The Educational Zeitgeist

Article Categories

Archived Articles

Want to Know More?

Classroom Tips

Lunch book clubs provide opportunity to challenge advanced readers

 • Classroom Tips

When students want to challenge themselves more in their reading, advanced book clubs are a great way to lend them the support they need to be successful.

My middle school doesn’t offer an honors language arts class, so all students are grouped together in regular classes. The challenge as a teacher is to meet the needs of the ELL and SPED students reading well below grade level as well as the ALP students capable of reading high school literature.

This past year I decided to offer a lunchtime book club for my advanced 8th graders using the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I figured if students were asked to read it again in high school they would benefit from a closer examination, and if they didn’t read it later (my son’s high school skipped it), they would at least have some exposure. I thought the book’s social issues about injustice would be easy to connect with contemporary issues in society….
Read Article

End-of-Year Surveys help teachers motivate students, maximize learning

 • Classroom Tips

Remember the course surveys at the end of every college class? I’ve often wondered why they’re not more commonly used in middle and high school.

Isn’t a student’s voice important to improving education?

As teachers, we collect data throughout the year about student progress on various standards we track. We know what our students can produce, but do we know how they feel about their learning? Do we know what activities they enjoyed most or what they think they learned the most from?

That’s what I set out to discover this year. I gave all of my 7th and 8th grade students an end-of-the year reflective survey and implored them to take it seriously. The information I gained was invaluable, and I’ll use it to help shape changes for next year….
Read Article

Student photos help build community, tell visitors about your classroom

 • Classroom Tips

“Smile! Say cheese!”

In the age of digital photos, selfies, Instagram and the like, students today are used to getting their picture taken – a lot. Surprisingly, though, many students – especially those from low-income homes– are less familiar with seeing printed copies of photographs since their pictures often live exclusively on electronic devices.

When you take and post pictures of students engaged in various activities in your classes – reading, writing, presenting, working in groups – they really love it! It builds community and shows you care enough to capture what they’re doing….
Read Article

Diffusing a ticking time bomb in email: How to deal with an angry parent

 • Classroom Tips

What do you do when you open your inbox and discover an email from an unhappy parent?

If you’re being blamed or attacked, your defenses likely go up. It’s natural to want to defend yourself, but that only makes the situation worse. You might even send off a quick email that could escalate the situation and lead to involvement from your administrator.

Through the years, I’ve perfected a simple email format that diffuses almost any situation. If you follow a few simple tips, you can resolve parent concerns and even have angry parents thanking you in the end….
Read Article

Analysis of reading habits pushes students to challenge themselves more

 • Classroom Tips

Do you have students who only read books in one genre? Or others who read volumes of “holiday” and “just right” books but avoid “challenge” books like the plague?

I realized this quarter that making my 8th grade students aware of their reading shortcomings was the first step toward meaningful change. I only wish I had done it sooner.

As part of a larger planned reading project fourth quarter, I started by giving students a reading reflection sheet. I wanted students to take stock of what they had accomplished this year as readers and look for developing patterns about themselves and their reading habits….
Read Article

5 reasons teachers need to try Tieks

 • Classroom Tips

Tieks are without a doubt the best flats I have ever owned in my life.

I coveted Tieks flats for three years before I took the plunge and ordered my first pair. Now I only wish I had done it sooner. I think I read every review I could find on the Internet, and scoured as many comment sections as possible. Honestly, Tieks sounded too good to be true, and I’m a skeptical person by nature.

One night with a little unexpected birthday money in my pocket, I went online and made my first order. I started safe – ordering matte black – because I figured they would match with everything. In hindsight, I wish I had ordered something more bold the first time. My second pair (yes, I couldn’t wait long) were cardinal red, which I’ve had a lot more fun wearing.

Both pairs arrived quickly in a signature Tieks blue box with a lovely silk flower on top. I read many reviews that mentioned each order contains a personalized handwritten note enclosed in the box, but it was still a thrill to open mine, and it showed the company’s personal touch with customer service. Tieks also come with a small black pouch for carrying the shoes and a larger blue bag for carrying heels if you want to switch to Tieks to rescue your feet before a day (or an evening out) is over.

Why should a teacher consider investing in Tieks? Here are my top reasons:…
Read Article

Seven ways to stretch your book-buying dollars to build your classroom library

 • Classroom Tips

Acquiring books for your classroom library can be both expensive and time-consuming. The spring and summer months, though, offer some great opportunities to stock up!

Tip 1: Shop during Teacher Appreciation Days

Most bookstores, whether chain or independent, offer special days several times a year with bigger than normal discounts for teachers. These discounts frequently occur in the spring and summer, so this is a great time to purchase new books. Many stores, like Barnes and Noble, will offer as much as 25 percent off. While that’s generous, sometimes it’s still not the best deal on new hardbacks (Amazon beats nearly everyone on most hardback copies), but paperbacks are typically a great bargain.

…
Read Article

Using the ARC system for lesson plans and unit materials creates organization

 • Classroom Tips

Have you ever struggled to stay organized at school?

I’ve finally found an amazing solution for keeping my brainstorming sheets, monthly calendars, planbook, and unit materials organized and user-friendly. The best part? It’s an all-in-one system. The Arc organizational notebooks at Staples use discs (available in several sizes) to hold leather or acrylic covers in which materials can be easily inserted and removed as needed….
Read Article

The secret to igniting a love of writing

 • Classroom Tips

At the start of the year, I give my students an interest survey about their reading and writing habits. Not surprisingly, many students report a dislike of writing.

Why? That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?

What I’ve discovered from both formal and informal research with middle and high school students isn’t really so surprising after all: Students don’t enjoy writing (or reading, for that matter) when they have little or no choice. In other words, we, as teachers, have helped kill students’ love of writing when we dictate the writing genre, topic, length, and format. The solution? Implement a weekly writing journal that allows students to express themselves in a variety of ways while sharing their writing with an authentic audience….
Read Article

Building a classroom library

 • Classroom Tips

Elementary teachers always have classroom libraries with books that get kids excited about reading. Once students reach middle and high school, though, Language Arts/English teachers often rely on school libraries. Do you?

About seven years ago I made a commitment to build my own classroom library. I’d read about the benefits for years from authors such as Nancie Atwell, Donalyn Miller, Kelly Gallagher, and Penny Kittle, but it took my own research to lead me to make the time and financial commitment. My classroom now holds 1,300 books and counting!

If you’re ready to start or grow your own library, here are some logistics to consider:…
Read Article