For as long as anyone can remember, taking attendance and rewarding kids for showing up has been a time-honored school ritual. Like so many other aspects of education, that simple measure — “here” or “absent” — is not so simple anymore. States are having to update their attendance policies to cover the realities of virtual learning, and where school is being held in-person, strict coronavirus health protocols mean students must now stay home at the…
Building community among students and teachers is more important now than ever, but it’s also probably never been more difficult as all learning moves online. Teachers can still build strong communities of learners and strong rapport with students, however, even without seeing them in person. Here are four tips for building community in the online classroom. 1. Frequent communication is a must to begin building classroom community. Sending a welcome email at the beginning of…
Young people today face a staggering number of elaborate financial decisions, but most of them are not yet ready to make well-informed choices about money as they proceed into adulthood. According to a 2014 study, 3 out of 4 young adults can’t answer simple financial questions. While helping students develop traditional academic knowledge is useful for every child’s future, teaching students about financial literacy can be the difference between a life well lived and a…
When kids at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary School act up, they aren’t sent straight to the principal’s office. Instead, many students at the high-poverty school in Nashville go to the mindfulness room. The serene space is awash in sunlight and brimming with plants. There are yoga mats, toys, a lounging nook and soothing music drifting out of a desk speaker. In this room, teacher Riki Rattner, who is also trained as a yoga instructor, helps…
Climate change, also known as global warming, has received much attention. It is also a source of much controversy. Yet while debate continues about how to best understand and manage our changing climate, scientists agree that it does have an impact. In fact, one of the essential principles of teaching climate change to students is the message that it has consequences for the earth and human lives. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration…
Teachers can know their content backwards and forwards, and they probably put hours into their lesson plans. But if motivating students hasn’t been taken into account by parents and teachers, learning won’t happen. According to a new working paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, a multidisciplinary research collaborative housed at Harvard University, childhood experiences may make motivation harder for some students. The paper takes a look at the machinery of motivation:…
Whether you’re a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, or muggle still hoping your Hogwarts letter will arrive by owl, it is undeniable that Harry Potter has had a lasting impact throughout the world. Quidditch is no longer just a game of fantasy. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is more than a textbook to pick up in Diagon Alley. Hogwarts is no longer a place you can only dream of visiting. Let’s take a look…
We all know that libraries are wonderful for checking out books, but the number of non-book related items that libraries now stock may surprise you. Your library may let you borrow toys, clothing, electronics, and so much more. Here are just some examples of what it’s possible to borrow from US libraries: Books CDs and DVDs Musical instruments Expensive event clothing Gardening materials Laptops, video projectors, and digital cameras Electronics chargers Reading glasses Bicycles, scooters,…
Studies show that the average teenager requires 9 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night, but she typically only gets 7. It’s becoming more and more common for the normal life of the average American high schooler to interfere with sleep. In a recent poll of 2,000 parents, 1 in 6 said their teen experiences frequent sleep problems, here defined as “having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep 3 or more nights per week.” More…
It’s safe to assume that high school students would probably cherish a little extra sleep in the morning, but did you know that studies show that starting school later for teens is actually healthier for them? Sleep experts have determined a shift in sleep cycles (circadian rhythms) in recent studies. This shift begins in adolescence and makes it more difficult for most adolescents to fall asleep as early as younger children or older adults. Typical…
