Special Education Inclusion Tips for the Classroom

Inclusive education is a practice that strives to create learning spaces in which all students are given the opportunity to learn alongside their peers. In special education, this means designing learning experiences and instructional strategies that provide access to content for all children with disabilities. This practice works best when it is tailored to the individual needs of each student. While many students with disabilities receive special education services in special education programs and classes,…

Read More »

Ongoing Changes to the Department of Education

President Donald Trump inherited a U.S. Department of Education with 4,133 employees, according to the administration’s own numbers. Nearly 600 workers have since chosen to leave, by resigning or retiring. And this week, more than 1,300 workers were told they’re losing their jobs in a Tuesday purge. That leaves 2,183 remaining department staff, according to the administration, which means the Department of Education will soon be roughly half the size it was just a few…

Read More »

How Teaching Living Poets Benefits Students

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…

Read More »

Supporting Positive Development for LGBTQ+ Youth

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 »

How Spotlight Reading Benefits Literature Students

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 »

6 Effective Study Habits for Students

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 »

How to Help Girls Succeed

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.…

Read More »

Ways to Give Back to the LGBTQ+ Community

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…

Read More »

Education News Update Under the New Presidential Administration

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 »

How to Help Boys Thrive

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 »