Classroom activities that inspire student engagement with social studies content Best practices in social studies education have changed significantly over the last six years. With the release of the Common Core State Standards and its state variations, along with the C3 Framework by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the emphasis has shifted
Students—and teachers—are more creative and open to learning when our classrooms are joyful As societal pressures intensify and expectations push educators to improve achievement rates, create emotionally healthy environments, and make safety a priority, there is an increasing need to infuse joy into the classroom. Reflecting on these concerns throughout my 29 years in education,
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How we are hurting our students when assessing them Most teachers actively root for their students to succeed. They are often more committed to student learning than the students themselves. Even with the best of intentions, teachers frequently sabotage their students’ ability to think, process, and comprehend when they use assessment and motivation strategies that
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Healthy discussion and debate can help students navigate uncomfortable moral and social concerns Perhaps one of the most tenuous places to find yourself in as an educator is the moment a topic is broached in class that has multiple perspectives—particularly when students have an unexpected stance on the issue. Even so, some conversations have to
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Middle school students are going through a difficult stage of life. Here are three things educators should keep in mind. I hated middle school. It seemed like a cruel joke almost 20 years ago that the only job I could find was teaching remedial English to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. When I tell my
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Connecting students with what they’re reading by pairing texts with real world experiences Once we’ve learned to read, reading becomes a tool that helps us learn. Creating a learning experience that incorporates reading deeply, however, can be a challenge for today’s teachers. How can we make reading relevant for today’s students? How do we convince
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