/ November 22, 2022

Isis Idiokitas is an online entrepreneur with own her handmade necklace line. The most impressive part about it? She’s running her own business all while only in the fifth grade!

Isis: The Business Owner

Isis created her company, Tu Snaps, from her bedroom in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was spending a lot of time building her Legos and realized how many pieces she had just lying around after, so she put her creative mind to the test and found a way to make use of the extra blocks.

“I have heard of jewelry made from Lego but not as unique as Tu Snaps, so I thought I could create necklaces that are more like art,” says kid entrepreneur Isis, whose family and fans often rave about her confidence in opening up her own business at such a young age.

“I want kids to

I’ve been on a bit of a reading kick with a foodie theme this month, so it seemed fitting to continue the trend with The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, by Rachel Linden.

The book blurb sums this one up perfectly…”An uplifting novel about a heartbroken young pie maker who is granted a magical second chance to live the life she didn’t choose“. Swoon.

Oh my word how I ADORED this book. One of my favorite comfort reads this year. Right off the bat, you need to know that I LOVE magical realism. It’s one of my favorite genres, especially when done well. And this one is definitely that. One Italian Summer meets This Time Tomorrow meets The Midnight Library meets Sliding Doors. A story about lost love and second chances. I loved every second.

Lolly (the main character) was so lovable and the supporting

I saw this question on Quora recently and then most-upvoted response was curious to me, so I thought I’d offer my .02 as a teacher who sometimes struggled with this in practice.

And while I’m not sure it’d be widely useful for TeachThought readers and doesn’t really fit in with our typical content that focuses on critical thinking and innovation in education, I decided to share it here as well for any teachers who’ve been on either side of this scenario.

Question: What do other teachers think of the ‘cool teacher’ in school?

It depends on the nature of the ‘cool.’ It also depends on the school culture and the relationships the ‘cool’ teacher has built not only with students but other teachers and administrators. Content areas and grade levels would probably be factors as well–a ‘cool’ 2nd-grade teacher versus a high school drama teacher, for example. But broadly speaking,

In a successful strength observation, you will ask questions, expect unconventional answers, and learn about the students’ worlds. Searching for strengths in your students might seem intuitive, but it’s not. Since most of us educators were trained to identify students’ deficits, we have to actively work to identify their strengths. Pay attention to the following:

• Does the student work better independently or in a group?
• When does the student show excitement, boredom, more energy or less energy, frustration, or sustained focus?
• How easily do they initiate tasks, shift between tasks, and stay on task?
• Are they inspiring or motivating others?
• Are they creative in how they approach a given task?
• Do they leverage resources or social capital in a meaningful way?
• What was challenging for the student?
• What seemed easy for the student?
• What patterns did you notice throughout the observation?

After the observation, review your findings with the student.

In this webinar we were welcomed by Kayla Warburton, MEd in curriculum studies and early childhood educator! Kayla joined us to discuss how you can create an inclusive learning environment at your center. She focused on the ways we can create a safe space for the children in our care, and how we can comfortably embrace challenging conversations with children. Kayla also discussed how we can reflect on internalized stigmas of gender and sexuality and how we can alleviate fears we have to create a more inclusive space for all children. Keep reading to access the slides and the recording!

🎤Our Special Guests:

Kayla Warburton- MEd, ECE, Customer Success Specialist at HiMama

 Kayla is a mother to a toddler and was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. She entered into the child care space at a young age; first, as a volunteer at before and after school programs, and then