Food for Thought Archive

2021-2022

The Research on Life-Changing Teaching

Research Matters / Yes, You Can Motivate Your Students - ASCD

5 Ways to Increase Upper Elementary Students’ Engagement in Writing | Edutopia

Not a “Math Person”? Teachers Should Tell You Otherwise.

Taking the Terror out of Random Call

6 Self-Care Tips for Educators

[The Five Pillars of Reading] Breaking Down the Elements of Successful Literacy Instruction

Safety, Agency, Connection: Priorities to Help Students Transition Back to School

How Can Teachers Nurture Meaningful Student Agency?

5 Ways to Audit Your Classroom Library for Inclusion

Dos and Don’t of Classroom Decoration

 

2020-2021

 Why Understanding These Four Types of Mistakes Can Help us Learn

What Will Be The Takeaways From K-12 Distance Learning? 

The Only Cure for White Supremacy Is To Teach Students Real American History

 How To Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching For Distance Learning 

What's Going on with Your Child's Brain When You Read Them A Story?

An Inclusive Curriculum Matters All Year Round 

8 Strategies to Improve Participation in Your Virtual Classroom 

Educators Turn to Bitmoji to Build Community and Engagement

What Did I Assume About My Students' Summers? 

Why I Won’t Be Asking, “How was your summer?” Anymore. 

9 Ways Online Teaching Should be Different from Face-to-Face 

33 Ways to Build Relationships 

How to Be an Antiracist Educator

2019 - 2020

Identifying and Supporting Students With Dyspraxia

Promoting Prosocial Behaviors in the Classroom

Teaching Your Heart Out: Emotional Labor and the Need for Systemic Change

Open your Door

Betsy Devos Wants Larger Class Sizes and Fewer Teachers

Want to Help All Students Succeed Here are Six Ways to Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Four Ways Teachers Can Support Students of Color

Advice for New Social Justice Educators: "I Wish I Had Known"

Limiting Teacher Talk Increasing Student Work

I was a Teacher and I was Homeless

I was a Racist Teacher and I Didn't Even Know It

 How Principals can create a School-wide Culture of Reading

 Why Teaching is the Best Job in the World

 Six Reasons to Support K-5 Coding

 Mispronouncing Students' Names: A Slight That Can Cut Deep

 What Kids Want Teachers to Know Before the First Day of School

 Trying to Promote Equity in Your School? Here Are 5 Things Anyone Can Do.

 6 Strategies for Building Better Student Relationships

  Proactive Classroom Management Tips

 Racism has devastating effects on children’s health, pediatricians warn

 Open Your Door: Why We Need to See Each Other Teach

 Teaching Students How to Ask For Help      

 Here's What I Wish White Teachers Knew When Teaching My Black Children

 Ten Things Schools Can Do Today For Black Students

2018-2019

 Born to Win, Schooled to Lose

 Instructional Equity is Essential for Student Success

 Using Reading and Writing to Do Math

 10 Powerful Community-Building Ideas

 The Relationship Between Behavior & Academics

 Teaching Students to Read Metacognitively

 Focus on Learning, Not Grades

 60-Second Strategy: Closing The Loop

 The Text Disrupters

 Reading Fuels Empathy. Do Screens Threaten That?

 Elementary school physical education class combines exercise with math, literacy

 7 Ways to Spark Engagement

 Do’s and Don’ts of Teaching Black History

 How Can I Help to Promote Diversity Without Relinquishing Any of My Power?

 5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students

 More than 4 million children endured lockdowns last school year, a groundbreaking Washington Post analysis found. The experience left many traumatized.

 ‘Learning Styles’ Aren't a Reliable Way to Categorize Students, Study Says

 How To Ease Students Into Independent Inquiry Projects

 Simple Tips for Boosting Teacher Resilience

 A Simple but Powerful Class Opening Activity

 How Does Poverty Influence Learning?

 The Benefits of Ear-Reading

 Four Teaching Moves That Promote A Growth Mindset In All Readers

 How High-Interest Examples of Math Prime Student Curiosity

 17 Ways to Help Students With ADHD Concentrate>

 Open Your Door: Why We Need to See Each Other Teach

 Creating a Culture of Trust and Safety in Every Class

 Independent Reading: Necessity or Luxury?

 How to Teach Self-Regulation

 Setting School Culture With Social And Emotional Learning Routines

 Welcoming Students With a Smile

 The Equity Diet: Building Capacity Through Daily Habits

 Four Teaching Moves That Promote A Growth Mindset In All Readers

 The Unexpected Power of Reading Conferences

 Positive Words Go a Long Way

 The best time to teach students how to cope with trauma? When there isn’t any

 Why Kids Should Keep Using Their Fingers to do Math

 VIDEO: Providing Quiet Peace Corners

 Six Strategies to Help Introverts Thrive at School and Feel Understood

 How "One Story" Can Excite Students About Reading And Connecting With Community

 Relationships Matter More Than Rules

 More Talking in Class, Please

 Extending the Silence

 Talk Moves

 Reading Buddies

 A Classroom Where Everyone Feels Welcome

 11 Research-Based Classroom Management Strategies

 5 Tips for Building Great Relationships with Students

 Why you should send positive notes home (with a free template)

 10 Easy Ways to Create an Awesome #SchoolCulture This Year

 Anchor Charts 101: Why and How to Use Them

 2017 - 2018 

 What's Going On In Your Child's Brain When You Read Them A Story?

 14 Books That Connect Students With Valuable Scientists’ Struggles

 Improving Student-Led Discussions

 When a Rubric Isn’t Enough

 Are You Over-Scaffolding?

 4 Ways To Not Let Others Dim Your Light

 How Mindfulness and Storytelling Help Kids Heal and Learn

 12 Inspiring STEM Books for Girls

 10 Books to Spark a Love of Math in Kids of All Ages

 10 Surprising Skills Kids Learn Through Coding

 Five Ways To Shift Teaching Practice So Students Feel Less Math Anxious

 Teaching Introverted Students: How a 'Quiet Revolution' Is Changing Classroom Practice

 VIDEO: Chance The Rapper and Google Partner to Support the Next Generation of Computer Scientists

 How the Google Suite Can Enhance Open-Ended Math Exploration

 Teachers often ask youngsters to learn in ways that exceed even adult-sized attention spans

 Teacher Voice: That day you thought you had it all together, then everything fell apart? You weren’t wasting your time

 Creating an Inclusive Classroom

 4 Questions that Drive Successful Scaffolds

 How to Scaffold Texts for Struggling Readers in Actively Learn

 Why Teachers Should Choose Scaffolding Over Leveling

 Five Culturally Relevant Books To Inspire English Language Learners

 When Failure is a Privilege

 Have questions about the standards? Use these math content guides as quick-reference support tools!

 A Community of Passionate Readers

 Re-Connecting with Your Why

 Five Steps to Launching a School-wide Social Justice Movement

 Teaching Your Students to Read Like Pros

 Positive Words Go a Long Way

 How Showing and Telling Kids ‘I Believe in You’ Can Empower Them at School

 When Failure is a Privilege

 

 2016-2017 

 Betsy, Can We Really "Uber"-ize Public Education?  Here's Why That's a Terrible Idea.

 10 Inspiring Quotations to Help You Differentiate Your Instruction

 Matching Student Resources with Student Experiences

 Making Inferences in Reading Requires Background Knowledge 

 Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain

 Five Clever Ideas to Spark Independent Reading by Kids

 The Tyranny of Being On Task

 How Much Do Visual Experiences Shape How People Think About Math?

 The Untapped SEL Tool: Conflict

 Relationships Matter: Beyond the Curriculum

 Road Tested/The Secret to Engaging Reluctant Readers

 23 Teacher Tips for Asking Better Questions About Books

 How Discrimination Shapes Parent-Teacher Conferences

 The Role of Metacognition in Learning and Achievement

 These are the 16 Attributes of the Modern Educator

 3 Ways to Encourage Ownership of Learning

 How Kids Learn Prejudice

 Matching Student Resources with Student Experiences

 How to Approach Your Teaching Like a Master Chef

 Once a Bobcat, Always a Bobcat

 Golden Rules for Engaging Students in Learning Activities

 The Importance of Visibility

 Teachers Seize on 'Growth Mindset", But Crave More Training

 Remember It with a Bookmark

 #Observeme

 49 Ways to Create a Tidal Wave of Kindness in Schools

 3 Ways Schools Can Be Supportive of Students' Mental Health

 Rude Vs. Mean Vs. Bullying: Defining the Differences

 5 Awesome Art and Writing Activities for the New Year

 From preschool through high school: 24 great books that show empathy, kindness

 The 5 Priorities of Classroom Management

 27 Simple Ways to Check for Understanding

 Matching Student Resources with Student Experiences

 When Schools Help Students Transcend Chronic Stress to Tap Motivation

  How Kids Learn Resilience

 Why Black Men Quit Teaching

 A Closer Look at One Texas Teacher's No Homework Policy

 Forget Talent: Why Practice is Key to Most Prodigies' Success

 "Lesson Study" Technique: What Teachers Can Learn from One Another

 What Can Schools Do to Address Poverty

 How Do We Talk About Poverty in Schools

 5 Questions That Promote Student Success in High-Poverty Schools

 Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement

 Student-Led Conferences: Resources for Educators

 8 Tips for Reaching Out to Parents

 How to Become and Remain a Transformational Teacher

 Yes, Differentiation is Hard. So, Let's Get It Right.

 What ClassDojo Monsters Can Teach Kids About Growth Mindset

 How Giving Students Choice During the Day Can Create Unstoppable Learning

 Teaching Young Children About Bias, Diversity, and Social Justice

 

 2015-2016  

 Math Journals as Formative Assessment

  The Heart of Teaching: What It Means to Be a Good Teacher   

  Using the Rule of Three for Learning 

  Using Creativity to Boost Young Children's Mathematical Thinking 

  How Giving Students Choice During the Day Can Create Unstoppable Learning 

  Lessons from the Playground  

  Why Kids Should Keep Using Their Fingers to Do Math 

  Black, Latino Parents Say Expectations for Poor Children Too Low in Public Schools 

  Instead of Framing "Failure" as a Positive, Why Not Just Use Positive Words  

  Enough About the Boys, Our Girls Aren't Reaching Their Full Potential 

  Teaching Students the Skills of Expert Readers 

  How Emotions Affect Learning, Behavior, and Relationships 

  3 Best Practices for Teaching English Language Learners 

  Independent Reading in the Classroom Critical to Student Achievement 

  Celebrating Diverse Books Author with Educator Grants 

  Why are children's books so white? 

  Benefit of the Doubt   

  6 Golden Rules for Engaging Students 

  25 Reading Strategies That Work in Every Content Area 

  Islands of Personality and Trains of Thought 

  How Looking at Student Work Keeps Teachers and Kids on Track 

  Does K-3 reading matter?  Ask the 70% of inmates who can't read. 

  Beyond Working Hard: What Growth Mindset Teaches Us About Our Brains 

  5 Keys to Challenging Implicit Bias 

  Recognizing and Overcoming False Growth Mindset 

  Brains in Pain Cannot Learn 

  Ten Guidelines for Using Twitter with Elementary Students 

  Classrooms at the Intersection: On Black History Month and Building a Better World 

  The importance of great teaching on children's success 

  Parent Opinion on Educational Equity 

  How Can Schools Identify the Most Effective Teachers?  Just Ask the Students! 

  49 Phrases to Calm an Anxious Child 

  Mindful Classroom Management and the Power of Patience 

  How to Instill the Love of Reading 

  What does a culturally competent classroom look like? 

  Check Yourself: Why Self-Reflecting on Privilege Matters 

  Tips for Teaching Students to Receive Critical Feedback 

  Why Students Need to Move, Touch, and Experience to Learn 

  Helping Students Believe That They Can Write 

  Sharing the Connections that Students Value 

  How To Be a Great Teacher, From 12 Great Teachers 

  Complaining is Terrible for You, According to Science 

  What Great Teachers Know About Their Students 

  Addressing the Effects of Poverty 

  Talking About Text Structure in the PBL Classroom 

  Teaching Writing or Editing Writing? 

  5 Questions to Ask Yourself about Your Unmotivated Students 

  Why do my co-workers keep confusing me with other people?  Because I'm Asian. 

  Encouraging Neurodiversity in Your Makerspace or Classroom 

  Unpacking the Science: How Playing Music Changes the Learning Brain 

  Teaching Them How to Think by Asking the Right Questions 

  How Teams Can Transform Schools 

  12 Ways to Nurture a Love of Reading 

  Golden Rules for Engaging Students in Learning Activities 

  20 Awesome BYOD and Mobile Learning Apps 

  (Almost) Paperless Literature Circles 

  Your Hand's Not Raised?  Too Bad: I'm Calling on You Anyway 

  Nurturing Intrinsic Motivation and Growth Mindset in Writing 

  5 Ways to Help Your Students Become Better Questioners 

  An Open Letter to Publishers 

 Harnessing the Power of the Productive Struggle

  Timely Feedback: Now or Never 

  Have You Seen Yourself Teach Lately? 

  Windows and Mirrors: Reading Diverse Books with Young Children 

  Best Multicultural Books of 2015 

  5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students 

  It's Time to Think Differently About Writing in the Classroom 

  75 Books selected for We Need Diverse Books Partnership with Scholastic 

  Fresh Starts for Hard-to-Like Students 

  3 Practices to Promote Equity in the Classroom 

 Why a Growth Mindset is Crucial to Learning

 11 Habits of an Effective Teacher

 Mining the Jewel of Black History Month

 Barbie Breaks the Mold with Ethnically Diverse Dolls

 Equity vs. Equality: 6 Steps Toward Equity  

 Positive Brains Are Smarter Brains

 Diverse Chapter Books About Growing Up in the South

 Student Voice

 The Power of Peer Feedback

 My Hopes, Dreams, Fears for My Future Black Son

 53 Ways to Check for Understanding

 25 Things Successful Teachers Do Differently

 13 Honest Books About Slavery Young People Should Actually Read

 Book Selections for Black History Month: Picture Books