I worked in juvenile probation for eight years before becoming a teacher, so I’ve seen the potentially devastating effect of the emotional issues that kids deal with. Before I took over as principal at Bluebonnet Elementary, I was an assistant principal at the middle school, where many of our discipline … Read More
The world may describe what we do as teaching employability skills. I call it social-emotional learning (SEL). Having social-emotional skills – skills such as self-management, forming positive relationships, and responsible decision-making – are critical to becoming “career-ready.” When you look at the top 10 skills required in any sector, at … Read More
Social skills are an area that has been so neglected in the speech language field, and something that I incorporate with all of my students–even those who don’t have a social or emotional goal. Our high-poverty, rural district serves 9,600 students across 13 schools. I work with students in pre-K … Read More
Today’s 24/7 access to technology has brought many benefits, from online collaboration to improved parent-teacher communication. But that 24/7 environment has also brought increased stress to students’ lives as issues they encounter at school, especially on social media, follow them home. In the edWebinar “How Digital Stressors Impact Student Learning,” … Read More
Teachers never have enough hours in the day. So when we find learning tools that engage students and also serve multiple purposes, it’s a huge bonus. That’s just what I discovered when I began using an interactive video series that gets students up and moving while they’re learning core content. … Read More
Education initiatives are continually adapting to new trends, policies, and opportunities. Yet, funding is a consistent roadblock when teachers and administrators attempt to expand the resources–especially the STEM resources–available in the classroom. When applying for special grants, the amount of money awarded, application requirements, and time during the school year … Read More
For much of the past two decades, educators have commonly referred to millennials as “digital natives.” Given that they are the first generation to grow up with access to personal computers, the descriptor seemed apt at the time. But today’s students–the emerging Generation Z–are demonstrating what it really means to … Read More
As a fifth grade teacher, I used to spend hours hunting for math materials and exercises. If I had to teach my math class a standard skill, like adding fractions with different denominators, I would flip through thick binders of exercises, maybe printing up a few. Then I’d search online, … Read More
Teachers understand how important it is to use high-quality educational tools and digital resources in the classroom, and they know it’s important to help students select books that match their needs and interests. However, students today are learning from an expanded array of digital content, both at home and at … Read More
Saint Patrick’s is a small, pre-K–8 Catholic school in Yorktown Heights, New York. Last year, we received a grant to revamp our computer lab into what we call a STREAM lab, which stands for science, technology, religion, engineering, art, and math. The grant allowed us to invest in 30 new … Read More
