Mrs. Thorp's classroom blog/2006-07

Flat Abbey and Flat Adrienne Return

gladysthorp51 — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 02:13:33 +0000

Flat Abbey came back from Arizona after spending some quality time with her aunt and uncle and taking a side trip to California. She came back with a wild skirt because she had a wild time while in Arizona and a neat book book about the west.

Flat Adrienne came back from Tennessee. While in Tennessee she saw lots of horses (her favorite) and visited Fort Knox where the United States stores its gold. A picture will follow soon.

Flat Third Grader Update

gladysthorp51 — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 01:02:28 +0000

Flat Gaven loved California so much that he did not want to come back. He visited the Jelly Belly factory in California and sent us a big bag of Jelly Bellies to enjoy. The real Gaven shared them with us all. We hope Flat Gaven comes back to Michigan soon.

Flat Connor came back form suuny Florida with some stories to tell. He went to a park and saw manatees, went to Daytona Beach and best of all visited the Daytona 500 Race Track. It sounded like he had fun.

Flat People Update

gladysthorp51 — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:45:07 +0000

Overindulged Children Part 2

gladysthorp51 — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 00:23:41 +0000

In my previous post, I wrote about Dr. David Bredehoft who provides helpful information for parents.

What happens when children are overindulged? When overindulged children grow up they are at risk for

1) overeating and overspending

2) interpersonal boundary issues

3) decision making problems

4) being deficient in life skills and

5) difficulty taking responsibility.
Also, children who are overindulged may start thinking that “life is all about me”. Finally, overindulged children may have increased depressive thoughts.

Let me know what you think.

Overindulged Children

gladysthorp51 — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 02:24:10 +0000

Yesterday some of us teachers went to St. Peter Lutheran School to hear David Bredehoft speak on the overindulged child.
What is an overindulged child? Dr. Bredehoft gives these examples:
1. A child who has too much of what looks good, too early in life and for too long.
2. A child who has been given experiences that are not appropriate for his/her age, interest or talent.
3. A child who has been given things that meet the adults need not the child’s.
4. A child who has been given a disproportionate amount of family resources so that their needs seem to be met but are not.
5. A child who has been given so much of something that it does active harm or deprives him/her of achieving his/her full potential.

On another post I will share what happens when children are overindulged.

School Success Begins at Home

gladysthorp51 — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 19:48:47 +0000

Parents are and always will be, I believe, a child’s best teacher. Think about how much your child learned before he even got to school. Think about how much your child watches you and imitates you. They are constantly learning, absorbing everything around them.

I ran across an article on the web entitled School Success Begins at Home by Tom Loveless. Tom Loveless talks about the issues of homework, friends, sports, television and part-time jobs and how these can affect your child’s success at school. Take some time and read what he has to say. Let me know what you think.

Love and Logic in my classroom

gladysthorp51 — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 01:09:01 +0000

Last school year the OSL teachers learned and started to use an approach to working with students called “Love and Logic” by Jim and Charles Fay. Now we are ready and anxious to share the parenting part of “Love and Logic”.

In “Love and Logic” we show love to our children when we hold them accountable for their poor decisions by providing empathy first and consequences second, set limits without anger or threats and look for the positve in each child. When they receive this kind of love a wise logic grows in their minds that helps them think about the choises they make and how those choices will affect their lives.

On September 19 parents will have a chance to learn more about “Love and Logic” at a special meeting. Put the date on your calendar and watch for more details.

Third Grade Assignment Book

gladysthorp51 — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 17:37:25 +0000

New for third graders this year will an assignment book or student planner. The Good News Student Planner will be an important tool in your student’s backpack this year.

I am excited about this because besides helping the students become more responsible and independent, it also is a great resource for each child. It has maps, flags, calendar for each month, prayers and so much more.

I will bring one with me when I make my home visits. The student planner can be purchased when you register on August 15.

Home Visits Coming Soon

gladysthorp51 — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 18:54:33 +0000

For teachers August means easing our way back into the classroom and starting to think about school, even though we start after Labor Day this year.

Soon I will be calling the homes of my third graders and making appointments for home visits. I look forward to meeting each child on their own turf.

Seeing where they live, their rooms, their pets etc. helps me during the year to better relate to them and gives me a picture in my mind as they talk about things that happen at home.