Category: Educators

15 Popular Pencil Case Options for Quirky Cool Kids

Whether it’s for school, art, or work, everyone loves a new pencil case. A schoolbag essential, a pencil pouch doesn’t just store pencils, pens, erasers, and rulers. It also expresses personality and encourages organization, tidiness, and […]

A Teacher by Any Other Name – The Instructional Shift of Blended Learning

What kind of power is in a title, and what if we redefined the role of the teacher? I’m currently reading the book Blended by Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker. Often when I read a […]

Changing The Face Of Intelligence Labels for Children

Standard intelligence has been commonly defined as having an affinity for practical mathematical and logical understanding. We have all been subjected to standardized testing during our formal education years. Based on how well we solved math […]

5 Ways to Help Children Deal With Bullies Compassionately [Infographic]

It’s common for children and parents to present in our practice due to difficulties with a school bully. School bullies can be terrifying for a small child, who will understandably feel undermined, afraid and frustrated, who […]

Word of the Day — Akin

The following is adapted from Episode 32 of the Word of the Day Podcast. Akin, an adjective, means “like or similar to,” and is perfectly suited for making comparisons between things. The etymology is pretty interesting. […]

The Rise of the Fidget Spinner: What, Where, When, and How

Anyone outside of the education realm, or who does not regularly interact with children, might assume that a fidget spinner is some sort of spaceship contraption or an obscure item found on the shelves of a […]

White Men Can’t Jump…But Levitate?

It’s true. It’s been my sad and woeful battle with gravity for years. My jumping suggests that perhaps gravity has an abnormally negative effect on me. Sadly, there is no Rare Gravity Abnormality Syndrome (RGAS for […]

When We Put the Focus on Grades—Are We Missing the Mark?

When I think back on my own fond memories from early elementary school, I am flooded with thoughts of show and tell, hatching and raising baby chicks, four-square on the playground, and pretend cooking in my […]

Crossing the Line: Why Is Talking About Giftedness So Taboo?

What is it about giftedness that makes people clam up or strike back when discussed publicly? Why does a mom fear the inescapable rolling of eyes, as if on cue, the moment she utters the word […]

Avoid The Brain Drain! Here’s How You Can Make the Most of Outdoor Learning This Summer

The summer months are notorious for triggering brain drain. The shear gap in time, combined with the hiatus from hours of learning every day, prompts a decline in knowledge acquisition and retention. Now, it is no […]

The Student-Teacher Relationship Matters More Than You Might Think

Quality instruction isn’t the only factor that determines students’ academic achievement. Students’ sense of belonging to the school community is also significant to student achievement. A growing body of research shows the sense of belonging or “connectedness” […]

Fidget Spinners: Educational Panacea or Classroom Distraction?

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock this past year, you’ve probably encountered kids (and even adults) playing around with the hottest new toy craze, fidget spinners. These little hand-held toys contain a ball bearing at […]

A Pythagoras Investigation Using GeoGebra

GeoGebra is an awesome mathematical tool! It even allowed me to discover something new. Well, at least new to me! For an insight to my ‘new discovery’, take a peek at the dynamic image (gif) above. […]

Word of the Day – Cumbersome

Hey! It’s me, Jamie, of the Word of the Day podcast. It’s the show where we take useful (but sadly underused) words and explain how awesome they are, and why it really isn’t too tough to […]

7 Amazing KidKraft Kitchen Playsets to Get Your Little Chef Cooking

Is there a little chef eagerly waiting for their turn to stir a pot each and every time you prep a meal? Well now, you can continue to feed their “inner” chef with a KidKraft Kitchen! […]

A Mom, Two Kids, and a Water-Testing Kit [Review]

This week, my kids and I were very excited to try out our new water-testing kit. The older two (ages seven and five) love science, AND they drink a great deal of water, so this was […]

The Secret to Learning a Language

When I lived in New York I would go to Georgia each year to visit my dear friend, Jenn. She and I had met in theater class and had done a few shows together. We got […]

Utilize Your Students and Surveys to Measure Your Teaching Effectiveness

A teacher’s stakeholders’ satisfaction with their course is an important measure of instructional effectiveness that is too often overlooked or outright ignored. Of course, it’s absurd to hope to satisfy every young adult’s needs and wants […]

Appreciating What, Where and How Boys Read [Infographic]

Unfortunately for many boys, what gets in their way of reading for pleasure are very well-intentioned adults who try to steer them in the “right” direction. That’s why the greatest gift we can give boys this […]

Let GeoGebra Transform Your Math Teaching

Ask a random sample of 50 people between the ages of 10 and 30 how well they understood mathematics at school and I think you’ll agree that mathematics education has some improving to do in the […]