California made a significant move to protect children from the harms of social media with Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval of a bill aimed at limiting “addictive feeds” for minors. On Friday, Newsom signed Senate Bill 976, known as the Protecting Our Kids From Social Media Addiction Act, introduced by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). Supported by […]
Child Development
Posted inChild Development
Behavior is Communication
This may sound silly, but I can’t stop thinking about my T-shirt. Earlier this school year, I was talking to the speech therapist who works with my students when I noticed her fantastic shirt. It said, “Behavior is Communication.” Immediately, I asked her to send me the link to the shirt, and by the end […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Post Pandemic Teaching: Teachers take home trauma
Teachers can be traumatized, too. And, I’m not talking about dealing with students who “misbehave” or give them a hard time, although those times can be tough. I’m talking about the teachers who are in the trenches, educating the kids who carry heavy (and sometimes invisible) trauma on their shoulders on a daily basis. Our […]
Posted inBack to School
Transforming the Classroom with Morning Meeting
An inopportune time to learn something new does not exist. You are not too deep (or new!) into your teaching career to implement a fresh technique or strategy. Each wake-up boasts an untouched beginning that you can transform with one small change in your classroom. Let me suggest starting with this: Morning Meeting. I have […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
From STEM, Let’s Pivot to the BRANCHES of the Humanities
There is no doubt that the neglect of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – better known as STEM in educational circles – has come at our own peril. Our students’ achievement in mathematics is surely not where other Americans expect it to be, and the comfort of anyone saying “I hate math” is embarrassing. As […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why Teaching Students to Say “Sorry” Is Not Enough
You’re eight years old, and another student pushes you because they wanted to be first in line. Exasperated, your teacher tells the other child to say “sorry.” “Soooooory,” the child exclaims, rolling their eyes. “Say it like you mean it,” your teacher chides. “Sorry!” the other student yells a little more enthusiastically but still with […]
Posted inPedagogy
Hang Up the Tattle Phone
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! We never thought we’d be Instagram teachers. But here we are, watching our ideas spread on online forums. Social media has given educators an accessible and user-friendly platform to share thoughts about all things education. Without proper funding, professional […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Struggling to Learn: How Decreasing SNAP Benefits Will Hurt Students
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! In the state that I teach in, one in three students depend on SNAP benefits for food. More than half of my state’s students come from low-income households. On a single teacher’s salary, my two children qualify for free […]