by: Ric Domingo Like any profession, we teachers have to keep up-to-date with our craft. Content, methodology and, of course, testing, all go through phases of creation, disfavor, re-creation, and evolution. One trend that is very likely here to stay, especially for the social studies and humanities, is “global” education. State and federal standards don’t […]
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Fulfilling The Interdisciplinary Dream
The education world is all about buzzwords. From early classes in all disciplines to graduate level courses in specialized topics, practitioners are constantly throwing around terms like “differentiation”, “STEM” (now STEAM), “flipped classrooms”, “high-stakes testing”, “collaborative learning”, and “MOOCs”. These catchphrases live in the hearts and minds of professionals from first-grade math and high school […]
ESL Students in the General Education Classroom
Help! I have a new student in the middle of February who doesn’t speak any English! What should I do? Sound familiar? This often happens at my school. English Language Learners (ELL), or English as a Second Language (ESL) students, are part of a very transient population. Sometimes students will even leave mid-year for a month […]
Melodie R. – Our Stellar Educator of the Week!
Name: Melodie R. School: Orange County Public Schools (FL) Years Teaching: 5-6 years Specialty: English/ Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies Congratulations to Melodie R., our Stellar Educator of the Week! Melodie is currently an ESE teacher, but is certified in Middle Grades Curriculum ESOL, English and Elementary Ed. She was nominated by one […]
What Really Matters for Students: A Review of "How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character"
The Educator’s Room Book Review: “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character,” by Paul Tough Paul Tough has re-entered the education discussion with How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character as a fresh voice in the discussion about student achievement. For us teachers, this discussion can be […]
Adopting a State Legislator for a Day: Teachers Get Political
Teachers don’t often consider themselves to be in a political profession. If they are active in their union, they may take interest when their contract is bargained with their district. Teachers are usually fairly well-informed when they decide to vote. But beyond this basic civic participation, educators’ focus usually remains steadfast on their student’s well-being […]
The Arts Are Important Also!
It never fails, after every performance done by my Theatre students, I hear the countless accolades. “Your students are so talented! You do such a great job with these kids! This program adds so much to our school!” We receive all praises until the performance is forgotten. I am then back in the same position I […]
Differentiating Instruction–Stretching All Learners
Classrooms are a mix of students. They come to us with different experiences, background knowledge, skills, talents, attitudes and understanding. There is no longer the proverbial “middle” to teach. Teachers strive to reteach and reach the lowest students while excelling and pushing the highest students. In between is a mixture of ability levels and good […]