Strategies Every Teacher Needs for Dealing with Difficult Parents

It’s normal to feel a little apprehensive about meeting with parents, especially if you have to deliver disappointing news. Thankfully, there are many proven strategies for diffusing tense situations.

7 Flower Farms and Gardens to Visit This Spring

These floriculture-based field trips present a perfect opportunity for children to delve into the marvels of nature, exploring plant biology, pollination, and ecosystems through the vibrant language of flowers.

Everything Is Awe-some: Showing Young Students the Power of Awe

The topic of awe couldn’t be more timely. I’ve never seen such an urgent need to address social-emotional issues in and out of the classroom as I do now.

Crafting Connections: A Teacher’s Heartfelt Gift

I am a primary school teacher from East Oxford, and last year I crocheted a “mini-me” of each child in my class as an end-of-year gift.

Standing with Educators: Everywhere, Every Day, and Always

Education knows no borders. The challenges teachers face—whether in Canada, the U.S., or beyond—are shared struggles, and the victories of one classroom ripple across many.

Bring Parliament to Your Classroom

Knowing how challenging it can be to make complex ideas about democratic governance understandable and relatable to students, the Parliament of Canada offers educational resources that can help.

The Uncertain Future of U.S. Education: What Happens If the DOE Disappears?

As educators, students, and policymakers grapple with the president’s order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, one critical question remains: What happens next?

Education News

What Do We Already Know About Our High Schoolers?

The recent cancellation of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for 17-year-olds has sparked legitimate concerns about lost data.

Carhartt Celebrates Skilled Trades Educators Across America

Workwear brand commits $150,000 to support skilled trades education through grant and educator awards.

Whole Child, Whole School: Prioritizing Student Wellness

Imagine an elementary school where wellness isn't just a buzzword, but a cornerstone of student success.

Students need to learn about menstrual health. Period.

Teaching students about menstruation should be an important part of health education. But educators are short on time and period-focused content.

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Classroom Perspectives

Why Students Hate Writing (From Someone Who Teaches It)

Every year, almost every student says, “I suck at writing. I hate it.” I hear this phrase far more than “Hello,” “Thank you,” or even “Can I use the restroom?”

Uncomfortable Truths: What If Santa Claus Was Gay?

There is a world out there for which we are preparing our children, and that world includes people who identify as LGBTQ+.

Teaching Through Grief: What Happens When Educators Need Help

University training prepares educators for a lot of scenarios on the job. But what it doesn’t prepare them for is the inevitable grief that comes with it.

Talking to Young Students About George Floyd

I search, “Talking to children about racialized violence.” I know experts say children are never too young to talk about race, but none of them have a lesson plan for me.

Key Lessons We Can Learn from High School Musicals

Musicals form an important part of the arts, serving as powerful resources for student learning, engagement, and motivation.

The Search for the Right Picture Book

I avidly recall a second grade class that would excitedly huddle around my rocking chair for story time. Students scrambled around sliding chairs to the carpet where I read heartwarming and sometimes zany tales, they reminded me that story time was counted among the most meaningful and cherished moments of a child’s day. Story time is a child’s portal into endless worlds, kingdoms, and dimensions.

The Language of Empowerment: Engaging ELL Students with the Charter

By engaging critically with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, newcomer students develop more than just a broader vocabulary or sharper analysis skills.

Transforming the Class with Google Apps

When I reflect on my years working in classrooms with students, I think about how much time it took to access and use essential technology B.G. (before Google). I compare it with what it must have been like for people before electricity and after electricity. B.G.

Little School, Big Heart: A Friendly Fundraising Competition to Fight Malaria

It began on a lovely spring afternoon in 2015, when a Grade 7 student came up to me during recess: Student: “Do you know Rick Mercer?” Me: “Yup.” Student: “Do you know about his Spread the Net?” Me: “Yup.” Student: “Could we do that?” And with that brief exchange, a seed was planted, one that would eventually grow into one of Macville Public School’s most powerful and positive experiences.

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Reading Lists

12 Books to Read for World Water Day and Beyond

This collection of children’s books will surely make a splash in your classroom or library for World Water Day—and every day after that!

10 Books That Celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage and Culture 

This wide selection of books shines a light on the experiences and histories of Asian and Pacific Islander communities and individuals.

Women in Sports: 19 Inspiring Reads for Students

In anticipation of the upcoming Summer Olympic Games, we have compiled a list of books that showcase the stories of female athletes—both real and fictional.

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Mental Health & Well-Being

New Challenges: The Pandemic’s Toll on this Generation’s Learners

From the unknown emotional impacts of the pandemic to the uncertain extent of student learning loss, educators aren’t sure what awaits them when in-person learning resumes.

Rocking Out with RobenX: Enhancing Student Resilience Through Collaboration

Thanks to a collaboration with musician and anti-bullying advocate RobenX, I discovered many strategies for reaching students in new and lasting ways.

Supporting “Social Stamina” as In-Person Learning Returns

Classroom educators have a unique influence in helping students navigate not just the academic but also the social challenges of post-pandemic education.

Is Sex Education Working?

The quality and quantity of a teacher’s own sex education also play a role in the quality and quantity of sex education they provide. “There isn’t a lot of [sexual health education] training provided for teachers.”

Addressing Mental Health Disorders in the Classroom

Mental health disorders come in many shapes and sizes. While there is no one-size-fits-all method of addressing them, here are some strategies I have used in the classroom.

Vocal Care for Teachers: Essential Tips to Protect Your Voice

As an educator, taking care of your voice is everything. Thankfully, there are plenty of steps you can take to help keep your voice healthy and prevent damage and voice loss.

Building Bridges: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Transforming Classrooms

Utilizing trauma-informed practices can help create a welcoming and inclusive environment that allows students to feel comfortable and valued.

Technology

Digital Literacy: What does it mean to you?

For me digital literacy involves reading widely, keeping informed, knowing when and how to be critical and when to embrace new information, new ideas. I

Get Kids Coding with These 5 Field Trips

Attend one of these field trips to get students practicing their coding skills.

How Screens Affect Kids’ Circadian Rhythms

I see sleepy kids every day in my 8th grade English class. Their heads are drooping. Their eyes are barely open. Their energy is low.

Gotta Catch ’Em All — Teaching with Pokémon Go

Anyone who is familiar with teenagers knows that when one volunteers information about their school day to his parents—it’s big. Huge. That’s thanks to the phenomenon of Pokémon Go. The day after the official launch, my soon-to-be-in-grade-nine son, Alex, unexpectedly texted me from his summer transition program because his teacher had just announced that there would be a Pokémon Go Club starting the next day. I knew we wouldn’t even have to go through the “What did you do today? / Nothing…” dinner conversation that night!

5 Apps to Get Students and Teachers Thinking About Their Mental Health

These apps can help students and teachers alike take a fresh approach to their mental health.

Unlocking the Future: How to Embrace Technology for Student Success

The world is in the midst of a technological revolution that has surpassed expectations, and I’m witnessing firsthand how growing up in this digital age is impacting our students.