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3 Ideas to Consider about Corporal Punishment in Schools

It’s difficult to believe in this day and age that we still have some schools around the nation that are using corporal punishment as a form of discipline. 19 states allow corporal punishment in schools. Such punishment usually includes a spanking of some kind, typically done with a wooden paddle. Although not allowed in the majority of states, it is reported that there are over 200,000 children who are victims of it each year around the country. It’s difficult to imagine that so many children are going home throughout the school year with welts, bruises, and broken vessels, as punishment …

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The First Year Teaching: Classroom rules and routines

Student defiance is a particularly unpleasant experience for all teachers, new and experienced. As a new teacher, you might be tempted to take the belligerent actions personally but it’s important to approach such situations with a rational, non-emotional stance. You want to avoid a chaotic classroom atmosphere where the actions of one (or a few) students lead the others to believe that defiant behavior is acceptable. It is common for new teachers to worry about defiant students, but by insisting students have control over their behaviors, you can avoid this unpleasantness. Here are some ways to approach the issue of classroom rules …

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3 Trends in Classroom Management and Discipline

Managing your classroom is all about the balance between learning within the classroom and discipline. Today, there are several popular schools of thought regarding classroom management and discipline. Strategies that come to mind include Wong’s Pragmatic Classroom, which stresses the need to define expectations for students, and Canter’s Behavior Management Cycle, which emphasizes a distinct discipline model. So far, however, all of these strategies floating around have their pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses. The most important thing to consider is that classroom management seems to be considered more valuable these days. Educators are becoming more open-minded about disciplining their …

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The First Year Teaching: How do I involve parents and the community?

Teachers are often the first line of defense when it comes to their students overall well-being. Academics aside, teachers have a big responsibility to students, both legally and ethically. So how can teachers involve other people outside their profession to enrich the lives and academic success of their students? Be aware of civic support.  Ernst Boyer, a former U.S. Commissioner of Education, once said, “Perhaps the time has come to organize, in every community, not just a school board, but a children’s board.  The goal would be to integrate children’s services and build, in every community, a friendly, supportive environment …

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These 3 Advancements in Early Childhood Education Could Change Society

Even though education should begin as early as possible, there are only 15 states and the District of Columbia that require Kindergarten by law, and there are actually six states that do not even require public schools to offer Kindergarten. That is not to say anything about pre-K and preschool programs! Nonetheless, many schools and states across the nation are working to make early childhood education a priority. Here are three advancements in early childhood education that are simply game-changers for our society. Early childhood education in Michigan would slash the crime rate. By putting more money into early childhood …

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6 Ways to Create a Culture of Learning

When schools make a positive change in the academic performance of their students, they are often led by highly involved and active school leaders. This doesn’t mean that administrators are in the classrooms putting their skills to use. Surprisingly, research shows that the best way for school leaders to be effective at improving academic performance in students is to create a culture of learning throughout the school environment. Creating a culture of learning is possible for every school. Here are six ways that administrators can foster an educationally enriching environment. Start with a Mission The mission of the school as …

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The Ultimate Demise of Common Core – Part III: The Logistics

From an idealogical perspective, the differences that divide Americans are also what make the nation unique and great. When it comes to education, however, there seems to be a competing theory that differences should be dismissed in favor of finding a standardized way to teach all K-12 students. Time and again when it comes to national policy on education, stringent sets of benchmarks are consistently put in place that are accompanied with funding incentives. The latest example of this one-size-fits-all approach to education policy is Common Core standards and the testing that goes with them. This week I’ve already written …

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Teachers: How to Use Google Drive

By Catlin Tucker For teachers who are just getting started with Google, Google Drive can be intimidating! In preparation for a Google training, I’ve put together a short explanation of Google Drive and its basic features. Although an increasing number of people have a Gmail account, I run into teachers all the time who are not sure what Google Drive is or how it works. Google Drive is like a big virtual bucket! It’s where everything you create with Google apps–documents, forms, sheets, slides, drawing–are stored. And unlike a traditional word processing document, you never need to click “Save”…EVER.  Your work …

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