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Showing support for school counselors during the pandemic
Brian Stack EducationWe are just over a year into a pandemic that has already caused radical shifts and rifts in our society and our profession. Since it started, some of our profession’s unsung heroes that you don’t often hear enough about are our school counselors. This team, often a small group in a school, have been quietly trying to hold things together for the sake of our students, our staff, and our families. Have you checked in on your school counselor lately to make sure they are OK?
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5 suggestions for raising a struggling reader
Scott Clamme EducationAs a special education teacher and parent, I have worked with many children who have struggled to learn to read. The main thing to remember as a parent is to be patient. Children are all different, and they go through different processes when learning to read. Often, learning to read can be like learning to ride a bike. Some kids learn easier and earlier than others, but as long as they don’t give up, most end up being competent readers. The key is keeping them from giving up. This can require patience from parents and teachers. This article features some suggestions that can help keep your struggling reader on the path toward reading competence.
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How educators can help students navigate career planning and their college…
Ginger Abbot EducationEveryone’s learned new ways to navigate the world since the rise of COVID-19. High school students in particular have struggled because in-person college campus tours and meetings have been limited or shut down entirely. This guide explains how educators can help students navigate career planning and their college choice during COVID-19 so every student feels confident about their future.
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Grade retention: Perpetuating failure
Howard Margolis EducationYears ago, I read an article by a teacher who was worried about Gretchen (a pseudonym), a conscientious, enthusiastic, and hardworking struggling learner. The teacher feared that his district’s policy would force him to fail and retain her. He feared the negative consequences. His article was touching, perceptive, and troubling. It dealt with common fail-retain-and-repeat decisions that I had frequently encountered, decisions that continue to demoralize and undermine countless struggling learners, their families, and their teachers.
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Outdoor learning improves engagement and mental health
Sheilamary Koch EducationUnder tall mango trees between a dry riverbed and two large warehouses, kids ranging between three and 12 years old gather midday for story time. They sit on stumps spaced in a circle. A few interact with some ants and each other. After they introduce themselves in big outdoor voices, Nicole Majewski reads a story interjecting commentary and inviting response as she goes along. Since the beginning of the school year, Majewski, education director at EntreAmigos, a nonprofit in San Pancho, Nayarit, Mexico, and other educators have been bringing activities like watercolor painting, mud play and treasure hunts to kids outdoors.
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5 helpful hints for teaching business ESL
Douglas Magrath EducationBusiness ESL falls under English for specific purposes as learners make the transition from general language to the specific varieties necessary in their future lines of work. The language taught in ESL classes needs to be relevant to the students’ interests. For business students, they need to get hands-on experience with the various aspects of the field and go beyond mere textbook examples. Here are some ideas that current teachers can use to help second language learners with business writing.
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The ultimate guide for making the perfect educational video
Victor Blasco MarketingAt the beginning of the pandemic, some of the changes brought by lockdown felt temporary. But, as time passes on, we realize that many of them are here to stay — like using digital platforms to work and learn from home. The rise of educational videos has also become part of the new normal, an increasingly popular tool for brands that want to engage with their customers while also teaching them something valuable. However, creating a flawless educational video is an art form. In this piece, I'm going to guide you through some important steps towards creating that ideal educational video.
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The pros and cons of online schooling for pre-teens
Ginger Abbot EducationThe pandemic has impacted almost every area of our lives. Work has changed, with many adults now working from home or pursuing freelance options. Many students are learning virtually or doing hybrid classes on alternating weekdays. Each household with working parents and online students has developed differing opinions about whether online schooling should continue after the pandemic is over. Now that they’re adjusted, some parents might wonder whether their kids should keep learning online. Here’s what to consider before making a long-term decision.
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Relationship-building based on trust and mutual respect
Mark S. Miller EducationRelationship-building is an intriguing, yet tricky concept. Some people make friends easily and are naturally talkative and friendly; others are more tentative and introverted and have great difficulty making friends. Based on your vocation, developing relationships or interacting with people on a daily basis might be a matter of necessity, not choice. For teachers, relationship-building is a constant challenge. Teachers not only interact with their colleagues, administrators, and parents, but also students each day in their classrooms, hallways, and communities.
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How can we raise the quality of teacher crowdsourcing resources?
Brian Stack EducationAs a society, we have developed quite the appetite for information that is received by way of "crowdsourcing," which can be loosely defined by sites like Google as the practice of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the internet. For all the benefits of the strategy, there is one significant drawback that has become an increasing problem for those who use it: How do you filter out the good information from the junk? If we are to continue using this strategy in our field, we must as a profession figure out how to raise the bar for educators on crowdsourcing resources.
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