Teaching Learning Leading K-12

Episode 88: Teaching and Cooking with Linda Critelli

Linda retired recently from teaching after 34 years.

She was a French teacher in Williamsville Central Schools, located in a suburb of Buffalo, New York.

The system has a student population around 10,500.

She was certified as a Secondary French teacher.

She taught all levels from French 1 to French 5 (Advanced Placement).

All of her teaching was at the high school level.

She speaks Italian and French fluently and has a working knowledge of Spanish.

She only taught French, but since retirement she has been a substitute teacher in other language classes, social studies and even math classes!

Throughout her career, she served in many capacities. For example, she was the advisor for the pep Club, a program called “It’s Academic”, French Club and was a co-advisor for her school’s National Honor Society chapter. 

She was the Team Leader of the foreign language, music, and art departments.

She served as a New York State Committee member of both the District and Building level staff development teams.

In 2004, she was awarded an ELF grant (Education Leave Fund) so that she could study in Paris.

She has had an amazing career.

Now she is pursuing a new venture. She has written a cookbook and is focused on teaching readers how to prepare her recipes.

In today’s episode, we talk teaching and cooking.

She was a New York State mentor for other teachers which we talk about her own mentor and use this as a lead-in to talking about developing a teacher's bag of tricks which I refer to as The Barney Bag. (See the episode of Barney to understand what I am talking about.)

She also shares some great advice to new teachers.(Always share!)

Her mantra was, "Do your job, pull your weight, and get along and you will always be successful!"

She commented that the best part of teaching was the relationships that developed with kids that are now wonderful adults who stay in touch.

Several of the pictures I have included are from an interview with her from AM Buffalo. 

She is currently working on videos to share with her audience. I have seen the previews of these and wow!! You will be able to smell the wonderful meals she is preparing! Is there such a thing as smell-a-vision?

She says that even someone who is cooking challenged like me can learn to prepare her recipes.

Her favorite dish to prepare is eggplant parmesan.

Check out her thoughts about teaching, cooking, and who inspired her.  

She also talks about where the title of the book came from-Sicilian with a French Accent.

Connect with Linda through the websites and email address below.

Look for more videos, soon and check out her cookbook.

Enjoy!

To order copies of Linda's Book, Sicilian with a French Accent: Deliciously Simple Cuisine contact her or go to her website.

Contact Information:
Linda Critelli
716-346-5628
lacucinalinda@gmail.com 

Linda's website

http://sicilianwithafrenchaccent.weebly.com/

Linda's Blog

http://sicilianwithafrenchaccent.weebly.com/lindax27s-blog

Linda's Interview on AM Buffalo TV (She is making Minestrone soup.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCFiIMtwxmA&feature=youtu.be

Linda is cooking meatballs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmt8r-J3s1g

Length: 23:45

Episode 87: Classroom Management - Rules

You are going to need rules.

The kids need parameters.

They need to know what is expected of them.

Here are some thoughts to get you going.

10 Keys to Rules for the Classroom

1. Know the difference between rules and procedures.

2. Rules are needed for creating a good, safe learning environment for all.

3. You cannot discipline kids into changing their behaviors.

4. Keep rules general and short and no more than 5 but try for 3 (Written in a positive manner.)

5. Your number one rule should be about respect.

6. You must explain your rules.

7. Know yourself - Don't ignore behaviors & Don't target one kid.

8. Be consistent - Fair - Just

9. Post so that the rules can be seen and have a copy placed in the students' notebooks.

10. When given the opportunity, practice what you preach. If it is a rule then you need to address the student who chooses not to follow the rule.

Look at these additional resources:

My previous podcasts about classroom management: 

1. It's OK to Start Over 

2. Consequences 

Harry Wong's The First Days of School

Brian Mendler's That One Kid 

Brian's Blog

Length: 26:44

Episode 86: Classroom Management-Consequences

You have your procedures and routines in place.

You have created your three to five class rules.

Now you need to make sure that you create possible consequences because you have to be prepared to address a student who makes a poor choice…

And it’s going to happen.

I encourage you to revisit Harry Wong’s, The First Days of School and Brian Mendler’s, That One Kid.

Look at the section where Harry talks about everything being about choices: good choices and poor choices and they each have consequences. He talks about adults changing their mindset so that the adult thinks in terms of penalties, not punishments.

When you read Brian’s words, you will discover that he has a little different take on consequences. Well worth your time, because he was the kid who would push you to push him out of the classroom.

Today, I am focused on my …

Six Considerations When Looking at Consequences

1.      It’s just between you and the student.

2.      Involve parents each time.

3.      Make it as immediate as possible.

4.      Try to handle everything yourself (except emergencies and know the difference.)

5.      Post your consequences but don’t back yourself into a corner.

6.      It’s not personal… so don’t let it get there.

Best wishes,

Steve

www.effectiveteaching.com (Harry Wong’s website)

www.brianmendler.com (Brian’s blog)

 

Length: 43:26

Episode 85: Classroom Management: It's OK to Startover

Teaching is experiential.

We learn by making mistakes. We add new tools to our bag of tricks, by discovering what works.  We also learn that what works in this situation may not work in a different scenario. This is why successful teachers understand that you learn more about teaching by teaching.

Today, I am focused on the idea that sometimes it is ok to start over. If you are dreading going to school or to that one class, then you are exhibiting signs of classroom management strugglingitus. Ok, not a real word, but what I am talking about is that you are having trouble with your classes and student behavior. This is why you need to give in and admit that you have a problem.  Once you do this, you can give yourself permission to start over.

Here are my five considerations for making that do over happen:

1.      Admit you have a problem and choose a weekend.

2.      You have to be in control of you.

3.      Do you have procedures in place?

4.      Take a look at your classroom rules.

5.      Let’s go back to you

You can do this!

Don’t wait. Start now.

Length: 31:38

Episode 84: WriteWell App with Adi Thacker

  

         Adi Thacker, CEO

From the WriteWell App Mission Statement: 

We know how hard it can be to write - we've all been paralyzed by the blank page. But the truth is, everyone can write well - it's just a question of process.

Adi says that writing is something that he had always struggled with as a first generation immigrant to the states. The concepts for the app grew from his experiences.

The app is meant to help build confidence in the process of writing. It helps get the writer past the blank page and into the substance of long-form writing. 

Its main audience is grades 6-12. Parents and teachers will find this tool useful.

Adi notes that WriteWell is like using training wheels on a bike. 

It is meant to get the student to the point that she can gain the confidence to venture out on her own.

The app teaches the writer to write in chunks. These chunks are paragraphs that can be moved around on the screen. Check out a short video here. 

The chunks create the opportunity for the writer to go ahead and put ideas on the page. The new segment might actually be used later, or not all, but it gets the student to start.

The program also uses prompts that can help the writer begin.

A series of templates help the writer organize her thoughts so that getting started may be made a little easier.

Eventually, as the work is completed, the document can be exported as an MS Word file, a PDF file or as a Google Drive file.

I wish I had had this app when I was learning writing. It would have gotten me past  that first, blank page so much quicker. 

I think that you will immediately see the benefits and value of the WriteWell app. 

To learn more check out the following links:

http://www.writewellapp.com/

http://blog.writewellapp.com/

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Length: 36:34