“Hey, Mrs. K… I was looking at my grade, and I noticed I have some zeroes. Can I get some bonus points for work?”Who hasn’t had this conversation? I used to get so annoyed keeping track of late work and constantly being put in the “bad guy” role—even though they were the ones who didn’t […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Relational Data: What We Should Be Tracking Besides Grades and Referrals
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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Stifled By Standards? Get Creative!
In a standards-based learning environment, it may seem that exploratory, open-ended learning doesn’t fit. Standards are pre-determined pathways. They can feel rigid and narrow. In contrast, curiosity-driven learning naturally ventures into unpredictable territory. That’s the beauty of it. That unpredictable territory is where new ideas emerge, and creativity thrives. Back in 2006, Sir Ken Robinson […]
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AFT, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council sue U.S. Department of Education over termination of community school grants
The AFT and the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC) filed a lawsuit ( Brighton Park Neighborhood Council et al. v. McMahon et al.) on December 29 challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to terminate millions of dollars in funding for Full-Service Community Schools that offer wrap-around services for some of the country’s most impoverished and rural communities. […]
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We’re back from break — and these are the things teachers are leaving in 2025
There’s a specific kind of clarity that hits teachers right after a break. You’re rested enough to think again, but not rested enough to believe everything will suddenly be different. You remember what you love about teaching… and also exactly what you’re no longer willing to entertain. As we head back into classrooms in 2026, […]
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No Cap, Why Teachers Need to Stay Up on Gen Alpha Slang
Social media has only accelerated the emergence of new words, and also shortened the shelf life for adolescent vernacular. Kids in every previous generation have cringed just the same when their mothers, fathers, uncles, and teachers try to copy their sayings. It was groovy and far out in the 1970s. Buggin’ in the 1990s. She ate […]
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The Educator’s Room announces second cohort of Top 50 Educators Honoring Trailblazers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Atlanta, Georgia – The Educator’s Room is proud to announce the recipients of its second cohort of the Top 50 Educators, a prestigious recognition honoring outstanding educators who are redefining teaching, learning, and leadership in schools and communities across the globe. This recognition celebrates educators who go beyond the classroom to create […]
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The Ethics and Craft of Student Motivation
I ain’t doing this. Papers crash to the floor. The student leaves in a huff. In the classroom, to quit can be an act of human assertion. When assessing, students have to feel as if they have a fighting chance. Otherwise, it is psychologically safer to shut down and not invite in the hurt. So, […]