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The Blog


From Chaos to Calm: Creating Classrooms That Support Every Learner
If your classroom management routine isn’t working well for you, rethinking your space may make a huge difference. And, even if management isn’t an issue for you, it’s good to stop mid-year, step back and view your space anew as you consider these top five markers of supportive classroom environments:
Susan Bryant
Nov 10, 20255 min read


Sobremesa: The Space Between the Standards for Multilingual Students
My first experience learning Spanish was in high school. Like many students, I spent four years memorizing vocabulary lists, practicing choral repetition, and doing endless writing drills to master basic grammar rules. I thought I was prepared. But when I stepped off the plane in Madrid, confident in my ability to navigate the Spanish-speaking world, I quickly realized how unprepared I truly was.What I hadn’t yet learned was this: language is not just something you study—it’s
Amanda Crecelius
Oct 6, 20254 min read


Beyond Suspension:
Suspensions are a big problem.This challenging reality underscores why it's crucial for educators and administrators to delve into the complexities of student suspensions and collaborate on effective solutions, especially when the current situation feels overwhelming.
Dr. Reneae Staley
Sep 8, 20254 min read


8 Practical Ways to Transform Your Classroom Management
The power of positive interactions in education isn't just a feel-good concept – it's backed by extensive research.
Tracy Harrison
Aug 4, 20252 min read


Creating a High Ability Cluster Group: A Practical Approach for Teachers
Understanding High Ability Cluster Grouping
Dr. Brian Scott
Dec 16, 20243 min read


Culturally Responsive Teaching: Enhancing Math Engagement, Understanding, and Fluency
This raises an important question for educators: how can we transform math lessons from monotonous to captivating?
William Reed
Nov 18, 20243 min read


Build Background Knowledge and Vocabulary with these Easy Strategies
Background knowledge is critical to understanding new information. It helps us make connections, improves comprehension, and improves memory
April Connelley
Nov 4, 20242 min read


Ignite the Spark: Overcoming Student Apathy
In the realm of education, one of the greatest challenges faced by teachers, parents, and students alike is student apathy. Apathy can manifest in various ways, such as lack of interest, disengagement, or a general feeling of indifference towards academic pursuits. However, overcoming student apathy is not an insurmountable task.
Dianne McKinley
Sep 13, 20233 min read


Get the Students Talking and Doing!
As I have visited classrooms and observed teachers teaching their classes, I am noticing a very common trend. The learning their students are doing is very passive and somewhat compliant. In a quote attributed to many different sources from Confucius to Benjamin Franklin says, “Tell Me and I Forget; Teach Me and I May Remember; Involve Me and I Learn” and it has been proven many times and, in many ways, to be true. It used to be the standard norm in a classroom in rows all
Dianne McKinley
Jul 31, 20236 min read


Empowering Teachers: Four Must-Read Books for Social Emotional Learning
I’ve listed four books below that I believe address some of the biggest struggles I’ve seen in the areas of social emotional learning this year. From student apathy to educator burnout, these are great resources for creating positive change!
Dianne McKinley
May 23, 20235 min read


Integrating Technology into the Classroom
Integrating technology into the classroom is a great way to engage students and make learning more interactive and interesting. It can also open up new avenues of exploration and collaboration that may not have been possible without technology. By doing so, teachers can create a fun, interactive learning environment that encourages students to think critically, work collaboratively, and learn in new and innovative ways.
Dianne McKinley
Feb 24, 20235 min read


Have Your Students Trained You?
My guess is if I ask teachers who have taught for more than one year, they can name a student they know who will come to class without any materials like a pen, pencil, paper, or book. Teachers can name a student they know who will ask to go to their locker or use the restroom during class. I’m also willing to bet teachers can name a student who will stay silent when they are asked to answer any questions in class. Knowing teachers can name students who do these actions, I as
Dianne McKinley
Nov 1, 20216 min read


Building Empathy in the Classroom
We are living through an incredible time of physical and emotional disconnection. Despite technological advances created to keep us connected, we seem to be moving in the opposite direction. We’ve seen it happening for years as smartphones become the focus at dinners, video games trump family game nights, texting takes the place of phone calls, and emojis replace the use of words.
Tiffany Creager
Feb 12, 20217 min read


How to Best Identify and Support Students with Social-Emotional Needs
School faculty members know a range of techniques for helping to support the educational needs of their students, but what about the social-emotional needs? Far too many students are struggling with social-emotional needs, yet teachers are unaware or uncertain of how to handle them. Often, these students can be severely withdrawn from their peers or they can have a hard time following the rules and procedures of the classroom. So how can we identify and support students with
Dianne McKinley
Feb 19, 20193 min read


Behavior Management Strategies That Teachers Can Use
One of the enormous challenges of being a teacher is dealing with student misbehavior. It affects not only the teacher and the student involved, but the whole class as well. The goal of behavior management is to promote a positive classroom environment conducive to learning for all students. Provided below is a list of behavior management strategies that teachers can use to keep the classroom in order. Classroom management and relationship building Classroom management is of
Dianne McKinley
Jul 29, 20174 min read
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