TELL ME ABOUT IT
Having heard every excuse under the sun for why homework is not completed, Marshaline
Letcher of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., has come up with a simple solution. Now students must write
her a note naming the homework assignment missed and explaining why it wasn't completed,
the date it was due and sign it. This has helped students become more responsible with
their homework assignments and is useful for parent-teacher conferences, she says.
TRIVIA BOX
Linda Trinidad of Atlantic Beach, Fla., keeps a "trivia box" by her classroom
door. Whenever she has a few extra minutes between classes, she pulls out a trivia
question. Questions range from academic subjects to television shows to movies to popular
music. "This activity never gets dull for my students," she says.
IN THE BAG
An easy way to store lightweight science material (litmus paper, bulbs, lenses, wires,
etc.) is to put them in re-sealable plastic storage bags and hang them up in the closet on
nails, hooks or even a cork board fixed on the wall, suggests Vibha Palekar, a middle
school science teacher from Yonkers, N.Y. The transparent bags make the material easily
visible and accessible and make room for heavy equipment that must be stored on shelves.
