Standardized tests tend to have a bad reputation, and for good reason. Not only can they cause severe stress and anxiety in both teachers and students, but they’re also based on a narrow definition of success which fails to account for critical real-world skills. In other words, standardized tests aren’t ...

Students experience trauma for all kinds of reasons, including natural disasters, school emergencies or a death in the family. These events can severely impact students’ ability to learn and succeed at school. For teachers, working with students who have experienced trauma can be both stressful and frustrating — especially when ...

Whether we use it to read a book, bake a batch of cookies or go for a walk, we can all agree that free time is essential in our personal lives. Similarly, busy teachers and students need free time during the school day. But what does free time look like ...

Diversity is one of the greatest strengths in schools today. Having students from different backgrounds promotes meaningful social and cultural exchanges for students, which can enrich them both now and in years to come. To ensure that students understand one another’s differences as gifts, however, it’s important to incorporate tolerance ...

Whether it’s giggling about an inside joke or daydreaming about after-school activities, every student experiences distraction for one reason or another. While this is normal from time to time, chronic disruption can be a major detriment to both teachers and learners. But consistent, low-level disruption is problematic for classrooms Here’s how ...

Lack of funding can make it difficult for teachers to pursue the learning projects and opportunities they’d like to provide their students. Fortunately, there are a number of national foundations, trusts and corporations that can help fund classroom projects and promote teacher innovation across the country. Whether it’s pursuing a new ...

In many schools, chronically underserved students, such as those from low-income families or ethnic minority backgrounds, continue to underperform while historically privileged students succeed. The underrepresented students typically haven’t had the academic support they need and doubt their own academic capacity. Since teachers have close relationships with students, parents and ...

Volunteering at school is one of the most important ways that parents can influence their child’s learning climate and make a difference in his or her classroom. Whether helping with homework or chaperoning field trips, parental involvement is critical to their child’s overall success and engagement at school. Still, recruiting and ...

In-service meetings are designed to enhance skills, learn about curriculum changes and set personal milestones. Without taking the time necessary to properly plan an agenda, however, these well-intentioned meetings can become a waste of time. Fortunately, identifying the common pitfalls of in-service meetings — and taking a hard look at what ...