Those who journal are in good company; some of history’s greatest visionaries kept journals, including Ben Franklin, Winston Churchill, and Marie Curie. But aside from famous company, there are other important reasons for journaling. Studies show that keeping a journal reduces stress, improves focus, and boosts mood. A 2005 study revealed that journaling about stressful events resulted in significantly better physical and mental health outcomes for participants. With benefits like these, it’s clear why encouraging…
After a five-year hiatus, the U.S. Department of Education says it will begin resuming collections of defaulted student loans on May 5. Of the more than 42.7 million student loan borrowers in the U.S., who owe a collective $1.6 trillion, the department says that more than 5 million have not been able to make payment in the past year. That number is expected to grow as an additional 4 million borrowers are approaching default status.…
For many teachers, building relationships is a priority in the classroom – they put in time and effort to incorporate strategies into lesson plans and daily routines to forge bonds with their students. But what happens when there’s a breakdown in communication or a relationship degrades over time due to conflict or disagreements? Developing a relationship is one skill; repairing that relationship when it becomes fractured is another, according to author and high school history…
Number sense is so innate to many adults that they may not remember being taught such skills, but it is crucial to mastering more complex math skills like manipulating fractions and decimals or solving equations with unknown variables, experts say. Research shows that a flexible understanding of numbers is strongly correlated to later math achievement and the ability to solve problems presented in different ways. Unlike the recent surge of evidence on science-based reading instruction,…
Supporting the LGBTQ+ community is crucial for creating a more inclusive and equitable society where everyone can live freely and authentically. It’s about recognizing that LGBTQ+ individuals are individuals with unique experiences and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, free from discrimination. LGBTQ+ charities are a great place to start. Let’s take a look at some organizations worth supporting on their missions to uplift and support LGBTQ+ folks. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender…
The 2025 Lowell Summer Music Series is the 35th year of presenting live music in beautiful, tree-lined Boarding House Park, located in the Lowell National Historical Park and surrounded by the historic Boott Mills. As a self-sustaining nonprofit, 100% of Lowell Summer Music Series earnings and donations go directly toward bringing world-class performers to Lowell at affordable prices. Your support also helps keep their other events—Free Fun For Kids and the annual Banjo & Fiddle…
Nearly a half century ago, a landmark study showed that teachers weren’t explicitly teaching reading comprehension. Once children learned how to read words, no one taught them how to make sense of the sentences and paragraphs. Some kids naturally got it, and some didn’t. Since then, reading researchers have come up with many ideas to foster comprehension. Educators continue to debate how much to emphasize some ideas over others. Although the research on reading comprehension…
When kids feel bombarded by difficult emotions, they may feel a sense of helplessness, as if there is nothing they can do to pull themselves out of the storm. As parents, we know effective strategies are out there to manage emotions, but knowing which ones to use in the moment can feel overwhelming. In his new book, “Shift: Managing Your Emotions – So They Don’t Manage You,” neuroscientist Ethan Kross shares the most current research…
During the height of the pandemic, Christina Scheffel, a high school English teacher in Delaware, was desperate for ways to get students engaged in her presentation. As a solution, she started adding embellishments to her slide presentation, including cactus themed slides with cactus borders, font, and arrows. “Every single cactus emoji that I could find got put somewhere on these slides, and I really did think it was a way to bring some joy into…
Why does an online college degree cost just as much, or even more, than taking classes in person? Among the surprising answers is that colleges and universities are using online higher education to subsidize everything else they do, and some schools are spending significant amounts on marketing and advertising for it. The result is that 83% of online programs in higher education cost students as much as or more than the in-person versions, according to…
