Thanksgiving time is here, and I’m ready to dive into my favorite foods and desserts. As far as I’m concerned, the holiday isn’t complete without green bean casserole and a dark chocolate pecan pie!

While I’m always thankful for delicious meals at this time of year, I am even more thankful for friends and family. For me and for many others involved in education and teaching, family includes the students and parents that make up such a large part of our lives. In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, here is a list of things to be thankful for when it comes to teaching and guiding students, which we have collected from educators and administrators.

This week, we will be featuring posts that center around teaching and thankfulness. Some posts are funny, some are touching, and all are inspiring. Boxlight is thankful for all the educators who work hard every day to educate and inspire their students. Happy Thanksgiving! 

In this month of thankfulness, my mind turns toward the classroom. Between my husband’s military career and a new baby, I had to step away from the classroom these past two school years. While I feel extremely fortunate to have had this time with my youngest and three other children, I find myself beginning to yearn for the classroom. I walk into my second grader’s school and take a deep breath, reveling in the smell of cleanser, school lunches, and warm copies. Distance, time, and reflection have added a deeper level to my thankful attitude this year, and I have found myself counting my previously underappreciated blessings.

The Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA) is recent federal legislation passed to serve as a support and guide for public schools across our country. The law is comprehensive and influential in a variety of aspects concerning early childhood, K-12, and higher education. Everything from special education and Title 1 services to English language learners and professional development is included in the scope of the law. In particular, the ESSA law has created increased flexibility to states, and therefore schools—but with this flexibility also comes challenges and considerations for all districts involved.

Co-teaching can be a very effective way to teach students. This concept can be defined as two teachers collaborating to design, implement, and assess instruction. There are various ways to co-teach: one teaches while one observes; one teaches while one assists; parallel teaching, where the class is split into two groups and presented the same information; station teaching, where two teachers are at different stations and students move to each station for instruction; alternative teaching, where one teacher pulls a small group of students for intense instruction while the other teaches the whole group; and team teaching, where two teachers teach the same content at the same time.

In any organization, as it develops, grows, changes, and evolves, the mission of the institution can alter and change. This can be a natural progression and part of what makes an agile group successful. It is also true that as change happens, the original vision for why it all began can get lost and forgotten. 

This has also happened in schools. We are good at using textbooks, integrating technology, and differentiating instruction. We can find amazing Pinterest fonts and spend our salary on Teachers Pay Teachers. But in the end, do we remember why we are doing all of it?

Can educational technology really improve learning and teach critical 21st century skills? It can, but only when it is integrated into the learning environment to make teaching and learning more efficient, effective, and engaging.

Here’s how to get started on redesigning your classroom for 21st century learning:

Looking for informative online sessions covering educational technology, but need something that works with your busy schedule? We’ve got you covered! Our informative webinars focus on the effective use of interactive teaching technologies and content from Boxlight. Each session is recorded so that we can make it available to those who missed it or want to hear it again.

In an age where we communicate online more than ever before, it’s important to be aware of the footprint you’ve left behind on the web. Social media has the power to be a positive social and professional outlet, but only with responsible use. As important as it is for everyone to be mindful of their online footprint, it’s especially important to teach the next generation how to carefully curate their online presence.

Gobble gobble! There is so much to be thankful for this time of year as we get ready to gather around the table with our family and friends. But until the big day rolls around, there’s still plenty of learning to be done! Here is our collection of themed content to help you keep students engaged all month long: