In my early years of teaching, I spent much of my time and energy focused on classroom management. Included in this was teaching students how to have a productive classroom discussion. I would plan mini-lessons about appropriate interjections, how to respond to someone who disagrees with your viewpoint (without being aggressively loud and using profanity), […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inBack to School
A Student-Curated Reading List to Combat Learning Loss
With the holidays just around the corner, most teachers are gearing up for some time off and some much needed rest and relaxation. While these breaks can a wonderful time to re-charge for both teachers and students, sometimes progress made throughout the semester can be lost. For example, in 2015, Oxford Learning put out an article […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Principals' Corner
Is Adult Drama the Elephant in the Classroom?
Why teacher’s professional issues are more important than student’s concerns when building effective professional learning communities. By Laura D. Brown Learning Styles, Collaborative Learning, Project-Based Learning (PBL) — these are just three of the many instructional approaches that I have been trained to implement during my twenty-two-year teaching career. All of the above-mentioned approaches have […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Challenges of Social Studies Education Today
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! One educator’s perspective Next school year, I will “celebrate” my thirty-fifth year in secondary social studies education. I have taught at both middle and high school levels, predominantly in US History and US Government. My current assignment involves 7th grade US […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Hidden Secret to Success With Instructional Coaching
By Terri Froiland In my six years as an instructional coach, I have been fortunate to have been given a great deal of professional development in a variety of coaching models, from invitational coaching to transformational coaching. As I have been trained in various models, I have worked hard to adapt and learn the new […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Secondary Trauma and The Teachers That It Affects
It is 30 days into the school year. So far I have listened to or read stories about my students experiencing homelessness, bullying, deaths of family members, suicidal thoughts, and sexual abuse. These traumatic events weigh down on our students. Unfortunately, as we know, our schools do not have enough mental health supports. If we […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Chromebook Conundrum: The Pros and Cons of Going Digital
This school year is the first year my school has gone one-to-one with students and electronic devices. During the first week of school, each student was given their own Chromebook to use in school and at home. A lot of exciting changes are happening, as teachers transition their classrooms from paper and pen to completely […]
Posted inCommon Core
Empowering Students Through Choice
Last month, I wrote an article about how lack of creativity for teachers can hinder both progress and respect. The same thing can be said for our students: a lack of creativity can hinder progress, respect, and self-efficacy. Allowing more choice for our students can empower them while also promoting creativity. Scripted and finite curricula […]