McKenzie Ross

November 4, 2021November 4, 2021

Review Games For Every Age and Subject

review games for every age and every subject

Points: This one is simple. It’s easy and can be done on a whim. Divide the class into groups or just in half. Start asking questions on the topic you want to review and give points to teams that answer correctly. It’s a bonus if you ask probing questions that require a discussion among the team!

Kahoot!: I believe this game is well-known among most teachers, but if not, you can see their website here. It’s free! And a great way to study as a whole group or individually.

Jeopardy: A classic! You can find free templates online to use from your computer, or go with the old-fashioned paper taped to the whiteboard way. This can be fun to switch it up from not using technology all of the time, and it’s an easy one to store and use again the next year.

Beach Ball Toss: Write or tape review questions onto a beach ball and toss it around the room. Whoever catches the beach ball, answer the question that their left thumb lands on.

Hedbanz: If you own this popular game, you can easily change out the cards to reflect the information you are reviewing.

Whiteboards: Need a review game but haven’t planned ahead? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Have your students grab their personal whiteboards and write or draw answers to questions. If you want to promote collaboration, break into groups and have each group answer on one whiteboard.

Be The Teacher: This role reversal can be so fun for students! It can be done as a bigger project that lasts a few weeks with plenty of preparation, or just on a whim if you feel like you have students that can easily get up and teach specific subject matter.

November 3, 2021November 3, 2021

Why Learning Geography Is Important (Pt. 2)

Back in 2013, we published an article on “3 Reasons Why Learning Geography is Important.”

The three reasons outlined in the article are:

“ Increasing Worldviews: This is what opens doors for students to realize that there are unlimited options for the “right” ways to live your life. Learning about other cultures (and where they’re located) is a huge step in increasing tolerance of all different lifestyles. It shows the differences, which we all expect to see, but can also shed light on unchanging factions of human nature that we all share.

Creating Contributing Citizens: Knowing about geography, the resources located in each country, and the effect those have on the economy can educate students on the reasons for certain current events. Learning about the governments in each country can also contribute to growth in other areas involving world events.

It’s Impressive: Not that we should learn solely to impress others, but there is something to be said for a person who can talk about Azerbaijan and Andorra. Plus, if you ever want to work for the CIA or be the next Lara Croft or James Bond, knowing your geography is a must! Haven’t you ever noticed how all the really awesome adventure stars in movies randomly know all sorts of things about the most random places? Geography.”

While this article still stands and is relevant today, there are more points that I feel like we can add about learning geography.

Studying Geography is a gateway into studying History. So we know the pyramids are in Egypt and the Eiffel Tower is in Paris, but what’s the history behind it? What can we learn about why these icons are there, where they came from, and who built them? There is so much of our world’s geography to learn, along with the history and background of the location.

Globalization: Some of our oldest community members do not fully grasp the concept of globalization, because the idea of leaving your state, let alone your own community, was not as attainable as it is in today’s world. Right now we can have conference calls while sitting at our home in Minnesota with someone else sitting in their home in India and another person at their home in Japan. And even beyond that, it’s a simple airplane ride away to visit these various places for work, recreation, education, and more. Navigating our entire world is easier than ever, and it’s important to know where you’re going while doing it.

And more. There are so many reasons to learn geography! It is not a lost subject, it should be a growing one. What other reasons would you add to this list?

October 28, 2021October 28, 2021

Supporting Your Philanthropy Through The Holidays

The holiday season is coming up, which means a whirlwind of things to remember and do! But one thing that is always on the mind of a sorority and fraternity is, “How do we support our philanthropy through the holidays as well?” It’s no secret that everyone needs a little extra love and help during this time of the year, so here are a few ideas of ways you can help support.

Fundraisers- the possibilities of fundraisers are endless!

Donate unused items- it’s such a great way to go through everything in your organization’s house and find unused items that can be donated directly to your philanthropy in one way or another.

Give your time- giving doesn’t have to require your money. Sometimes a few hours serving your philanthropy in some way can be incredibly beneficial. Reach out to them to see what you and your organization can help with. Many hands make light work!

Reach out to other sororities and fraternities to see how you can help

How else do you support your philanthropy through the holidays?

October 25, 2021October 25, 2021

Teaching Empathy in School

A big change in the school’s curriculum over the last ten years is adding in the process of teaching empathy to kids. While some parents and teachers believe it’s a waste of time in the day, others have seen the positive effects of taking that time out of their day to explicitly teach how to be empathetic to their students.

This YouTube video is a pretty well-known video, as it’s been out for a few years. However, I think it’s a great reminder no matter how many times you’ve watched it!

I noticed firsthand how well modeling empathy works as I watched my 4-year-old daughter sit on the steps with her crying friend. She placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder, sat in the sound of her cries for a time, and eventually said, “This made you really sad, I am here for you.”

My four-year-old had just displayed better empathetic skills than I ever have and I was blown away! But upon pondering why she was so incredible at handling the situation at such a young age, I came to the conclusion that she has an army of great examples all around her teaching empathy, being myself, her grandparents, her teachers, and more!

After this encounter with my daughter, it really made me stand on the side of teaching empathy in schools and how important it can look. Because what would have been the alternative to her not showing empathy? Her friend would have been crying on the stairs and my daughter would have reacted in a way that included saying things like, “Stop crying, it’s time to play!” or, “Sorry you’re sad, that sucks for you.” and it would have dismissed her friend’s feelings, causing more sadness and hurt. But instead, she recognized the feelings in her friend and sat in sadness with her for as long as it took.

I can’t see why the alternative would have been a better way for her to react than using her skills to show empathy would have been. So, yes. I do stand on the side of teaching empathy in schools. And yes, it will take more time and effort on everyone’s part. But what results would come from it? In extreme cases, it can save a life.

What are your thoughts on teaching empathy in schools?

October 22, 2021October 22, 2021

Gift Giving For Kids: The Benefits, Even When It’s Hard

Every Christmas, birthday, and other gift-giving holidays I drag my kids to the store to help them pick out gifts for friends, teachers, siblings, and more.

Maybe saying “I drag my kids” is the wrong way to phrase this. More like… “My kids drag me” to the store. I know it’s important and such a great learning moment for my kids, but let’s be honest, it’s hard! And a lot of work on the parent’s end. So why do we do it?? Why don’t we just buy the gift on our own time and slap their name on it?

Because there’s no learning in doing it that way.

It is hard and a lot of work to take the time to teach our kids the value and benefit of gift-giving, but they learn so much from it.

Like genuine love for another person.

And that others have needs that they can help meet.

They learn empathy through gift-giving.

And how to genuinely care for someone else.

It gives them a chance to think about and ponder the person they want to get a gift for.

It brings out the happiness in them that you can only get when giving gifts.

Their confidence is given a boost as well when they watch the receiver open the gift.

And it teaches them grace and proper reactions for their own gift receiving.

This list is just a small amount of what goes on in the process of gift-giving with kids, so of course, it’s worth it! Maybe this list is more for me, but hopefully when you’re in the trenches of Target trying to settle on a good gift for your children’s grandparents, just remember the lessons they are learning are absolutely priceless and will stay with them through the rest of their lives.

October 19, 2021October 19, 2021

#GoGreek Interview: Liz Hansen

Welcome to our #GoGreek series! This blog series focuses on interviewing past and present members of sororities and fraternities. We are able to learn more about their experiences and ask them questions to help others learn more about the Greek world, bust stigmas, and find out if Greek life is right for you. Check out all of our #GoGreek interviews here.

Today we are interviewing Liz Hansen. Liz is a member of Alpha Chi Omega at Marquette. Not only is she part of Greek life, but she was also a recipient of our 2019 Design a Better Future scholarship!

Liz was drawn to Alpha Chi Omega because she loved their philanthropy. It really impressed her how she could impact her community not only nationally, but locally as well. She also loved that the girls involved in Alpha Chi Omega were genuine and helped her become the best version of herself.

What drew you to Greek life?

At Marquette, all sororities have to have a service component as well as a social component, which I thought was great. I am a big believer in being involved in the community and it seemed like a good way to do so at college. Alongside that, I wanted to push myself to grow as a person and I could tell that any of Marquette’s sororities would help me do such.

What is your philanthropy and what effect does serving this philanthropy have on your life?

Our philanthropy is domestic violence awareness, and I have learned so much from being involved with our philanthropy. I never truly understood how big of an issue domestic violence is until I joined AXO. Through volunteering at a local women’s shelter, I have also seen how it impacts people up close, as well as the Milwaukee community. We also stress the importance of understanding what is and is not a healthy relationship, whether romantically or just as friends. That knowledge is so applicable every day, and I feel like I’ve become a better friend from it.

Liz’s advice for anyone considering joining a sorority or fraternity is to make sure that your values align with the organization and also allow you space to grow as a person in your time there.

October 18, 2021October 18, 2021

Helping You Offset Classroom Costs

Extra pencils
Crayons
Highlighters
Sticky notes
Anchor charts
Bulletin board supplies
Sticky tack
Pens
Dry erase markers and erasers
Classroom books

Just a small list of must-haves at the start of a new school year for teachers, no matter how long they’ve been teaching! Supplies wear out, get lost, or break and every year a new list must be written. But where’s the flaw in this? Teachers aren’t buying these supplies and turning in their expense reports to the principal to be reimbursed. They aren’t turning their lists of supplies into the secretary to order, either. Teachers are paying out of pocket for their supplies each year, and let’s be honest, they don’t get paid enough to do that!

It’s a broken system, and it’s unfair to teachers everywhere. But until something changes, here are a few tips to keep your personal costs down when it comes to supplying your classroom with what it needs.

Make a list of wants vs needs. Do you NEED borders for your bulletin boards in order for your students to learn and grow? No! If you are able to buy them, great! If not, don’t stress. Have your students create some for you! Be very reasonable with yourself on what your classroom wants and what it actually needs.

Ask family, friends, and neighbors to donate to your classroom. Creating an Amazon wishlist is a great option for them to know exactly what you need and gives them the ability to support you in an easy, convenient way. Read more about #ClearTheList here.

Enlist parents of your students to help. Tell them your classroom needs and give them the option to donate if they can!

DIY instead of buy! Target has great book bins, but a quick Pinterest search gives you plenty of ideas on how to make them yourself out of recycled material. Bonus that you are recycling!

Create a Donors Choose to help raise funds for the bigger projects/ needs of your classroom.

Reach out to your school and district to see what they are willing to supply and what else falls on you. Some schools are willing to chip in a certain amount of supplies and some schools are not able to supply anything. It’s worth it to ask!

What else do you do to offset the costs of school supplies for your classroom?