The eNotes Blog One Teachers Most Important Lesson How to Save aLife

One Teachers Most Important Lesson How to Save aLife In a common core world where teaching is sometimes more concerned with evaluating pupils aptitudes for test-taking than with evaluating their well-being, one teacher has developed an ingenious method of tracking her childrens thoughts and feelings, and possibly saving lives in the process. On Glennon Doyle Mertons Momastery blog, she writes of her sons math teacher, an unnamed, unsung hero. What makes her so? One afternoon, Merton dropped by her sons fifth-grade classroom for help on how to better guide him with his homework, and she and his teacher got to talking. After some time they moved on from methods of long division to philosophies of teaching, both agreeing that subjects like math and reading are the least important things that are learned in a classroom, that we owe it to students to instill in them kindness, compassion, and bravery above all. And thats when this teacher shared a secret method with Merton. Every Friday without fail she asks students to write on a piece of paper the people theyd like to sit with for the following week. She also asks each one to nominate one individual to be recognized as the exceptional classroom citizen of that week. This may sound pretty ordinary, until you realize what shes actually doing with these nominations. You see, once the children have left the building, this fifth-grade math teacher and former NASA employee scours her students nominations for patterns. Who is not getting requested by anyone else? Who doesn’t even know who to request? Who never gets noticed enough to be nominated? Who had a million friends last week and none this week? Chase’s teacher is not looking for a new seating chart or â€Å"exceptional citizens.† Chase’s teacher is looking for lonely children. She’s looking for children who are struggling to connect with other children. She’s identifying the little ones who are falling through the cracks of the class’s social life. She is discovering whose gifts are going unnoticed by their peers. And she’s pinning down –  right away –  who’s being bullied and who is doing the bullying. Amazed, Merton asked how long shed been doing this for, to which the teacher replied, Ever since Columbine. Every single afternoon since Columbine. Wow. That means that before Sandy Hook, before Newtown, before any of the other 22 school shootings that have taken place since April 20th, 1999, this teacher knew that the source of outward violence is inner loneliness. She knew of a way to spot the students suffering a disconnection and she knew how to fix it. And what this mathematician has learned while using this system is something she really already knew: that everything – even love, even belonging – has a pattern to it. And she finds those patterns through those lists – she breaks the codes of disconnection. After a long career of working to ensure childrens safety and mental well-being, this inspirational teacher retires this year. Its a good thing there are so many out there to carry the torch  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ we only need to spread the word to teach them how. How do you or teachers you know inspire compassion in your students? What methods can you share that diminish a childs isolation before it becomes a lasting problem? Wed love to hear your thoughts in a comment.

How to Get Reviews

How to Get Reviews I did one of my two-minute podcasts this week on collecting reviews for books, because my mailbox is swamped with articles, podcasts, blog posts, and queries to me on how to land reviews. Just this week I heard from an author friend of mine who just released two books in a series at once. . . and still has less than ten reviews on the two combined even after the publisher sent out hundreds (yep, you read that right) of review copies. Week before last, I posted a call for reviewers on my Facebook page. I have four books with less than 100 reviews (82, 64, 51, and 47 for my last four books), and my goal this year is to reach 100 for all my books. Yes, I read reviews. Do I let a one-star destroy my day? No. Frankly, I dont breathe easy until someone has left me a pissy review, just so its out of my system. As a matter of fact, Newberry Sin has a 4.9/5 rating on Amazon, with only one three-star review. No ones or twos. Beats me why someone hasnt bashed it yet. My editor says thats because theres nothing to bash, but shes just being sweet. Nobody writes a book everybody likes. But how to get reviews? You coordinate them. You are going to learn that there are bookstore people, library people, and Amazon people, and usually, the bookstore people dont post reviews on Amazon. The anti-Amazon people wont post reviews on Amazon. Therefore, people who are active online and make Amazon purchases constitute the preferred reviewer. (Of course, if someone you know has a review column in a major publication, A close second preferred reader is a strong Goodreads person. Do they make their reading choices based upon Goodreads? Then great. Ask away, though an Amazon person will most likely also post on Goodreads. I start with social media, setting a time period in which I am seeking reviews, making it somewhat of a big deal, like an event. I offer print or ebook. Some publishers no longer do print ARCs or review copies. They are indeed pricey, especially when many requestors do not follow through. However, be prepared to send out some print copies. Yes, the cost can add up. Take note of who is doing your reviews. The plus of asking on social media or having to mail/email copies of the books is that you have their contact info. You can then follow-up and ask if they received the book a couple weeks later. This is NOT so you can push them to review. NEVER push someone to review. However, if someone does not follow-through, you know never to send them a review copy again. Common sense without breaking any cardinal rules. After nine novels, I have a list of what I call permanent reviewers. Ill send them a copy of any new release because they always review. Sometimes I ask in FundsforWriters, and other times in my author newsletter C. Hope Clark (sign up at www.chopeclark.com). This past week I sent out 40 copies. Reviews are already coming in. And I thank them. . . gush over them. These people are golden and deserve to be treated accordingly. So, in summation. . . you build relationships. Receiving a free book isnt enough. Goodness knows there are too dang many of those out there to the point that isnt a big deal. Its the back and forth, the willingness to respect and converse with anyone, the manners to say please and thank you. Its being generous and grateful. Readers love helping you if they feel appreciated, and I feel pretty darn grateful for mine.