A special surprise awaited me in my French 3 class this morning. As a student entered the room, she announced that my book was coming out today and wasn’t I excited and couldn’t we read a section of it in class right then and there, instead of doing work and taking a quiz on farm…

https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/41-states-sue-meta-over-the-social-media-giants-impact-on-kids/2023/10 Last week, 33 states joined together to sue Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, saying that the social media giant’s products damage children’s mental health. Another eight states, plus the District of Columbia, filed suits in their own states over similar issues. The main lawsuit alleges that Meta exploits teenagers by developing algorithms…

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teachers-stress-trickles-down-to-students-heres-what-schools-are-doing-about-it/2023/10 Teachers are still burned out this school year, but there are ways to help them out, according to an article in Education Week. Methods include recognizing teachers’ good work, providing access to counseling, and lightening their workload where possible. Other support includes increasing salaries to reduce financial stress, additional support for handling discipline issues,…

Did you know that there are more female principals than male ones? Or that the average U.S. principal is a white woman in her late 40s who has a master’s degree and four to nine years of experience as a principal and 10 to 19 years as a teacher? These facts are highlighted in an…

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/theres-still-no-consensus-on-accountability-for-teacher-prep/2023/09 Most would agree that good teachers create an atmosphere in the classroom where learning takes place, guiding students as they obtain knowledge key to becoming educated citizens. Teachers help students reach their potential, understanding that some will master material easily, while others will struggle. In the end, though, everyone should learn something that will…

Evidently, this year is the one when students will be held accountable to catch up on learning loss by focusing on lessons, not slacking off, and taking school seriously. This should also mean that administrators broadcast the message that students will no longer get an easy A in many classes, which is what happened during…

I’ve picked up tips on how to learn from the book Learning How to Learn by Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski, which I’ll share with adults and teens who want to improve how much information they retain. The following are ways that can help me: Get lots of sleep. Don’t skimp on this key aspect…

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/recruiting-more-bilingual-teachers-the-challenges-and-solutions/2023/09 My high school boasts a significant Hispanic student population with a robust English as a Second Language program, as well as many sections of Spanish to cater to native and heritage speakers. Yet, when a colleague resigned in June, my district couldn’t find a replacement for her Spanish classes. Administrators contacted local colleges, professional…

What does it take to create kids with grit and what does it exactly mean to have grit? I sought answers to my questions by reading Angela Duckworth’s book Grit: the Power of Passion and Perseverance. First, Duckworth defines grit as a combination of passion and perseverance to achieve long-term goals. It’s not just working…

For students to learn in class, all of them must behave. This means they must not disrupt others by talking without permission, playing music that all can hear, walking around the classroom during instructional time, and interrupting a lesson to ask for something. Honestly, for years, I struggled with getting kids to respect these rules…

To solve their teacher shortage, schools with low teacher salaries should look to Baker City, Oregon. This school year, the rural district filled all its teachers vacancies after it increased the salary floor for teachers to $60,000 from $38,000 and made its top salary nearly $90,000, according to an article in NEA Today. Before, teachers…

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/5-big-challenges-facing-k-12-education-today-and-ideas-for-tackling-them/2023/09 Teachers work an average of 53 hours per week–a standard work week is 40 hours– and report an average salary of $67,000, according to a recent survey by the RAND Corp, a research consulting firm. They are more dissatisfied with their jobs, leading some to consider leaving the profession, according to a recent article…