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…

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…

Presents 18 suggestions for what teachers can do to lighten their principal's administrative load. (JMB)

Authors attempted to solve classroom problems in this question and answer discussion. (RK)

Discussed an idea which helped a teacher successfully handle discipline problems. (Author/RK)

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)

Dulcie Hendersom was the best aide a school could ask for. So good in fact that Principal Fred Spaulding urged her to get her degree and become a teacher. But as a teacher, Dulcie had enormous problems. Describes what the principal did to save Dulcie from her dilemma. (Editor/RK)

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…

An inner city school solved its attendance problem by developing special attendance teams that helped promote plans of positive action to prevent children from becoming chronic absentees and potential dropouts. (Author/RK)

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)

While researchers and teachers are still sorting out which programs work best in which circumstances, some basic ideas about thinking can be used by teachers. Suggestions for encouraging thinking in the classroom are offered. (MT)

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…

Norma Kuder's teaching career was in jeopardy. Her personal life had been a mess for a long time, and it affected her teaching. Her principal believed that Norma didn't belong in teaching, and he warned her that her contract might not be renewed. Discusses how intelligent action by the school counselor, the principal, and fellow teachers saved a…