Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! This past Christmas, my family decided to organize our own version of the Great British Baking Show (or GBBS). We each had to make our own Signature dessert for the approval of three judges, my in-laws, and my oldest daughter. The […]
classroom strategies
Why I Stopped Using Writing Rubrics
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! In my English and writing courses, I always love to share the following Anne Lamott quote with students: “…writing needs to breathe and move.” To further expand on this quote, I explain that writing cannot be constricted in a […]
How to Support Students Addicted to Screen Time
Tips for encouraging self-regulation of digital distraction Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! As more schools introduce one-to-one iPad or laptop policies, teachers are increasingly worried about students’ dependence on screens. Devices are now a constant part of their environment and have become their ‘go-to’ […]
Red Light! It’s Time to Take Digital Literacy Seriously
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Several months ago, my fifth-grade class asked me to play Red Light, Green Light. Not typically a game my fifth graders request, it came as a surprise. Later that week I watched the first episode of a very grown-up […]
Lessons for Teachers From a Military Brat
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! What is a Military Brat? Are you familiar with the term “military brat?” This term refers to someone who grew up in a family where one or both parents served in the armed forces. My father served in the […]
Justice Jackson and Romeo & Juliet (and Taylor Swift too!)
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! We can celebrate the historic confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and educate our students about many subjects at the same time! My favorite arguments from the newest U.S. Supreme Court Justice are not from any of the important cases she […]
How to Use Social Justice Picture Books With High Schoolers
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Picture books are colorful, vibrant, and creative…so let’s not ditch them after chapter books come along! As a parent I have re-discovered my love of some classic picture books, but mostly, I am discovering a vast new world of modern children’s literature. Many […]
We Must Make School Developmentally Appropriate Again
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! During the first week of school, kindergarten teachers everywhere can be heard reading Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate. Miss Bindergarten is a caring and notably hairy teacher with a passion for education and a wagging […]