Principals are people, too, and nobody's perfect.  That's why I think it's best to be proactive and positive when dealing with a principal who may be a bit more challenging that you'd like.  After all, a productive and cooperative relationship between teachers and the administration benefits the students, their parents, and the whole community.

Education was all over the news this week.  From curriculum standards to budget cuts to teacher quality, everything education-related is a hot topic right now.

• Panel Proposes Single Standard for All Schools
• Teach for the World
• Kansas City Adopts Plan to Close Nearly Half Its Schools
• Building a Better Teacher

Are you tired of spending precious funds on little plastic toys and stickers to reward your students for their good behavior?  I've always been opposed to material rewards for my students.  I tend to focus on intrinsic rewards and fun no-cost incentives to celebrate my students making the right behavior choices.

One of the most popular free rewards in my classroom has always been Lunch Bunch.  That's what I call it when students earn the privilege of eating lunch with me in the classroom.  I enjoy this special time, too.  Plus, I think it's sweet that my students are motivated by such a simple pleasure as eating lunch with their teacher.

What no-cost rewards do your students value?

St. Patrick's Day is coming up on Wednesday, March 17th.  How will you "go green" in your classroom?  Here are a few St. Paddy's Day resources for you and your elementary school students to enjoy together:

• St. Patrick's Day Acrostic Poem Lesson Plan
• St. Patrick's Day Word List (for use in creative writing, spelling lists, puzzles, etc.)
• St. Patrick's Day Worksheets, Songs, Recipes, and more

If you have a favorite St. Pat's lesson, please share it in the comments section.