Instructors and students often have different ideas about what grades are supposed to measure. Should they be about how much students have learned? How much work they have completed? How well they have mastered the subject? Arguably, they measure none of these well. Grades can perpetuate bias, inequalities, and injustice; reduce student motivation and willingness to challenge themselves; and add enormous administrative burdens. No wonder many students and faculty dislike grades. Collaborative grading could be…
Schools nationwide are cutting bus service to account for a widespread bus driver shortage—and students are paying the price by missing school more often. Those are the main takeaways from a report published this month from HopSkipDrive, a private school transportation provider. The report includes results from a nationally representative survey of school and district leaders, transportation directors, counselors, and other employees. More than two-thirds of survey respondents said they see a link between driver…
From field trips and retreats to special assemblies and holiday celebrations, children should enjoy an enriching classroom experience, both during the school day and after school. These memorable events and enrichment programs make learning fun and build a sense of community among students. Here are twenty ideas for elementary school clubs, ranging from standard to out of the box. 1. Culture club. This is a multicultural association for students. At meetings, members can share their…
New research from Boston University’s Wheelock Education Policy Center finds that teacher diversity increased in Massachusetts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The racial and ethnic diversity of teachers hired for the 2020-2021 Massachusetts school year increased. This was particularly true in schools serving the state’s highest concentrations of Black and Latinx students, where roughly 41% of newly hired teachers were people of color. These increases combined with lower turnover among Black and Latinx teachers resulted in…
Setting up centers in preschool and kindergarten classrooms can be a pretty daunting task, especially if it’s your first time doing so. Where do you start? Centers are activities located in specific areas around the classroom, and often, each specific area is also referred to as a center. Children typically work in small groups during center time, and they can also work independently. Centers can be done at one time during the school day, with…
A national group that seeks to curb chronic absenteeism is sounding an alarm after finding that the number of chronically absent students continued to surge even as pandemic closings abated. The organization, Attendance Works, believes that the number of students missing at least 18 days of school a year doubled to 16 million in 2021-22 from 8 million students before the pandemic. If correct, this means that one out of every three public school children…
There are many fun activities for families to enjoy in the Boston area over February vacation. Check out our list of activities and events happening around Boston in February 2023. Have a great break! February Vacation Week: LEGO Maritime Festival When: Sat 2/18/23 – Sun 2/26/23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: USS Constitution Museum Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22, Charlestown, MA, 02129 Age: kids, teens, adults Cost: free with donation Let your imagination set…
College isn’t for everyone, many argue. But what is the alternative? An old idea is to train kids in a trade in high school via shop class. However, high school trade programs have had a deservedly bad reputation as a “dumping ground” for low-income students, providing a subpar education and failing to prepare young adults for the modern world. These classes are also bound up with a shameful racial history. When schools were forced to…
“Things are better this year, right?” I am asked again and again. The short answer, from this high school administrator, is yes and no, depending on which aspect we choose to focus on. On the surface, things are mostly back to normal. We’re not in masks or tracking COVID cases or on a hybrid learning schedule. We’re having assemblies, sporting events, band concerts, and school dances. Hallway shenanigans are back. We had a senior prank…
Students have a lot to remember each day. Between completing homework assignments and studying for tests to participating in extracurricular activities, it can be easy for them to become disorganized. Help students stay on the right track by teaching them how to use a planner. Planners keep everything students need to remember in one place to use as a reference that helps them succeed. These handy tools improve productivity, assist with time management, track progress,…
