A postcard exchange helps teach the states, geography, and social studies skills (map reading, history, etc) in a positive and engaging way. As a class, you write a postcard message about your state (two paragraphs, one about your class, one about your state). After attaching the labels (I’ll send the addresses in label format, or you can write them on), put the Post Cards in the mail and wait. You will receive a postcard from every state (if we get them all full!!!). When you get each postcard, read it, explore the state, and post it on the wall if you wish.
If you’d like to join, and have a class in one of the listed states… email me at morningsunsets @ yahoo . com. Please also feel free to ask any questions!
I am organizing a POSTCARD EXCHANGE for the upcoming school year 2010-2011. I would like it very much to have successful turnout of all the states (provinces and territories are welcome!). My classes and I have enjoyed this experience tremendously over the years.
This project works well when all participants hold up to their promise. I would like one participant from each of the 50 states and DC. In addition, anybody who teaches in Canada feel free to join just inquire!
This will be on a first come, first serve. I will have all info ready mid to late September and email every so often with updates.
If you are interested and willing to make the commitment, please provide the following information:
Name School and grade School's full address Email
Please do not hit reply...contact me off the list serve so it does not get overloaded!
Hello, Here's wishing you a great year in teaching! I have just published my first children's book, and using my talents as a Reading Specialist have developed interdisciplinary activities, as well as before, during, and after reading activities for the classroom. There are vocabulary activities and opportunities for your students to write to me ab...See MoreHello, Here's wishing you a great year in teaching! I have just published my first children's book, and using my talents as a Reading Specialist have developed interdisciplinary activities, as well as before, during, and after reading activities for the classroom. There are vocabulary activities and opportunities for your students to write to me about the book and its characters. I am glad to respond to those letters at your request. A physical disability permits me from teaching in the classroom anymore, so I am reaching out to students this way. The main goal of this book is also the part of my job I miss the most: instilling a love of reading and learning in each student. I can visit your classroom by Skype, if you wish, and our website is about to go online. There, you will be able to access the acitivities I spoke of earlier. The obok is called Harley Hits a Homer, and I am so pleased with the positive way it is being received in the classrooms where it is being used. I'd love to hear from you if you think we could work together on this project. I'd love to hear from your classes and to interact with them. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Let's keep them reading, Tena
Hello, Here's wishing you a great year in teaching! I have just published my first children's book, and using my talents as a Reading Specialist have developed interdisciplinary activities, as well as before, during, and after reading activities for the classroom. There are vocabulary activities and opportunities for your students to write to me ab...See MoreHello, Here's wishing you a great year in teaching! I have just published my first children's book, and using my talents as a Reading Specialist have developed interdisciplinary activities, as well as before, during, and after reading activities for the classroom. There are vocabulary activities and opportunities for your students to write to me about the book and its characters. I am glad to respond to those letters at your request. A physical disability permits me from teaching in the classroom anymore, so I am reaching out to students this way. The main goal of this book is also the part of my job I miss the most: instilling a love of reading and learning in each student. I can visit your classroom by Skype, if you wish, and our website is about to go online. There, you will be able to access the acitivities I spoke of earlier. The obok is called Harley Hits a Homer, and I am so pleased with the positive way it is being received in the classrooms where it is being used. I'd love to hear from you if you think we could work together on this project. I'd love to hear from your classes and to interact with them. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Let's keep them reading, Tena
Hello, Here's wishing you a great year in teaching! I have just published my first children's book, and using my talents as a Reading Specialist have developed interdisciplinary activities, as well as before, during, and after reading activities for the classroom. There are vocabulary activities and opportunities for your students to write to me ab...See MoreHello, Here's wishing you a great year in teaching! I have just published my first children's book, and using my talents as a Reading Specialist have developed interdisciplinary activities, as well as before, during, and after reading activities for the classroom. There are vocabulary activities and opportunities for your students to write to me about the book and its characters. I am glad to respond to those letters at your request. A physical disability permits me from teaching in the classroom anymore, so I am reaching out to students this way. The main goal of this book is also the part of my job I miss the most: instilling a love of reading and learning in each student. I can visit your classroom by Skype, if you wish, and our website is about to go online. There, you will be able to access the acitivities I spoke of earlier. The obok is called Harley Hits a Homer, and I am so pleased with the positive way it is being received in the classrooms where it is being used. I'd love to hear from you if you think we could work together on this project. I'd love to hear from your classes and to interact with them. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Let's keep them reading, Tena
The American Turkish Society's Education Program is pleased to announce the availability of Curriculum Development Grants for 2011.
The program, which was initiated by The Society in the spring of 2010, offers funds to elementary and secondary school teachers to develop innovative curricula, projects and other classroom activities about Turkey. The Society’s first Curriculum Development Grant was awarded to Harry A. Dawe, former Headmaster of Robert College in Istanbul and current history teacher and college counselor at the Fieldston Upper School in Bronx, New York. Mr. Dawe received support for History 181: East Meets West, for which he developed course material and two chapters of a history text book for use with eleventh and twelfth graders.
Grants vary between $250 and $2,500, and cover the costs of research, materials, speakers, and other expenses incurred by the school or the teacher. The amount of each grant is determined by the project’s scope, the availability of total funds, and the number of projects selected through a competitive process. The American Turkish Society encourages all applicants to identify additional sources of funding where possible. Once selected, grantees will be free to develop their proposed projects without editorial input from The Society. They will, however, participate in follow-up activities for evaluation purposes and will be asked to share any teaching plans, materials and activities with The American Turkish Society for future dissemination.
Application Process: Spring Semester, 2011
Application deadline: November 1 Notification: December 1
Please submit proposals including:
1. A 2-page summary of the proposed project detailing the tools, materials, and methods to be used; the objectives and anticipated impact; and the teacher's relevant qualifications; 2. A project budget, including a detailed breakdown of costs and the grant amount requested; 3. The teacher’s CV; and 4. A letter of support from the teacher’s school.
Interested parties should send proposals to The American Turkish Society at [email removed].
For questions and additional information, please email [email removed].
In these difficult financial times, the solution towards finding jobs may not be within the states. From March until August, I spent most of my financial resources driving around the United States in search for a teaching job. Unfortunately, most school districts were laying workers off. To make matters worse, if they had any openings, they were going to give the jobs to the teachers who were recently fired. The only jobs that were available to me were as a teacher assistant or a substitute teacher. That is all fine and dandy. However, unless I wanted to spend a few years living with my parents, I could not financially afford this.
If you are in the same boat, the solution to the problems is teaching abroad. However, what I found was that most teaching jobs overseas are paying teachers far less than they did a few years ago. Initially, I looked into South Korea because they paid me 30,000 USD a few years ago. Now, the average is around 20,000 USD. China paid around the same amount of money. However, they paid more in Hong Kong. Taiwan was trying to attract teachers with a teaching degree, but I could not get them to agree to anything over 25,000 for the year. Japan was willing to pay me 25,000 USD. However, with the high cost of living, 25,000 USD means you will not be able to save any money in Japan. When I was living in Japan, if I did not go out for the month, I could possibly save around 500 USD. I was also looking to teach in Europe. However, it is difficult to find a way in unless you belong to one of the EU countries. The salaries in relation to the high cost of living were also low.
I have discovered that the solution is in the Middle East. There are three countries that continue to pay a high salary are as follows: Kuwait, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. If you have a TESOL degree, many years of teaching experience, and are an English major, Kuwait and the UAE would be your best choice. However, if you lack those credentials, it is difficult to find your way in. Saudi Arabia is currently becoming the hot spot for native English speakers. For example, my company over here pays over $25,000 in benefits including the following:
• Base monthly salary, tax-free; paid vacation and holidays • Discretionary bonus based on fulfillment of the full term of the contract and performance • Quality and secure shared housing, with amenities including utilities.
• Fully paid medical benefits, including dental and optical coverage, in accordance with the plan • Transportation to and from home and work locations • Round trip transportation to and from Saudi Arabia from your home country
The greatest thing about the salary is that it is around what the average teacher is making in the United States. However, the teacher’s only cost is food. In addition, not only are your benefits not taxed, but your salary is not taxed either. If a teacher is not saving 80% of their paycheck, they are doing something wrong. The food over in Riyadh is significantly lower than the costs in the United States. The greatest problem most teachers are afraid about when traveling overseas are the cultural differences. There may be differences. Although, when you live in the compound, the culture is similar to the culture in your native country. Saudi Arabia is filled with many different types of foreigners. Every compound is like visiting another country. There is a Latin compound where you can learn how to salsa dance. There is an American compound where you can drink homemade beer. The culture outside of the compound is definitely Saudi. However, the compounds are a home away from home. I have multiple reasons for writing this letter. First of all, I know the great pressure in trying to find a job in the United States. Second, I am trying to recruit for my college called CTI. We desperately need at least 20 new teachers who can come into this program. My college had to turn away 4,500 Saudi students because we lacked available teachers. If you are friendly, have any BS degree, are a native English speaker, and have a passion for teaching, please send me your resume and I will forward it to our HR person at the college. Hopefully we can work together and ride out the financially difficult times in Saudi Arabia. Good luck in your search and I hope that your job search was not as difficult as mine was.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email. [email removed]
Thank you for your most informative note. I am a credentialed teacher here in the US. I have a degree in literature (a BA) and an (MA) in elementary education; also have two teaching licenses to teach: elementary ed and ESL: K-12.
Have taught in Japan and here, though not in possesson of a TESOL certificate, a knowledgeable source says that an actual ESL credential from a state is superior to that.
Am very experienced and have taught children throught adults English in Washington, DC, Kyoto and Stockholm. (for a fes months at a time, the last two places.)
Am fairly intrepid but have heard about threats to Americans, in particular there.....any comments on that?
Is there a "social life" for ex-pats in Saudi?
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Mark Kurita
On 11/15/10, Tony wrote: > We desperately need teachers. > > In these difficult financial times, the solution towards > finding jobs may not be within the states. From March > until August, I spent most of my financial resources > driving around the United States in search for a teaching > job. Unfortunately, most school districts were laying > workers off. To make matters worse, if they had any > openings, they were going to give the jobs to the teachers > who were recently fired. The only jobs that were available > to me were as a teacher assistant or a substitute teacher. > That is all fine and dandy. However, unless I wanted to > spend a few years living with my parents, I could not > financially afford this. > > If you are in the same boat, the solution to the problems > is teaching abroad. However, what I found was that most > teaching jobs overseas are paying teachers far less than > they did a few years ago. Initially, I looked into South > Korea because they paid me 30,000 USD a few years ago. Now, > the average is around 20,000 USD. China paid around the > same amount of money. However, they paid more in Hong Kong. > Taiwan was trying to attract teachers with a teaching > degree, but I could not get them to agree to anything over > 25,000 for the year. Japan was willing to pay me 25,000 > USD. However, with the high cost of living, 25,000 USD > means you will not be able to save any money in Japan. When > I was living in Japan, if I did not go out for the month, I > could possibly save around 500 USD. I was also looking to > teach in Europe. However, it is difficult to find a way in > unless you belong to one of the EU countries. The salaries > in relation to the high cost of living were also low. > > I have discovered that the solution is in the Middle East. > There are three countries that continue to pay a high > salary are as follows: Kuwait, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. If > you have a TESOL degree, many years of teaching experience, > and are an English major, Kuwait and the UAE would be your > best choice. However, if you lack those credentials, it is > difficult to find your way in. Saudi Arabia is currently > becoming the hot spot for native English speakers. > For example, my company over here pays over $25,000 in > benefits including the following: > > • Base monthly salary, tax-free; paid vacation and > holidays > • Discretionary bonus based on fulfillment of the > full term of the contract and performance > • Quality and secure shared housing, with amenities > including utilities. > > • Fully paid medical benefits, including dental and > optical coverage, in accordance with the plan > • Transportation to and from home and work locations > • Round trip transportation to and from Saudi > Arabia from your home country > > The greatest thing about the salary is that it is around > what the average teacher is making in the United States. > However, the teacher’s only cost is food. In addition, not > only are your benefits not taxed, but your salary is not > taxed either. If a teacher is not saving 80% of their > paycheck, they are doing something wrong. The food over in > Riyadh is significantly lower than the costs in the United > States. > The greatest problem most teachers are afraid about when > traveling overseas are the cultural differences. There may > be differences. Although, when you live in the compound, > the culture is similar to the culture in your native > country. Saudi Arabia is filled with many different types > of foreigners. Every compound is like visiting another > country. There is a Latin compound where you can learn how > to salsa dance. There is an American compound where you can > drink homemade beer. The culture outside of the compound is > definitely Saudi. However, the compounds are a home away > from home. > I have multiple reasons for writing this letter. First of > all, I know the great pressure in trying to find a job in > the United States. Second, I am trying to recruit for my > college called CTI. We desperately need at least 20 new > teachers who can come into this program. My college had to > turn away 4,500 Saudi students because we lacked available > teachers. > If you are friendly, have any BS degree, are a native > English speaker, and have a passion for teaching, please > send me your resume and I will forward it to our HR person > at the college. Hopefully we can work together and ride out > the financially difficult times in Saudi Arabia. Good luck > in your search and I hope that your job search was not as > difficult as mine was. > > If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an > email. > [email removed]
Saudi Arabia is a very safe country. You are more likely to get killed in a drive by shooting in America than you are to get killed in a terrorist threat in Saudi Arabia. Saudis love Americans and are high up in their social class. Unfortunately, there is a social class and anyone who is Muslim is in the highest class. However, they have loved US money for years, and they are opposed to any type of terrorism in their country. The king would not have it.
I do believe that SA is the easiest place to make money. However, it can be a challenging place to live. If you have good networking abilities, SA can be a fun place to stay. Although, you have to abide by Saudi law. Well, unless you go underground. Anything done behind closed doors is ok in Saudi culture as long as not too many people know about it. SA has changed drastically. However, now I am discovering that China is starting to pay teachers more.
I think China is the place to be now. From the past 20 years, money has flowed into China. If someone was young and smart, they would go to China, learn the language, and network with a Chinese partner in order to start a business.
I have a Chinese friend right now who is starting to run a chain of English schools. Unfortunately, they can not hire enough teachers. Currently they need 100 teachers. As a result, they are starting to pay Americans who have a teaching degree $30,000 USD to teach over here with free airfare and a free apartment. If you can get into an international school in China or Thailand, I hear they even pay better. Please look around and search for the best schools to teach in.
SA is one of the best places to save money but if you are not Muslim, it can be challenging to live there. In my personal opinion, in the long-term, if one learns Chinese, they will probably make signifantly more in the future.
If you are interested in teaching in China, I can forward your resume to my friend.
Best of luck in your decisions.
Sincerely,
Anthony Sisti [email removed]
On 8/01/12, Mark Kurita wrote: > Dear Mr. Sisti, > > Thank you for your most informative note. I am a credentialed > teacher here in the US. I have a degree in literature (a BA) > and an (MA) in elementary education; also have two teaching > licenses to teach: elementary ed and ESL: K-12. > > Have taught in Japan and here, though not in possesson of a > TESOL certificate, a knowledgeable source says that an actual > ESL credential from a state is superior to that. > > Am very experienced and have taught children throught adults > English in Washington, DC, Kyoto and Stockholm. (for a fes > months at a time, the last two places.) > > Am fairly intrepid but have heard about threats to Americans, > in particular there.....any comments on that? > > Is there a "social life" for ex-pats in Saudi? > > Thank you for your time. > > Sincerely, > > Mark Kurita > > > > On 11/15/10, Tony wrote: >> We desperately need teachers. >> >> In these difficult financial times, the solution towards >> finding jobs may not be within the states. From March >> until August, I spent most of my financial resources >> driving around the United States in search for a teaching >> job. Unfortunately, most school districts were laying >> workers off. To make matters worse, if they had any >> openings, they were going to give the jobs to the teachers >> who were recently fired. The only jobs that were available >> to me were as a teacher assistant or a substitute teacher. >> That is all fine and dandy. However, unless I wanted to >> spend a few years living with my parents, I could not >> financially afford this. >> >> If you are in the same boat, the solution to the problems >> is teaching abroad. However, what I found was that most >> teaching jobs overseas are paying teachers far less than >> they did a few years ago. Initially, I looked into South >> Korea because they paid me 30,000 USD a few years ago. Now, >> the average is around 20,000 USD. China paid around the >> same amount of money. However, they paid more in Hong Kong. >> Taiwan was trying to attract teachers with a teaching >> degree, but I could not get them to agree to anything over >> 25,000 for the year. Japan was willing to pay me 25,000 >> USD. However, with the high cost of living, 25,000 USD >> means you will not be able to save any money in Japan. When >> I was living in Japan, if I did not go out for the month, I >> could possibly save around 500 USD. I was also looking to >> teach in Europe. However, it is difficult to find a way in >> unless you belong to one of the EU countries. The salaries >> in relation to the high cost of living were also low. >> >> I have discovered that the solution is in the Middle East. >> There are three countries that continue to pay a high >> salary are as follows: Kuwait, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. If >> you have a TESOL degree, many years of teaching experience, >> and are an English major, Kuwait and the UAE would be your >> best choice. However, if you lack those credentials, it is >> difficult to find your way in. Saudi Arabia is currently >> becoming the hot spot for native English speakers. >> For example, my company over here pays over $25,000 in >> benefits including the following: >> >> • Base monthly salary, tax-free; paid vacation and >> holidays >> • Discretionary bonus based on fulfillment of the >> full term of the contract and performance >> • Quality and secure shared housing, with amenities >> including utilities. >> >> • Fully paid medical benefits, including dental and >> optical coverage, in accordance with the plan >> • Transportation to and from home and work locations >> • Round trip transportation to and from Saudi >> Arabia from your home country >> >> The greatest thing about the salary is that it is around >> what the average teacher is making in the United States. >> However, the teacher’s only cost is food. In addition, not >> only are your benefits not taxed, but your salary is not >> taxed either. If a teacher is not saving 80% of their >> paycheck, they are doing something wrong. The food over in >> Riyadh is significantly lower than the costs in the United >> States. >> The greatest problem most teachers are afraid about when >> traveling overseas are the cultural differences. There may >> be differences. Although, when you live in the compound, >> the culture is similar to the culture in your native >> country. Saudi Arabia is filled with many different types >> of foreigners. Every compound is like visiting another >> country. There is a Latin compound where you can learn how >> to salsa dance. There is an American compound where you can >> drink homemade beer. The culture outside of the compound is >> definitely Saudi. However, the compounds are a home away >> from home. >> I have multiple reasons for writing this letter. First of >> all, I know the great pressure in trying to find a job in >> the United States. Second, I am trying to recruit for my >> college called CTI. We desperately need at least 20 new >> teachers who can come into this program. My college had to >> turn away 4,500 Saudi students because we lacked available >> teachers. >> If you are friendly, have any BS degree, are a native >> English speaker, and have a passion for teaching, please >> send me your resume and I will forward it to our HR person >> at the college. Hopefully we can work together and ride out >> the financially difficult times in Saudi Arabia. Good luck >> in your search and I hope that your job search was not as >> difficult as mine was. >> >> If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an >> email. >> [email removed]
I desperately need one elementary teacher from ND to participate in our January postcard exchange. If you are able to participate, please email me as soon as possible.
I will fill you in on all the details when you decide to participate.
Thank you for your most informative note. I am a credentialed teacher here in the US. I have a degree in literature (a BA) and an (MA) in elementary education; also have two teaching licenses to teach: elementary ed and ESL: K-12.
Have taught in Japan and here, though not in possesson of a TESOL certificate, a kno...See More