There’s some exciting stuff that I want to share with you about the direction of this blog. And, the following updates/announcements are going to come pouring out to you in a smorgasbord of offerings. Hope you don’t mind. But, please just humor me if you do.
I’m SO relieved that I’m sharing everything that’s on the Degrees of Maternity horizon with you — RIGHT NOW, because I’m about to figuratively explode if I don’t get all of this out into today’s blog post. Plus, I’m ready to get going on this summer (and beyond) literacy to-do list and feel like I need to explain where things are headed in this home-improved place of mine before hitting the accelerator. So, here we go . . .
Private Tutoring Services
Degrees of Maternity Tutoring Services are in full swing. This week, I’m wrapping up my sessions with the wonderful reading crew that I’ve had the privilege of instructing over the 23-24 school year. But, I’m not taking a break for the summer, because I LOVE READING and I LOVE teaching children to read all year round. So, I’m gonna keep my reading engine chuggin’ right along. And, while I currently have a handful of students I’ll be working with over the summer, I’m still looking for a handful more.
If you or someone you know has an elementary school-aged child who could use some foundational reading instruction to help close reading gaps or some reading enrichment to keep those reading juices flowin’ during the summertime lull, please feel free to send them the following link to my “Tutoring Services” page, where they can get information about Degrees of Maternity Tutoring Services and set up a meeting with me to discuss how I can be of service to their child:
Link to the “Tutoring Services” page
Book Reading Challenge
I have challenged myself to read one book per month during the summer. Okay, okay, okay. So, that may not seem like much of a challenge to most when you’re a reader who can pretty much knock out a book every week or (at the very least) every two weeks. But for someone who hasn’t seamlessly incorporated such an enjoyable activity into her monthly routine with regularity, it can be somewhat of a challenge.
Good thing I love reading and good thing the summer schedule is freeing up some more time for me to engage in other activities. So, here’s what’s currently on my bookshelf:
(This post contains an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I can earn from qualifying purchases if you choose to use the Amazon.com link above. Please read my full Disclosure for more information).
I just got it in from Amazon on Monday. (Still like getting physical copies of books.) And, I’m currently on page 33 of 210. So, I think I’m going to safely make the challenge for the month of June, IF I keep on this rate of reading.
And, I’d encourage you to check out this book if you have an idea, concept, process, product, or service that you want to get out in the world for others to know about and, hopefully, catch ahold of. So far, this book is proving to be the creative push I need (in literary form) to motivate me to think outside of the box and to get outside of my comfort zone when seeking to introduce Degrees of Maternity’s offerings.
By clicking on the image of the book (above), you’ll be clicking on a link that takes you to the Amazon listing for the book and gets you one step closer to understanding the psychology behind making something contagious (in a good way). Hee. Hee.
Oh, and don’t forget to let me know what’s on your bookshelf too. I’m always looking for good book recommendations to check out.
The Degrees of Maternity Newsletter
My blog site isn’t the only fixer-upper project that I’ve got going on. My monthly newsletter is also getting a facelift. I have some awesome stuff planned out for this upcoming issue. So, please, please, please join the newsletter-subscribing family. If you’re not connected with us over there, then you’re missing out on good stuff that you’re not going to get anywhere else but in the newsletter. All you have to do is click on the link below to sign up and receive the next upcoming issue on the fourth Sunday of the month.
Link to Sign Up for the Newsletter
What About the Stores?
Alright. It’s settled. I’m not going to leave out one of my Big Three in terms of major renovation projects. Therefore, I’m bringing the Degrees of Maternity TpT and Classful online stores up-to-date, as well. Some revamping needs to be done over there, too. So, I have my work cut out for me. But, I’ve decided I’m not taking this project on alone. My daughter, possibly my youngest son, and possibly possibly some outside youthful and skilled artistic talent may be coming to my rescue very soon, because I NEED HELP with my stores.
Unfortunately, they’ve been somewhat neglected lately. I haven’t even managed to get all of my spring products posted online yet, and it’s almost summer. In fact, there are some spring items waiting in the wings. I just haven’t had time to get them into place yet. Plus, I need a refreshed look for all of my product thumbnails — all 150+ of them. Let’s just say that the products are worthy of attention, but the storefront needs some sprucing up so the aesthetics do more of the attention-grabbing function instead of the “blending in with the scenery” function.
Topics of Conversation
So, you might be wondering what we’re going to visit about during our weekly get-togethers. Well, I have some ideas of what I’d like to discuss, but I’m all about the two-way street here. I want to know what YOU want me to talk about in the realm of literacy, of course. That’s really the only parameter. It could be literacy topics on the good, the bad, and the ugly — I guess. But, more of the good, if at all possible. You know how I like to keep it positive around these parts.
Now, I have some ideas for literacy topics such as:
- dyslexia
- differentiated reading instruction
- structured literacy
- the science of reading
- tutoring and online learning (in general)
- interactive learning
- book reviews on education as well as personal and professional growth and development
But, I’d like to hear from you (anonymously) in the survey below on what you’d like to explore. My house guests’ opinions are always welcomed. Leave your answers in the one-question survey below:
degreesofmaternity.com 
Thank you so much Mrs Williams. I am very devoted to my work and business as a Blogger and a Writer. I know I still have a long way to go but I have to keep pushing for myself and to achieve my own dreams. Thanks for checking my about page on Google, God bless✨✨🙏
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Thank you for all your kind words and for the comments about just how important technology is these days. I think there are definitely a lot of great things about technology to assist in the learning process such as the ability to connect with others when you can’t be in their presence and interactive learning tools that children can easily and eagerly engage in.
But, there’s also some bad that comes along with the good. (I won’t get into that.) I will say that I’m so thankful to have the technology I have to be able to teach children online. It’s been (by far) the best profession I’ve ever had the pleasure to hold down.
More importantly though, let’s talk about you for a minute. I took it upon myself to heed your call-to-action and searched you out on Google. Let’s just say that you’re “doing the thing”. Wow! You have definitely been able to get your name out in Internet Land. And, it takes hard work to do just that. So, putting in the work will always bring results. Good for you. Please keep me up-to-date on the progress of your books. And, I’ll be checking on your website, as well. Looks like you’re keeping it moving over there, too. Thanks for always sending the encouragement and kindness my way. It is always most appreciated and helps motivate me to do better and better. Take care, Mthobisi. And, “THANK YOU!”
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Excellent and remarkable content Jana Williams. My friend, It has been a while since I read your work and blog posts.
Firstly, I am happy as a lark that you are taking your blog “DEGREES OF MATERNITY” seriously and you are busy with additional projects such as the Book Reading Challenge📖📕, that is really great.
Secondly, I am impressed that you are one Avid Reader, I admire that in a Blogger or Writer. As a Blogger myself, I appreciate your determination to teach children to read because that is what will ensure they become educated and skilled at reading literacy works. The economy has shifted now, the way the cost of living is extremely high, kids or children need to take their education seriously because besides the school fees that are high in numbers, the additional baggage of food, data costs and electricity bills can be a problem and hard to manage it all. Thus, kids need to read and learn so they can become independent and thanks to digital technology, the rise of AI and online learning makes it easy for children to get access to learning tools and what is great is that even 8 year olds know how to use a phone📱
However, the technology is great for reaching students faster compared to being on the queues waiting to register but kids younger than 18 need to be advised and checked for ensuring their phones don’t get access to bad content such as sexual pornography and so on since that can distract their minds.
Lastly, all the best with you private tutoring sessions and the books you intend to read. By the way, I am planning to release more books this year, you need to visit my blog on Google to see , just search “Mens Fashion Blogger Mthobisi” and you will see everything that Google has to say about me🙏✨✨
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