In this article, the author discusses how to implement the Common Core State Standards in the classroom. She presents examples and activities that will leave teachers feeling "rosy" about tackling the new standards. She breaks down important benchmarks and shows how other teachers are doing the Core--and loving it!

Having an interactive whiteboard (IWB), how does a teacher integrate it into his/her lessons? This article shares one school's story of how to integrate IWBs into the curriculum. Ten ideas teachers can try in integrating IWB into their lessons are also offered.

Fast learners frequently get left behind. There's no question that time is a major obstacle for teachers who are contending with a wide range of learning needs in their classrooms--but there are ways to ratchet up the challenges. Over the years that the author has been teaching gifted children and mentoring teachers, she has found that there are…

Doug Lemov didn't set out to write a book about the tools of the teaching craft. Working as a managing director of a group of urban charter public schools, he was just trying to get some answers for his teachers. They were hungry for tips on how to really engage kids and solve problems that were getting in the way of their teaching. Lemov observed…

Bigger classes are the reality for more and more teachers across the country. In the 2010-11 school year, 57 percent of districts increased their class sizes, and 65 percent anticipate doing so in 2011-12, according to a December 2010 survey by the American Association of School Administrators. So how do teachers cope? Experts and veteran teachers…

What does it take to reach a middle school reader? Literacy expert Laura Robb recently shared her top strategies in a webcast for Scholastic fans. This article presents Robb's 13 strategies for thirteen-year-olds. These are: (1) Respect students' search for self; (2) Embrace blogging; (3) Send texts in class; (4) Take words apart; (5) Build…

Every teacher hits a patch where each day seems to bring the same struggles, sometimes with the same kids, sometimes with different ones. At these moments, teachers may feel like everything is about to derail. How they cope with these behavioral problems, especially at the start of the year, can set the tone for success or failure in the months…

Recognizing the role numbers play in people's everyday lives is crucial to students' math understanding now and down the road. That's why Bob Krech, a curriculum specialist in New Jersey's West Windsor-Plainsboro district, likes to teach a lesson he calls "Numbers All Around Us." This lesson uses real-world examples to show that numbers…

Despite students' interest in informational text, it has played second fiddle in literacy instruction for years. Now, though, nonfiction is getting its turn in the spotlight. The Common Core State Standards require that students become thoughtful consumers of complex, informative texts--taking them beyond the realm of dry textbooks and…

This article presents thirty simple ideas for interactive whiteboards and how IWB can make one's teaching life easier. These teaching ideas for the interactive whiteboard can be used by teachers every day. Tips for classroom management are also presented.

Girls outscore boys in reading proficiency levels; the gender gap is startling and concerning. The myth that boys won't read or that it's not "cool" for boys to love reading plays a big part in how these low levels come to be. Low expectations from teachers, and an assumption that boys prefer physical activity, mean that boys often don't find…

The key to challenging talented, advanced students and keeping them engaged and motivated within the regular classroom, says the author, is to spend time each day focusing on students' strengths and interests, and to remember that the classroom is a place for developing all sorts of talents in all students. Seven strategies are proposed to help…

Tips for the substitute teacher. (CM)

The author, believing that myths are pertinent to a child's life, discusses the influence of mythology and its relevance in the classroom. (Editor)

A time-out technique is described which enables disruptive students to learn both how to control their behavior and why it is important to do so. (MT)