Thank you, Steve, for another wonderful example of the importance of reading and reading aloud. Clearly, his school classroom was just as rich in educating and understanding children as his Curbside Classroom.
Sometimes, the simplest reward can motivate kids. Take the 1 cent Pixy Stix…
A Chrysler assembly plant and Green Giant packing plant were the chief employers in the small northern Illinois town where I began my working career fresh out of college, an elementary school teacher for five years before transitioning into a life long sales position.
I had 32 students at a time when classroom size was not a high priority, especially in this rural blue collar town. The work was hard, fun and challenging. It’s teaching!
In elementary school, you teach the gamut of subjects: math, social studies, language, handwriting and reading. Specialists visited weekly to teach art and music. There were no computers in the class, nor the school, nor anywhere except big, temperature controlled rooms in office buildings.
Lesson plans were followed, accordingly, as we covered ‘new’ math, old history and the wonders of science. But…
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A Teacher's Reflections 
Who knew that good ole Pixie Sticks could support children’s literature!
I know! 😀
A new chapter in the relationship between big business and education, eh?
That’s one way to look at it!
Thats funny too. Well done, and useful to memorize, for replication. 😉 xx Michael
Thank you, Michael!
Steve has so many great stories about his times as a teacher and crossing guard.
He does! I know much about his years as a crossing guard, but very little about his years as a teacher. I’m so glad e posted this story.
What a fun thing to think of doing.
And it was fun, and ‘sweet’…
Teaching can be such fun.
Yes, indeed!
We had something similar to those straws, but they were not called Pixie Stix. Here they were known as ‘Sherbet Straws’. I never once got an incentive like that from a teacher for reading. They called my name, told me to read, and I did as I was told. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
Aw, Pete, that was a good way, too. This just made it fun😉
I think we both wish we’d had Steve as a teacher! No one inspired me to read. There were no incentives, just expectations, and I was a terrible reader. If only Steve had been my teacher.
thanks for sharing, Jennie!
A pleasure!