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Planning ahead after a challenging year

As this challenging year comes to an end, here are some steps you can take now to get ready for a smoother return to your classroom in the fall.

How one teacher created special moments for remote learners

Teaching remotely has forced second-year special education teacher Abby Normandin "to be more creative; to see learning in a new way." For her 6th-graders at Mott Hall III in the Bronx that meant getting everything they needed for a tasty science...

Seek out fellow teachers for professional support

For newer teachers, the advice and support of more experienced colleagues can be life-changing. One U.S. Department of Education study found that teachers who were assigned a mentor in their first year were more likely to remain in the profession...

A brain break room

I joined a Facebook group called Teaching with Neons, where teachers come together and share virtual Bitmoji classrooms or various themes for us to edit and use. Our schoolwide Brain Power program inspired me to bring this brain break room to my...

It pays to plan for the unexpected

A young teacher discovers that, while students may forget what educators say, they will never forget how they made them feel.

A safe space in her classroom

A 4th-grade teacher in the Bronx created a safe space in her classroom to let her children know that even though the world is different now, school is still a fun place to be.

Learning can be a piece of cake

Long-time student Jillian Demery is now a second-year teacher, making the grade at the front of the classroom, teaching 5th-grade special ed students. Her accounting background, she says, has helped prepare her for remote learning. A self-described...

COVID-caused changes to certification, tenure

The UFT fought for amendments to some of the regulations that govern certification so educators are not penalized by the interruptions caused by the pandemic.

A project to show how feelings change

"During our 'All About Us' unit, we discuss different feelings and how our feelings change throughout the day." — Johanna MacNeal, prekindergarten, PS 398, Jackson Heights, Queens

Staying close — six feet apart

How one teacher builds a classroom culture during a pandemic.