Hello everyone! Before I start, I want to thank Betty Jo for giving me the idea for my post today. You can read her educational post that inspired me here. To read more of her posts, go to her blog, Still Learning Something New. (I love her blog title, because she did teach me something new today. It is very fitting.)
Anyway, while Betty Jo's post was about homeschooling plans about Aesop and retelling his fables, mine focuses on quotes. (She did have a link to some of his quotes, which is really what gave me the idea for my post.)
Quotes are a great way to teach life's lessons and concepts. They are short and to the point. Often, the quotes "pack a punch" with their message. It doesn't matter where you find the quote. However, if you can find a powerful source, it makes it all the more powerful of a lesson.
For example, if you want to teach your child a lesson or drive home a principle, instead of saying "this is the way it is" or "you should do this," you can find a quote and build a lesson around it. Maybe read one of Aesop's fables as an example. Get your child excited about the author. Then, show him or her the quote that drives home the message that you wanted to share. It could be one like, "We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified." (Aesop) Ask your child what that means. Have him or her look up any words that he or she doesn't understand. (I am thinking that "gratified" might be difficult for some children to understand.) After doing a little research, I have found that "The Tortoise and the Eagle" might teach that lesson. Maybe, have your child read it. It may be more exciting for a child to say, "Aesop said…" or "this story said…" instead of Mom told me to "be careful what I wish for."
Note, if you teach in a public school and want to teach values, you may want to send a note home to parents to make sure they are fine with the values that you plan on teaching. Not everyone shares the same beliefs. However, sometimes it is good to teach a quote just as a fact of what someone has said. Let the right and wrong of it, be up to each individual student and his or her family.
Whether you are a classroom teacher, a homeschooler, or a parent looking for a way to drive home a specific point, quotes are great resources and wonderful teaching tools. What are some of your favorite quotes?
Anyway, while Betty Jo's post was about homeschooling plans about Aesop and retelling his fables, mine focuses on quotes. (She did have a link to some of his quotes, which is really what gave me the idea for my post.)
Quotes are a great way to teach life's lessons and concepts. They are short and to the point. Often, the quotes "pack a punch" with their message. It doesn't matter where you find the quote. However, if you can find a powerful source, it makes it all the more powerful of a lesson.
For example, if you want to teach your child a lesson or drive home a principle, instead of saying "this is the way it is" or "you should do this," you can find a quote and build a lesson around it. Maybe read one of Aesop's fables as an example. Get your child excited about the author. Then, show him or her the quote that drives home the message that you wanted to share. It could be one like, "We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified." (Aesop) Ask your child what that means. Have him or her look up any words that he or she doesn't understand. (I am thinking that "gratified" might be difficult for some children to understand.) After doing a little research, I have found that "The Tortoise and the Eagle" might teach that lesson. Maybe, have your child read it. It may be more exciting for a child to say, "Aesop said…" or "this story said…" instead of Mom told me to "be careful what I wish for."
Note, if you teach in a public school and want to teach values, you may want to send a note home to parents to make sure they are fine with the values that you plan on teaching. Not everyone shares the same beliefs. However, sometimes it is good to teach a quote just as a fact of what someone has said. Let the right and wrong of it, be up to each individual student and his or her family.
Whether you are a classroom teacher, a homeschooler, or a parent looking for a way to drive home a specific point, quotes are great resources and wonderful teaching tools. What are some of your favorite quotes?
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