Over the past several decades, trends in education have come and gone or been resurrected with a new name. “Group work” is now called “cooperative learning.” Teacher-centered learning in the form of lecture and discussion in secondary education has taken a back seat to student-centered learning where students have a greater voice in determining how […]
Current Events in Education
It’s Our Fault: A Teacher’s Confession
Imagine 1996, a young girl fresh out of college in the Midwest. She interviews with nearby schools and after the third school she is offered a position to teach in her own small town. This is a dream come true. Energy and excitement fill her as she sets up her first classroom. At this point, […]
#NationalSchoolWalkout Activities for Elementary Students
On March 14th, 2018, teachers, students, and families will participate in a #NationalSchoolWalkout organized by the Women’s March Youth EMPOWER. The walkout is meant to last 17 minutes in protest of congressional inaction after the 17 people murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The Parkland shooting seems to have reignited a […]
10 Thoughts During a Failed Lesson
Thought 1: “I like this lesson” It might not be my best, but I’m satisfied with it. It’s educational. It’s collaborative. There’s some entertainment value. It certainly is important to their lives and what we’ve been previously talking about. It’ll be successful. Thought 2: “What the h*#%! is going on here?!” It doesn’t seem like […]
Using Current Events in Teaching the Executive Branch
As an eighth-grade civics teacher, I am about to start my unit of study on the Executive Branch. To be honest, I’m a little scared. Strike that. I am very scared. “Why are you scared, George?” you may ask. “If you stick to the facts, you’ll have nothing to worry about,” In normal times, I’d […]
I Used To Teach on $30,000: Supporting West Virginia and Oklahoma Strikes
Like most college graduates in 2005, I was just glad to have a job in education. Better yet that I was hired at my Alma mater school, nestled in the coal region of Pennsylvania. Here I knew the teachers, the culture, and the community. But I still remember a conversation my uncle, who just retired […]
You Are NO Education Expert…UNLESS You Have Done THIS!
Maybe this sounds harsh, but if you haven’t attempted to teach young people in the era of smartphones; if you haven’t competed with their ubiquitous presence, compulsive aura, and endless usage, then you probably don’t know what you are talking about regarding teaching, pedagogy, or education in general. If you haven’t had students become borderline […]
Using Popular Music in the Secondary Classroom
Teachers born between 1950 and 1980 makeup both the baby-boom generation and those known as “Generation X.” The music with which they grew up is a reflection of the historical periods that produced it – Vietnam, the Cold War, the Fall of Communism, September 11, 2001, and the events that followed. Teachers of social studies […]