Using a Discipline System to Promote Learning - On returning to the classroom after 24 years, Marvin Marshall struggled to maintain discipline. In Part 1 of this article, he describes how his frustration led him to develop a system -- incorporating the ideas and strategies of Stephen Covey, William Glasser, Abraham Maslow, and others -- that would promote responsible behavior by internally motivating students. In Part 2, Kerry Weisner describes the positive changes in her students' behavior and learning after she implemented Mr. Marshall's program in her classroom.

Help! They Don't Speak English Starter Kit for Primary Teachers - A free, downloadable resource guide for educators of limited English proficient students, grades Pre-K - 6. The first Help! They Don't Speak English Starter Kit was produced in 1989 by a task force of Virginia migrant educators who were getting an increasing number of requests from classroom teachers for information about and assistance with their limited English proficient (LEP) students. The Help! Kit has proved to be an excellent resource for teachers who are seeking ideas for recommended teaching strategies, lesson plans, and materials.
 

Getting to Know Your Classmates with Special Needs by Mary Ellen Leahy, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute - The primary objective of this unit is to sensitize both students and teachers to special education students and their needs and their rights. Many regular education students and teachers have had limited contact with special education students.
 

Overcoming the Lack of Motivation for Learning - Teachers say that the most frustrating aspect of dealing with students is "lack of motivation for learning." In this article from KAPPAN magazine (March 2004), the authors describe the Paideia Coached Project, an approach that more and more schools are adopting in an effort to combat this pervasive problem. "When students know that their project or performance will be presented to an audience outside the classroom, they are inspired to produce work of the highest quality." [Source: PEN]
 

Words That Hurt. Words That Heal: How Adult Morale Affects Student Achievement - A teacher's words can make a parent's day and vice versa. My daughter called excitedly the other day when her first child brought his first report card home. No, It wasn't all A's but it did carry a sentence from the teacher that made all the difference: "Your child is a wonderful boy."

Teacher Feature: A Remarkable Program For At-Risk, Middle Level Students  - There are textbooks, workbooks, manuals, manipulative devices, and gadgets of all sorts designed to remediate communication disorders. While the publishers claim many of these to be appropriate for junior high school, the fact is that there is a complete and utter void of remedial material appropriate for junior high school or secondary school. However, from my perspective, I am not so much concerned with the absence of remedial material as I am with the absence of a satisfactory rationale under which remedial techniques may be applied.

A Pernicious Silence: Confronting Race in the Elementary Classroom - Communities of silence cannot be moral communities. And the most pernicious and pervasive silence in primary school classrooms is the silence surrounding the subject of race. Lillian Polite and Elizabeth Baird Saenger maintain that it is much healthier for everyone when race can be freely discussed, and they offer suggestions to help teachers overcome their discomfort.

Teacher Tips: Internet Resources for Teachers - "We have discovered the vastness of the resources available to teachers on the internet. Following are a variety of resources that are most helpful to teachers. Print our list and visit sites that are of interest to see what they have to offer. Our resource links have been grouped according to subject matter."
 

Online Mentoring Program for Mathematics and Science Teachers: Southwest Consortium for the Improvement of Mathematics and Science Teaching - Since 1992 the Eisenhower Southwest Consortium for the Improvement of Mathematics and Science Teaching (SCIMAST) has supported meaningful reform of science and mathematics education in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The JASON Academy: Accredited Online Science and Math Courses - The JASON Academy is an innovative approach to professional development for busy teachers who want to take content-rich, continuing education science or mathematics courses anytime, anywhere via the Internet. The JASON Academy enhances teachers' science content background and provides them with the tools to help students learn more effectively. JASON Academy courses have no text materials, but instead use hotlinked references and provide numerous classroom applications with demonstrations and hands-on activities. Through JASON Academy courses, teachers are discovering new possibilities for bringing standards-based instruction into their classrooms. Next Session Begins October 4, 2004. Register now. Space is limited!

Discovery Channel's Free Online Teacher/Educator Clipart Gallery - Discovery School now makes it easy to add graphics to your next project, whether it's for home or school. Choose from hundreds of original clip art pieces, including animations!

At Web English Teacher "educators can take advantage of online technology to share ideas and to benefit from the work of others. Beginning teachers can find guidance; experienced teachers can find inspiration. Think of it as the faculty library and faculty workroom on a global scale. Because the most important part of teaching isn't the technology."

Sites For Teachers: "The Net's Best resource for Teachers" includes teaching resources, clipart, plus insect, dinosaur, ocean, and animal units.
 

We Get What We Get: The Bottom Line On Parent Accountability - The following is a somewhat blunt, but quite definitive answer to the questions so often asked by frustrated teachers: What should be the parent's level of accountability in their children's education? ~ What do classroom teachers have the right to require and/or expect from parents in the way of cooperation, involvement and participation in their child's learning? If the parents won't see that they get their assignments done and won't come to conferences, what can I do?

Red & Green Choices - Find 19 Free Printable Charts to Help You Help Children Model Appropriate Behavior. Developed by an intervention resource room instructor working in an inclusionary model school, the "Red and Green Choices" positive behavioral development strategies, work for a wide age range. "Cindy T's Circle Time" is directed to younger students - a full color picture book for teachers to use during class time. "Niki's Next Grade" is a chapter-book story told by Niki who wants to make a "green next grade plan" with no help from adults this time! Powerful and motivating for adults and children!

MI CLiMB - Clarifying Language in Michigan Benchmarks - A Resource Developed by Teachers for the Michigan Department of Education. Provides clarifications, resources, instructional and assessment examples for five content areas: English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Fine Arts. To view the Michigan Benchmarks, click here (PDF).

The Knowledge Loom Web Site: A Great Tool for the Teaching Community! Interested in best practices in areas such as literacy, equity, technology, middle school math, school organization, and community involvement? The Knowledge Loom Web site highlights these areas and more while providing a forum for educators to:
* Review research on best practices;
* Read stories about practices used in schools and districts around the nation;
* Learn to replicate successful practices in your school;
* Participate in online events and discussions; and
* Explore supporting organizations and resources.
A bonus perk: Professional development facilitators can download a companion guidebook that contains ideas and tools for using the content on the Knowledge Loom for professional learning.
 

Parker J. Palmer: Honor the Human Heart - Parker J. Palmer is a writer, teacher, and activist who works independently on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality, and social change. In this interview with the Journal of Staff Development, Palmer discusses his seminal work "The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life" (1997) and the responsibility schools have to nurture those who work in them.

Guide to E-Learning 2003 - US News & World Report's guide includes a searchable directory of distance learning courses, certificates, and degrees, as well as articles on current trends in online education.

Teachers Who "Work the Room" - The most basic factor that governs the likelihood of students goofing off in your classroom is their physical distance from your body.  Classroom management guru Fred Jones shares his ideas on ways to arrange your classroom and "work the crowd" to create more time on task and cut down on "goofing off." "Natural teachers instinctively work the crowd," Jones writes. "They use proximity as an instrument of management. They know that either you work the crowd, or the crowd works you."
 

GA New Web Site to Offer Disability Sensitivity Training - A new web site is now available to provide Disability Sensitivity Training.

Molding Effective Teachers - Psychologists' research is shedding light on the ingredients of quality teaching.

 
The Creative Classroom - American School Board Journal: Maybe schools can't teach kids to be creative, but they can provide an atmosphere that allows creativity to flourish. [source]

Teachers: How to Start a Lesson Plan - What do you do if a district does not have a curriculum guide for your grade level or subject? How do you write a lesson plan? What are the steps in creating a good assignment? [source]
 

The Heart of a Teacher: Identity and Integrity in Teaching

bridges4kids Exclusive: Conversation Guide Now Available! - Positive communication is the single most important key to developing a partnership between families and professionals. This is so because communication lies at the heart of all other forms of partnership.

bridges4kids Exclusive: Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Module Now Available! - Written by Tricia & Calvin Luker, this 23-page module (pdf version) has been given to us to distribute to parents, parent groups, and professionals - at no cost.