Educators deal with the issues of Internet slang more and more in the classroom. Even in the university level, emoticons and abbreviations are creeping in and in some instances taking over, frustrating teachers. While this issue has come about thanks to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Texting and others, teachers are fighting a losing battle when it comes to ignoring it or banning it.

Instead, teachers need to focus on attacking this problem of Internet slang head-on. For more information on how this issue is effecting teachers and what should be done about it, read: Social Media Downfalls

Here is a creative way to make several cheap Valentine’s Day gifts, whether you are a parent providing gifts for your child’s friends or a teacher looking for a cheap gift for your students.

Go to the dollar store and purchase several packets of crayons and one heart-shaped muffin tin.

Take all the paper off of the crayons and melt them together over the stove. Pour the melted crayons into the heart-shaped molds and allow to cool.

Once cool, you have created heart-shaped crayons, a cheap and perfect gift for Valentine’s Day!

It’s time for teachers to consider the social media world as a benefit to their teaching and learn how these platforms can be utilized for improving learning in the classroom and out. Facebook is one area where teachers might find a great source of help in connecting to and assisting students in the learning process.

There is a lot that a teacher can do with Facebook: answer homework questions, keep parents up-to-date, schedule class events and more.

At the same time, there is a lot of room for danger with Facebook: students can talk to whomever they want, there is no parental controls available, and with the private chat feature, students are free to gossip and complain as much as they want without the teacher or other students finding out.

So will Facebook help or hurt the teacher’s efforts at furthering the education of their students?

As Social Media platforms increase and more and more young people find themselves spending so much time on these platforms, it’s time for teachers to get involved. These media platforms can become a tool for not only connecting with friends but for improving student grades!

Some teachers, I am sure, are already well on their way towards successful usage of social media for educational purposes, but for others, this may be a new concept.

Do you use social media? Hop over to: Social Media and Education and tell me what you use and how! For those who aren’t already there, stay tuned for more information on how to integrate today’s social media platforms into the classroom.

Lying is not a novel concept, a fact that parents will readily share with any who ask. Children will lie when it seems easier in the moment than telling the truth and dealing with the consequences of the truth.

Teachers will often deal with students who are telling lies for one reason or another – getting out of homework, not admitting what really goes on at home, not wanting to get into trouble, and sometimes simply not remembering. Understanding why a child is lying is important as this helps the teacher understand the best consequence for the lie.

If a child is trying to hide the truth about something, there could be good reason for the teacher to know what that truth is. Here are some common reasons why a child might lie: about homework:

Lies about homework -

• The child may not have understood the homework
• The child may be struggling with the concept being taught
• The child may not have help at home (or the materials to complete an assignment)
• The child may have forgotten to do the homework
• The child may simply be trying to get out of extra work

Depending on the reason, the teacher should handle the resulting consequences differently. A child trying to get out of the work, for example, may be rewarded with extra work. A child without help at home or who is struggling to understand the work may need extra time with the teacher and modified homework for a time.