Lessons Learned from the Bunny Teacher: February 2019

Thursday, February 28, 2019

"You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book." Dr. Seuss

This is READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK! I am fortunate that through my books, I have the opportunity to still be involved in teaching, even though I am retired. Teaching is the one skill that I do best, and the one activity that I enjoy most.

With READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK, I have the opportunity to speak at several elementary schools with a program I wrote based on my book, GRADY GETS GLASSES. The program is called BE AN AUTHOR! I cover steps to write and publish a book, as well as explaining near and farsighted, and how glasses help people.

The children are funny and bright, with good questions, appropriate responses, and a real spark for wanting to learn.

What happens to that "spark" in kids that makes learning fun and something they want to do? When I taught high school for 37 years, it was the rare student who had that fervid interest that was so apparent in elementary school.

I have five ideas on how to keep students interested and motivated.

1. Parents - Read to your children when they are young, and continue to read aloud as they are growing. I don't mean entire texts - just a paragraph or tidbit of something you are reading that you want to share. Set the example that reading and learning make life more interesting.

2. Teachers - K-12 - Read to your students! Use animation and expression! Even in high school, students long for that familiar comfort of hearing the printed word spoken aloud. When I was in the classroom, I had 2 classes of underachieving readers. I found that reading aloud to them, with directed reading and comprehension activities as we read, improved their overall reading comprehension and performance. Sometimes, even older student needs to be taught how to read.

3. Parents and teachers - Talk with students about the importance of reading. I liked to give the example of Abraham Lincoln, a self-taught man, who rose to be the President! Emphasize that reading can take a person to success!

4. Parents and teachers - Explain how reading can be so entertaining - even better than looking at Instagram! Use examples of Aladdin and Harry Potter - tell students that their imaginations will soar while reading a book. So many kids are so stressed from social media, and reading provides a wonderful escape.

5. Model reading for your children and your students. Mention the excitement and drama of the book you are reading, provide a little teaser about the intricate plot line; make a verbal prediction about a whodunnit. Show your delight in reading to the students!

Let's keep reading and encouraging our kids to read, too!

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 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

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!

Twitter @dederittman
Periscope @dederittman
Facebook Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn Dede Rittman
Google + Dede Rittman
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Instagram dede_rittman and Gradygetsglasses
Pinterest Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Thursday, February 21, 2019

"When everyone is included, everyone wins." Jesse Jackson

I saw a story CBS by Steve Hartman that gives a whole new meaning to the educational term "Learning Community." In Newton, Massachusetts, a chatty 2 year old girl just loves to talk, but because she is hearing impaired and speaks in sign language, her circle of communication is limited. Allow me to correct that statement - her circle of friends WAS limited. The friends and neighbors on her street have formed their very own learning community, hired a teacher, and are learning ASL (American Sign Language), just so they can communicate with little Samantha. What a beautiful story! What a neighborhood! Their caring attitude of inclusion and outreach to Samantha are going to help this little girl succeed in life and relationships. I posted the link to the story below. (If you haven't seen this clip, be ready for your heart to melt.)

When I was in the classroom for those 37 years, our school had many mainstreamed students who spoke in sign language and worked with interpreters. Through the years, I added a few more words to my sign vocabulary with each new student I encountered. I remember the delight they took in teaching the teacher, and the delight that I took in being the student.

One thing I am absolutely sure of after all those years teaching 10th grade is this: everyone needs to feel included. Schools need to teach kindness and the basic tenets of inclusion to all students so that all students feel they belong to the school's learning community and that they are a part of the school culture. I truly believe that if schools did a better job of including all students and teaching and modeling inclusion practices, the problems in schools would be fewer.

Here is the link to this uplifting story:

/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/samantha-savitz-newton-massachusetts-neighborhood-learning-american-sign-language/

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

"Handwritten love letters will never go out of style." Unknown

Valentine's Day is this Thursday, and many men and women are perplexed about just what gift to buy for their sweethearts. May I suggest a love letter? Roses die and chocolates don't last, but a love letter is eternal. Here are my top 5 reasons to write your beloved a love letter:

1. Just thinking about the content of the letter allows you to reflect upon all the wonderful qualities of your significant other. You will gain a new appreciation of your other half just thinking about their special qualities, thus renewing your love for him/her.

2. Writing a real letter is so much more satisfying than sending a short text with emojis. You have the chance to exercise your vocabulary and word choice.

3. Choosing a card or stationery for your letter takes you to a slower world, a world of cards and pens and beautiful envelopes, and maybe even sealing wax. It's good to slow down, even for a short time.

4. It feels so wonderful to create something special for your loved one, and a beautiful love letter is a gift that can be revisited by your sweetheart time and again.

5. You will feel tranquility and peace after writing the letter, filled with joy and gratitude, because penning and giving such a personal gift fills the soul with happiness.

My husband died almost seven years ago, but reading our love letters to each other still fills my sad heart with love. After all, love never dies.

A love letter is a gift that continues to give. Happy Valentine's Day.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Friday, February 8, 2019

Reading is the key to learning.

I had an amazing interview a few weeks ago on Mindalia TV, with hosts Dan Blanchard (http://granddaddyssecrets.com/ ) and Angel Ribo (https://divinehumanventures.com/home . Dan is a great educator with several books on the market, and Angel is a former corporate world guy who has a charitable organization WISDOM FOR KIDS. He teaches children in Latin America how to become entrepreneurs using their natural resources. (Here is the link to their Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/wisdomforkids/ ) Besides visiting and teaching in rural areas of Latin America, Angel is trying to bring the English language into their world, and he does a great deal of collecting books to take and share on his travels.

I had a follow-up meeting with Angel a few days after the TV interview, and I liked what he had to say about his efforts to help others. I sent him a few hundred copies of my book GRADY GETS GLASSES - the paperback- that are no longer in print. He took them to a remote village outside Puebla, Mexico, and every child in grades 1-6 received their very first book in English! The pictures are below. Angel told me the school principal said thank you over ten times, and the expressions on the faces of the children with their new GRADY GETS GLASSES books is pure joy.

I am so thrilled to be able to help the cause of literacy in another venue. Each time I present at a school, I give a copy of my book to the library. I remember so fondly how much I loved the library, because my parents could not afford to buy us books, and I hope a child will find my book and enjoy it. I applaud the efforts of WISDOM FOR KIDS for making a difference!

Everyone can serve in some capacity, and I am so delighted that Angel helped my books to find kids who ant to read and learn English! Reading really matters - in every language.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®