Oracy is a key component of formal education, but it’s not a term that students are necessarily familiar with as a school subject. Most students are used to answering questions in class. As they move through each grade, they may even be tasked to give a presentation to the class on a topic they researched… Read More

What Is Dialogic Reading in the Classroom? Dialogic reading is an interactive style of reading with children in a classroom setting. The practice promotes children’s literacy and language skills. During this type of reading practice, the child and instructor switch roles. This gives the students the opportunity to become the storyteller rather than just the… Read More

In my experience, students come to us with two kinds of backpacks: the one that holds their school supplies and the one that holds all their experiences prior to setting foot in our classrooms. My heart broke several times during my first-year teaching as I discovered how much the negative parts of our society had… Read More

With many schools closed to protect students and teachers from the coronavirus, many students don’t have access to hands-on science, technology, and arts experiences typical of in-person classroom settings. Teaching online does not have to end experiments and participatory innovation. Here are ten projects that STEM and STEAM teachers can instruct online to teach important… Read More

It might be safe to say that now the rest of the world knows what many teachers have known for a long time – teachers have one of the hardest and time consuming jobs out there. Teaching requires planning, and a lot of it. With time outside of the classroom now blurred more than ever,… Read More

As a teacher at the start of this school year, you likely feel anxious and out of your comfort zone. Maybe way out of your comfort zone! Most, if not all, classrooms are different right now due to COVID-19, whether it’s distance learning, hybrid learning, or social distancing in the classroom. You’ve already had to… Read More

Did you know that keyboards are one of the dirtiest accessories in your environment? According to a quick experiment conducted in 2008, it’s dirtier than the average toilet seat! And if you think toilet seats are gross, you wouldn’t want to know how many germs your keyboard holds. (Clue: it’s more than 7,000 microorganisms) So,… Read More

A well-rounded education is an important aspect of childhood development, as kids reap specific skill sets and knowledge from each portion of their learning. However, a growing perception of arts education as less important that academic curriculum is setting up an unfortunate precedent — one that stands to negatively impact this and future generations of… Read More

Our personalities can come out in many ways, and we tend to broadcast those personalities pretty loudly though the way in which we set up our spaces. From the colors we choose to the layout of the room, a classroom setup can be just as revealing about someone’s personality as the way in which they… Read More

Most teachers look forward to the ritual of setting up their classroom for back to school. Stapling up construction paper on bulletin boards, hanging up posters, organizing books and bins of supplies, and getting things ready for students is something of a ritual. But this year, many classrooms sadly sit empty, and many teachers are… Read More

Fill in the blank: The culture of my class is _____________________________.  What came to mind? Was it easy to define, or did you struggle to describe it? The beginning of the new year is all about starting fresh and setting norms, guidelines, and defining your classroom culture with students. But what does that look like… Read More

If there’s ever been a time when school-to-home communication needs to be strong, it’s now. With many schools moving to distance learning, parents are the key in supporting students with successful at-home learning. And we know that strong parent engagement drives improved student outcomes and performance (WestEd, Parent Involvement Project). But nowadays, family engagement looks… Read More

Empowering your students to take the lead and develop strong leadership skills is one of the best gifts you can give them. It sets them up for success in the future, even if they’re not aware of it now. However, cultivating leadership practices within your classroom can be a challenging task unless you know how… Read More

What are your “go-to” tech tools that you can’t live without? The ones that make teaching more efficient, effective, and engaging for students? Check out this list of five need-to-know tech tools. These tools can be used in face-to-face or distance learning, spanning most grade levels 3-12. All of the tools have fairly robust free… Read More

Are you a Zoombie? This fall, many classrooms are going 100% distance learning. Rather than preparing classroom space and walls to welcome students, teachers have been preparing their distance learning plans. Zoom has been adopted by many schools for distance learning. It’s because it’s easy to use, reliable, can be used on laptops, tablets, or… Read More