Giving feedback on academic or behavioral issues can be stressful for both students and teachers. However, there are ways to make the process feel supportive and affirming. Feedback is most effective in environments that emphasize caring, not just obedience. In classrooms where educators foster unconditional positive regard, or valuing and […]
Read More
Teaching Young Learners Self-Calming Techniques
The overwhelming and sometimes overwhelming feelings are hard to control, especially for our youngest students. Over the past three years, many have experienced hardships – loss of loved ones, grief, loneliness, food and housing insecurity – and the effects of school continue. Of course, dealing with strong emotions and disorders […]
Read More
Integrating Technology into Collaborative Professional Learning
Promoting student collaboration in the classroom can increase student engagement and the use of higher-level thinking skills. It is important, however, for teachers to help students develop the tools they need to collaborate effectively, and this includes learning how to collaborate using digital tools. However, many teachers find it challenging […]
Read More
A Framework for Sustainability Lessons
Navigating the jungle of sustainability education can be daunting. Courses are increasingly demanding, and a plethora of online resources promise solutions, but few offer clear pathways. Some materials present mere silos of information – worksheets stuffed with facts, videos showcasing environmental issues, or tree plantings that don’t delve into the […]
Read More
Guiding Students in Using Storytelling Throughout the Program
One of the most important steps in the storytelling process is the first step: helping students decide which story to tell. Not only will this affect their engagement throughout the learning process, but it will also require them to think critically about their values and recognize the importance of paying […]
Read More
Stimulate Students’ Interest in Music with Bucket Drums
Five-gallon plastic drums make great buckets – inverted, the drums have a response head and a built-in resonator. Bucket drums can produce eight tones that correspond to the tones of a standard drum set. This versatility and low investment cost make bucket drums a fast-growing trend in music education – […]
Read More
Using Comics to Encourage Literacy Development
As a teacher, I am always looking for opportunities for my students to be exposed to the written word and challenged in their reading. I am also constantly looking for materials to develop literacy skills. It has always been a challenge for me to creatively and intentionally approach interactions with […]
Read More
How to Move Beyond Finding the Main Idea in the ELA Classroom
When it comes to teaching students how to read challenging informational or artistic texts, the emphasis on discrete comprehension skills such as “finding the main idea” or “making inferences”-approaches designed to transfer across disciplines-has lost ground. As we reported in our annual roundup of the most important educational research in […]
Read More
7 Digital Tools to Help Bring History to Life
As Carl Sagan once said, “You must know the past to understand the present.” But great history teachers know that doesn’t mean you need to rely on ancient teaching tools. Fortunately, cutting-edge digital software – most of it free – can breathe new life into history classes, allowing students to […]
Read More
Effective Strategies for Successful Group Work
One of my favorite reflection programs is the “Start-Stop-Continue” exercise. It encourages learners to consider the impact of what they are learning by asking about their perceived impact. The teacher or facilitator completes a lesson or sequence of instructions, then stops and asks their audience to consider what they are […]
Read More