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Monthly Archives: January 2014

You’ve Seen This Photo, Here’s Who Made It

January 26, 2014

By Sarah Vander Schaaff  A teacher. But like many things that go viral on the Internet, that important fact has gotten less attention. It didn’t take too much detective work to trace the photo back to its source, however, and last week I was able to speak on the phone with the photo’s creator, Alycia Zimmerman, a 3rd grade gifted and talented teacher at P.S. 33 Chelsea Prep in Manhattan. “Students tend to struggle with fractions,” Alycia said, when I asked her about the photo. “And some were playing with Legos during free-choice time on Fridays, and I’m watching them play and I’m thinking this would be really great to demonstrate fractions. So if this is a whole then….” The rest,… Read More

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This is Interesting…

January 16, 2014

By Sarah Vander Schaaff In the middle of a polar vortex, one should not illustrate the concept of a perimeter by saying to an eight-year old, “Imagine you are walking the perimeter of the dog park.” Cold wind, frozen toes, the threat of stepping in….well, you get the idea. I was getting the look any parent who has helped a kid with homework knows well, the one that says: what good are you if you can’t telepathically understand my teacher’s intentions or remember things you learned when Reagan was president? I had to think quickly. “Forget the dog park,” I said, ready to pander to the aspirations of a soon-to-be tween. “When you paint your room,” I began, “you’ll only… Read More

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Sleep Like a Violinist

January 10, 2014

By Sarah Vander Schaaff If one of your goals is to resist the urge to over-schedule and pressure your kids, then the New Year is a good time to revisit your intentions. I found myself slipping into an old habit just a few days ago when talking with my third grader about her homework. She’d already had a big day and done her most pressing homework, but she still had to complete a Spanish assignment due later in the week. “Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today,” I said, thinking my advice was wise. Then I thought about what I was asking my eight-year-old to do: mimic me. In my effort to “stay afloat” I try to… Read More

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