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Teacher Feature

Susan Johnson
Kindergarten
Homer Elementary School
Ada, OK

Give an example of a lesson you teach that incorporates visual learning?
A: Every week we have a letter of the week, and for an art project we find things that begin with that letter, then display that work in the hallway. This week was the letter N, for nuts, and we used the Cutout Maker to cut out acorn nuts. By using our letter of the week in art, we are reinforcing the letters and sounds we have learned in class.

Who or what motivates and inspires you to be a teacher?
A: My biggest motivation is to keep the kids interested and having fun while learning. As a child, I did not enjoy school and wanted to be at home or any other place, so now I can relate to those students.

What teaching strategy do you find helps your students best grasp a lesson?
A: I feel there is no best way for students to grasp each lesson, so I try a little bit of everything. All of the students are so different and we all know that each one learns differently. I like to find different methods and ways to teach a lesson; and hopefully by that, I can reach them all.

Name the most important thing you hope students take away from your class.
A: Kindness, respect, and to know that you can have fun and learn too.

What’s your favorite quote or comment from a student?
A: "You know, Mrs. Johnson, you sure would look funny with no hair!" This was said right in the middle of one of our phonics sound tests, the room was completely quiet, and there was no reference to hair – kids just say what's on their mind!

November Events

Stop by the VariQuest booth at a conference near you!

November 2-5 – Booth #1164 at the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Annual Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL

November 17 – 2011 Tennessee Principals Association Annual Conference and Leadership Forum in Memphis, TN

If you have an idea for future content, feedback, questions or comments about this issue, we’d love to hear from you. Please click here to send us your feedback.

School Spotlight

Mark L. Fine Elementary School

All around the world Las Vegas, Nevada is known as an enjoyable vacation spot, but if you leave the bright lights of the Strip behind and venture into the daily lives of those who live in the city, you'll discover the bright minds of students learning at Mark L. Fine Elementary School. Read more.

In the Know

Registration Opens for November VariQuest Professional Development Webinar

Sign up today for the November 15th webinar Instructional Strategies for ELL Students Using VariQuest. You'll learn how to incorporate visual strategies into classroom instruction and easy-to-implement ideas for creating a print-rich environment that fosters language development and academic achievement. Sign up here today!

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Kathy Schrock Shares Ideas in Latest VariQuest Webinar

See what attendees are raving about with the webinar Incorporating Technology in Your School Using VariQuest, which was streamed live earlier this month. View the archived video here to learn how to use the VariQuest Cutout Maker and eDie technology to easily create visual displays, interactive bulletin boards and more for your classroom. Kathy Schrock, education technologist, and Brian Singleton, principal of Government Hill Elementary School, share ideas and tips that will allow you to make the most of your Cutout Maker.

VariQuest Tip of the Month: Using the Poster Maker's Built-in Scanner and Three Print Modes

Unique to the VariQuest Poster Maker is the scan-to-print technology, offering the capability to enlarge any 8½" x 11" document to poster size in seconds. To enlarge a visual, simply place the original document face-down in the document bay to the right of the control panel and press the green Start/Stop button. Read more.

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VariQuest Application Ideas from Julia

Julia is a VariQuest content specialist and former teacher.

The school year is well underway and the holidays are just around the corner. Begin celebrating the holiday season with your students and their families with the following Thanksgiving activities!

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What Really Happened at the First Thanksgiving?

Learn about the history of Thanksgiving by reading aloud one or more children's books presented from alternative viewpoints. Read more.

Creative Thanksgiving Paper Crafts

Incorporate art into your Thanksgiving celebrations with paper crafts and mobiles. Read more.

Host a Thanksgiving Feast for Family & Friends

As a culminating activity for your class study of the history of Thanksgiving, reenact the original Thanksgiving feast with family and friends. Read more.