We teachers can be pretty set in our ways when it comes to how we do things in our classroom. Lessons we’ve had in our arsenal are continually refined and can be presented at a moment's notice to fit our curricular needs. For those newer to the classroom, it takes considerable time to create the perfect lesson that achieves the learning goals you have. We’ve all been there when a lesson turns out to not go exactly the way it was intended—it’s all part of the process of getting better as an educator and a professional.

Ready to try something new? Shake up your routine this month with these engaging lessons and activities from MimioConnect™, our interactive teaching community:

February 16 will mark the second annual Boxlight STEM Day (#BLSTEM)—and there are a few new details, so read on to learn more!

First of all, some things won’t change. Just like last year, students will work with their classmates in a hands-on, inquiry-based learning event designed to help them learn critical STEM skills and understand how STEM disciplines apply to the world around them. And as before, Boxlight will provide the lab experiment and the event will involve using our wireless Labdisc portable STEM lab, so it’s less “same old classroom activity” and more “exciting new real-world work.”

When you look at the Jefferson Memorial, the numerous ionic columns support the giant marble dome, making it look strong and symmetrical. It is an impressive structure—the pillars are all needed in order to make it stand. Without each one of them, the structure would definitely be unstable and could fall.

An architectural structure such as this is a good metaphor for classroom management. The learning, the curriculum, and instruction are the dome. It is the most important part of the entire structure, but it cannot stand without the columns supporting it. Classroom management are the pillars; it supports the entire structure, and each part of it matters.

With 1:1 devices in the classroom, teachers have run across a new challenge that is also an old one. Too often, students come to class unprepared to use the device—most of the time it is not charged, and other times it may be left at home. These devices are critically important to learning. A teacher with a lesson planned on Google Classroom can't just run an extra copy if a student has a dead battery.

IT’S A SNOW DAY! The Weather Channel predicted a big snowstorm and it really happened—you can almost hear the collective screams of joy from students and teachers alike! But after sleeping in, snuggling under your favorite quilt reading a book, and enjoying some hot chocolate, cabin fever is beginning to infect your mind.

Here are some suggestions for fun snow day activities to keep you and your students entertained: 

This year’s TCEA convention and expo will be an event you won’t want to miss. Held from February 5–9 in Austin, Texas, TCEA is the place for innovative educators to network, collaborate, and learn more about the current trends in EdTech.

This show gathers K-20 administrators, teachers, and techies alike around the latest tools and tips that support teaching and learning. It also offers plenty of opportunities to reconnect with your colleagues, make new acquaintances, and learn new ideas that could enhance your career. Better yet, maybe you will be that change agent to help others!

Demonstrating professionalism matters in education. It matters with parents, it matters with students, and it matters with colleagues. In fact, it matters in all contexts of our lives—and now that we are “plugged in” more than ever, it matters in new areas that we may not have previously considered.

21^st century skills are essential components in any classroom—the ability to collaborate with others is a critically important skill for work readiness and success in life. But how do we ensure that our learning experiences for our students involve these skills? And how can we embed opportunities for collaboration in a classroom structure?

The countdown is on for the 38^th National Future of Education Technology Conference, which will take place from January 23–26. FETC offers educators countless ways to collaborate with colleagues and explore new EdTech for the K-20 classroom. Through keynote presentations, seminars, workshops, and an expo with over 400 different vendors, FETC 2018 will be a valuable professional development opportunity for attendees from all types of educational disciplines and grade levels.

Public education teachers are professionals. They see themselves as such, and rightly so. There is a great deal of training and education to become a teacher, and it is a position of respect in most communities. The role requires both customer service skills and technical know-how that surpasses average employees.

As it is a professional role, it matters if teachers are demonstrating professionalism on a daily basis. There are many reasons why it matters, but more than anything, it comes back to our attitude. Because what we are doing is so very important, we need to treat it as such.