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Sex Education in Schools Needs an Upgrade
Despite the prickly challenges it presents, sex education has always been an issue that many educators have championed, perhaps even more so now as the #MeToo movement has forced the nation to confront...
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Who is the Average U.S. Teacher?
In 2016, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) polled 40,000 public school teachers across the country as part of the National Teacher and Principal Survey. The survey covers a wide range...
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Educators Push Back Against Proposed Changes to AP World History
In 2001, the College Board added World History to its catalog of Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP World History, which starts in 8000 B.C.E and spans almost 10,000 years, provides a unique look at...
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Hygge: The Classroom Design Word That Means Calm
(Photo courtesy of Aubrey Dane) The first day of school is exciting—and also a little anxiety-provoking. But with a few calming classroom design elements from the popular Danish design trend hygge...
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10 Challenges Facing Public Education Today
Whether you’re a classroom teacher, school counselor, paraeducator, bus driver, cafeteria worker or school secretary, everyone who works in a public school faces a new school year ready to do the job...
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NEA Offers ELL Blended Learning Courses
Veronica Miranda-Pinkney, a San Jose, California, elementary school teacher, says we need to change our mindset about having English Language Learners (ELLs) in our classrooms. “We can’t keep doing...
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The Wild and Amazing World of Augmented Reality
The poster child for a cutting-edge classroom over the years has included computers (back in your mom’s school days), iPads (a surprisingly long time ago), 3D printing, Maker Space, and G Suite. By...
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Teaching the ‘Hard History’ Behind Today’s News
Staff at Green Valley Middle School in Fairfield, Calif., broke with tradition several years ago by canceling Christmas activities. No tree. No decorations. No parties. The decision was made to honor...
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Back to School Without a Qualified Teacher
Last week, as school got underway in Oklahoma, the state Board of Education approved its 2,153rd emergency teaching certificate for the school year, enabling a record number of non-certified teachers...
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Effective Engagement Strategies Not Just an Investment in Students
Recently, I conducted a survey of sixth through twelfth graders and asked them one simple question: What engages you as a learner? The responses flooded in from every school model out there—from each...
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Educators Weigh In on Lawnmower Parents
A Missouri mom sued her son’s high school after he didn’t make the varsity soccer team. A father takes time off from work to deliver an insulated water bottle to his teenager so she doesn’t have to...
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With the Free Press Under Attack, Student Journalists Thrive
Student journalists at Clayton High School, outside St. Louis, took a hard look at football-related brain injuries this fall, asking questions like, “Why do we still play football? What do we know...
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The Bittersweet Experience of Teaching Overseas
Judi Nicolay has taught in Brussels for 24 years (Photo: Leilani Hyatt) Randy Ricks teaches at Lester Middle School located on Kadena U.S. Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. Tokyo, Bangkok, and Hong...
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What Happens When Substitute Educators Join the Union?
Last year, as a substitute educator in Seattle with decades of experience and a full complement of state certifications and endorsements, Peter Henry earned more money than many full-time teachers...
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Dual-Language Immersion Programs Boost Student Success
If you are an English Language Learner (ELL) enrolled in a dual immersion program, learning to speak, read, and write English is about many things. It’s about new words. It’s about pronunciation. It’s...
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The Case for Collaboration is Clear
A good relationship takes time to build, and along the way, trust is formed, collaboration grows, and the collective does better. The same holds true when district leaders, unions/associations, and...
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Your Computer Isn’t Broken: Quick Tech Fixes for Students
The Number One reason—according to students—why their computer doesn’t work is… It’s broken. As a teacher, I hear this daily, often followed by their preferred solution, “I need a different computer.”...
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Educators Share their Most Memorable Gifts
From practical and personal to silly and sentimental, the gifts educators receive definitely leave a lasting impression. We asked our Facebook fans to share their most memorable gifts, and, in the...
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‘Education is Political’: Neutrality in the Classroom Shortchanges Students
When teaching about U.S. elections or politics many educators will strive for neutrality. They may insist these discussions have no place in the classroom, while others argue that standardization and a...
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Using Meditation to Mitigate Stress
It’s news to exactly no one that being an educator is stressful. Long hours are spent in an environment that churns with mental, visual, and emotional stimulation. And when what should be the end of...
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