Blogs on Teacher Development

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Christine ParkMay 17, 2013

This blog was co-authored by David Schonfeld, MD, director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.

As our previous post highlighted, most teachers interact daily with grieving students. A recent poll we conducted in conjunction with the American Federation of Teachers found that the vast majority of teachers would like to help the grieving children in their midst but feel that they lack the proper training. The good news is that teachers don't require extensive training to prepare them for making a positive difference in the lives of their grieving students. This post is intended to introduce some of the basic information.

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Todd FinleyMay 15, 2013

My last blog post shared stories from teachers who have been traumatized by administrators and fellow instructors. Today's post introduces strategies to counteract bullies' go-to move: rhetorical evisceration disguised as "helpful" critique. Don't think that the hostility will simply dissipate over time. Bullies are serial antagonists and need to be stopped before their harassment calcifies into a pattern.

Be warned that having a heart-to-heart with the victimizer might not work, but there are other alternatives. Before describing what strategies to try, the section below will discuss practices that backfire.

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Bob LenzMay 15, 2013

How do you inspire teachers and school leaders to transform their practice when they have only read about or watched a video about the change they hope to implement?

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Christine ParkMay 14, 2013

In the months since the horrific Newtown school shooting, a media spotlight has glared on the nearly 450 surviving students at Sandy Hook Elementary who are grieving for their friends, teachers, classmates, school staff and, in some cases, their siblings. Their stories serve as an enduring reminder of the overpowering grief and loss left in the Newtown tragedy's wake.

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Todd FinleyMay 14, 2013

"When I came back one day after lunch, the warehouse people had axed the reading loft [on the principal's orders] . . . This was only the beginning . . . He stripped away everything that made my room unique . . . I want out." - Teacher

"I would take the dog for a walk and cry in the dark." - Australian Teacher

We’re used to media reports about children and teachers who bully students. A more hidden fact of school life is the extent to which teachers suffer at the hands of cruel colleagues and administrators. One in three teachers claim they have been bullied at work. In Part I of a two-part post on the subject, I will share the voices of teachers who describe being bullied by colleagues. Part II will discuss solutions.

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Otis KriegelMay 13, 2013

There are so many things a new teacher needs to know before he or she gets into the classroom, most of which have absolutely nothing to do with the Common Core Standards. These are skills teachers learn the hard way, through trial and tears. But it doesn't need to be that way. Here are seven tips that can help new teachers get off to a good start and help them to be more effective on day one (not day one hundred and eighty-one).

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Dr. Richard CurwinMay 9, 2013

I love May. The weather is as close to perfect as it will be all year in most parts of the country. The songbirds have returned to sing to us. My favorite sport, baseball, is in full swing. And best of all, May is both my birthday month and my sister's. And for educators, the arrival of May means that the end of the school year is closing in.

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George LucasMay 7, 2013

Today, on Teacher Appreciation Day, I want to send a word of thanks to a group of devoted individuals who, apart from my parents, have done the most to shape my life -- my teachers. From kindergarten to college, certain teachers engaged my curiosity and motivated me to learn. While I was not the best student, their efforts left a lasting impact.

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Maurice EliasApril 30, 2013

The community of implementers of SEL and related programs is growing. And the capacity of individuals to leave their workplaces to congregate for extensive training and sharing opportunities seems to be diminishing. These and other realities are creating an imperative to use the Internet as a vehicle for providing support for instruction and other aspects of implementation necessary to sustain and reinforce instruction.

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Anne OBrienApril 30, 2013

We all know that the demographics of America's public school population are shifting. In 2011, nearly a quarter -- 23.9 percent -- of pre-K-12 students was Hispanic, many either immigrants or the children of immigrants who speak another language at home. And that proportion is projected to grow in the coming years, bringing new challenges and opportunities to schools across the country.

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