In this article, Nancy Barile, an urban high school teacher, questions whether "grit" can solve all students' problems. She states that when she first began teaching 20 years ago, she realized almost immediately that, as an urban school teacher, she needed to encourage grit in her students. She told "gritty" anecdotes of…

In this article, the author argues that student data is more than just test scores. Alex Kajitani notes that data matter because they provide crucial information to teachers that enable them to better serve their students. Teachers can use data to determine students' strengths and areas of need. The effective use of data means being able to…

A new teacher's mindset may have more to do with her success than her natural teaching talent. When she feels overwhelmed, her mindset will determine whether she gives up or sticks with it. This article includes insights from a new teacher about how her mindset helped her through the tough days of her first year.

Teaching soft skills (i.e., grit, empathy, collaboration, perseverance, communication, ethics, self-management) is a task that might seem overwhelming to new teachers, but this article offers practical advice from students about how to incorporate the lessons into the classroom.

This article describes three reasons Twitter has become an essential part of US National Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki's teaching life: (1) It provides professional development on demand by offering a steady stream of great new ideas, activities, lesson suggestions, book recommendations, and teaching tips that can be immediately…

Laughing with students can help them connect on a deeper level with the teacher and the learning. This article offers the following four strategies to incorporate humor into teaching: (1) Integrate humorous bits to boost engagement; (2) Choose humorous materials; (3) Create interest with humorous web tools and apps; and (4) Teach with silly…

At times, classroom management and guidance elude even the most seasoned teachers. Yet, students need guidance and practice in self-regulatory skills to assist in the learning that occurs in classrooms. Teachers need both practical and research-based classroom management strategies that benefit the environment and help create a space conducive to…

This article offers a peek into high school math teacher Ali Wright's typical school day, which includes time-tested strategies that she uses to build a positive culture in her classroom. Scheduled timeframes and activities include before school starts, five minutes before class, during announcements, during class, last five minutes of class,…

Research shows that personal connections and interests are vital to the resilience of at-risk children (Polakow, 1993). We know that attachments in early childhood, especially between birth and age three, matter a great deal. Even in the face of incredible hardship, parents or other mentors can successfully ease these troubles. Teachers can have…

Additional career paths are an element of improvement on the traditional career ladder concept in education. A culture of growth offers teachers opportunities that can greatly expand their careers while substantially enhancing student learning. The career paths summarised in this article, describe some additional opportunities for education…

As a new teacher, what will you do when you realize there is an aspect of your practice that you want to improve? Will you make a plea to your administration to attend an expensive workshop? Will you try to cram a class into your already jam-packed schedule? You may even try to hide your weakness and hope nobody notices. Is there another option to…

In this article, the author describes the process she used when job-searching for the first time as a new teacher. The application process is presented in three parts: (1) Copy, paste, and SAVE, Save anything and everything you write; (2) Study and align, study what they want so you can align your experiences to match; and (3) Go to job fairs, Put…

In this article the author describes virtual coaching and why it is so effective. The following six points of virtual coaching are explained: (1) Also known as bug-in-ear coaching, virtual coaching is not new; (2) Virtual coaching can save money and time; (3) Bug-in-ear coaching increases the frequency of observations for novice teachers; (4) It…

Teaching is and always has been a year-round job. Even when educators are not working during the summer months, they are always planning for the year ahead. This has not changed in the 21st century. In fact, teachers might work harder now than ever. While summer is the perfect time for teachers to relax and recharge their batteries, it also…

Using social media in education requires putting some building blocks for success in place. A strong foundation for successful use of social networking in education starts by securing parent/guardian and student agreements. Social networking provides a powerful platform for learning and connecting. Facebook is not just for sharing status updates…