Think about any time you’ve seen an army boot camp portrayed in pop culture: the traditional drill sergeant, ordering his troops to do endless laps and push-ups as punishment for their errors that day. Now, with that scenario in your mind, imagine it being played out by children and teenagers at school, and instead of drill sergeants, their teachers are at the helm. Believe it or not, it’s actually quite common in certain areas of…
While report cards are a common tool for communicating a student’s academic performance, they have several shortcomings, such as reducing a student’s complex learning journey to simple letters and numbers, as well as failing to capture the nuances of their strengths, challenges, and overall growth. In almost every case, report cards do not effectively reflect a student’s understanding of content or mastery of skills. They also fail in attempts to ‘report’ their progress in other…
World Mental Health Day’s purpose is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. It’s a day to talk about mental health and what more we need to do to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide. Here are some activities for children to open the door to self care and caring for their own mental wellbeing throughout their lives. 1. Encourage…
Four years after the pandemic shuttered schools, we all want to be done with COVID, but the latest analyses from three assessment companies paint a grim picture of where U.S. children are academically. While there are isolated bright spots, the general trend is stagnation. One report documented that U.S. students did not make progress in catching up in the most recent 2023-24 school year and slid even further behind in math and reading, exacerbating pandemic…
Founded in 2003, National Book Month is a month-long celebration focusing on the importance of reading, writing, and literature. National Book Month encourages both reading and writing, two activities that both children and adults can benefit from greatly. Not only will frequent reading help to develop better reading and writing skills, but it will also expand knowledge, improve vocabulary, and provide great entertainment, too. You can also use National Book Month as an opportunity to…
Does AI actually help students learn? A recent experiment in a high school provides a cautionary tale. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that Turkish high school students who had access to Chat GPT while doing practice math problems did worse on a math test compared with students who didn’t have access to Chat GPT. Those with Chat GPT solved 48% more of the practice problems correctly, but they ultimately scored 17% worse on…
Politics can be a difficult subject to discuss with children, but as they grow and begin to understand the fundamentals of civics and how people choose their local and national leaders, the subject is hard to avoid. Voting allows people to come together as a community to make a collective decision; it fosters democracy and allows for a fair process in electing local and national leaders. How do you talk to kids about voting and…
Your student has participated in their school’s music program since sixth grade, is now taking private lessons, consistently makes the all-state band, and attends a selective music program each summer in Michigan. Oh, and they know every Beethoven symphony inside and out. If this describes your student, a music career could very well be in their future, but before that future can become reality, musical assessment, reflection, and preparation are needed. As they begin their…
If the students respect and like you as a person, your job as a teacher will be a lot easier. Unlike a boss who clashes with an employee, you can’t fire a student. You can spend your entire year trying to fix a fractured relationship that is broken due to lack of respect, but who has the time? Here are some guidelines to help earn the respect of your students from the get-go and how…
No matter our color, ZIP code, or language, we want all our children to have a public education that imparts honesty about who we are, the integrity in how we treat each other, and the freedom to pursue our dreams. Hispanic Heritage Month is not only a time for those of Hispanic and Latino descent to celebrate their cultural roots but also an occasion for people from all backgrounds to learn, appreciate, and celebrate the…
