Sailing the C's of Classroom Management

As a trainer for the AFT’s Foundations of Effective Teaching professional development course, I meet many teachers from all over the nation. The neighborhoods their schools are in, the economic status of their students, and the number of students in their classrooms vary. Yet, one question I almost always get asked is: How can I improve my classroom management? My typical response involves a short Q&A to discover how they plan, teach and assess. The conversation normally leads to a few major concepts I feel all teachers, including myself, should remember if they want to become the captains of their classrooms.

Talking to Parents about the Common Core - Blog

How to be a Lame Duck

by Listen Current

Creating Responsible Consumers - Blog

Some people watch the Super Bowl to see football, and many watch it as a social event. But some of you out there are probably like me: I watch the Super Bowl as a sort of “state of the world” experience. The first game I remember was certainly because of the Chicago Bears and their “Super Bowl Shuffle” song from the 1980s.

The Power of Primary Sources

Last year, as a part of my speech unit, my seventh-grade students studied César Chávez and Martin Luther King Jr. and the persuasive techniques employed by each man. As I was attempting to set the scene for the speeches, I found it crucial to show my students as much footage as possible from the time period in which these men lived, as well as help them understand the nature of the press and other media.

The Power of Positive Discipline

By Ellen Gore

I Dare You: A Lesson About Lessons

I’m a list maker and self-help addict from back in the day, so it isn’t surprising that New Year’s resolutions have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Last year, however, I realized that what I really wanted was not to have the same resolutions year after year. What if “eat healthy” and “keep the house clean” weren’t on the list? What amazing new goals could I have (and hopefully achieve)?

Journalists Killed in Attack on French Weekly

Editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier was killed in the

Lessons That Work - Blog

Around the holidays, I remind myself that I must educate the “whole child,” which would certainly suggest that I should honor students’ most important moments. Sharing their traditions, customs and celebrations is a great way to practice culturally responsive teaching.

Taliban - Today's News, Tomorrow's Lesson - December 17, 2014

PBS NewsHour ExtraTaliban gunmen massacred over a hundred students at a school in the city of Peshawar, Pakistan, in one of the worst terrorist attacks in years.
Members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban entered the military-run school and shot at least 141 people. The Pakistani army responded and by the end of the day, all seven attackers were dead.