Teacher to teacher

You didn’t cause it, but one of the students sitting in front of you this year with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have already given up on learning.

The beginning of a new school year is filled with excitement and, undoubtedly, stress. Whether you are teaching the same grade and subject or headed to something new, getting back into the swing of things is not always easy.

Although there is an emphasis now on teaching informational texts, making space in the curriculum for poetry can benefit students. Poetry allows both thought and silence on the page and has myriad forms. Especially for students who are not always eager readers, the range of poetry presents a compelling entry point.

Play is steadily disappearing from kindergarten, which can have negative consequences for children’s academic success. This was not the intent of the Common Core. High-quality Choice Time experiences contribute to the overall development of a child.

The development of caring bonds between teachers and their students not only nurtures healthy emotional and social development in young people but can also improve academic achievement. My students succeed because they believe I care about them. This motivates them to believe in themselves, stay focused, work hard and never give up.

With the current conversation about the common core and college readiness, it is necessary for students to learn as early as elementary school how to talk about their learning. We should expose children to the different modes of learning and help them articulate which one suits them best.

Toe to toe across a desk, we examine a project together. Nothing supplants the time spent during a one-on-one conference in propelling students’ progress — not just with their work, but with their growth as human beings, too. Too often students sit lost in a sea of other seemingly knowing bodies, afraid to admit they don’t get it.

How to take a test is something you can teach your students if you follow some simple guidelines and your students do their part by making a good-faith effort to prepare for it. The following methods can work for multiple-choice exams and essays, too.

Early childhood educators will face questions this school year about how best to align early childhood programs with the new Common Core State Standards. Developmentally appropriate practices and understanding what research tells us about how young children learn are the building blocks that are key to addressing this important issue.