With the pandemic and incidents of harsh police brutality now filling the news (and many lives), how can teachers help young children make their way through a period that, if it were a movie, might be rated R for violence and harsh imagery? With examples from his own classroom, Minkel shares four ways we can be there for kids: teach them to…

This article discusses the prevention interview, a one-to-one interview with a student, asking open-ended questions. Prevention interviews help educators learn about the whole young person to build trust that allows for new solutions for recurring problems. Prevention interviews also work well when done soon after a student has made poor behavior…

Sometimes, education leaders are so intent on getting their message out that they neglect the other side of the equation--listening. In this article, Jean Johnson of Public Agenda describes the conditions that make "messaging" a perilous undertaking today. "These are skeptical times," she explains, in which Americans are…

Students love to talk. So do teachers. When there's a balance in the classroom between student and teacher discourse, good things happen. When students assume increased responsibility for discussions, when they interact with a wide range of peers on diverse topics and supply evidence for their thinking, great things happen. Noted educators…

Many teachers are creating learning environments where students' uses of reading and writing are inseparable and relevant to their daily lives. These teachers are supported by recent trends in language arts research, professionalizing trends in today's political climate, education programs modeling language unification, and enlightened educational…

Two education professors developed New Teacher Groups to offer a safe place where beginning teachers can voice their concerns, share their joys and frustrations, and help one another deal with problems. Interviews with participants revealed that nearly two-thirds attended for personal and professional support they could get nowhere else. (MLH)

Interviews with 15 parents of mainstreamed children shed light on building effective school-home partnerships. Teachers should convey a clear, consistent message concerning the child's value, put themselves in parents' shoes, expand their awareness of cultural diversity, challenge stereotypes, persevere in building partnerships, use everyday…

Dialog leads to collective meaning-making and shared understanding by building a sense of connection and belonging. Skillful discussion displays rigorous critical thinking, mutual respect, weighing of options, and decision making that serves the group's visions, values, and goals. When school faculties develop these skills, they transform their…

Educators must make communications a priority if they are to gain public support. Press releases are no substitute for public engagement, which should support district efforts to improve student achievement. School leaders should listen to parents, focus on internal audiences, use effective messages and messengers, and develop strategic…

Although good will can never replace a good education, certain supporting practices may either advance or hinder the educational mission. They are the ABCs of good customer service: attitude, behavior, and communication. First impressions are vital and often indelible. The good news is that these practices do not require much time or money. (MLH)

Like today's educators, Japanese haiku poets were caught between standards (like courtly love) and everyday realities. From this tension, they created a remarkable poetic form. Three examples from teachers' professional development work apply simple-and-deep principles to listening tasks, an assessment "deal," and curricular-standards…

Schools cannot meet challenges of reform without first doing a better job of connecting with parents and the public. According to Public Agenda reports, educators are out of touch with typical views of parents and the public. Most people are doubtful about advocated practices such as detracking, holistic reading, early use of calculators, and…

Although educators can do little to change students' out-of-school environments, they can use inhouse suspension time to help them behave more responsibly and become more resilient in handling daily pressures. The adult in charge should assume the role of a supportive resource, establish a personal connection with students, listen, take interest,…

Preservice teachers must learn to work cooperatively with other adults. In practica, teacher educators can successful negotiate conflicts with team members and build on similarities by listening carefully to students' concerns, modeling respect and appreciation for challenges experienced by school staff, exploring the strengths of students'…

Allan Glatthorn, author of "Curriculum Renewal," makes specific recommendations for the content of the English "mastery curriculum," grades 5 to 12. These include guidelines for the six strands of the English curriculum: literature, language, composition, speaking and listening, critical thinking, and vocabulary development.…