Teachers who are concerned about introducing inherent biases into their classroom practices may find themselves turning to equity strategies to help randomize and equalize their practices. But these strategies, such as using popsicle sticks to randomize who a teacher calls on to ask a question, can also mitigate inequities in a different direction…

By observing, or "noticing," what sparks learning in the classroom, teachers and students alike can cultivate a learning environment centered around personalization and choice. Education experts John Almarode and Paul Emerich France outline strategies for engineering a culture of self-reflection that sets learning in motion.

Emotional intelligence involves recognizing and using one's own emotions well, and recognizing and working well with, or even influencing, the emotions of others. No one achieves emotional intelligence once and for all. Increasing emotional intelligence (EQ) is an ongoing process, and one's capacity can shift because of many factors such as levels…

This article is an interview with Carla Shalaby, coordinator of social justice initiatives and community internships at the University of Michigan, who advocates for a more humanizing approach to student discipline. Her research focuses on the critical role that students and teachers play in the ongoing struggle for justice. She is the author of…

One of the central ways to teach young children how to take care of each other is through classroom management, says University of Michigan's Carla Shalaby. Here, she invites educators to: (1) understand classroom management as a curriculum; (2) understand care as political work; and (3) understand young children as already powerful.

With the number of emergent bilingual students (also known as English language learners) in classrooms increasing, it's key that teachers practice "linguistically sustaining practices" so students don't lose their native language as they learn English. Hill describes ways teachers and school leaders can support retaining native…

Nurturing the "good" in students of color requires educators to confront harmful stereotypes. Alexs Pate, author of "The Innocent Classroom," describes how teachers can create safe spaces where all young students can thrive.

Many U.S. schools now have adolescent students who are recent immigrants arrive throughout the school year--sometimes with little English or having had interrupted formal education in their home country. Teachers need strategies to involve such "newcomer" students in classroom work right away. The author describes a framework of…

Being a new teacher is especially stressful and overwhelming: classroom management challenges, lack of administrator support, work-related stress, and feelings of isolation are pushing some to leave the profession all too soon. There are five actions, however, that principals can take to make new teachers a priority now, explain the authors of…

Simmons shares tips and lessons learned, from his first year of teaching, for creating a classroom environment that minimizes off-task or "problem" behaviors and for addressing disruptive behavior in ways that keep it from escalating. Among his suggestions: alternate between being a "lion" and a "lamb," carefully…

Elementary school teacher Bret Turner uses storytelling as a way to build classroom community and inspire creativity with his students.

For two decades, researchers at the University of Kansas have conducted studies to better define, validate, and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of instructional coaches. The result of all this work is the impact cycle (Knight, 2018), a model coaches can use with teachers to help them masterfully create positive classrooms. The impact…

When disruptive or violent student behavior make their way into the K--12 classroom, the best efforts at classroom management can get derailed. The authors outline a three-part approach to addressing disruptive behavior to keep it from boiling into violence or crisis: clarifying norms and creating a safe climate; de-escalating the situation if…

Realizing that many teachers at her middle school struggled with classroom management--especially rather at sea with how to reach and motivate students of color--the author formed a teacher working group open to any colleague wanting to learn how to better reach the school's kids of color. This group reflected and learned together about working…

Language ideologies--the way our ideas about language and accent both reflect and are informed by our ideas about people and society--influence us in subtle, often subconscious ways. They can shape classroom practices and potentially create barriers to student learning. In this article, learn about two especially harmful language ideologies that…