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Trade Schools– Anything but an Easy Out

I was talking with my friend and a teen girl in our neighborhood the other day, and the topic of jobs came up. My friend mentioned that her brother worked for our city doing various things such as snow plowing, clearing water lines, driving the city’s bigger trucks, etc. The young girl who was with us misunderstood and thought that meant he was also a garbage truck driver. Her immediate response was, “Ew! I wouldn’t want to do that!” We clarified that he didn’t drive the garbage trucks, explained again what it was that he did, then talked about how important all jobs are. Can you even imagine a world without our garbage workers, snow plow drivers, and sewer technicians? I don’t even want to think about what things would be like without hard working people who do those jobs. 

There are so many kinds of jobs out there— there is something for everyone— and not every job requires a bachelor’s degree or higher. Colleges and universities offer a wide selection of degrees and areas of study. While traditional colleges are great for some, they aren’t great for everyone. So what do you do if you want an education, but don’t really want to attend a traditional college or university? Perhaps a trade school might be a good fit!

Trade schools are so valuable! They provide education and opportunities to many people, and the jobs they train and educate people for are essential jobs in our society. Trade schools offer a wide variety of career training options— such as skilled trades, medical, business, automotive, digital arts, and more. These career fields are crucial! We need people who can properly and safely install the electrical wiring in a new building. We need nurse assistants and dental hygienists. If it weren’t for auto mechanics, a lot of us would be in heaps of trouble when our cars stopped working correctly. Imagine the chaos that could happen if your water lines burst— thank goodness for plumbers! Welders are crucial for creating the steel infrastructure of large buildings. Cosmetologists keep us looking our best. I’m especially thankful for HVAC techs who come fix my air conditioning when it breaks in the middle of a heat wave! 

Not only do trade schools provide the necessary education for these important jobs, they also provide hands on training and experience. Many offer apprenticeships, allowing students to dive right into the nitty-gritty of their chosen field. Experience is truly the best educator. I know I certainly wouldn’t be too excited about having a phlebotomist attempt to draw my blood without any prior practice, nor would I trust someone to properly install electrical wiring and components in my home who hasn’t had hands-on experience doing so. 

Other kinds of jobs have their own specific “trade” schools. Police officers, pilots, and others have specialized schools and academies that only offer instruction that is very specific to that particular career field. These schools are often separate from other programs and colleges. 

Traditional colleges and universities are valuable in their own right, and so are trade schools. They each have their value and place. It truly is an amazing thing to have so many kinds of education at our fingertips. There really is something for everyone. Trade schools are every bit as important as a four year college, master’s program, or doctorate program. They each provide specialized instruction for many career areas and allow for people of all walks of life to gain the necessary education for their interests. 

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Kids Say the Darnedest Things: Part 3

Who’s ready for the last batch of classroom funnies? I saved the best for last, and boy are they good! 

“I’m a long term sub as a preschool aid. I have one student who is constantly telling me to go to jail – “go to jail Ms. Debbie – go to jail ” or to just go away.”

“I’m a math aide, and I had a 1st grade student add 3+1 by saying “If I have 1 girlfriend and 3 more girlfriends show up.” 

“I was a behavior assistant and had a 2nd grader come up to me very upset at recess because this other kid told her, “You need to be like Ice Cream and chill out.” It was very hard to not laugh at that one because she was very upset by it.”

2nd grade: “A boy turned in a note (clearly written by him) that said, “he couldent finish his homewerk he was at sckouts.” … then when caught, followed up with an apology note saying, “Im sorry for riting a note becaus I wasnt don with my homework. And that I said my dad whate it.”

“My coworker who is in charge of after school made the comment, “I’m so tired of children, problem is my career deals with children.””(I’m pretty sure most teachers feel this way at some point!)

“I had an 8th grader who was born with some congenital defects that eventually led to his lower leg being amputated. He had a prosthetic, and was not at all ashamed of it. He would often take it off during class and put it back on backwards just to make people do a double take. I know it certainly took me by surprise the first time he did it to me!”

“I had a student tell the teacher that she had huffed a whole can of Febreeze and now she is tripping balls.” (Fifth grade)

“We had a 4 year old little girl in our class get really mad at another kid and said the following (and really enunciated every single sound)…..”shut up you freaking b*****d.”

From an 8th grade health teacher: “When trying to understand how a woman gets pregnant if they only need one sperm and egg, a boy asks, “Wait, so what happens to all the other sperm if it only takes one?” I answered that they die and are attacked by the female immune system as they’re seen as foreign invaders in the body. Another boy loudly says, “So, basically it’s like Gandalf saying, ‘You shall not pass!’” (Yes, he said it in the Gandalf voice). Another girl more quietly mumbled and replied with, “Or it’s the females cleaning up men’s messes again. Even our bodies have to fix their mistakes.”

“I’m a SPED teacher. I have a good story at least weekly, lol. I have a little guy with autism who just has the best imagination ever. He is often a robot and we have to wind him up for him to do his work (he really hates any work that involves writing). He once told us the real him stayed home to play video games, he had sent a clone instead.”

“I have a very opinionated kindergartner that loves to tattle-tale. He’ll stop me in the hallway to tell me (while pointing an accusatory finger) “him said…him said…(to the boy) What did you say?”

From an elementary SPED teacher: The next one is gross but had me dying. One of our kids is newly potty trained…mostly. He was in line walking by the front office with his class when he shakes a turd out of his pants leg!! The kid behind him goes “What is that?” and picks it up. He figured it out real quick and threw it across the foyer, where it went skidding down the tile. This was all right in front of the principal! We asked him why he didn’t tell us he needed to go to the bathroom. He said a spider put it there.”

And there you have it! Teaching may be a lot of things, but one thing it isn’t is boring. What’s the funniest thing you’ve had a student say or do?

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How to Stop Spring Break from Breaking You!

It’s Spring Break season! If your kids are anything like mine, the sudden lack of structure has them going a little bit wacky. On top of being out of our normal routine, our Spring Break has felt more like Winter Break, especially with the 2” of snow currently on our lawn. 

Since outdoor activities are a bit limited at the moment, we’ve had to come up with our own fun! I thought I’d share some ideas of things to do in case your Spring Break isn’t going how you had planned. The best part of these activities is that they involve learning or practicing skills in some way, but most of the time your child won’t even notice it’s a learning activity! Win-win!

  • Coloring pages- the internet is full of free printable coloring pages for any interest, age, or skill level. Or, you can click here and download the freebie I posted last week!
  • Easter Egg Match- cut out several plain white egg shapes and decorate them however you’d like. Then, cut them in half using different kinds of cut lines (zig-zag, wavy, scalloped, etc.). Spread them out and have your child match up the halves. 
  • Alphabet Match- On a large piece of paper (even the back side of wrapping paper will work!), write all the letters of the alphabet (choose either lower case or upper case). Next, on 26 different small pieces of paper or sticky notes, write the letters in the case opposite of what you wrote on the large paper. Put each paper inside a plastic Easter egg. Hide the eggs around the house, and as your child finds them, have them open it up, find, and tape the correct letter match on the large paper. Other options for this activity would be to match numbers, shapes, colors, or pictures. It is easily adapted for any age.
  • If weather permits, take a walk around the neighborhood. Before you go, create a simple list of things to find while you are on your walk. Take your list with you and do an outdoor scavenger hunt while you walk. Mark off the items on your list as you find them. 
  • Do some themed days! Have all activities and snacks tie to your theme. Learn about your theme, if applicable. Possible themes might include Disney, insects, colors, letters, or a specific place.
  • Make and deliver a treat and card to someone in your neighborhood who might be lonely or need some cheering up.
  • Create a spring time mosaic— draw a simple spring-themed shape (Easter egg, bunny, flower, etc.) on a plain white piece of paper. Cut up pieces of varying colors of construction paper into small squares. Have your child glue them onto the traced shape, covering the whole space. Cut out the shape and enjoy your child’s masterpiece! 
  • Think of different simple objects that can be built from Legos or other building blocks. Write them on small cards. Have a building competition where you pick one of the cards and everyone has to build whatever is on the card. Have fun seeing the different things your kids (and yourself) come up with! 

Hopefully your Spring Break is less winter-y than ours has been, and hopefully you’re able to find at least a few minutes each day to slow down with your kids and have fun. Use one or more of these ideas to inspire some fun, creative play and watch the magic happen! 

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Final Scholarship Reminder!

It’s time for your final scholarship application reminder/tip! Can you believe that applications are due in just SIX days?! It’s so exciting! I’ve really enjoyed reading through the applications that have been submitted so far– there are some really neat projects in the works!

Remember that all applications must be submitted no later than Monday, April 7, 2025 at 11:59 pm MST.

Before you push that “submit” button, please double check a few things:

  • Proofread your application– read over and correct any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors you may find.
  • Double (or triple) check that all email addresses, phone numbers, and names are correctly entered on your application. If we can’t contact you, your mentor, high school, or planned college, we won’t be able to proceed in the event that your project is chosen as a finalist.
  • Please make sure your pictures are uploaded in a publish-able format. For the photo requirement, we cannot accept photos that are submitted in a Google slide show or a video. You can definitely add photos to your required video, but we also need them uploaded separately. If you choose to share them with us via Google Drive, please make sure you have checked the share settings. It seems obvious, but I can’t view your photos if I don’t have access to the file.
  • Don’t skip over the video requirement! If you don’t submit a video that meets the requirements we have posted here, we will not be able to consider your application. Again, please check the link or share settings to make sure they work.

Should you have any questions, you can contact us via email at scholarship@honorsgraduation.com.

Lastly, take a minute and breathe! You are doing amazing things!

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Weekly Scholarship Reminder

Here is your weekly scholarship reminder/tip!

All applications for this year’s Build A Better Scholarship are due on or before Monday, April 7, 2025 at 11:59 pm MST. That’s just 12 days away!

Before submitting, please make sure to double or triple check that your contact information for yourself, mentor, and high school is correct. On your application, you need to include:

  • Your email and phone number
  • Your mentor’s email and phone number (this must be someone who is directly involved in your project)
  • Your high school name, phone number, and city
  • Name, email, and phone number for the registrar or secretary from your high school
  • Name of the college, trade school, or university you will be attending in the fall

You can find other weekly reminders here and here.

If you have any other questions, you can check out our scholarship page here, or can send us an email at scholarship@honorsgraduation.com.

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Spring Coloring Pages- Free Printable

It’s finally feeling like Spring where I live– is it where you are? The warmer temperatures are a welcome thing after a cold winter! To celebrate Spring finally coming, I designed a couple of free printables for you to use in your classroom! Below you will find a downloadable coloring page as well as a page of bookmarks that can be printed and colored.

Enjoy these pages, but please only use them for personal or classroom use. They are not to be resold or shared as your own. Thank you!

Spring Coloring Page-2Download
Spring BookmarksDownload
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Kids Say the Darnedest Things, Part 2

Monday seemed like a good day to share part 2 of the funny things kids have done and said. Let’s jump right into it!

From a kindergarten teacher: “I was reading a book to students, in one of the pages a kid forgot to put his pants on and went to school in boxers.. all of the sudden a girl student starts laughing and says: just like my dad, he forgets to put his pants on everyday we have breakfast  she says- he’s always in his “calzoncillos” which is funnier when you say it in Spanish. (Her dad always came to pick her up after school, I just smiled at him that day)”

“I was kneeling down with a student when another student came behind me and whispered “Anaconda squeeze” before giving me a hug.” (1st grade)

From a fourth grade teacher: “I had a herd of students looking for the back of my earring… turns out it was in my hair.” (Even the teachers do/say funny things sometimes!)

“I had a student tell me the system was rigged. He wanted to come to school and hang out, not to learn!” (4th grade)

“I assigned the students to write a paper on something each felt they needed to improve. One student said that she’d always struggled with “low shelf of steam”.” (8th grade)

“I had a 4th grader who detested the novel we were reading– James and the Giant Peach. She refused to do the writing assignment because “James was an abomination and should be cast down to hell!” I let her, instead, write about all of the things wrong with the book as a VERY strong opinion piece!”

“I am a teacher and I had a student tell me they didn’t have time to do homework because their mom makes them clean too much.”

“I had a student in 7th grade come into my room with his mother for a parent-teacher conference. I smiled and greeted them. He turned to his mom and said, “I told you she always smiles at everybody. You should try to be like that!””

“A former sophomore who had been forced to pass tenth grade and endlessly exorted that he’d care one day that his dad had made him complete tenth grade came to visit. He said, ” you know how you would always tell me that one day I’d care?” I got a bit excited. “Yeah, well, I still don’t.”

He followed up with “but I can see that someday, I might.””

“I was saying a base word fury but instead of saying that I pronounced it as furry. Until I added the suffix. It was furious. I realized my mistake and tried yo play it off until my 3rd graders called me out. It was one of those days.”

Stay tuned for part 3— I’ve saved the best for last!