On MenTeach.org, there’s an article by Laura Clark – Daily Mail, entitled Primary schools launch drive to recruit more male staff. I found it very intriguing and want to share a few excerpts from it.

• A major new drive to recruit more male staff to primary schools was launched today as it emerged just one in eight teachers is a man.
• Experts said the shortage of male primary teachers was affecting boys and denying them vital role models.
• A sixth of single mums said their children spend less than two hours a week with a male role model such as a father figure, teacher or relative.

If you’d like to read the entire article, which I recommend doing, just click on the link above

Students from Finland routinely rank at the top of international test in reading and math. Yet their educational system operates in ways that we in America are sure would produce substandard academic outcomes. What’s going on and could we learn from them? Click here to listen to this week’s BAM Radio discussion.

As always, there are many radio broadcasts available for you here.

“Avatar,” the top box office film of all time is coming back in August with eight minutes of new footage.

Will YOU go see it?

Do you Twitter? You can follow me at

http://twitter.com/mdcteacher

This is very interesting…

In her just released book, Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs, Ellen Galinsky talked about “amazing babies.” She gave an example of how babies have people sense: “they focus on people’s intentions rather than seeing what people do as random movements in space.” By six months, they can tell the difference between people who are helpful and those who are not.

To illustrate this, Galinsky described the results of a study done at Yale University in which babies are shown a puppet show where a round circle with big eyes tries to reach the top of a hill and is helped up to the top by a square but pushed down by a triangle. After a baby viewed the show, a tray with the square and the triangle was placed in front of him or her to see which one she or he reaches for. Would t he six-month-old reach for the helpful shape or the unhelpful shape, or would there be no pattern. Here was what the researchers reported:

“We found impressively that almost one hundred percent of the babies in a number of different studies preferred the more helpful character.”

What do YOU think? Comment Below.

Last week was the beginning of 12 weeks of serious training for the Duathalon. I’ve been training steadily, off and on. LOL

I have a calendar of planned workouts that are highly recommended. I’m going to post my challenges and successes here to stay accountable and to hopefully inspire some of you. Maybe you have goals that you are trying to reach too. Let’s work towards them together!

 I missed the Sunday workout because of the 4th, although I walked ALOT. That counts, right?  Luckily, Monday was a REST day. On Tuesday, I ran for 30 minutes, but didn’t complete the strength training. Wednesday was a brick: run 15 minutes, bike 30 minutes, and run 20 minutes. It was challenging, but felt great when I finished. On Thursday, I modified the schedule and simply ran for 40 minutes. Unfortunately, Friday and Saturday, I did NOTHING.  I guess it wasn’t the best start. Sometimes we give in to ourselves. Sometimes we make excuses. Tomorrow is a new day…to have another chance I plan to stay more dedicated this week.

MINNESOTA INDIAN WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER: Employment Opportunity

MIWRC is seeking a dedicated individual to provide quality nurturing childcare to children in the Cherish the Children Childcare Center.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must have the education and experience required for Childcare Teachers by the DHS Rule 3.
• Experience working with children in a classroom or childcare setting.
• Experience or knowledge of the American Indian community.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must have no current problem related to alcohol or drug use.
• Must be willing to submit to DHS Rule #3, Criminal Background Study.

Demonstrated ability to:

• Maintain highly confidential information.
• Listen actively and respond appropriately to children, staff and parents.
• Ability to work cooperatively with staff and parents.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• To plan programming for the group that provides children with academic, social, emotional, and physical learning experiences within the framework of the center’s overall goals and philosophy. 
• To observe health and safety of children and report any condition needing attention, help children with eating, dressing, toileting and sleeping habits, and observe and keep anecdotal records on each child.
• To keep the center safe, clean, attractive, and in compliance with health requirements as attained in health and safety policies.
• To make sure that materials and equipment are accessible and kept in good condition.
• To participate in all parent/child activities.
• To evaluate each child’s progress and communicate these professional observations orally and in writing on an ongoing basis to parents.
• To help organize field trips, attend staff meetings and in service training as required by DHS Rule 3.
• To abide by the policies and expectations as written in the staff handbook and DHS Rule 3.
• Respond to other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor or Executive Director.

JOB CLASSIFICATION:  Full-time; Regular; Hourly; Non-exempt

REPORTING AND SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Teacher reports to the Childcare Director. 

TO APPLY: Send Resume to HR@miwrc.org and request Employment Application or access Employment Application online www.miwrc.org or contact the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center 2300 – 15^th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404, phone 612-728-2000, fax 612-728-2039.

Visit www.miwrc.org to learn more about us.

     Equal Opportunity Employer

When children fight, should you be a Paris peace negotiator or an Ultimate Fighting Challenge referee? Typically neither teachers nor parents are taught how to manage conflicts between children. Tune in now and get some solid, tested guidance on what to do when children are ready to rumble.

Five Tested Tips for Resolving Conflicts Among Young Children

Chicken McNuggets contain a chemical used in Silly Putty- can you guess what it is? Click here to read more

The Playhouse Childcare is looking for a childcare assistant to work in her home with children infant -school age. She says, “We run a preschool program, go on fieldtrips and are very busy!”

Applicant must be energetic! Must have clean driving record. Hours: 8-5pm. Possibility of some afternoons off. May bring child/children with. Must pass background check and have references. Past experience with children a plus!

She’s looking for someone who will be there for 2-3 yrs, as training is required. She wants to have consistency for the children she cares for. Location: Rosemount, Position Type: Full-time Desired Start Date: July 13, 2010 Approximate Hours Per Week: 40+ hrs