hsingscrapper Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 What would you say is your most indispensable teaching tool or tools? You know. The item or items that make your job easier regardless of your dc's age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Wine and chocolate. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Seriously, Well-Trained Mind ranks in the top. Also some specific subject reference encyclopedias. I also have some higher level writing books that have been helpful. Basically books that make me feel more confident in my teaching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Wine and chocolate. :lol: :iagree: Don't forget the coffee. Gotta have the coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Seriously, Well-Trained Mind ranks in the top. Also some specific subject reference encyclopedias. I also have some higher level writing books that have been helpful. Basically books that make me feel more confident in my teaching. So I'll just go around carrying a sign tonight. :iagree: The only thing I have besides shelves of good and great books that has been usful for all three of my kids so far is TWTM, some maps, and a globe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Two: My kitchen timer and my whiteboard. Wait, third would be the internet! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Whiteboard. Big school table. Divider so boys cant look at each other.:tongue_smilie: Notebooking sheets. Loving notebooking right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nature Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Definitely the internet. Makes teaching so much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 White board Sense of humor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBS Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Computer and printer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Google. We use google search at least 5 times a day. I'm also appreciative of my printer's copy function. And my son's math tutor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Internet for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Pencil and paper for any age. Might be tedious but most subjects can be explained with pencil and paper. I need the coffee due to insomnia but hubby does not need coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Internet. I have been amazed by what's freely available on the web. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmsurbat Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 I second the whiteboard (Sometimes the mere fact of explaining/working a problem with motor movement does the trick) and encyclopedias (Of course, I primarily home-schooled the kids during the pre-internet-google everything days...) Another LIFE saver: Those post-it tabs (not notes). They saved me and the kids countless annoying minutes of trying to find our place in everything from read-alouds, teacher notes, lessons, tests, answer keys, reading books, textbooks, you name it. They were so easy to keep moving to the correct page/next section and have decent stickability. I love my post-it tabs! And I'd add: buying good books. Yes, I know many just check them out of the library. But with five kids, having our own good books on hand meant quality reading anytime. Even now, my post-college kids will come home on vacation and enjoy a delighted hour or two rereading some of our favorites. Good/Great books are a lifetime investment.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Lap sized dry erase boards. We use them every day and for multiple subjects. In fact, we've been doing this since ds16 was about 6 years old. One drawback is that he now hates writing on paper. I'm hoping he's going to learn that he can't take his dry erase board with him to college. :tongue_smilie: Of course I should say internet but I see that as a way of life, not necessarily a school resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 The Internet/Google (search engines)/computer. My youngest (the currently homeschooled one) totally amazes me with the knowledge he spews out about things he's looked up on his own. Granted a lot of it is sheer trivia, but the fact that he's so curious about a wide variety of things and follows up by looking them up is something I find totally awesome. I can't imagine how different my childhood would have been if I'd had those resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Another LIFE saver: Those post-it tabs (not notes). They saved me and the kids countless annoying minutes of trying to find our place in everything from read-alouds, teacher notes, lessons, tests, answer keys, reading books, textbooks, you name it. They were so easy to keep moving to the correct page/next section and have decent stickability. I love my post-it tabs! Seriously! :iagree::iagree: Encyclopedia-type books - DK, Usborne type. Hard not to smile at a kid sitting at the kitchen table perusing a big ol' history encyclopedia. Library cards. Amazon prime (because we can't get everything from the library). Coffee, wine, chocolate, frozen pizza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Thank you all for sharing! So the general consensus on physical items is whiteboards, encyclopedias, and post-it notes/flags. I'm trying to pick out a few things for myself from Rainbow to make my job easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BibleBeltCatholicMom Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 (edited) Once again I'll disagree with most: I think the internet and most other tech is way overrated in education. I do use it and (see below) my daughter has several online classes that we LOVE! Still . . . Anyway, as someone above said, subject specific reference books are a must around here. We have had to collect them slowly and I didn't have them all when I needed them but now i"m set to homeschool my grand children! I think these are indispensable: -- Bible and good commentary -- Catechism of the Catholic Church and at least the 2nd St. Joseph's B'more Catechism -- Good resource for Saints/martyrs (if I could only have one: The Golden Legend) -- Gk/Roman mythology resources -- encyclopedias -- science encyclopedias -- geography encyclopedias -- LOT of poetry (by author and anthologies) -- excellent adult/college level grammar resource (even if your kids are littles) -- excellent literature: start now collecting wonderful books. An excellent resource list is at Angelicum.net. Start at pk and work through. -- I also love my printer/copier. -- Good set of colored pencils, permanent/dry-erase/wet-erase markers in a variety of colors, -- I love my great big white board but we hardly ever use it now. In elem and much of middle we did but now hardly ever. oh, a good globe. and you might as well make it a pretty one b/c it'll be around a while. oh, oh, legos . . . from math concepts to catapult testing, from art to architecture. Must Have! oh, oh, oh, seriously, a stocked pantry/freezer. yep, in all earnestness, it saves the day . . . of course, you probably can't get that from RR. too bad! Edited September 29, 2012 by BibleBeltCatholicMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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