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The real cost of being a teacher
Brian Stack EducationThis fall, the daughter of one of my co-workers was eager to start her first school year as a new teacher in a nearby urban school district. After she was hired over the summer and received her classroom keys, she was eager to get into the room to start decorating her space in anticipation of the first day of school.
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The challenge of ESL literacy
Douglas Magrath EducationPrebeginning or preliterate learners present a unique challenge to the ESL teacher accustomed to students who can write the Latin alphabet. Students may speak a language that uses a non-Latin alphabet such as Arabic, Chinese or Japanese, or they may be nonliterate in their own language. In some cases — Russian, for example — some of the reading skills may transfer even though the alphabet is different.
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States expect greater control during Trump presidency
Bambi Majumdar EducationAfter decades of too much federal interference in schools, the states are now hoping Donald Trump's administration will be more hands-off about accountability. The recent election raised many questions, and many topics were debated — except education. In fact, the glaring absence of education in any debate or discussion was quite alarming. We had no way of gauging where the candidates stood on this important agenda.
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My 4th grader hates reading — What’s wrong with him?
Howard Margolis Education"Joey, my 10-year-old son, struggles with reading. That's understandable. But why does he hate it? Why does he fight it? Why doesn't he try harder? He knows it's important. Why does he have such a bad attitude? What's wrong with him?" In most cases, nothing is "wrong" with him.
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Mathematical modeling: Coming soon to a school near you
Sheilamary Koch EducationIn a May Multibriefs Exclusive article, former math teacher Brian Stack wrote about the urgent need to revamp the approach to math instruction to meet both the needs of our future economy and the large number of students who find it a struggle. As a mother of two school-age girls who claim to hate math — as do their friends — I worry about their automatic shunning of a subject with such far-reaching implications. Can math education be improved? How? Is there a way to make it exciting and pertinent for younger students?
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Using centers to differentiate for English learners
Erick Herrmann EducationCenters are used in multiple grade levels and in various subject areas as a way to provide small group instruction to a group of students while keeping the rest of the students in the class engaged in meaningful and productive practice. When working with English learners, centers can provide opportunities to deliver specific lessons to help students improve language skills, preview upcoming content or review previously presented content.
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Dealing with large-scale tragedies at school
Pierre LaRocco EducationIt seems like we hear about large-scale tragedies on a daily basis — from someone tragically dying at the hands of the authorities to terrorism overseas. Everyone seems to be affected by this, including our students. We were once able to say that school is a safe place for our students with people who care about them. It was their safe haven from everything on the outside. Well, it has been proven over and over again, that is not the case anymore as we see school violence and shootings on the rise nationwide.
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Follow the leader: Letting students take ownership
Pamela Hill Education"Follow the leader" is a game in which "the participants copy the actions and words of a person who has been chosen as leader," according to the Oxford Dictionaries. In many ways, this mirrors the instruction of a special educator and her resource students.
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What does Betsy DeVos’ appointment mean for public schools?
Brian Stack EducationPresident-elect Donald Trump recently named Michigan's Betsy DeVos to be the next Secretary of Education. DeVos, a strong advocate for school vouchers and school choice in her home state, is expected to bring this topic to center stage when she begins her term in Washington in the coming months.
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How do you solve a complex problem like struggling schools?
Deb Page EducationThe challenge of improving an underperforming school is a classic example of an ill-structured problem — a complex challenge with no clear predetermined or procedural way to overcome it and with many different causes and many potential solutions.
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