Teaching contemporary poetry can feel cumbersome or uncertain. Squinting into its bright light to find meaning—Is that what it could mean? Is that what it does mean?—is an act of curious vulnerability. There is a growing movement to stay with this vulnerability, both with ourselves and with our middle school and high school students. The Teach Living Poets movement invites us and our students to sit in the thrill of new poems in order to…
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Adolescence is a time of intense learning and adaptation when we forge our sense of who we are and who we want to be. Throughout this remarkable period of development, we begin to explore the world and create new relationships with our peers and communities. Young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) are often tackling these developmental tasks with the added challenges of discrimination and victimization from their communities,…
Read More »Ten years ago, Roy F. Smith, an English teacher at Round Rock High School in Texas, was inspired by the idea of putting a text under a microscope while reading “The Art of X-Ray Reading” by Roy Peter Clark. Smith, who has been teaching for 24 years, developed what he calls “spotlight reading,” a quick activity used at the start of class to get students to engage with written language without worrying about a grade.…
Read More »Anybody can develop effective study habits to make studying more efficient and even enjoyable. A great way to begin is to start small with one or two new habits and work your way up to bigger changes. It’s also important to set realistic and achievable goals for yourself. Learn more about how to develop effective study habits with these six suggestions. 1. Set study goals for each session. These can be time-based or content-based. For…
Read More »It is not enough to celebrate “girl power” without also providing examples of strength. We can’t tell girls they can change the world without equipping them to take on the task. If we encourage young girls to dream big, we must provide direction and skills to help them make those dreams a reality. All of us can positively impact how girls see themselves and their possibilities. Here are three tips to get you started. 1.…
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Oftentimes, individuals may not believe they have the tools, resources, or influence to be an ally. They may fear saying or doing the wrong thing, or may feel that they do not have the knowledge needed to contribute meaningfully to a conversation. Being an ally doesn’t have to mean starting a campaign, kicking off a new initiative, or organizing an event (although these are all great efforts). It is often through our smallest day-to-day interactions…
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An independent research arm within the U.S. Department of Education is being all but shut down, employees of the department say. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is responsible for gathering and disseminating data on a wide range of topics, including research-backed teaching practices and the state of U.S. student achievement. Many contracts have already been canceled, according to two employees briefed on the moves. The employees said they learned of the cuts at an emergency…
Read More »On her son’s first day of kindergarten, Ruth Whippman, author of BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity, stood by as a parent volunteer welcomed each child at the gate. Two nervous little girls walked in first, and the volunteer crouched down, his voice warm and tender: “Hi, sweetheart.” Then came Whippman’s son. The volunteer straightened up, his tone dropping an octave as he gave a hearty high five and said, “Hey, buddy!”…
Read More »In early 2024, initial reports indicated that tutoring might not only help kids catch up academically after the pandemic, but could also combat chronic absenteeism and increase school attendance. More recent research, however, suggests that prediction may have been overly optimistic. Stanford University researchers have been studying Washington, D.C.’s $33 million investment in tutoring, which provided extra help to more than 5,000 of the district’s 100,000 students in 2022-23, the second year of a three-year…
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Lawmakers in state houses across the country continue advancing a record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in state legislatures, and this weaponization of public policy has been driven by extremists that have a long history in working to oppress the existence and rights of LGBTQ+ people. Now more than ever, folks who identify as LGBTQ+ may need help. Boston Tutoring Services has put together a list of resources, and we hope they will find those in…
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