Articles written by Carolyn Brown

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About me - Carolyn Brown

Deep down inside, Mrs. Brown is that teacher you love and hate at the same time. She's demanding and a tough grader, but her classes are so much fun. She lives in Utah with her husband and a very large dog of indeterminate breed.

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Education > Homework & Testing Do children receive too much homework?: 1 of 28
Most parents are painfully aware of the strains placed on children and families by excessive homework. But some teachers-like me-know, too. Often, teachers who give excessive homework give homework that has zero educational value. These assignments include word and number games, spatial reasoning puzzles, and the dreaded wor... More..
Education > Education (Other) Is history really our teacher?: 2 of 12
When someone says "History is our true teacher," what exactly does he mean? It seems a good axiom, but under closer scrutiny, it's a glib phrase that really means, "I don't want to have to closely examine current events." History cannot be our teacher because it is too fluid. It's often said that the winners write the histor... More..
Education > Education (Other) How much is too much after-school activity?: 1 of 6
When a parents begins to wonder how much after-school activity is too much, it's usually safe to say that their child is involved in too much of a good thing. After all, we generally don't worry about things that are going well. After-school activities are excessive when the family and the child are stretched too thing to en... More..
Education > Homework & Testing Tips for rewarding homework accomplishments: 2 of 11
After countless parent-teacher conferences, I have found that parents usually hold one of two opinions about rewarding their children for homework: rewards should be predetermined and expensive, or rewards should be a surprise and relatively inexpensive. As a teacher, I have found the best way to help a failing child buckle ... More..
Education > Alternative Education (Other) Surviving summer school: 1 of 5
The vast majority of American kids relish the summertime, mostly because they are free from school. A few, though, keep going to school. For kids and parents, this can be a hard road. As a teacher, I learned a lot from my summertime students about how to get a kid through class when he wants to be sleeping in a hammock. Here... More..
Education > Education (Other) Do children learn better in single-sex schools?: 6 of 27
Many people tout single-sex classes or schools as a major benefit for girls in math and science classes. They mention that the girls aren't intimidated in these traditionally male-dominated fields and that they speak up more readily. Girls who have been in these classes talk about a feeling of freedom from impressing the boy... More..
Education > Financing College Should students expect the government to help pay for college expenses?: 10 of 42
Two centuries ago, a primary education was all that was truly necessary to make a decent living in America. If a man had mastered reading, writing, 'rithamtic, he had sufficient education to provide for his family. The American people knew that the society as a whole was benefited by providing education to all who wanted it.... More..
Education > Secondary School Issues Slipping through the cracks: The problem of overcrowding in schools: 1 of 4
I arrived for the first day of class. I'd prepared the week before to teach four sections of remedial English during the Summer Session and was excited to begin. Then I saw my class lists. My classes had 43, 35, 48, and 62 students in them. I was dumbfounded. I knew there were only 34 desks in my room. As the term progressed... More..
Education > Homework & Testing How to help your child with foreign languages: 1 of 4
Virtually all parents help a child with school work at some point in their lives. For most subjects it's fairly simple, because the parents remembers taking history or algebra. But what do you do if your child is taking Spanish and you took French? Here are some ways to help your child with a language that's all Greek to you... More..
Education > Teachers & Administrators Student teachers: Tips for dressing appropriately for the classroom: 4 of 13
Welcome back to high school, the land of snap-judgments, vicious opinions, and relentless pressure to impress! The new teacher-whether a student teacher, a transfer from another district, or a newly-minted credentialed teacher-will be evaluated by students and colleagues based first on their appearance. To help you make the ... More..