Although this is the last post for October, SmileMakers would like to address National Crime Prevention Month.

During our school days we all knew the class clown, the athletes, the overachievers, and of course, the bullies.

Unfortunately, bullying happens year-round, and as people continue to flood the internet and join social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace, cyberbullying has become a problem in recent years.

Michelle Robinson Boykins, Director of Communications and Marketing for the National Crime Prevention Council, wrote a blog post for Facebook this week titled “Watch Your Words: Steps to Preventing Cyberbullying” that highlights how to address cyberbullying, who to contact about it and suggestions for parents.

Have you discussed cyberbullying in your classroom? Have there been any instances of cyberbullying at your school?

We’ve all had a teacher that has expanded or changed the way we think about the world, a subject or other people.

Teachers strive to have the same effect on their students as their favorite teachers before them, and as the world moves further and further into the digital age, it’s becoming easier to thank teachers in more modern ways besides a letter or a phone call.

A recent PC World article highlighted just that. The article was written by Phil Shapiro, an educator and writer who wanted to thank his high school math teacher from 25 years ago. Shapiro created an endearing video tribute that he emailed to his teacher and uploaded to the Internet Archive and YouTube.

SmileMakers wants to know how your students have thanked you lately? Have you thanked your former teachers recently, if not, would you consider a more digital method?

As the seasons change, the Weather Panda Bulletin Board Set is the perfect activity to help your students learn about the weather’s different climates and how to dress appropriately for them.

The set also comes with an activity guide for teachers that has rhyming poems to help students remember what’s the best clothing to wear when going to the pool, when it’s raining, when it’s cold and when going to the beach. Here’s an example of one of the poems:

“It is very hot today
and I want to stay cool.
What should I wear
to swim in the pool?”

Scholastic has other various Panda products for students. Like the Panda-Mania Bulletin Board, which showcases pandas playing in a variety of activities. The bulletin board includes an activity guide for teachers.

As we approach Veterans Day this year, which falls on November 11th, the U.S. Department of Affairs has created a Teacher Resource Guide for educators to use as a reference to this holiday that honors our American soldiers.

The Veterans Day Teacher Resource Guide includes classroom activities like a student play, a coloring book and puzzles. It also outlines how to respect and fold the flag, lists scholarships for students and has additional resources for educators and pupils.

What activities does your school have planned for Veterans Day? Does your school partake in Take A Veteran to School Day? Would you be interested in having a Veteran come and speak to your class?

The feature film Amelia, which opened in theaters nationwide this weekend, looks at the life of historical figure Amelia Earhart who became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean alone.

Unfortunately in 1937, Earhart, who was also accompanied by navigator Frederick Noonan, disappeared en route to Howland Island while attempting to fly around the world.

Amelia Earhart is certainly an iconic figure in American history, and because a movie about her life just recently opened, SmileMakers was curious to know if history teachers in America will be teaching an Earhart lesson sometime soon.

An article from Boston.com this week discussed how teachers in the Boston and Springfield school districts are making house calls to their students’ homes.

According to the article, the house calls practice was put into place in order to increase parent volunteerism and “break down any misconceptions that parents and teachers might have about one another.”

The teachers are paid for their home visits, between $30 to $60 depending on the school district in which they teach.

Does your school district have house calls in place? What is your opinion about the Boston and Springfield school districts engaging in this procedure? If it was offered in your school district, would you partake in the exercise?

Make a Difference Day is the National Day of Doing Good, which highlights the importance of volunteering.

According to the newspaper USA Today, studies show that nearly half of all people who volunteer started because they were asked to by someone they know. As teachers, you could be the person who asks their students to bring out the best in themselves by helping others and volunteering in their community.

USA Today provides ideas and a Teacher’s Guide on how you can get your students involved with Make a Difference Day.

You can register your Make a Difference Day project and become eligible to win free breakfast from Newman’s Own - 50 projects (one from each state) will to receive the donation.

As opposed to using medals or gold stars in the classroom, teachers are starting to reward their students with coins for good behavior. There are various types of good behavior coins like Blue Chip Rewards, Kindness Coins and Caught Being Good Coins.

TCH154 Caught Being Good Coins

These coins come in various colors that read: “I was caught being good!” with a smiley face in the middle. 288 coins per unit.

TCH569 Kindness Coins

These coins carry unique ‘kindness’ expressions, perfect for the act of kindness your students display in the classroom. 144 coins per unit.

The Las Vegas Sun wrote an article today regarding an existing program that focuses on developing the next generation of educators for Clark County, which is where Las Vegas is located.

The program is called the Student to Teacher Enlistment Project Undergraduate Program or STEP UP. John Janek, the executive director of the Clark County Education Association, is behind the program, which started in 2004. Janek now wants to expand the program into a charter school.

The program gives students interested in teaching a scholarship to a local college on the condition that they teach for four years in Clark County.

Janek said the charter school’s students “would be our kids raised up to be our teachers. They would know from the start what it means to work in Clark County; they wouldn’t come from our of state, where most of them don’t have a clue.”

According to the article, the issue with teachers leaving Clark County is not because they are dissatisfied, but rather they want to move back home - 28% of the new hires for the 2009-10 school came from out of state.

What are your thoughts about having a charter school dedicated to teaching high school students who want to become teachers themselves?

This week is National School Bus Safety Week - October 19th - 23rd. The National Association for Pupil Transportation conducts a poster contest every year to help promote the importance of safety before, during and after riding the bus.

Each year has a different slogan, which must be included in submitted posters for the contest. For 2008, the slogan was “Avoid Harm, Obey the Stop Arm.” For 2009, it’s “Cross in View, It’s the Right Thing to Do!”

Entrants for the contest can be any elementary or middle school student in public or private school. Poster winners receive a savings bond as their reward ranging from $1000 to $100.

SmileMakers carries various school bus themed products promoting safety and awareness.

What are you doing for National School Bus Safety Week?