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 […]
effective teaching
Posted inOpinion
Behind the Mask: Returning to School in the Midst of a Pandemic
We got the kids back. So why is it still so hard to reach them? Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Like many educators, I was excited when we managed to reopen our little Washington DC charter school last August. As middle school principal, I’d […]
Posted inInterviews
Why the Arts Matter in Schools
An Interview With Art Teacher, Jan Barzottini Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! As arts programs continue to be cut across K-12 schools, I am reflecting on the importance of arts in education. In “Arts Integration in School: 10 Reasons Why It’s Important,” Sandra Larson […]
Posted inPedagogy
How Background Knowledge Supports Reading Comprehension
Essential Components In part 1 of my series on effective literacy, I discussed the Science of Reading, the role of the brain when learning to read, and the importance of explicit phonics instruction when teaching reading. Explicit phonics instruction is critical when learning to read, but word recognition is not the only component that creates […]
Posted inPedagogy
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 […]
Posted inOpinion
The Toxic Positivity Propaganda Machine
In order to change destructive patterns, we need to stop pretending they aren’t there. Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! For what feels like the thousandth time, I am laying in bed at 4:00 p.m. Exhausted from the teacher workday and too drained to be […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
7 Picture Books for Earth Day That Aren’t The Lorax
Each year on Earth Day elementary school teachers across the U.S. pull out The Lorax and other tried and true read-alouds. Many elementary teachers – a group that is disproportionately white women – tend to gravitate towards the books they grew up with. This is a problem. And while there’s nothing wrong with the environmental […]
Posted inTechnology
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’ […]