Authors: Leigh Reagan Alley, Ed.D., University of Maine at Augusta Chief (ret.) Noel C. March, M.A., University of Maine at Augusta A Morning That Could Go Either Way . . . It’s first period. A freshman slams a locker and stalks down the hall, hood up, eyes on the floor. He’s late again, and a […]
From the Front Lines
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The 60-Second De-Escalation Routine I Still Teach Today
Leigh Reagan Alley, Ed.D. is Coordinator of Teacher Education at the University of Maine at Augusta, where she designed the first dedicated Master of Arts in Teaching Whole Child Education. She is the former executive director of Maine ASCD, an architect of the xSELeratED Schools Framework, an Advisor for the Institute for Humane Education, and […]
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Teacher Appreciation Week 2025: Deals and Freebies
This upcoming week of May 5-9 is Teacher Appreciation Week, with Teacher Appreciation Day being May 6th. According to the nonprofit TCEA, the origins of Teacher Appreciation Week started in the early 1940s, when Mattye Whyte Woodridge, a teacher from Arkansas, lobbied political and educational leaders to advocate for a day that honored teachers. Scroll down […]
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Oklahoma State Department of Education Purchases Bibles for AP Government Classrooms
The Oklahoma State Department of Education announced Thursday that it has purchased more than 500 Bibles for use in Advanced Placement government classrooms. According to spokesperson Dan Isett, the purchase cost the agency $25,000. The acquisition is part of a broader plan to provide resources such as the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, […]
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Do you want to teach empathy? Use Books in World Languages Classrooms
Recently, after reading a troubling article in the New York Times detailing students’ alarming pranks against teachers, I found myself drawn to the comments section. While I shared in the outcry for discipline and action, I couldn’t help but cringe at the focus on the perceived lack of empathy displayed by the students. Research indicates […]
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Teach with humility; Achieve the impossible in teaching expectations
It seems to me that being a modern-day teacher is more challenging than ever before. On average, 15% of students nationwide receive IDEA services for individualized education plans (NCES, 2023). In addition, national movements to improve outcomes for struggling learners (eg. multi-tiered systems of support) have vastly shifted the roles and responsibilities of the traditional […]
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Teachers, The Ted Lassos of the Educational World
Warning: Spoiler alert to Ted Lasso Season 1-3! A friend recently recommended that I watch Ted Lasso. For those not in the know, it’s a show about an American coach who takes over an English football club. Despite what at times seems like the entire world against him, Ted Lasso keeps positive and as he […]
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Equity In TAG Implementation: Pull-Out Services Vs. Differentiated Instruction
My son, Atticus, was nominated to be tested for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program in first grade. He got on a school bus for the very first time and spent 4 hours taking tests at a nearby school. A few months later, we were shocked to learn that his scores officially placed him into […]