UFT Vice President for Middle Schools Richard Mantell writes that one of the most concrete ways schools can help prepare middle school students to take on more adultlike behavior is in how they manage class transitions. The best instructional models are where students — not teachers — move between classes. When students navigate their own schedule, find their classrooms, and manage their time between periods, they build executive functioning skills, a sense of independence, and the self-regulation they will need in high school and beyond.

UFT Vice President for Education Mary Vaccaro says there is a need for teachers to be work alongside coaches in their classrooms: standing hip-to-hip, modeling and instructing students. The UFT Teacher Center fulfills that role with quality professional development and pedagogical resources. Educators should not hesitate to reach out.

UFT Vice President of Elementary Education Karen Alford urges members to welcome and offer their support to the 6,600 new educators hired this fall to bring more classes under the new class size limits that the union fought so hard to secure.

UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella Hinds encourages high school educators to continue to expand their own knowledge base through reading a variety of texts. Being an avid reader, she writes, helps educators better guide their students’ choices and widen their knowledge of texts with which they might connect.

UFT Vice President Anne Goldman writes that in today’s health care settings, the willingness of nurses to speak up for their patients is the essential factor in safeguarding quality care. Nurses who belong to the Federation of Nurses/UFT can advocate for patients and a work environment that ensures optimal patient outcomes because they belong to a strong union.