Using Primary Sources to Teach Thanksgiving

There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American. O. Henry A recent TeachersFirst blog post by Paula Deal discussed the use of primary sources and suggested several resources for finding primary sources for all grade levels. What better time of year to include primary sources than … read more »

Have You Heard? Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.

We learn through play our entire lives. However, play is crucial for children. Kenneth Ginsburg describes play as essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. He references an article that asserts play is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized … read more »

How a Transparent Classroom Leads to More Effective Parent/Teacher Conferences

One of the big buzzwords from the 2016 elections is transparency. Wikipedia’s definition of transparency is “operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed.” We want our candidates to provide any and all information necessary to keep us up to date so that the public has … read more »

What’s the Buzz: Differentiation

Differentiation is one of those terms that teachers have heard a lot about over the years, but I still hear confusion over the term when I talk to other educators. Depending on their teaching situation, educators can get stuck on a single dimension of differentiation. Some think it means catering to a student’s learning profile … read more »

Begin at the Beginning, Primary Sources

  “Begin at the beginning,” the King said, very gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop. ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland Although many of us have been in school for what seems like weeks, with the cool breezes of autumn, now is the time to think about school year … read more »