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Teaching civics in every classroom
New York City’s Civics for All initiative, started in 2018, provides project-based and culturally responsive civics programs that prepare students to participate in democracy and become positive forces for change.
Creating a ladder of learning
New special education teacher Emily Hang Duong, who teaches math and science at IS 234 in Brooklyn, motivates her students by never letting them forget that they have every opportunity to grow.
Student-created reviews boost math skills
As a middle school math teacher, I’ve learned that providing students with spiral reviews — having students revisit concepts throughout the year — created by their peers instills a sense of ownership of the work. It typically makes the problems more...
Meeting the needs of diverse learners
Given the city’s diverse student population, a pressing issue for educators has been how to differentiate instruction to reach all students using one of the new reading curriculum programs.
Getting reading down to a science
UFT President Michael Mulgrew oversaw a panel of UFT Teacher Center literacy district coaches who discussed the progress and pitfalls of Phase 1 of the rollout of new phonics-based literacy curricula in 15 New York City districts.
Let students take the wheel sometimes
In my work as a 10th-grade social studies teacher, I’ve found that fostering student agency — allowing students some choices and control over how their day goes — increases engagement.
Here are some ways that a classroom teacher can encourage...
Three informal assessment options
Sometimes, informal assessments can be more meaningful and less anxiety-provoking than traditional tests for students. Three informal assessments I use in my high school chemistry classes are 10-Point Bingo, a whiteboard activity and “I Can”...
Make connections with hexagonal thinking
How do you teach elaboration, “adding on” and targeted vocabulary without making student discussion feel forced? Enter hexagonal thinking.
Shedding light on a crisis
According to a 2021 survey of city educators, just slightly more than half of us teach students about climate change, and those who do only address it for about two hours per year. A group of dedicated educators is trying to shift that paradigm...
Important tips to help manage your classroom
New teachers may erroneously believe that effective classroom management comes from being stern and no-nonsense. But veteran educators know that there are better ways to establish a calm classroom. Here are some tips.