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'Multilevel classes' aren't equitable or excellent, say teachers
Mixing high-achieving, average and low-achieving students in the same class was a noble experiment, writes Ryan Normandin, a high school...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 11, 20242 min read
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Most teens don't read for fun: What can teachers do?
Few teenagers read for fun regularly, and many don't read for school either, writes Natalie Wexler on Minding the Gap. We're "becoming a...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 3, 20242 min read
7 comments


Thankful to be Americans
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for our legacy as Americans , writes Rick Hess, being very Old School. As a former social studies...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 27, 20241 min read
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Teaching shouldn't be 'guess what's in my head'
Explicit teaching works better than student-centered learning.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 25, 20242 min read
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Teaching books doesn't work if students won't (or can't) read
English teachers don't teach many novels because students won't do the reading on their own.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 18, 20243 min read
12 comments


To do more, attempt less
Subtract , advises Adam Boxer, a chemistry teacher in London, on his Substack. He visits many schools and finds himself telling school...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 9, 20242 min read
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Politics in the classroom: Can teachers teach the election without bias?
Should teachers teach about the election?

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 31, 20243 min read
4 comments


Achievers need a chance to go faster, fly higher
"Differentiating instruction" in a class with a wide range of performance levels doesn't work for high achievers -- or anyone else.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 30, 20241 min read
4 comments


She can't read or write, but she made the honor roll and got into UConn
A former special-ed student is suing Hartford Public Schools because she wasn't taught to read or write.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 5, 20242 min read
6 comments


An 'F' for grading: Can expectations go any lower?
Grading may be stressful, writes George Leef on the Martin Center for Academic Renewal. It may deliver unwelcome news to students or...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 4, 20242 min read
4 comments


Georgetown students 'have trouble staying focused on even a sonnet'
Even elite colleges don't read very much and have trouble staying focused on books.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 2, 20242 min read
5 comments


U.S. history teachers prefer DIY curriculum to textbooks
U.S. history teachers are using "digital sources and primary documents" rather than textbooks , according to a report by the American...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 24, 20242 min read
3 comments


Special ed is failing: With no time to meet diverse needs, teachers lower expectations
Overwhelmed by the number of students with different needs, teachers tend to lower expectations, writes veteran teacher.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 19, 20242 min read
2 comments


Poor kids can learn to read too
Overall, family poverty and reading problems go together. But some school districts are beating the odds.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 12, 20242 min read
2 comments


'Terrible awful no good very bad' advice for teachers
Chicago teachers are getting very bad advice on how to teach with AI.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 4, 20242 min read
4 comments


90% of teachers support cellphone bans
Ninety percent of teachers in a NEA survey want their schools to ban cellphones in class, and 83 percent back all-day bans.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 3, 20242 min read
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Discovering math: How do you know 75% is more than 50%?
I Â remember when "the new math" was new. It was supposed to teach kids to understand math, not just go through the motions. I'd just...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 29, 20242 min read
6 comments


The solution to apathy is to help students learn
Learning is motivating , writes math teacher Dylan Kane on Five Twelve Thirteen. Many schools are modifying the curriculum to cater to...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 29, 20241 min read
0 comments


Teaching the election: It's not a crusade
Social studies teachers are eager to discuss the election -- students might actually care! -- but also very nervous about...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 14, 20243 min read
0 comments


Most grades don't match test scores: Is that a problem?
Most grades don't match students' test scores, according to the Equitable Grading Project.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 13, 20242 min read
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