The school-to-prison pipeline doesn't just begin with cops in the hallways and zero tolerance discipline policies. It begins when teachers fail to create a curriculum and a pedagogy that connects with students, that takes them seriously as intellectuals, that lets students know teachers care about them, that gives them the chance to channel their…

The majority of children do come to school to learn, but it only takes a few persistent troublemakers to rob an entire class of that opportunity. Disruptions in the form of lateness, talking out of turn, and disrespecting the teacher and other students take a serious toll on the educational process. Polls have shown that parents, teachers, and the…

Over the past 25 years, Gallup polls have consistently reported that disruptive behavior and discipline problems are some of the top concerns of school staff and community members. In fact, problems with classroom management are among the most common reasons that teachers leave their jobs. In response, many schools are turning to more formal…

The author was a rookie with no student teaching experience who started working at a high school two months into the year. Because his classes had been taught by numerous substitute teachers, the students didn't believe that he was their "real" teacher. Adding to his challenge, the students were almost entirely male in a technology education…

Over the past decade, many schools have adopted zero-tolerance policies to curtail negative student behavior. Such policies persist although "there is as yet little evidence that the strategies typically associated with zero tolerance contribute to improved student behavior or overall school safety." Suspension and expulsion result in…

The word "cyberbullying" didn't even exist a decade ago, yet the problem is pervasive today. Simply put, cyberbullying is the repeated use of technology to harass, humiliate, or threaten. When people take to the keyboard or cell phone and craft messages of hate or malice about a specific person, cyberbullying is emerging. And unlike…

This article features Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a systems-based method for improving student behavior. PBIS was developed at the University of Oregon and has been shown to work at all grade levels and be effective in districts with greater concentrations of poverty and higher percentages of "at-risk" students. It has…

The author discusses an incident in which a student was threatened with expulsion for his involvement in a Facebook-based study group. Because the incident involved Facebook, it hit the news, with stories appearing in major Canadian dailies. It also became a web event, with a Facebook support group, photos on Flickr, and hundreds of blog posts.…

Potential students hoping to gauge the quality of courses at Portland State University might be forgiven for feeling confused. On the one hand, the University Studies program, which uses interdisciplinary seminars during the first two years to develop students' core skills, has been widely praised and emulated. The Council for Higher Education…

The cover of a "Chicago Tribune Magazine" says it all about the most recent manifestation of an ancient phenomenon--bullying. The article represents two trends that present new challenges to counselors, teachers, and administrators -- especially in middle and junior high schools: Girls are bullying more than ever before and it's gone electronic.…

Educators often talk about the need for relevant and representative curriculum for students of color, the need to recruit more educators of color, and the reality of white privilege. The author relates that at his school, they hold "courageous conversations" among staff and a diverse group of families to nurture a dialogue that breaks through the…

Handling problems in schools is inevitable. Administrators often must make decisions on critical issues and incidents, such as determining disciplinary actions and consequences for student misbehavior, and confrontations with irate parents. In all such cases, they must be able to provide necessary assistance in solving problems while avoiding the…

Something wicked is being chased out of the classrooms and hallways at a high school in Massachusetts, something prevalent in schools across the globe: bullying. For generations, victims have carried invisible scars or nursed open wounds. Concerns related to bullying have been confirmed by extensive research over the past decade, including…

As college administrators, they take great pains to ensure that students admitted to their campuses have the intellect, motivation, and maturity to succeed. Similarly, they attempt to gather information about the character and integrity of the students they invite to enroll, to safeguard the reputation and well-being of their institutions. But…