Articles written by Carrle Hopkins

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About me - Carrle Hopkins

I have a journalism degree and did freelance newspaper and magazine articles right out of college. Then I decided to teach English and have done so for the past twenty-one years. I also direct our school's one-act play and coach speaking events. I have two

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Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting Methods Should parents use corporal punishment to discipline children?: 1 of 52
Corporal punishment has proven to be an effective discipline tool in my family for generations. My grandparents, my parents, and my husband and I have all used corporal punishment as a last -resort discipline tool. As a teacher I have also seen it as a successful deterrent when other measures have failed. First my grandpa... More..
Education > Study Skills & Test Taking Do final exams help or hinder the education process?: 2 of 21
As with many educational dilemmas, the pendulum of the necessity of final exams continually swings from needed to useless and back again. As a teacher of twenty-plus years and as a former student, I have weighed both sides of the final exam issue and been better able to understand why so many high school require finals in cor... More..
Education > Primary School (Other) Advice for parents sending their children to middle school for the first time: 4 of 20
The transition to middle school may be frightening for students, but parents may experience difficulties that will require new parenting responsibilities as well. After twenty-one years of teaching middle school, the two biggest differences between elementary and middle school that I have observed are: the cruelness of ad... More..
Other Is Friday 13th really a day of bad luck?: 7 of 33
Until about three years ago, I just chalked up Friday the Thirteenth as an old myth and a bad movie. But, that all changed one Friday the Thirteenth in February. My son and his friend who were eleven had stayed after school to play basketball in the gym with two young coaches that I taught with at the local junior high. ... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Wedding Party & Guests Who should pay for guests' transportation at a wedding?: 3 of 13
With the ever rising costs of a wedding, couples can quickly see the expenses spiral out of control. Transportation for wedding guests can be one of the most expensive items that can bust even the most liberal budgets. Therefore, this is an expense that some couples must take into consideration immediately when planning thei... More..
Education > School Bullying & Violence School violence: Has it reached your home town: 3 of 7
Although as a teacher I am painfully aware that school violence is prevalent across America, I still felt safe in my early years of teaching. That feeling has all but disappeared for me, and I do not teach in a violence-ridden, gang-infested, inner-city school where teachers receive "combat" pay under some other less offe... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Explain the verse "Love your neighbor as yourself": 25 of 53
In today's world with the influence of print, television, and computerized media, the commandment to "Love your neighbor as yourself," has become more complicated. Self-loathing seems to have become the norm. Articles like "Hate the way your thighs look read here" or "Working moms get rid of your self-hate by ." Then ... More..
Education > Reading & Writing Skills Oral reading in class causes reluctant readers: 1 of 1
Many teachers have used oral reading to develop skills in reading classes and in other classes to get through text portion of particular lesson. In actuality what they may be doing inadvertently is destroying these students' self-esteem and tenacity for learning. Oral reading is often done in a round robin type activity, an... More..
Relationships & Family > Family Life How to entertain guests on a budget: 15 of 21
As the economy has become more unstable, many people have had to make serious cutbacks on their spending, especially on non-essentials like entertaining friends. But, these are the times when friends need to be able to have social gatherings to help forget the stress if just for a little while. Now with little money to work ... More..
Relationships & Family > Family Life How to deal with guests who bring along unwelcome pets: 17 of 20
There it is the long awaited sound of the doorbell signaling the arrival of a loved one or dear friend. With great anticipation, a speedy trip to welcome the guests is suddenly halted by the yipping bark of a small four-legged, uninvited guest. When a visitor decides to bring along his/her pet without notifying the host, al... More..