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After Election Day
Let’s talk about voting. Yesterday, we asked our 65,000 Facebook followers if they had held mock elections in their schools. We heard from one lone voice that reported her middle school had 100 percent turnout.
4,442 Results
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Mix It Up at Lunch Gets Staff Talking
As we planned for Mix It Up at Lunch Day last year, I felt a deep sense of nervousness. I wasn’t worried about getting the kids to talk and chat. I teach at a small school, and the students are usually friendly with one another.
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Don’t Label a Book by Gender
In my eighth-grade language arts classroom, we use discussion as a vehicle for learning, thinking, writing, posing and defending arguments, questioning and reviewing—just about everything. And as can be expected, we sometimes digress from the topic at hand.
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Twenty States Still Use the Paddle
In 1964, my third-grade teacher relied mainly on an air of motherly authority to maintain control over her classroom of more than 50 8-year-olds. But when pushed, she warned darkly of deploying her spanking machine.
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Choosing The Right Words
Words can shed light or generate heat. This week, in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, there’s been a lot of talk about talk and the nature of our civil discourse.
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Close and Critical Reading
Question-Answer Relationships (QAR)
QAR gives students practice questioning the text and identifying literal and inferential questions. Students learn to find different types of evidence and to rely on their own interpretation when doing close reading.
July 19, 2014
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Honoring Religious Diversity
Conversations about religious diversity can happen in the classroom. Start by making a safe space where folks can tell their stories and share their religious identities.
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From Birmingham to Parkland: Celebrate the Power of Young Voices
The young activists who emerged from the Parkland, Florida, school shooting offer educators a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the power of youth activism—past and present.