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1. While I was roaming around Biltmore over New Years I became enthralled with the ornamentation found everywhere along the 780-foot façade. I love to take close-up pictures of architectural details, and Biltmore provides me with all sorts of delights. 2. One of the things that Mr. Elementaryhistoryteacher and I focused on were the many gargoyles on the house. The word ‘gargoyles’ is derived from an old French word gargouille , meaning throat. The English words gargle, gurgle, and gargoyle are derived from gargouille. 3. Some believe that gargoyles – sometimes called grotesques – are inspired by the skeletal remains of prehistoric dinosaurs and other fossils. Originally a gargoyle was considered a waterspout, directing water away from a building. Yes, I agree.....the figure below seems rather proud of his ummmm.....attributes. 4. Technically an architect calls a waterspout on a building a gargoyle. It a stone carving does not carry water and has a face that resembles a creature, it ...

Vocabulary is key when teaching any subject from Math ( integer….diameter….cotangent ) to Science ( antimatter…circuit…velocity ) from Language Arts ( compound sentence…simile…alliteration ) to Social Studies ( amendment…capital resources…inalienable ). If students are unable to master and manipulate the subject’s vernacular they will encounter difficulty reading various texts, understanding their notes, and once April rolls around the student might not be able to understand the questions on the all important state mandated test. Vocabulary acts as the foundation for each instructional unit. In fact, Marzano contends in his book Building Academic Vocabulary (2005), “…students in the 50th percentile in terms of ability to comprehend the subject matter taught in school, with no direct vocabulary instruction, scores in the 50th percentile ranking. The same student after specific content-area terms have been taught in a specific way, raises his/her comprehension ability to the 83rd perce...

I have this deep dark secret. I’ve never really shared it with anyone. My secret doesn’t exactly fit the image many have of me….the quiet unassuming married school marm who in the past has lugged home not just one but two large bags each night filled to capacity with papers to grade, materials to review and to plan lessons with, paperwork to complete, and an assortment of other effects that teachers just seem to accumulate. Teachers just have that image...always doing the right thing, always saying the right thing, always being where they are expected to be, but I have this desire… If I could….if the timing was right…..if I had the funds….if my health was better…..if I didn’t have so many obligations…if ….if….if….if….if… IF I actually had the nerve I would run away. Yes, you read that right. ElementaryHistoryTeacher would love to run away. The reason? Well, to travel, of course. I want to see and experience the world. I want to see the Great Pyramid, the Great Wall of China, and see...

Some things just bear repeating. I’ve been at the beach…again…for the last couple of days, so it’s more than appropriate to share a repeat of an earlier post written on this very same beach three years ago this month….. Mr. EHT and I were up and out very early this morning enjoying yet another sunrise on MY beach. It is not lost on me how things change….and how they remain the same. Enjoy my post I Conquer This Beach in the Name of ElementaryHistoryTeacher !