack the confidence to contribute. Some students have quiet personalities; others may be undergoing personal difficulties that inhibit their participation.

Some may be unprepared and embarrassed to admit it. Others may come from an educational background that discouraged active participation.

Even after you gently encourage them to speak, they may remain silent. This is their right, and ultimately you must respect their privacy.

Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

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Fun October Review Activities

by Rivette Pena October is the beginning of the holiday season. The weather is getting cooler and people find they have a little spring in their step. Thoughts of holidays to come are in the air. It is a wonderful time. Students become restless and don’t want to be in class.

So we pull out all the stops. We do all things pumpkin and spooky. There are candy and snacks thrown in. So I’ve looked around and here are a few that are pretty popular right now.

Glow Days

Teachers utilize black lights, glow sticks and highlighters to make review days fun, fun, fun! Students are really enjoying this craze.

You can turn almost anything into a glow day review. Centers, task cards, escape rooms, digital 34

Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

activities,,.really the ideas are endless. One elementary had the whole school participate in a school day. Sschulz Elementary of Harlandale ISD used a glow to review for testing. They utilized large gameboards, botted water bowling and other fun variations.

Race Games My students loved this low tech race game. Each group received a number. Together they would solve problems.. Once they agreed on an answer, one student would come and check the answer. If they got it right, they could move the number of spaces their question is worth. In oujr game we had the cards sorted into three point groups:1 point, 2 points, and 3 points.

The game allowed students to work together. They could choose the level of difficulty they wanted to attempt. They were able to movearound. And these big old 8th graders really liked moving their car around the track.

Here is a samplel gameboard and game pieces for a fun Halloween Zombie Race.

Glue the pictures onto magnets

If you are interested in this activity visit the TPT store https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Sellers-Im-Following/Add/A-Math-Mindset The following is a sample of an8th grade math review that is being used by Julio Rodriguez of SAISD to review for his first district exam.

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Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

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Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

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Teachers Making a Difference | Issue 3, October 2022

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