A research has uncovered that adolescent sleep patterns are influenced not so much by the activities of the young adults as by the changes taking place in the biological timing system of their brains. It is evident that teenagers are not getting the amount of sleep they require and suggestions are presented to help diminish if not entirely avoid…

The dramatic ups and downs so often witnessed in adolescents are the result of changes in their brain activity. It is vital that the emotional and psychological needs that arise from such intense brain development are acknowledged and addressed so that middle school becomes a safe environment for the budding adults.

Instant digital communication is going to say and the wise teacher needs to acknowledge and keep pace with the technology that eases and speeds up the way the DIG (digital immediate gratification) generation learns. Some DIG- friendly strategies that teachers can employ to make learning more attractive and meaningful are presented.

Statistics reveal that students spend more time on electronic games than on any other recreational activity and 32% admit to playing them during class. The gaming revolution contains lessons for teachers, and understanding the pedagogical potential of computer and video games and developing curriculum that supports the educational use of…

The joys and woes of teaching middle school children are well documented and effective middle school teachers are aware that they must address their students' social and emotional needs to ensure they succeed academically. Hispanic, white and Asian American students were interviewed on their experiences in their first year of middle school and…

Middle schoolers move into high school with mixed feelings of apprehension and excitement, but generally hopeful of graduating in four years. Transition programs that support students most effectively provide different activities that help students to start on the road to high school success.

First-year students in high school face numerous pressures and usually have to face high school finals on their own. It does not have to be this way as a school outside Chicago, Maine East, demonstrates with its Freshman Advisory program that has senior students mentoring first year students.

High school students have a wide range of needs and traditional high school works better for some than for others underlining the need for early and different interventions on which later success can be built. Guilford County Schools in North Carolina, with the support of its community that established the Commitment to Excellence group, has a mix…

An algebra teacher changes the dynamics of her classroom by recognizing the conflict between students wanting the freedom to make their own decisions and teachers wanting to limit that freedom and wanting to control the students. The adoption of self-paced classroom instruction where students had to master each concept before proceeding to the…

Eleventh grade English class "special students" with a fourth or fifth grade level of reading ability are won over by an enterprising teacher reading stories by Boccaccio, Chaucer and Shakespeare and introducing them to opera. The so called difficult kids often have more aptitude and talent than given credit for by shortsighted teachers and…

The strong association between student-adult relationships and student retention, achievement and aspirations goes largely unrecognized and such relationships are seen as secondary to test scores, policy and budgets. However, it is not the case at Community Academy, an alternative public high school in Boston, where teachers endeavor to build…

Research shows that adolescents in the US are not meeting literacy demands and there is significant disparity among racial and ethnic groups and among students from varied socioeconomic levels. A comprehensive approach is required to address the diverse literacy needs of adolescents and strategies that could be part of such an approach are…

Reports from national education organizations in the US indicate the sorry state of high schools in the country that are accused of failing to adequately prepare their graduates for college or for the workforce, highlighting what is a serious problem in light of the troubled state of the US economy. The need to improve high schools is urgent and…

Because most English language learners receive instruction in content-area classes, teachers of these classes need to understand the varying backgrounds of ELLs and their different levels of conversational and academic English skills. The authors have developed a research-based model for effectively delivering sheltered instruction to ELLs in…

Research in second language acquisition has shown that adjusting classroom discussions, textbook reading, and written activities to the language proficiencies of second language learners triggers second language acquisition in subject matter classrooms. Second language researchers find that subject matter teachers should systematically teach…