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Wouldn’t it be productive if schools established school-wide norms for civil discourse this fall?

Every adult in the building needs to act when the bully is a teacher.

A teacher notes that a student looks uncharacteristically pale and avoids eye contact with her classmates. When asked privately if she’s OK, the girl bursts into tears, sharing a weekend-long saga of harsh criticism delivered via emails, chats and texts.

Part of the Why I Teach essay series.

Bell ringers jump-start student learning and take the chaos out of the beginning of class.

A year ago, we introduced a new curriculum, Civil Discourse in the Classroom and Beyond, citing the “pressing need to change the tenor of public debate from shouts and slurs to something more reasoned.” This weekend’s carnage in Tucson, with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords gravely injured, six people dead and 14 others wounded, is a terrible tragedy, not just for the victims and their families. It is a tragedy for a nation whose political process depends on people airing issues, managing conflict and confronting controversy in the public square.

A Russian Tale of Giving

You want to teach about the election, but there's a lot of hostility and tension getting in the way. Here's your quick guide to surviving the weeks leading up to November 8.

Our book reviews can help you keep your practice fresh and informed.