Most often unable to change the stressors that the children bear, we design systems to ameliorate the distraction of those stressors and help refocus the children on to their job as learners. But drug use is not always something one can see or uncover when wondering why a student isn't doing well. Meetings can be held, even tutoring or counseling can be put in place, but unless the fact that drugs are in play is uncovered, time is wasting.  …

This debate has been raging in K-12 education for a century. 

 "Meaning from print" is the foundational sophistry supporting Whole Word, sight-words, and all other non-phonetic ways to read, or to teach reading.

 The big lie here is that you can look at print, not actually be able to read, but somehow get the meaning. (This is what we all do in foreign countries when we stare at a menu in a strange language.)

 I've been watching this debate for…

Help Student Writers Find the Best Evidence

BY MIDDLEWEB · 02/23/2016

5 Trends Impacting Middle Grades Leaders

BY MIDDLEWEB · 02/24/2016

There were two recent articles about STEM, one, in the New York Times, A Rising Call to Promote STEM Education and Cut Liberal Arts Funding by Patricia Cohen and, the other, in the Washington Post, entitled, …

How to organize your college essay properly

by Allan Green

While studying in college you will have to write essays a lot. But do not worry - a bit of planning, analysis and hard work - and you will be able to easily write any essay for college. Mastering the art of…

If we return to our raison d'être - to prepare children to know how to learn even beyond our reach, and to be ready, when walking across our graduation stages, to go on to college or directly into a career - then we have a responsibility to look at financial literacy as a part of the k-12 curriculum.

As early as the 6th grade, when percentages are taught, the concepts of credit and interest can be spiraled upward into other math classes. The economic…

Fewer black male teachers leading K-12 classrooms

Dive…

Introducing the math selfie

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What does leadership become when compliance rules the day? Is the conversation how to get the job done and make people feel good about it? There is new curriculum, a teacher evaluation process, new standardized tests, new assessments, more data and new technology. None come with new resources to support the work.  All purportedly are intended to improve teacher performance and student achievement. The messages come fast and furious through administration, through teachers, and land on…

Observe and honor random acts of kindness among your students.  Hold an honor day once a week to hand out certificates.  Acknowledge that there were so many other random acts of kindness that you could not honor everyone, but everyone will get honored in time.  Acknowledge how you felt observing these acts.  Perhaps a kindness box could be placed in the classroom where both you and your students could describe random acts of kindness you observed.  So as not to make anyone feel awkward, the…

STEM Classes and Kids with Special Needs

BY ANNE JOLLY · 02/17/2016

How to Help Students Search for Consensus

BY SARAH COOPER · 02/15/2016

Why Schools Need to Do a Better Job of Teaching Speaking Skills

—Image adapted from "mic" by Flickr user Robert Bejil, under Creative Commons

Why I'm Tired of 'Grit'