The new common core standards for mathematics demand that students (and teachers!) exhibit deeper conceptual understanding. That's music to the ears of education professor John Tapper, who says teachers have overemphasized teaching procedures--and getting right answers. In his new book, "Solving for Why," he makes a powerful case for moving beyond…

February is a natural time to teach students that love involves more than hearts and candy--it also means giving of oneself. According to Terri Kennamer, a third-grade teacher at West Elementary School in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, it is the responsibility of educators to help students recognize that they are citizens of the world. Children have…

Every teacher hits a patch where each day seems to bring the same struggles, sometimes with the same kids, sometimes with different ones. At these moments, teachers may feel like everything is about to derail. How they cope with these behavioral problems, especially at the start of the year, can set the tone for success or failure in the months…

Despite students' interest in informational text, it has played second fiddle in literacy instruction for years. Now, though, nonfiction is getting its turn in the spotlight. The Common Core State Standards require that students become thoughtful consumers of complex, informative texts--taking them beyond the realm of dry textbooks and…

Presented are vignettes about six special children and how they were helped by their teachers. The children's problems included physical handicaps, learning disabilities, and interpersonal/emotional difficulties. (SJL)

Teachers often have difficulty responding to emotionally upset children in ways that help the students solve their problems. Examples of commonly used "put-downs and put-offs" and suggested techniques that teachers can use to lend emotional support are offered. (DF)

Everyday, people face situations that call for adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing, and at least half of the time, these calculations are accomplished without the use of pen, paper, or calculators. Because figuring "in your head" is such an important life skill, it should have a regular role in classroom math teaching. This article…

The phenomenon of "school-hopping" (students transferring frequently to different schools) and its effects on students is discussed. Strategies for teachers to use with parents who practice school-hopping (often to deny that their child may be in need of special help) are described. (CJ)

This article deals with the increasing academic pressure facing five-year-old children who are in kindergarten schools in the U.S. Part of the reason kindergarten is becoming more and more academic is a growing understanding of the importance of early learning and the capabilities of young children. Proponents of ramping up standards in early…

For most teachers, more important than supplies and a spacious classroom is a happy learning environment in which each child feels welcome and safe. That is why it is so dismaying that according to one recent study, 43% of students worry about going to the restroom for fear of encountering a bully. The same study reported that a child is bullied…

The latest government data, analyzed recently by Howard Witt in an article in the "Chicago Tribune," shows that black students are getting a raw deal in American schools when it comes to discipline. In the average New Jersey public school, reports Witt, African-American students are almost 60 times as likely as white students to be expelled.…

This article discusses the favoritism among teachers. According to Adele Brodkin, a child psychologist, few teachers are above favoritism and this shows that teachers are just human. She advises teachers to acknowledge that they do have favorites and make sure not to treat favorites in any special way. In this article, the author presents…

Suggests that labels of learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and behavioral disorders are inaccurate and devastating. Teachers, parents, and students must learn to recognize, understand, and manage strengths and weaknesses in brain function. Everyone has learning differences, and nobody has a perfect brain. The paper describes the…

This article presents information to help the teacher recognize and teach children with special learning needs. Suggestions for diagnosis, classroom strategies, and ideas for home use are offered. Resources for teacher use follow the article. (DF)

Techniques are presented that can help teachers resolve conflicts that arise in the classroom. Strategies are outlined for working out differences among students or between the teachers and a student and for fostering cooperative attitudes among the children. (PP)