Lessons Learned from the Bunny Teacher: April 2018

Friday, April 27, 2018

"Wealth is not to feed our egos, but to feed the hungry and help people help themselves." Andrew Carnegie 1835-1919

When April comes, May graduations and the end of the school year are not far behind. For many children, the end of the school year means the end of their food source and two life-sustaining meals per day. It is difficult to imagine that 1 in 5 American children faces food insecurity on weekends away from school, and as the summer stretches out before them with no idea on when and where their next meal is coming from.

Some might say that one person cannot make much of a difference, but I think they can. At my church, we collect specific items each month for the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches Food Bank. Located in a northern suburb of Pittsburgh, 25 miles from the city, while driving through the town, a person would never guess that the local school district has so many low income kids that free breakfast and lunch are provided for all students in the district. I graduated from that same district in 1970, when the steel mills were flourishing and everyone's dad had a job. The area looks nothing like it used to look. Stores in town have closed, and the Plaza - a hub of my youth - is a shell of its former self. Big anchor stores have filed for bankruptcy, and the small "mom and pop" stores vanished along with the prosperous economy.

What can one person or a group of caring persons do? My church pastor, The Rev. Phillip Beck, is so dedicated to stamping out hunger, that he and many of the church and community members created, planted, and regularly to care for the Tarentum Friendship Garden, a garden whose bounty is for all people. Additionally, the group has set up a little food pantry, where folks can give and take as they need. You can read about it here: http://triblive.com/local/valleynewsdispatch/13572815-74/take-what-you-need-leave-what-you-can-which-can-be-in

Groups like Blessings in a Backpack also help to feed families. Check them out at https://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/ If you are so inclined, many local churches and groups are working to eradicate hunger, and they always need volunteers. I believe that everyone can give a little to help those in need. In some cases, people do not even know that others in their own community are going to bed hungry! Although I taught at a fairly wealthy school district for 35 of my 37 years, lots of kids came to school hungry, because they did not want others to know they were in need.

As an individual citizen, or as a group, you can help. Find a food bank and volunteer to pick up, organize, or hand out the food, or donate regularly to the food bank. Ask your local government about available land, and start your own community garden. You will find lots of like-minded volunteers if you create a Facebook page to get others involved.(Here is the link to the Tarentum Facebook page, if you need a guideline:  https://www.facebook.com/TarentumFriendshipGarden ) Donate to Blessings in a Backpack or other similar venues. Do you belong to a church? My church has "quarter Sunday" on the second Sunday of the month. The children collect quarters in shiny silver buckets during the singing of the second hymn, and the proceeds go to the local food bank our church supports. Our goal is $100 per month, and we usually meet that goal..

One thing I know from being a teacher for 37 years is this: kids can't learn in school if they are hungry. If we all do a little, a great amount of hunger can be alleviated in our own communities! I hope you will be inspired to help feed the hungry.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school. if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom. www.Fieldtripzoom.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 from The Authors' Zone. For more information about The Authors' Zone, please visit http://www.theauthorszone.com/submissions/

Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics.

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books. Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self. However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired!

Elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania and beyond - I am willing to come into your classroom in person or as a virtual field trip through a group called Field Trip Zoom. Check them out! http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book. I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading. Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!

Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl

Connect with Dede!

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Wednesday, April 18, 2018

"At the end of your life . . .you will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent." Barbara Bush

Barbara Bush died on April 17, 2018. The matriarch of the Bush clan, she is one of only two women who were married to the President and then had a son who became President, Abigail Adams being the other.

I have long been a big fan of Barbara Bush. I felt that she was the most authentic of the First Ladies I have known in my lifetime. True to herself, she spoke her mind, and she gave tough love to her family and those around her. Her self-deprecating humor and quick wit made her my favorite. First the nation's mom, and then the nation's grandmother, she became the conscience of those she knew. The news reports are full of the positive influence she had on others.

As an English teacher, I loved her platform as First Lady. Mrs. Bush wanted to promote Literacy, a goal that was deceivingly so simple, yet so fundamentally right, since all of a person's success depends on his ability to read. Always a woman to encourage others, the many videos of her reading aloud to children shows her purpose and devotion to her cause.

The United States lost a great lady yesterday. God speed, Mrs. Bush, and thank you for your lessons about honor and honesty, service to country, and your dazzling authenticity. Thank you for making Literacy a priority. Thank you for speaking out about love and devotion to family. Thank you for showing the world what true love looks like in your long and enduring marriage to President Bush, 41. You will be missed.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Friday, April 13, 2018

"Technology can become the 'wings' that will allow the educational world to fly farther and faster than ever before-if we allow it." Jenny Arledge

Although I retired in June of 2011 to care for my dying husband, I continue to keep up with technology in my new career as a writer, speaker, and entrepreneur. I enjoy the challenge of learning new things, and most of all, I enjoy connecting with students and teachers across the globe!

I work with two separate entities, www.fieldtripzoom.com and www.streamablelearning.com. These two companies offer virtual field trips around the world, allowing students and teachers to visit places they would never be able to reach in person. The sheer number of presenters, as well as the museums, art galleries, etc., make these trips irresistible as well as educational. If you miss the actual presentation, your membership still allows you to log in and catch it.

For my part, I offer two different presentations on my children's book GRADY GETS GLASSES, as well as two presentations for grades 7-12 on Study Skills and presentation Skills- both taking the student from high school to college to real life. A few weeks ago, I had students in my class from Turkey! Technology has lassoed the entire world and brought us together! I still love teaching, and being able to have an impact on children's lives worldwide is a great gift to me.

If you are a teacher or administrator, please take a look at these two companies. Home schooling parent? These field trips are perfect for you!

Education has changed exponentially in the 7 years I have been gone, but I am not going to be left behind! Take a step forward with your students and see how technology can enrich their education.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Friday, April 6, 2018

"Good teachers know how to bring out the best in students." Charles Kuralt

Teachers in Oklahoma walked out of the classroom this past week, and their low salaries were not the only reason. They were protesting the conditions under which they are teaching- outdated and crumbling textbooks, broken student furniture, lack of supplies for students, and more. If you have not seen any of these pictures, take a look at this article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/04/04/oklahoma-teachers-share-photos-broken-chairs-crumbling-outdated-textbooks/486267002/

For years, these teachers have been trying to bring out the best in their students under terrible conditions.I feel sure that there were many discussions of how both teachers and students felt devalued and disrespected by the school board and those who provide funds for materials. I can remember years ago when our TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD books were in terrible condition. We had some back ordered, but I had to hand out the ones I had taped together, or in some cases, taped, and then circled with a rubber band. The kids felt like they were not important enough to receive a "real" book, not one that had been put together by me. To set the example of learning through hardship, I used the same paperback edition of MOCKINGBIRD for 35 years. No binding was left; the entire book was loose leaf, bound by 2 rubber bands. I could literally "take out chapter 12." This book held all my notes, all my references, and all of the important highlighted parts to review. I always told the kids that it is not the condition of the book that is important, but what is inside the book. My point is this: no one likes to feel devalued and unimportant. The students in the Oklahoma schools do not even have decent chairs to sit on, and their books are both outdated and falling apart.

Can you imagine working in a business that has demanding expectations, and then given no resources with which to meet those expectations? That is exactly what the Oklahoma teachers have been doing for years!

I applaud these teachers for standing up for themselves and their students! It is time! Educating our students today so they can become leaders of tomorrow is paramount.

I hope the teachers get everything they deserve, and more - including the respect of the community.