There are some people in our country who claim that public schools have a monopoly on the educational market. I personally believe that nothing could be further from the truth.

Public schools are the primary means of educating students in the U.S. Despite this fact, the past decade has seen a significant increase in students attending private and charter schools or being homeschooled. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (a division of the U.S. Department of Education), the number of students enrolled in public school has dropped from 74% to 69% since 1999. Enrollment for charter schools and homeschooling has increased during this time, while private school enrollment has remained relatively flat.

With one in five children being affected by a mental health disorder, mental health is the most common health issue among children in the U.S. today. American students spend about one-sixth of their waking hours in school, which puts much of the weight of identifying and supporting students’ mental health on the shoulders of teachers. Teachers already hold so many torches in their schools and classrooms, and coming up with ideas to support students can be a challenging task.

While February is a short month, it still has so much to offer! Black History Month, Valentine's Day, and Presidents' Day provide an array of interesting facts, people, and history to weave into your lessons throughout the month.

Here is our collection of themed content to engage your students in February:

Bringing students on field trips to museums can be invaluable to their education, but if you don’t live in or near a major city, it can be difficult to find local museums to visit. Luckily, technology has made it possible to access world-class museums right from the comfort of your own classroom with digital learning resources. Because there are so many museums in the U.S. to search through for valuable resources, we’ve highlighted some of the most prestigious museums and their online resources below.

As teachers begin to think about applying for positions for next school year, it’s important to consider who the references on the application will be. As a former principal, I’ve looked through hundreds of resumes and applications. I’m not an HR expert, but here is my personal experience with how teachers can stand out when it comes to the references they use.

In no particular order, here are my thoughts on what applicants should consider when setting up references in their application:

Another one of the industry’s biggest events of the year, the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Convention & Exposition, is coming up in just a couple of weeks on February 3–7. With thousands of educators, EdTech leaders, and technology enthusiasts slated to attend, you won’t want to miss TCEA 2020. Being held in Austin, Texas, this year’s conference and expo will offer dozens of opportunities for both professional development and pleasure.

Whether you’re looking to network with some of EdTech’s greatest innovators, discover this year’s best EdTech trends, or gain professional development at the conference, TCEA 2020 will be a valuable opportunity for all who attend.

There are clearly some potential barriers for teachers as they seek student input into their lesson design and curricular choices. It can feel overwhelming on the teacher’s end, and might be considered just one more thing for them to think about. It can be hard to trust that the students will actually be good co-pilots on the learning journey—even if all the desire in the world is present, it might be hard to know how to actually put it all into action.

Fortunately, we have a few models we can look to that will assist us in how this can look in the classroom. These concepts might seem divergent and like squeezing a round peg into a square hole, but even so, I think the philosophies are definitely worth considering for every teacher.

It’s that time of year when a nice, warm bowl of soup can make a dreary winter day feel warm and comforting. Those soups, every now and then, need a little extra something to help them hit the spot. Our lessons in our classrooms are not much different. When the learning might feel dreary, adding a little bit of spice to our lessons can go a long way. 

To go a little further with the metaphor, not all soups need the same thing to make them better. Some might benefit from more salt or pepper, while others need more substance to them or might need thinning out. Each of these can create a perfect balance for the consumer, making sure the “spice” is just right for the season.

I’m still fairly new to the coding game. In November 2018, I finally enrolled in a Code.org class held near me. I loved this free class and wanted to try it out with my students. However, I didn’t feel like the timing was right for me to participate in the Hour of Code taking place just a couple of weeks following my training. After all, I was still learning myself and only beginning to teach the Code.org curriculum to my third and fourth graders. So, I bowed out of the Hour of Code in December 2018, thinking I’d try it the next year.

Fast-forward to December 2019. I now had a year of experience teaching the Code.org curriculum. This year, I even included my second graders in coding activities. By the time December rolled around, I was ready. I had already signed up for the Hour of Code and had a plan of action.

Situated in one of the lowest-funded school districts in California, Ethel Dwyer Middle School is a Huntington Beach icon. Built in the 1930s, the school’s principals were historically focused more on coaching teachers and encouraging success than on the actual teaching, learning, and staff management.

That changed when Christa Glembocki moved into the principal role a few years ago. “I wanted to set the stage for working as a team,” she says, “and being there for the betterment of our students.”