Sparking Scientific Curiosity Through Relevance One of the problems with STEM education in the United States is its accessibility. Specifically, the inaccessibility gap between students from well-resourced schools and those without. Having AP course offerings, funding for lab materials, access to structured readiness programs, and even something as simple as an Algebra II class can […]
science
Posted inPedagogy
Use the World Cup to Score Higher Engagement with Middle Schoolers
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Studies have shown over and over again that students learn best when they find the content relevant and engaging. Lately, I’ve found my middle school students to be super engaged with the World Cup. Rather than repeating, “Guys, please […]
Posted inPedagogy
Spark STEM Learning with The James Webb Space Telescope
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Like millions around the world I was thrilled to see the first images of the James Webb Space Telescope. Images called the cosmic cliffs showed the birth of a star. I was amazed at the capabilities of this new […]
Posted inPedagogy
How to Incorporate Social-Emotional Learning Into Any Content Area
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Whether it’s unregulated and disruptive behavior or an overall malaise with regard to school, it’s clear that many kids are not all right, and parents and educators are taking notice. Some students are struggling to compensate for losses sustained over nearly […]
Posted inOpinion
How Green Energy Can Transform Schools
It’s Time to Bring Education Infrastructure into the 21st Century Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! We were living in Houston in February 2021 when a string of disastrous winter weather hit. We watched as the entire state slowly shut down over the course of a […]
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 inInstruction & Curriculum
How to Use TikTok in the Science Classroom
“Ooh, Ms. Lane, I saw this TikTok Video that…” One of my students excitedly said to me after class one day. My first thought was to listen but not take the topic seriously. I mean, after all, it was TikTok – a social media platform very effective at making students social, but not in an […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Filling Your Cup with Science
After teaching 1st and 2nd grade for the past 13 years, with a primary focus on developing reading, writing, and math skills, I decided I needed a change. Although I was pretty successful and enjoyed it thoroughly, I realized that sometimes a simple grade change is just the thing for a teacher to stay fresh […]