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What keeps Michelle Spathelf in the classroom? Giving truant teenagers—and their families—hope.

"The Trouble with Tuck by Theodore Taylor,” I began to tell my class, “is an important book to me because it was one of the first that I read again and again.” I held up the 100-page paperback book for my students to see. A couple looked as if they might laugh at me, showing off a kid’s book. But I continued to tell them how the main character, Helen, trained a guide dog to lead her first dog, Tuck, when he went blind. Despite my fear that talking about books would create opportunities for put downs, I soon heard rumblings through the classroom as students dropped names of their favorite books.

One of the surest ways to motivate students to not only write, but to write with passion, purpose and power, is to make sure they have an authentic audience. This means they must write for somebody other than me, their teacher. Students must know that there is power in their words and that they can be heard.

This teacher was prepared for her ‘speak up’ moment—and you can be, too!

The first turbaned and bearded editorial cartoonist in the United States shares his journey as a survivor of bullying.

The news today brought yet another tragic story of a teen suicide related to bullying. The world lost a promising young man who had seen his share of teasing—like the time he’d dyed his hair pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But this time, he was on the other side of the equation. He was the bully. Along with two other boys, he stood accused by his elite prep school of harassing a fellow student because of that student’s sexual orientation. The school sent the boy home and pressured him to withdraw rather than face expulsion.

“Cracking the Code” looks at the representation of girls in computer science. This toolkit helps educators create an environment that welcomes all girls to participate in computer science and pursue careers in this field.

When students see you ignore hateful language, they are learning an important lesson—and not the kind you want them to learn.