Category: Education

Teaching Strategies: Spelling Stories

Teaching strategies involving spelling stories are still an effective way to see if your students know how to spell. Basically, you instruct your kids to write a story based on the spelling words of the week (or whatever time frame). A spelling story might look like this:

I have to write a spelling story for homework.  I can’t possibly think of a story to write, so I am staring at the ceiling. So, this story is going to be difficult, but I’m going to make it tremendous. It might be a little weird, but I’ll make it work. I am jealous because my friends will probably have a better story than I do. I am the opposite of happy because I have to write this story. I’m very curious to know if my story is bad or good  I know I am going to probably misspell a word. That’s it, I’m done.
Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, who is a seasoned educator based on the East Coast, takes a look at how educators can execute spelling stories in the classroom. She instructs us on tips, and explains how to grade them as well.
Janelle sums up her article thusly: “Make sure that you provide students the opportunity to share their stories, it can be with a partner, in front of the whole class, on your website, on your bulletin board, or you can even share a few favorites in your weekly newsletter home. At the end of the school week after your spelling lesson is over is probably the best time to sit down and let students share their stories.”

Do you use spelling stories in your classroom? If so, how do you grade them? Please feel free to share your thoughts.

    Teaching Strategies: Narrative Writing for Elementary Kids

    It’s never easy to teach narrative writing to elementary-aged kids. And with the onset of the Common Core State Standards, which call for more fact-based writing, the need for more narratives is increasingly important.
    With that in mind, today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator based in Upstate New York, takes a look at some  teaching strategies along with a few quick tips to get your students writing narratives more effectively.
    Janelle’s ideas include tips for each age group. Here are her tips applying for kids from kindergarten through 2nd grade: “During the early primary years students are just beginning to learn about writing and the writing process. This is the best time to prime students and give them the knowledge about the elements of narrative writing. Reading both fiction and nonfiction narrative stories will help prepare them for when they are a bit older, and when their writing skills are more developed. While reading a narrative, generate a class discussion about the characters, setting, plot, problem and solution. This pre-writing skill will help students build a timeline of the events that occur in the story, and it’s a skill that will develop as they get older.”
    Janelle sums up her article thusly: “In order for students to effectively write a narrative, they should learn and memorize every key component of a narrative writing piece. The best way to do this is to memorize the nursery rhyme mentioned above. Once they master that, they will be able to better organize their thoughts onto paper and it will all be smooth sailing from there.”

    How to do teach narrative writing to your elementary school students? Do you have any tips or tricks that you would like to share?

    Classroom Management: Your First, Last 2 Minutes

    Sometimes, connecting with students for just a few minutes of each class period can be just as important as utilizing every single second of each class period.
    Frequent contributing writer Jordan Catapano, who is also a seasoned high school English teacher in the Chicago suburbs, explains how use classroom management to build relationships with students, which can go a long way toward achieving a successful class.
    Jordan’s ideas include:
    • Tell a story
    • Show them something I care about
    • Welcome the student who has been gone
    • And more!

    Jordan sums up his article this way: “This article is not focus on learning, but rather on the learning environment. I find that when we build relationships with our students, we are making an investment that has payoffs in the immediate and distant future. Students feel respected, understood, and confident when their teacher notices them. They feel comfortable in class, and more prone toward positive social and learning behaviors. If I were to sit down and “Do the math” on the best way to spend our first and last minutes together in class, I firmly believe that allocating that time towards relationship building makes a bigger impact than squeezing in four more minutes of instruction. What do you think?”
    How do you spend your opening and closing minutes of class? What are other ways you intentionally build relationships with students? Tell our TeachHUB.com community all about it!
    Get our suggestions for using classroom management to connect with students>>
    Video Review: 7 Technology in the Classroom Tools
    In a recent edition of the always-free TeachHUB magazine, we took a look at seven essential technology in the classroom tools that educators can use to liven up their classroom and help them be more effective teachers.
    TeachHUB magazine is always full of the latest educational technologies and enlightening articles. Best of all, it’s always FREE!

    Teaching Strategies: Make the Most of Your Day

    Most adults are strapped with the daily conundrum of having too much to do and not enough time to do it. And it’s even worse for teachers, who are known to make 1500 decisions throughout the course of a normal teaching day.

    With that in mind, frequent TeachHUB.com (and TeachHUB Magazine) contributing writer Janelle Cox, who is also a veteran educator based on the East Coast, takes a look at the various teaching strategies that allow educators to regain control of their busy days.

    Janelle’s ideas include:

    • Create Procedures
    • Divide and Conquer
    • And More!


    Here’s how Janelle ends today’s centerpiece article: “Try a few of these tips out and see for yourself how your time will slowly begin to free up. If you start utilizing these teaching strategies early in the year, then you will see how much time you can really spent on the important stuff, like instructional l time with your students.”

    How do you make the most of your workday? Do you have any teaching strategies that you would like to share with us?

    Get the TeachHUB teaching strategies on how to make the most of your day>>

    Teaching Strategies to Involve Parents
    One of the best time-tested ways to build up the academic abilities of students is by creating teaching strategies that engage parents. When mom or dad (or both) gets actively involved in the classroom setting, it almost always leads to report card success. The publication School Community Journal even acknowledges, “There is a sizable body of research literature supporting the involvement of parents in educational settings and activities.”
    Of course, getting parents involved in your class is no easy task. But recently on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Jacqui Murray, who is also a technology teacher, outlines several ways that educators can engage parents in their classroom goings-on, including:
    •   Create a family-friendly environment
    •   Hold parent classes
    •   Communicate with parents
    •   And more!
    Overall, Jacqui notes that in addition to their classroom roles and teaching strategies, teachers need to be parent resources and that they need to be accessible to them.
    How do you involve parents in your classes? How successful is this effort?

      5 Strategies for Reinforcing Vocabulary

      Oftentimes in academia, kids will memorize vocabulary words and their meaning, take the test, and forget all about the words and how to use them.

      But this misses the point of teaching. Kids need to retain their vocabulary words beyond the test. With this point in mind, today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Jordan Catapano, himself a veteran high school English teacher in the Chicago suburbs, takes a look at some teaching strategies that teachers can use to facilitate and reinforce the retention of vocabulary words.
      Jordan’s ideas include:
      • Play Games
      • Create a Word Wall
      • Collaborate with Other Teachers to Create Cross-Curricular Vocabluary
      • And More!

      Jordan sums up his article thusly: “So whether you’re holding students academically accountable for building a cumulative vocabulary, modeling vocabulary usage itself, or showing students that the terms they’re learning are relevant beyond the four walls of your classroom, make sure that you’re taking time to reinforce vocabulary words that students may otherwise forget. Our brains are designed to get rid of unused information, and too often our important vocabulary terms are memorized and then forgotten. But when we strategically apply any of the simple techniques listed above, we’re much more likely to help students embrace new words for the long term.”
      How do you help reinforce essential vocabulary for your students? Share your strategies with our TeachHUB.com community!
      Get our teaching strategies for reinforcing vocabulary>>
      How to Get a Teaching Job in Today’s Economy
      Finding any job in this economy can be difficult, and for potential teachers, it’s even more difficult. Teachers looking for jobs are up against both seasoned veterans and rookies for a coveted position.
      Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributor Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator, takes a look at the top ways that educators can put themselves ahead of the job-seeking pack.
      Janelle’s tips include:
      • Be willing to move
      • Substitute teach
      • Get letters of recommendation
      • And more!
      •  

      All in all, by using the techniques listed out today, your search for a good job will be that much easier.
      Do you have any tips on how to find a teaching job in today’s economy?

      Classroom Activities that Honor the Student of the Week

      Kids love being the center of attention. So why not honor a student each week and have your class celebrate him or her?

      It’s a lot of fun, as frequent TeachHUB.com (and TeachHUB Magazine) contributing writer Janelle Cox shows us. Janelle intones that honoring a student of the week is a great way to foster a sense of community in your class, and gives kids a chance to get to know one another.

      Janelle’s specific ideas for honoring a student of the week include:

      • Poster day
      • Student’s favorite book
      • Special duties
      • And more!


      Janelle sums up her article like this, in a subsection entitled Star Friends: “The star of the week will receive a class poster of the star that was on the bulletin board with their picture. It will include compliments from each student in the class as well as special drawings from the students.”

      How do you honor your star of the week? Do you have any different events or activities that you do in your classroom? Please share your ideas!

      Get TeachHUB’s classroom activities that honor a student of the week>>

      Extracurricular Activities: The Sports & School Balance

      Educators, parents, and students alike all struggle with finding and determining a balance between extracurricular activities like sports and traditional educational activities like learning and classwork.
      It’s tricky to find that balance, but today on TeachHUB.com, guest author David Serwitz offers up some ways that eduactors, parents, and coaches can find the balance between sports and academics.
      For instance, David says, teachers can:
      •    Remember the Benefits of Sports
      •    Actively Teach Time Management Skills
      •    Encourage Students to Use Available Resources
      •    And More!
      David sums up his article thusly: “Finding balance between sports and academics requires a team approach. With the right help and communication from all parties involved, students can benefit from playing a sport, while still enjoying a quality academic experience.”
      How do you keep a balance between extracurricular activities and academics?

        Classroom Activities Celebrating Passover

        Passover is one of the Jewish religion’s most celebrated holidays. Commemorating how God freed the Jews from bondage in Egypt with the leadership of Moses, the holiday revolves around many stories and is celebrated through food and a special dinner called the Passover Seder.
        Illuminating kids on the traditions involved with Passover can go a long way toward promoting diversity within your classroom, which can’t help but foster a greater sense of community.
        With that community-building mindset at the forefront of modern education, today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator based in Upstate New York, takes a look at some of the ways you can use classroom activities to celebrate Pasover.
        Janelle’s ideas include:
        • The Facts (some background on the holiday).
        • The Food (food during the Seder is very symbolic).
        • The Haggadah (a book that has many stories, songs, and literature about how the Jewish people were freed).

        Janelle sums up her article thusly, in a paragraph titled The Literature: “Throughout the Hebrew month of Nissan choose a few of these stories about Passover to read to your students.

        “Passover: Celebrating Now, Remembering Then” by Harriet Ziefert and Karla Gudeon
        “Miriam’s Cup: A Passover Story” by Fran Manushkin
         “The Passover Seder” by Emily Sper”

        Do you celebrate Passover in your classroom? If so, how do you do it? Please share with us any activities or ideas that you have students partake in.
        Get TeachHUB.com’s classroom activities that celebrate Passover>>

        Technology in the Classroom: A Guide to Spring Cleaning
        Elsewhere on TeachHUB.com today, the folks over at Chalkup contributed some ideas for cleaning and organizing your ed-tech.
        “Spring is creeping in, and with it comes my seasonal desire to declutter, dust off, and generally organize all the things.”
        Their specific spring cleaning ideas include:
        • Kill Unused Apps
        • Clean Your Home Screen
        • Run Updates
        • Check Your Accessories
        • And More!

        The article addresses cleaning ideas for iPhones, iPads, Macbook  and Chromebook.

        The Challenges of Equity in Public Education

        A hot topic in educational and academic circles these days is equity in public education – or the notion that all students, no matter their geographic locale or socioeconomic status – should be given equal education opportunites.
        It’s a principle steeped in history, philosophy, and tradition, and today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Jordan Catapano, himself a veteran high school English teacher in the Chicago suburbs, weighs in on the topic of equity in a great think piece.
        Jordan sets out to ask us to, “Consider some of these important distinctions that go into how schools, districts, and states provide equity in education.” His important distinctions, which are accompanied by well-researched reasoning, include:
        • Horizontal and Vertical Equity
        • Performance Equity
        • Monetary Equity
        • And More!

        Jordan sums up his article like this: “This doesn’t mean we need to despair, though. As Americans, we take pride in our ideals and – though implementing them is always a challenge – we allow high standards to guide our day-to-day decisions and debates. With equity as our goal, we can then ask ourselves the question, “How can I create an equitable solution to meet the needs of each student and best allocates the resources of our school?” It’s a challenging question, but one each school leader, district administration, state legislature, and federal secretary can grapple with to help students everywhere thrive.”
        Read today’s think piece on the equity in public education>>
        How to Get a Teaching Grant
        Now that we’re in the depths of winter (and many of us in the colder regions are anticipating spring already), it’s time to start thinking about how to apply for those coveted teaching grants.
        Today on TeachHUB.com, we look at how educators can begin to apply for teaching grants. We offer up a step-by-step guide on the process.
        First, you need to determine which classroom (or school-wide) projects your grant will be directed at. Are you looking to get some iPads? Some more books?
        You’ll also need to:
        •   Get the backing of your school’s administrators
        •   Learn how to search for grants
        •   Carefully follow directions
        •   And More!
        Do you have your own tips for getting teaching grants? 

        Teaching Strategies: Decoding Text

        Decoding text forms the benchmark of reading. Decoding involves breaking down words into chewable syllables that kids in grades K-2 can see and understand. Kids will need skills of decoding to read at the most basic level, and to learn better reading comprehension.

        But students can still struggle with decoding. With that in mind, today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned elementary school educator based on the East Coast, lays out some simple teaching strategies involving decoding text that are both fun and enlightening.

        Janelle’s teaching strategies include:

        • Take it Letter by Letter
        • Use Picture Clues
        • Skip the Word
        • And More!


        Janelle sums up her article thusly: “Give these reading strategies a try in your classroom. Make sure to keep them posted in the classroom for easy reference and print out the simple fun tool called “Sticky words.” You can add a photo of each animal to each strategy if you like. Remember, in order for children to have full reading enjoyment they need to first learn how to decode and comprehend what they are reading. Once they have mastered that, then they will have it all right at their fingertips.”

        Do you have any decoding text strategies that you would like to share? Please share your classroom activities and ideas. We would love to hear your thoughts. You never know, you may just help a fellow teacher out!

        Get our teaching strategies for decoding text>>

        Bring Play into the Common Core State Standards
        The Common Core State Standards have been tagged as being complicated, overly dogmatic, and inconsequential, among other things. The Common Core State Standards have never, to our knowledge, been lumped in with anything “fun.”
        But today on TeachHUB.com, regular writer Janelle Cox asserts that despite the Standards’ stodgy reputation, elements of “play” can still make their way into a Common Core State Standards-based classroom.
        Some ideas:
        •    Create Learning Stations
        •    Have a Fun Friday
        •    Create Choice Boards
        How do you incorporate play into your Common Core Classroom? Do you have any fun ideas that you would like to share? 

          Classroom Management for an Effective Learning Environment

          Using classroom management to set up your class is of extreme importance. The physical layout of your class – where your desk sits, the shape of the seating arrangement, even the way students will move through the class – must be considered when you devise your class plan. These arrangements can affect student behavior, which in turn can positively or negatively alter grades and the overall learning process.

          Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, who is also a veteran educator based on the East Coast, takes a look at the ways classroom management and your class’ physical structure can lead to an effective learning environment.

          Janelle’s article outlines:

          • Benefits of a Well-Designed Classroom
          • Arranging Your Classroom


          Janelle also spells out the essential areas of any classroom (which also includes details), including:

          • Home Base
          • Group Instruction
          • Transition Area
          • And More!


          Janelle sums up her article thusly: “In short, specific classroom features are relevant to what students are learning. Research shows that students benefit from a well-designed, well-structured classroom. Most importantly, if you find that your students are struggling with the design of your classroom then you must consider rearranging it.”

          How do you structure your classroom? Do you have tips that work well for you and your students? Please share your thoughts.

          Get our classroom management tips for creating an effective learning environment>>
          Classroom Management: How to Go Paperless
          The paperless classroom is always a hot topic du jour around Earth Day, when environmental preservation is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. But when the excitement of Earth Day fizzles out, so does talk about the paperless classroom, frequently.
          So today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Jacqui Murray examines the many benefits of the paperless classroom and offers up many tips and reasons for doing so. Here’s a look at her reasons why paperless is better than paper:

          •  It’s easy to collaborate when everything’s online.
          •  Nothing gets soda dripped on it or eaten by the dog.
          •  Students can collaborate without requiring parent time and gas fumes.
          Jacqui also mentions why digital note-taking is superior to traditional pen-and-paper methods:
          •  I can lose my paper and pencil; I usually don’t lose my iPad or Chromebook.
          •  Pencils break, points get dull.
          •  Handwriting can only get so fast, but keyboarding gets faster every year.
          •  Erasers disappear.

          She also takes brief looks at digital calendars, digital textbooks, digital newsletters, and screencasting.

          Jacqui sums up her article like this: “The next time your school decides to investigate paperless classrooms, offer to take charge. And then charge. The traditional classroom vs. paperless is like a cell phone vs. an iPhone.  Would you trade your smartphone for a 1983 Nokia mobile phone? Don’t ask your children to make that trade either.”

          What are your classroom management tips on going paperless? Please share!

          Prepare Your Professional Development Goals for the Year

          Attaining student growth and (hopefully) success is the all-encompassing goal of all education.
          But how do we go about brining that success to fruition? The answer might lie in our own professional development, in facing the things that we need to fix as educators. Perhaps we need to set professional development goals for ourselves.
          With this in mind, today on TeacHHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Jordan Catapano, himself a seasoned high school English teacher based in the Chicago suburbs, takes a look at some of the questions teachers need to ask of themselves as the new year dawns.
          Some of these questions include:
          • Are there school or district goals?
          • What would your colleagues say?
          • What will help students the most?
          • And more!

          Jordan also looks at some practical methods to use to achieve the goals you set for yourself, including:
          • Display what you wrote
          • Connect to others
          • Keep track of your progress
          • And more!

          Jordan sums up his article like this: “While your goals may be noble and well-intentioned, they don’t mean a whole lot if at the end of the day your students’ learning stays the same. So as you’re working toward improving yourself, make sure you remain focused on the real reason for improvement: To build the success of your students in the long run.
          What other advice would you give for setting goals? Share your thoughts with our TeachHUB.com community!
          Get our ideas on how to prepare your professional development goals for the year>>
          Multimedia Podcast: Social Networking in Classrooms for Teaching & Learning
          How can we use tools like Twitter and Facebook for effective learning?
          Find out in this week’s podcast, from the always-free TeachHUB Magazine.

          No-Prep and Low-Prep Classroom Activities

          We’ve all been tempted to simply throw in the towel from time to time and purchase that online lesson plan, full of classroom activities that are cookie-cutter in nature and that to rely just too heavily on worksheets.
          But why not look to us at TeachHUB.com when you’re looking for those perfect that classroom activities will engage your class in kinetic learning while not breaking the bank? A perfect example is today’s centerpiece article, in which frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, who is a veteran elementary school educator on the East Coast, which spells out several no-prep and low-prep classroom activities  that are certain to liven up your days.
          Janelle’s ideas include:
          • Sentence Relay
          • A-Z Reflection
          • Hungry Hippos
          • And more!


          Do you have any no-prep or low-prep classroom activity ideas that you would like to share? Please share your ideas, we would love to hear what you have to say.
          Get our classroom activities>>

          Multimedia Podcast: Social Networking in Classrooms for Teaching & Learning

          How can we use tools like Twitter and Facebook for effective learning?
          Find out in this week’s podcast, from the always-free TeachHUB Magazine.
          Get our podcast on social networking>>     
          Relationship Building with Teacher Colleagues
          Although the educational system stresses the importance of the teacher-student relationship, of equal importance are the relationships we build with our teaching colleagues.
          Our colleagues are our teammates, our collaborators, our allies and our partners – and also, frequently, our biggest pains. So it’s of paramount importance that we fortify and build positive relationships with our colleagues.
          With that in mind, frequent TeachHUB.com contributor Jordan Catapano, himself an English teacher in the Chicago suburbs, explains how to better build out our in-school relationships with our colleagues.
          Jordan’s ideas include:
          •   Ditch the e-mail
          •   Connect on social media
          •   Mind your manners
          •   And more!
          In summation, Jordan notes: “Putting yourself out there in these ways lets others know that they can trust you, you can trust them, and lays a solid foundation for respect and collaboration down the road. If you want to build relationships with others, it starts with how you treat everyone else.
          “When teachers work well together, everyone in the school benefits. And since your relationships with your colleagues are long term, the benefits your school gains are long term as well. Imagine how much students stand to gain when their teachers share ideas, respect one another, work together, and contribute to a positive academic environment. It all begins with strong relationships laying the foundation for momentous achievements.”
          How do you build relationships with your colleagues? What are your favorite methods, activities, or traditions?

          Teaching Strategies to Build a Sense of Community

          Positive relationships within the classroom often can bring about better attendance, increased achievement of goals, and better collaboration techniques, studies have shown.
          But in many classrooms, teaching strategies including getting-to-know you activities often go by the wayside as the year stretches on.
          With that at the forefront of many teachers’ minds, today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, who is a veteran elementary educator based in Upstate New York, takes a look at some teaching strategies you can use to build a sense of community within your classroom well past August.
          Janelle’s ideas include classroom games like:
          • Mingling
          • This or That
          • Venn Again
          • And More!

          Janelle sums up her article thusly: “Ultimately, building a sense of community that lasts stops happening after the first two weeks of school — it takes some time and patience. You are the one who can help to create a loving and nurturing classroom environment where your students feel safe and comfortable to learn.”

          How do you build a sense of community in your classroom? Do you have any tips that you would like to share? Please leave your ideas below, we would love to hear them.
          Get our teaching strategies on how to build a sense of community>>
          How to Motivate Students to Learn Things That Only Make Sense in School
          Also today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributor Jordan Catapano tells educators how to answer the frequently uttered, rhetorical question, “When am I going to use this?”
          It’s a question that students ask when teachers seem to be “Teaching to the test.”
          He notes that teachers should often note that through their teaching, educators are also getting students to:
          • Navigate the social spectrum.
          • Use new technology for academic and personal pursuits.
          • Think critically and apply new information.

          In closing, Jordan says, “When we teach students that learning only provides immediate, practical application, we overlook the deeper and further reaching implications of a rich education. Let’s commit to understanding the “Why” of what we teach and explaining to students both the immediate and long-term, academic and real-world applications for what we’re pursuing.”
          How do you approach the real-world and academic components of teaching? Do you see this distinction yourself, or are there other ways of looking at how students applying their learning?

          Technology in the Classroom: What Pokemon Go Means

          If you’ve been wondering what that pack of pre-teens hovering near your mailbox staring at their phones is doing for the past few weeks, the answer is Pokemon Go.
          Pokemon Go is the most successful app in history. In short, once you log in and start playing, your objective is to capture Pokemon monsters that are loose in the wild (well, your nieghborbood) and train them in an ongoing battle against other Pokemon monsters.
          There are many educational aspects of this game that can be leveraged, and today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Jordan Catapano, who is a high school English teacher based in the Chicago suburbs, takes a look at augmented reality, the type of game category that Pokemon Go falls into, and how it might affect our teaching moving into the near future.
          Including a summary of what Pokemon Go is, today Jordan includes segments on augmented reality in education, what to teach about augmented reality, and appropriate uses for appropriate times, among other segments.
          Encouraging us to catch on, Jordan notes, “Augmented reality is not going away. Rather, like all disruptive technologies, it will continue to impact the way we learn and interact in our environment. As teachers, it’s essential that we understand what augmented reality is, how it can be used in education, and how we can equip our students to engage in a world where such a technology plays a role.”
          Jordan sums up today’s article in this manner: “Hopefully you’ll take a crack at playing Pokemon Go sometime soon. It’s fun, and definitely something you can relate to your students! More importantly, plan on using this new app for opening up important discussions with your students about how to use augmented reality in a way that is both safe and advantageous.”
          Have you used augmented reality in your classroom? What do you do to help students to make the most of this exciting tool?

          Olympics-Themed Classroom Activities

          For a couple weeks in the late summer (winter, too) every few years, the Olympic games captivate the world with its inherent athleticism, along with the spirit of international cooperation it brings about. Long-simmering political rivalries are often shelved during the course of the games, setting a positive example of polite discourse — for a short while, anyway.
          The Olympic games can also bring about some valuable classroom activities for you and your class to enjoy. With that at the forefront of academic minds everywhere, frequent TeachHUB.com (and TeachHUB Magazine) contributing writer Jordan Catapano today looks at several Olympic-based classroom activities that can enhance your upcoming curriculum.
          Jordan’s ideas include:
          • Learn About Rio de Janeiro
          •  Follow A Country (wherein students select a country, then answer questions like Does my country specialize in any sports? How do my country’s athletes prepare for the Olympics? Who are my country’s stars and favored athletes?)
          • Inspiring Personal Goals 
          • And More!

          Jordan sums up his article like this: “The Olympics are a thrilling, international experience that offers much opportunity for enhancing the way we start our school year. Consider some of these ideas to transform student excitement about the Olympics into an excitement about learning!
          What would you add to this list? How do you like to take advantage of the Olympics in your classroom? Tell our TeachHUB.com community about your ideas!
          Get our classroom activities based around the Olympic games>>
          Our Top 10 Songs About School
          Songs about school have been a pop culture touchstone since the early 20th century. Indeed, although the specific topics vary from song to song (love, cars, emotions about various items on the curriculum), you can bet that at any moment, there’s probably a song about school live on the airwaves right now (or on a closer friend’s playlist).
          In a fun piece today, frequent TeachHUB.com contributor Jordan Catapano (who’s also a high school teacher in Illinois) calls out the most memorable tunes about school, including:
          • Van Halen, “Hot for Teacher”
          • The Police, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
          • The Beatles, “Getting Better”
          • And More!

          Overall, songs about school culture have been a staple in popular music forever. The themes these songs address are universal – perhaps that’s why songs about school are always close to the top 10.
          What other songs should be on our list? What will songs of the future sing about school?