TEACH Magazine

Ed Boland wishes he’d read his book before he began teaching. After more than 20 years in educational administration, much of that time spent helping students from low-income situations improve their education, he decided to help in a more direct way. He wanted to teach. In 2006, after years of juggling work and graduate school, he joined the ranks of public high school teachers in New York City.

I have lost count of the number of times I have been told that rules without relationships lead to rebellion. Yet today, relationships with students seem to be feared instead of embraced. Over the years, quite by accident, I have discovered that this precept from days gone by is critical to classroom rules and to learning itself. Relationships are an essential part of learning, especially relationships between teachers and students.

Financial education. It’s a small phrase, but it holds big meaning. Some say teach it at home. Others say integrate it into existing curriculum.

When students look at the globe and see so much blue, it seems as though there’s an abundance of water. But that's just not true.

Often, we forget our students come to class each day with a lot more on their minds than academics. Despite this, my students willingly express gratitude each morning.

High-speed Internet access is not universal. But teaching with it—and without—highlights the never-changing qualities of good teaching. Some students at Timothy Davis’ school live in homes that sometimes seem “primitive,” their principal says. They’re not connected to high-speed Internet.

Teachers are tasked with introducing youth to the foundational, cultural icon that is Shakespeare. Even those who’ve studied his work find this challenging.

There is a growing community of educators who have adopted Minecraft as a powerful engagement tool in mainstream subjects like math, science, social studies, and even language arts.