Month: April 2020

10 Fun Teaching Strategies for Current Events

For many children, the events of the world around us are foreign and of little interest. In a world where celebrity-driven “news” and meaningless cat videos are the norm, teaching current events via an old-school newspaper can still go a long way toward getting kids to pay attention to the happenings of the globe around us.
But teachers are still committed to illuminating their charges to at least have a passing knowledge of current events, hence that topic’s steadfast remaining at the top of classroom activities. So how do teachers make something as esoteric as current events exciting and relevant?
Today’s centerpiece article on TeachHUB.com addresses current events and making them interesting and relevant. Penned by Janelle Cox, a frequent contributor to TeachHUB.com (and a seasoned educator based on the East Coast), the article lays out 10 teaching strategies to create activities that utilize the newspaper.
Janelle’s articles include:
  • Current Events Scavenger Hunt
  • Is it Newsworthy?
  • Become an Editor
  • Opinion Page
  • And More!

Janelle ends today’s articles like this, in a paragraph with the subhead, “Captain This”:  “The newspaper is known for its amazing, catchy captions. Cut out a dozen photographs from your local newspaper and challenge students to come up with a caption as well as an article just by looking at one of the pictures. Encourage students to use their imaginations and remind them to address the 5 W’s: the who, what, when, where, and why for their article. Before sending students off to get creative, read a few captivating newspaper captions and taglines. This will help students come up with something that will really catch the reader’s eye.”

How do you teach current events in your classroom? Share your ideas with us!

And the Cheating Continues…

Caught another one red handed…

Every semester, I catch at least one student whose pulled nearly an entire paper from one or more websites. Typically, it’s not too hard to figure out when you’re reading work that didn’t come from the student. The funniest example was a few years ago when the girl failed to remove the Wikipedia hyperlinks… I mean, that’s just the epitome of laziness, right?

Say Goodbye to Grade Levels?

A Colorado district is taking differentiated instruction to a whole new level – little red school house style.

This year, Adams 50 in Denver shifted to this grade-free approach to learning. Children have more control over their lessons and do not move on until they’ve become proficient in the subject.

School Holiday Party Ideas

Is it just me or have school holiday parties transformed from fun, casual celebrations to PC-pressure cookers?

  • I’m questioning all my activities to make sure they don’t cross any lines:

~ Are games, crafts, movies or projects too religious (do Santa and reindeer cross a line; should I just stick with a winter theme? How many snow flakes can we really make).

~ Should I still try to knock out the next step in my curriculum even though the kids are totally checked out before break?

~ Can I include snacks? (With health food initiatives at a lot of schools, do parties have to be all fruits and veggies? Should we decorate apples like they’re snowman faces instead of doing cookies and other sugary fare?)

Holiday parties may be getting a little dicier, but luckily there are tons of resources and activities out there to knock your students’ candy-cane-striped socks off – whatever your grade level or school rules!

Best of 2009

Help! Looking for ideas for a “Best of 2009 – Teacher edition.”

What moments stood out this year? What major events happened in the news that effected students and teachers?

It could be fun or newsworthy or a personal story. Just looking for fun things to share as we look back at 09 and look ahead to 2010.

Final Grade Complaints

My grades were due this morning. They’re posted and done and I AM FREE (for a few weeks at least.)

Since reporting final grades online this weekend, suddenly students I haven’t heard from all term are coming out of the woodwork to contest their grades. I’m trying to find the balance between my tough teacher side that is annoyed at these 11th hour ploys and my softy side that wants to make sure students stay in college and keep their financial aid…

The Invisible Student:
I got a franctic email from one student who has completed exactly one post on the discussion board and zero assignments (I teach online, so blackboard is my classroom). Every semester, there are always a few students who sign up and never do anything. I can’t figure out why these students don’t drop, despite my annoying email reminders and updates, but there are always a few.

Anyway, this particular student claims that she’s been doing the work all term and doesn’t know why I didn’t get it. She also claims that she has not received the dozens of updates and reminders I send to students with missing work. Nor has she noticed that no one has ever replied to her phantom posts on the discussion board. As we email back and forth, she never actually sends me any of her work or explains how this is possible other than blaming weird internet service.

One word: BIZARRE. This may be some kind of blackboard black hole that I don’t understand, so I’m trying not too assume she’s full of it. Regardless, no dice.

If this was an in-class class, it’s like a student came up to me to say she’s been invisible all term and I should have noticed…

The Guilt-Tripper Student:
Student 2 completed all major assignments and showed some improvement through the term. If he had done the class work, he’d probably be at the B/C level… but he only ever did half the weekly participation requirement. (They have three posts per week. He usually did 1 or 2).

This resulted in a 50% participation grade at midterm which was posted two months ago. I make participation a big part of the grade because I’m a tough paper-grader, so I stress (to an annoying degree) the importance of participating in the online discussion.

So Sunday night, about 12 hours before I have to report final grades to the university, this student is emailing me begging to boost his grade by 3%, claiming he could lose his financial aid. Part of me feels bad and wants to help make sure he keeps going to school, the other part of me is furious that he’s pulling this at the 11th hour so there’s now way he can actually make up the missing work. He just wants me to give it to him because I feel bad and I just can’t do it.

The Model Student:
This last student story is kililng me because I want to help, but I can’t get in touch with her. My “model student” worked extremely hard all term, did all her class work and put effort into the writing assignments. At times, she struggled with the work, but she did her best.

Last week, she told me her final paper was late because she had a legit excuse, so I told her to make sure she got in everything by the end of last week. I’ve contacted her a few times, but never heard back. Without the missing finals (essay/exam) or discussing some kind of “incomplete” grade extension, there is nothing I can do.

I can’t give her a higher grade without getting her work in because that’s not fair to the other students. As a college student, she has to take responsibility, right? If that’s true, why do I still feel bad?

How do you deal with students (or parents) contesting grades? Share in the comments section!

Top 12 Most Popular Education Articles in 2009

It’s that time of year where countdowns are everywhere, so we’re here to share the most popular education articles that ran on TeachHUB this year.
Here are the top 12 TeachHUB Articles of 2009 based on your visits:
Thanks to advances in technology, we can now actually view the brain as it learns through neuroimaging and brain-mapping studies. This is one of the most exciting areas is brain-based memory research available today.

Based on my background as a neurologist and my experience as a classroom teacher, I’ve created this list of tips for any teacher to integrate brain-based learning strategies. Hopefully, you’ll find these connections between the research and strategies NEURO-LOGICAL. read more

Thanks to the ARRA Stimulus, the state of education spending is about to transform from widespread budget freezes to flash flood of funding. And you’re going to have to account for every last drop.

TeachHUB is here to help you navigate the waters. read more

(Mind you, this guide was published before the funds were released and represents how the stimulus was planned and meant to be spent, not what actually happned.)
Call it “active learning,” or “classroom participation” — every teacher wants more involved students and fewer apathetic ones. With a little extra planning, that is possible.
Below are four common reasons students don’t participate and techniques to solve those problems and spice up your lessons. read more
A third grade teacher once told me the mother of one of his students left twenty-minute messages on his voice mail every day and showed up in his classroom unannounced. A middle school teacher who gave an exam the day after Halloween said she received an e-mail from a parent containing a four-paragraph poem titled, “The Grinch That Stole Halloween.”

Adversarial parents can create frustration and impede your progress with their child. To foster positive relationships with your students’ parents and encourage their cooperation and support, try the following three-part approach: read more
Looking to liven up your centers? Let your students play games!

That’s right, games have educational value. They provide opportunities for students to develop both social and academic skills. Just like working on a project in cooperative groups, interactive games require that students communicate, stay on task, take turns, and rely on higher-level thinking skills.

Here are twelve classic games and reasons to incorporate them into your curriculum: read more
When you get a call from a school administrator inviting you to interview for a teaching job, how do you feel? Happy? Elated? Excited? Nervous? Scared stiff?

You don’t need to worry about the interview if you’re a well-prepared, qualified candidate. Preparing for a teaching interview is a lot like studying for a test. You can review commonly asked questions, think about what you’ll say beforehand, and go in to do your best.

Below is a list of six commonly asked teacher interview questions. How would you answer each question? read more
With inclusion on the rise, teachers are sharing classrooms more than ever and becoming an effective co-teaching partner is a teaching essential.
Several collaborative teaching approaches have proven to be successful to guide educators who work together in co-teaching partnerships to differentiate instruction. The approaches include: read more
If there is one thing we know about kids, it’s that they have short attention spans and prefer now to later.

Teachers, more than any district or schoolwide programs, have the most power to motivate students because they’re on the front lines. They can influence students in a way that kids can actually understand: here, now, today, in this room. read more
Does this sound familiar?

You labored all night creating a thoughtful, engaging lesson. You were confident that your students would enjoy it, only to have your excitement—and theirs—dashed by the antics of a handful of students. You spent all your time writing names on the board, calling out troublemakers’ names, and “ssshh-ing” them.

Instead of pulling your hair out in frustration, give these Classroom Management “Dos” and “Don’ts” a try: read more
After polling teachers, checking box office numbers, critical reviews and teacher forums, we’ve compiled a list of the Top 12 must see teacher movies.

They appear in no particular order. read more
Looking good does not come easily for those of us at the head of the class.

Teachers face some serious fashion challenges. Full days on your feet surrounded by dry erase markers, crowded hallways and dirty students’ hands don’t bode well for high-priced, high-concept style. Nor does a teacher salary or insanely busy schedules. It’s hard to find time to think much less plan the perfect outfit.

To help, we’ve collected the Top 12 Fall Fashion Tips just for teachers.
Break out of your wardrobe rut this fall and bring practical and affordable style back into the classroom! read more
It’s Google’s world, we’re just teaching in it.

Now, we can use it a little easier. With classes, homework, and projects–not to mention your social life–time is truly at a premium for all teachers, so why not take advantage of the wide world that Google has to offer?

From super-effective search tricks to Google tools specifically for education to tricks and tips for using Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar, these tricks will surely save you some precious time. read more
Thanks to everyone who visited TeachHUB in 2009! We hope to keep bringing you the best in education news in 2010. Please email me with suggestions for articles or if you are interested in contributing at acondron@teachhub.com.
Please share your favorite education-related articles (whether they’re from TeachHUB or not) in the comments section.
Happy New Year!

Best Teacher Blogs of the Year

Big thanks to TeachHUB’s bloggers for sharing their experiences in the classroom, thoughts and useful teaching tools with us all, especially with such busy teaching schedules themselves.

If you haven’t had a chance to get to know our bloggers, now is the time. Here are my favorite posts of the year:

Classroom Tales from the Bronx
by the policy-pondering Phil Tabernacle bringing us insights from his NYC charter school
While watching a PBS school documentary, I was struck by a question that one of principals asked her teachers, something along the lines of, “write down the name of your weakest student and what she or he specifically needs to work on to get back on track.”

As part of an independent reading unit at our school, we have explicitly instructed students to judge books by their covers. In fact, looking at the front and then reading the back cover are steps 2 and 3 out of five when deciding what book to begin next.

I began to wonder if subconsciously we are teaching our students to judge based on appearance by giving them this quick protocol for selecting a text. Then I started thinking about how often I do the same thing with my own classroom.

For years I’ve heard administrators tell me that I’m working too hard. They aren’t referring to my coming in early, staying late, or aggressively calling shotgun on committee seats. They’re talking about the way I plan and execute my high school English lessons.
“Tabernacle, let them do the work. You just guide them.”
But they’ll miss that allusion to the King James Bible or Star Wars, Episode IV, I think to myself. They’ll misinterpret the word “wherefore!”

Despite being one of the two nights a year that we are contractually obligated to stay in the building after the final bell rings, I genuinely enjoy Parent Teacher Night… for the most part.

Where else can you find “Parents of the Classroom Stars,” “The Hollow Wrecking Ball,” “The Talker” or “The Wake-Up Call”?

Science Under the Microscope
by our subject-specialist Paul Cancellieri who brings fresh perspective to the profession

What makes humans different? Being teachers and loving it!

While watching a panel discussion to promoteAlan Alda’s forthcoming PBS documentary, “The Human Spark,” the moderator asked each expert to summarize what he or she felt was the single characteristic that most clearly makes humans unique.
My favorite answer came from the hilarious Alda.

The phrase “in these current economic times” has become a bit of a cliche lately, but that doesn’t change the fact that our lives as educators will be changed for some time to come.
As science teachers, supplies can be more expensive than in other subjects. Here are some simple ways to reduce the financial burden of teaching science.

As this time of year rolls around, I have to admit to getting a little excited about some of the gifts that students and their families give in appreciation for a year as their science teacher. But with all things, the good comes with the bad…

In no particular order, and with appreciation for the effort and expense that goes into giving teacher gifts, here is my top five list of gifts that I would rather never receive again.

For me, any holiday season has always brought one of the strangest phenomena related to being a Science teacher.

I am both perplexed and amused when it happens. Surrounded by distant relatives around Easter ham or rubbing elbows with newfound friends during a heated egg hunt, it inevitably gets out that I am a Science teacher.

The Chalk Talks
by It’s Not All Flowers & Sausages-author Jennifer Scoggin with her elementary expertise and witty wisdom

Do you ever have on of those “I totally rock” moments when you step back, look around the classroom and realize that your kiddos are just fully engaged in their learning? (And then you pat yourself on the back because, most of the time, nobody else will.)

Maybe it’s my ego that’s brimming over, but I have recently had that feeling and it is addictive!

In my previous teaching life, and by that I mean in my heinous first job, I was forced to work with a scripted curriculum that made me feel more like a robot than an actual professional.

Let me paint a picture for you. This is how a math lesson went in my first grade classroom:

Hopefully, at this point, your year is chugging along nicely. You and your friends have settled into your routine and you’re off! It’s time to learn!

So what happens when you’ve been so engrossed in your teaching that it’s suddenly five minutes before the end of the day, you have a million odds and ends to take care of and nobody has their backpack yet? (Hint: the answer is not “freak out.”)


This is the time that you truly need to rely on your little friends to help you get it all done.

As I get closer to the start of another school year, I feel that anxious knot in my stomach leading up to the first day back.
It could have been all the sugary margaritas I drank while eating bon-bons with my feet up on the coffee table catching up on the latest episode of Oprah all summer, as all we teachers do, but I think it was back-to-school anxiety.

Ed Tech Made Easy
by Cheryl Oakes who always has the latest in useful teaching tech tools and 2.0

Have you ever considered becoming a videographer? Well, with a Flip video camera you can shoot, edit, produce and publish all in one afternoon.

Normally, I won’t endorse a product that you have to purchase, but I am making an exception with the Flip Video. This little camera is just the perfect tool for so many teaching activities that the payback, as they say in the commercial, is priceless.

Now, each of these activities could be done with a traditional camera. The Flip just makes it much easier to upload, edit and share your videos.

Rap music, you get crunk with it, right?

Maybe not, but many of your students know and love it. Here is a way to use their music to engage them with weekly news and current events.

Do you feel isolated in your job? Are you the only one trying out new technology tools? Do not fear! I have some great suggestions for you, they are easy, free, very welcoming and supportive!
You can exchange ideas with other teachers right here on TeachHUB.com, on the discussion board or by becoming a member of the TeachHUB community.
Here are 3 of my other favorites:

How many of you have a newspaper delivered to your school or classroom daily, weekly, monthly?

With Doodlebuzz, you can access hundreds of newspapers from around the country based on whatever curriculum or topic you want.

Now that you’ve had a chance to “meet” our teacher bloggers, share your favorite teacher bloggers and blog posts in the comments section!

Dos & Don’ts for Teaching to the Test

As the State Regents Exams draw close, it’s time to start teaching to the test if you haven’t already.

Those who don’t fall into the trap of test prep turn their noses up arguing that students should have learned the skills to pass an exam without ever having seen the likes of it before. The rest of us realize that with students entering 9th grade on a 5th grade reading level, two years is not enough time to get them ready to pass an 11th grade Literacy exam cold.

Pump Up Your Resolution Resolve

As 2010 begins, I know that many of us are scrambling to keep (or come up with) our New Year’s Resolutions. I think the extra long lines for the treadmill at the gym and the empty shelves of bagged salad at the grocery store speak for themselves.

This year I realized that there are two obvious problems with my resolutions.
1. They are horribly general. They don’t really name any specific behavior or situations.
2. They lack a plan. (And you know I love a good color-coded plan!)

Virtual Field Trips with Google Maps

I’ve always used Google maps for last minute directions, but I just recently discovered how to tap into its virtual field trip potential.

Turns out, you can literally get IN the map. It’s a phenomenal way to explore with your students (or on your own!). Just pick a location you’re learning about, scout it out before hand and let loose.

Tips for Happier, More Productive IEP Meetings

As a teacher, having to discuss a child’s deficits with his or her parents can be a very uncomfortable experience. Every parent wants their child to have a successful, happy life and that certainly is possible for students who are challenged with a disability.

Sometimes we are tasked with helping their parents see what wonderful strengths their child possesses. We bring in samples of work that show how much their son or daughter has learned, provide examples of the progress they are making, and speak with pride about their child’s educational victories. Other times, however, we have to discuss what challenges or needs the student is going to require help overcoming in order to achieve that success and happiness.

Often, parents are well aware of these strengths and weaknesses and are happy to work with their child’s teaching team to create a plan to support them, but sometimes things don’t go as smoothly.

An IEP meeting (or any parent-teacher meeting) may turn tense in a hurry if a parent:

* is confused or unaware (either accidentally or deliberately) of what difficulties their child has,
* wants a level of academic success or a career path for their child that might not be possible,
* feels that their child’s teaching team hasn’t done their job to the utmost of their ability,

In these instances, it is our responsibility not only to continue to be honest with parents, but also to find a way to get back to a place where the parent feels like a partner in their child’s teaching team – rather than an unhappy or confused outsider. I have found that this can often be achieved with some very simple communication tips:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

The Curse of the Easy A

It’s time to say goodbye to an A for effort, no matter what your subject.

Many current music educators grew up in a time when being in an ensemble was solely about playing the music for the next concert. I personally cannot recall ever doing a worksheet or any real music theory work while in high school.

It seemed that all I had to do to get an “A” was come to my lessons, play at the concerts, and otherwise stay out of trouble. Outside practice was expected but not enforced. I did not realize until many years later that this method of teaching had set me up for years of mediocrity and frustration.