Is teaching a science, a system, an art, or all of these? There are many pundits who will say it is a system and anyone who follows it can teach. As a former student of mine would say, “BZZZZZZ! Wrong answer!” A whabam system is only as good as the person who applies it and […]
Keep Kids Writing All Summer
Summer Learning Loss is the bane of every teacher’s existence. We work tirelessly to teach students reading and writing strategies, grammar concepts, vocabulary building techniques, critical thinking skills, and more and it seems that by September they have forgotten what Venn Diagram is and how to find a noun. I know I do endless work […]
Empowering Yourself as an Expert
“Empowering teachers as experts” is the mission statement of The Educators Room. It is a powerful statement, but only true if we believe in ourselves as teachers. Many of us are made to feel like we are glorified babysitters, and we are belittled when we try to say what we feel, and when we hear […]
Celebrating the Genres in Anne Frank's Diary
Anne Frank: The Diary of Young Girl transcends the labels of genre. Yes, as the title suggests, it is a diary, but it is also a memoir, a narrative, an argument, an expository journal, an informational text, and much more. Yet, these genres listed are treated as separate and distinct in the reading and writing standards of the Common Core (CCSS). The […]
Elementary Educators Can (and Should!) Celebrate LGBT Pride Month
June isn’t just the last month of school for many of us. It is also Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. While teachers know teaching about diverse histories, cultures and identities should never be relegated to one month, I still welcome Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month and Asian and Pacific […]
The 5 Words Your Resume Should Never Use
In today’s changing economy, finding a job is a job in and of itself. Unfortunately, it’s not one you’re getting paid for (usually), and the lack of a superior to turn to for guidance can make it difficult to know where you’re going wrong. Recent reports and surveys show that it may be your […]
PLN Members: Don’t Forget the Role of Conferences!
By Mark Estrada This guest post by Mark Estrada discusses lessons he took away from the 2015 ASCD Annual Conference in March. This summer, teachers nationwide will have more great opportunities to supercharge their PD and expand and strengthen their PLNs at the ASCD Summer Academies, led by Heidi Hayes Jacobs and Harvey Silver. Learn […]
Summer Inspired Lessons
It’s summertime! And whether you have still have school (sorry), year round school (sorry, again) or you are home, summer is a busy time. We vacation during summer, organize our homes, even remodel a little, and more importantly, we have fun. Here are some lesson ideas that are inspired by the summer. Characters and vacation– […]
