Saturday, September 13, 2014

All I Ever Learned, I Learned from the Crossword Puzzles

      Well, my title isn't quite right! I've learned a few things in other ways. In my last post I learned about scanners. That wasn't in a crossword puzzle. I do love doing crossword puzzles. I do the daily puzzle in the paper and any puzzle that's lying around. I rarely buy a book of crossword puzzles.

      I don't like or do the really hard and large crossword puzzles. I don't have the time or patience. I really dislike the easy puzzles and won't do them at all. I like the puzzle in my paper which takes about 20 minutes to complete. I don't ever have to look in the dictionary to solve it. 

    Now you do learn things from crosswords. You certainly learn a thing or two about spelling. Geography? Lots of it. Math? You bet. Other languages? Lots of French and Latin. Art and culture? Movies, music, art. It's all covered in the crossword. Logic? Yes! Use those clues. Now they tell us puzzles are good for helping with Alzheimer's.
  
   So I'm a big fan of crossword puzzles. They keep you competitive. You don't ever want a crossword puzzle to beat you. 

   I was a Middle School teacher. A couple times a month for the last period on a Friday we would do a crossword puzzle. Now you know that most kids don't like crossword puzzles. So I had to set out some bait. The puzzle was always easy. They could work with a partner. They could choose their own partner. If anybody was left out they could work with me. I let them work on their own until they got all the easy stuff. Then we completed the puzzle as a class. I read the clue and they gave their suggestions. I would sit  there until I heard the right answer. It was like a loud auction site. I think a few of them had fun and some probably do puzzles now that they are older. 

   There are lots of crossword puzzle fans. Are you one of them?

40 comments:

  1. i used to do them all the time. would save the section from the dallas morning news that contained them and piled them up until i could get to them. loved it! then i started blogging and ran out of time. crossword puzzles lost...

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    1. I think computers have stolen a lot of our time.

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  2. When I first retired I did the daily crosswords in the newspaper, but I did use Google to help me. Now I just do the Jumble and the Super Quiz, or whatever it's called. Crossword puzzles took me too long. My quick recall on names is not so quick anymore.

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  3. I have never been a fan. My dad was good at them but I think they are hard.

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    1. Well, puzzles are rated. there are ridiculously easy and very difficult . take your pick.

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  4. Replies
    1. I hear you discussing a crossword once in a while.

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  5. I've never had much patience with Crossword Puzzles. I'd always start one and then give up.

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    1. Well, we all have a right to opinions and preferences.

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  6. Yes, I do word puzzles every day and challenge my friends and play against them online. I also have an assortment of puzzle games that I play on my own. Love it - also truly enjoy the hangman puzzles, which give you a headline from the newspapers all over the world with a word missing. Just love em.

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    1. I've tried on line puzzles but find them awkward. I'm going to have to look for different types.

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  7. I used to sit up late to the Times puzzle in Sundays paper. I had a crossword dictionary if it got tough.

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    1. The times is a big challenge. I don't have that much time or patience.

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  8. I have never been in the habit of doing them. They don't appeal to me, but then again, I never had a teacher who showed me their value. I can't imagine where I'd fit in working crossword puzzles into my day. :-)

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    1. I think you probably have to be an introvert to like puzzles so that's why you are left out!!!!

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  9. So interesting to learn that your students didn't like crossword puzzles either. I used them in both middle school and high school, making the clues relate to whatever reading we were doing. They hated it. I always assumed because you really have to think to complete them (or at least do the reading from the night before!)

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    1. I retired before we could start making crossword puzzles for our classes. I've seen them and they can be used for different strategies.

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  10. I enjoy crossword puzzles, but I haven't done one in years! I should try my hand at one. They even have them online these days.

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    1. I think computers take away a lot of our time these days.

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  11. I've never been into crossword puzzles. I'm not sure why. Maybe some day I'll get into them because it's said they activate your mind and keep you sharp.

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  12. I love crossword puzzles. However! :) I buy the Dell books of easy puzzles. Guess that's better than nothing. I have tried but never completed one in the daily newspaper. I love that you did puzzles with your class.

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    1. For newspapers it depends on what they subscribe to as t whether they are easy or hard.

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  13. I love crosswords and used to do some online. Daily Crossword I think. I also like Sudoku. I also did Logic Puzzles a long time ago! I think puzzles are good for your ageing brain:)

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    1. I've only recently started sudoku. I really like them.

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  14. Yes I love the crossword puzzles too, I dont make them on a regulare base, but when I see one I have to make a try. As a school teacher you did a nice job in the class with the puzzles.

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    1. I think many people put time into a cross word puzzle and then have to go do something else and leave it.

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  15. I used to LOVE doing crossword puzzles but for some reason I rarely do them anymore. They are great mental exercise.

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    1. Sometimes we just find something else to do.

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  16. Yes indeed. I'm with you on the difficulty. Not impossible and not too easy. Moderately hard is just right! I taught seniors for twenty five years. Then when on district consolidated and built a middle I was ready for a change of pace and volunteered. I taught middle school geography and American History for twelve years and loved it....:)

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    1. My whole career was middle school. what kept me in the game was a change of assignment from time to time. I was also Dept. head in three different areas.

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  17. I like doing them from time to time. Usually it'll be the daily in the paper, or one of the ones in the puzzle insert that comes into the paper I buy at the end of the week. I don't care for sudoku though.

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    1. Doing puzzles from time to time is fine if it works.

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  18. I used to do crossword puzzles as a kid but not anymore. Its great that you did crossword puzzles with kids as a teacher. Would've been a best way to learn things. And yep, after a loooooonnggg break I've decided to start posting again. :)))

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  19. You know, I really like them but I haven't done one in ages. I need to work on that. My father LOVED cryptic crosswords and was really good at them! I can never get more than a few of the answers on those.

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  20. My kids found them tough, but some would make crosswords from our spelling words, which related to our monthly themes, science work, etc. I had a dear client who taught me to love them. I now do them more regularly! We did wordsearches, too. Easier for the L.D. kids!

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  21. I do the general knowledge questions one in The Times most days and, like you, I aim to finish it during my morning (or afternoon) cup of coffee. It keeps the mind active and yes, you do learn a lot.

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  22. I can see you were a well loved, interesting, fun teacher, Red. We have two crosswords in Hawaii, one is usually too hard for me and the other is too easy. Art now has me doing the Jumble which often taxes my brain.

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