With some combination of remote, hybrid, or in-person learning with social distancing restrictions--and (hopefully) a bit of time this summer to relax and restore--teachers are ready to take on the 2021-2022 school year. The question on everyone's mind is, "What will our students need?" The idea of differentiation is taking center stage.…

When students misbehave, understanding the problem behind their actions can make all the difference in the effectiveness of teacher response. Teachers and students sometimes view the same behaviors differently. When students break school rules, teachers consider the behavior a problem. But for the student, that behavior is often a solution to some…

In his high school science classes, author Jonathan Bergmann employs "flipped-mastery learning," an equity-driven method that empowers students to master core material at variable paces and develop skills of self-directed learning. As schools face pandemic-related learning loss, Bergmann streamlines the logistics of an approach that…

Platt outlines some simple but effective strategies to help students who are struggling with trauma. She relies on her own personal story with trauma to influence how she identifies and helps students who are struggling and offers tips on how to show love, stay calm, and be consistent when dealing with students who may be having a meltdown, acting…

A veteran educator tells stories of four children she taught who each struggled with trauma and were at risk of disconnecting from school and sliding into tragic life outcomes. She shares lessons she learned from reaching out to each child and general lessons about helping students with trauma--including to never go it alone.

A district English learner facilitator describes that needs of newcomer immigrant students, which are often physiological, social-emotional, and psychological in nature, and provides a planning tool to help schools better prepare to accommodate these students in their first weeks.

While not all students with disabilities undergo trauma, the authors note, students with a disability are more likely to experience traumatic stress and often have more problems with self-regulation if trauma occurs. The writers discuss how trauma and disability can interact and how schools who want to respond successfully to trauma in kids can,…

Educators can take specific steps to better connect with and support newcomer families. Long-time teacher of newcomer students and English language learners-and now a consultant and founder of Diversified, Louise El Yaafouri explains what educators and schools need to be aware of and ways they can sensitively connect the families of newcomer…

Reading workshop is a way for students to find what kinds of books they love, practice reading independently, and move up to higher levels of reading with teacher guidance. This type of workshop can develop a lifelong love of reading in children. But several conditions need to be met to make it successful. The authors discuss those conditions,…

"Techquity," as the author defines it, means merging the effective use of educational technologies with culturally responsive and culturally relevant learning experiences to support students' development of essential skills. Technology, distributed and used equitably, enables opportunity and voice, dismantles barriers around learner…

Educators should take care to make all students, especially immigrant students, feel safe and welcomed in their schools. Garibay outlines several ways that educators can build relationships with their immigrant students and their families, including home visits, informative community talks, providing know-your-rights information, and advocating…

How can we reassure anxious students while teaching remotely--especially as educators, too, feel overwhelmed by stress and the need to educate kids while minimizing risk of infection by COVID? Minahan details concrete ways teachers can support and calm students with serious anxiety or trauma histories. She includes examples of "what to…

Education consultants share four strategies based on an abundance of research that capitalize on students' strengths and focus on building relationships to help minimize the impact of trauma on learning.

To better support students with conditions like depression, schools must take steps to shift away from a silo approach in which academics and emotional health are seen as separate. To illustrate, Nadja N. Reilly outlines an integrated approach to social-emotional learning accommodates both students and teachers' needs for emotional safety and…

Julie Causton, Kate MacLeod, and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak work with administrators all over the world who believe in supporting students with compassion and leading schools with love. But these administrators report incredible challenges they face in ditching traditional behavior-management practices like punitive or public discipline tactics.…