Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
“Never Forget.” Americans associate this saying with the attacks on September 11th. However, many of our students weren’t even alive when the devastating attacks occurred. In many cases, if you ask a student about September 11th, they wouldn’t be able to tell you much, if anything, about the event. This is where our job as educators becomes critical. Teaching students about September 11th is a delicate, but necessary task. We’ve gathered tips and resources to help you teach your students about September 11th.
10 tips to remember before you begin teaching a difficult subject:
Make parents aware you’ll be discussing the event in your classroom
Find out what students know
Listen to students
Be as specific as possible, and clear up any misconceptions
Answer questions with facts, and if you don’t know, don’t speculate
Reassure students of their safety at school
Be prepared with plenty of resources – limit graphic pictures and videos
Talk about it – allow plenty of time for questions and discussion
Keep it simple – mostly for elementary students
It’s okay to get emotional – talk about why
Lesson Plans, Resources, and Videos:
9/11 Memorial and Museum – Explore the National September 11 Memorial and Museum’s lesson plans for all grade levels. Each lesson is tied to the Common Core Standards. Grounded in our collections, they are written for use throughout the school year and across subjects, including Social Studies, History, English Language Arts, and Art.
Scholastic: Understanding September 11 – Discover informative and poignant articles, lesson plans, activities, and stories. Use it as an interactive lesson for students or teach from provided lesson plans (along with printables).
History Channel: September 11 Attacks– Find out more about the history of 9/11 Attacks, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more.
The Second Day– Watch this 40-minute documentary directed by a 14-year-old who was a kindergartener in Tribeca on 9/11. She interviews students, teachers, and first responders about the experience, how it affected them, and what they learned from the experience.
New York Times: The Reckoning– Discover stories, news articles, photos, and infographics on this interactive website about 9/11 and the world more than a decade later.
BrainPOP: September 11– Find animated videos, related readings, worksheets and more on 9/11 and a basic understanding of what happened that day.
U.S. Department of Education 9/11 Teaching Materials– Find lesson materials based on The Consitution and 9/11 and extraordinary citizens during 9/11, as well as basic teaching resources to learn about 9/11 and strategies to teach the emotion subject.
Recommended Books:
The Little Chapel That Stood by A.B. Curtiss
America at Warby Lee Bennett Hopkins
America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell by Don Brown
September Rosesby Jeanette Winter
14 Cows for Americaby Carmen Agra Deedy
With Their Eyes: September 11th–The View from a High School at Ground Zero by Annie Thoms
We the People: September 11 by Mary Englar
Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Nine, Ten: A September 11 Storyby Nora Raleigh Baskin
Messages from Ground Zero: Children Respond to September 11th by Shelley Harwayne
102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers by Jim Dwyer & Kevin Flynn
Report from Ground Zero by Dennis Smith
Last Man Down by Richard Picciotto & Daniel Palsner
How do you teach about September 11th in your classroom? What tips would you give fellow educators when teaching this topic?
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Whatever your classroom management style may be, you probably use some sort of student reward or incentive system.
Student incentives can become expensive, but motivating and rewarding students does not require a heaping stash of fun-size candy bars or a treasure chest of Dollar Store prizes! Motivating students can be surprisingly simple. Try some of these no-cost, non-food student incentives in your classroom.
Help In Another Classroom or Another Staff Member – Team up with other faculty and staff members to allow students to help that staff member or teacher. When they get back to your class, have them share their experience to motivate others.
Computer/Tablet “Free” Time – Allow students “free” time on computers or tablets.
2nd Chance – Students receive a chance to redo an assignment.
Choose the Next Class Brain Break – Let a student pick the next brain break for the class, or even choose all of the brain breaks for the entire school day.
Assignment Reviewer – Students will review assignments with the class (homework, morning work, etc.) acting as the teacher during that time.
Choose Your Seat – Students may choose their own seat in the classroom. This can be short or long term.
Performance or Presentation – Students can present in some format, like “Show And Tell.” Perhaps a student has a special talent, like playing an instrument, or reading aloud a passage or poem in a dramatic way? It can also be a time for students to share interesting information about themselves, like sharing a personal artifact with a meaningful story.
Stress Relievers/Fidget Items – Students get to us stress-relievers like stress balls, putty, and other fidget items for the day.
Drop Lowest Grade – Allow students to remove their lowest grade on a test, quiz, or assignment for the grading period.
Extra Credit Opportunity – Students receive an opportunity to complete an extra credit assignment.
Morning Announcements – Students get to say school morning announcements or the Pledge of Allegiance over the intercom.
Hat Day – Students get to wear a hat for an entire school day.
No Homework Pass – Students receive no homework for the day or subject. This can be used for any subject and teachers may implement at their discretion.
Special Chair – Students get to sit in a special chair all day, like the teacher’s chair.
Lunch in the Classroom with the Teacher and a Friend – Students get to eat lunch in the classroom with you and a friend of their choosing.
Bring a Stuffed Animal – This, of course, is for the younger students. Students may bring a stuffed animal to school for the day.
What are some of your favorite non-food, no-cost student incentives?
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Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom. Cooperative learning strategies
Tired of using the same cooperative learning strategies over and over again? Ditch think-pair-share and jigsaw and try some of these fresh, meaningful group learning strategies.
Students are given four choices. 2. Students record their answers. 3. The teacher designates one corner for each choice. 4. Students travel to the appropriate corner. 5. Students pair up and discuss answers.Check out these examples:
Just for Fun: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Science: Provide students with four animals. They choose which one to represent then give 2 to 3 examples of the animal that they chose.
Math: Provide students with four angles: Straight, obtuse, acute, or right. They think of a real world object that includes the angle.
Language Arts: Students decide what season of the year they think is the best. Then support their opinion with details.
Reading: Decide on four genres you want students to focus on. After students pick their genre, they are to write the title of 2-3 examples they think fit the genre. Discuss in corner.
Social Studies: Give the name of four Native American Indian tribes. Students share what they wore, used as weapons, lived in, etc.
Another great brainstorming technique to try is cooperative graffiti. This strategy requires students to think about a topic and write down as many ideas as possible using different-colored pens. To start, divide students into small groups and give each group a large, butcher block piece of paper and a variety of colorful pens. Write down a broad topic on the front board, and on your command “Go!”, instruct students to write down as many ideas as they can that correlate with the topic you wrote on the board. Once the time is up (about 5-10 minutes), then have students try and organize their colorful ideas into categories.
Round Table or Rally Table (Oregon Department of Education)
These are simple cooperative learning structures that cover much content, build team spirit, and incorporate writing. The roundtable has three steps to it. In the first step, the teacher poses a question that has multiple answers. Step two, the first student in each group writes one response on a paper and passes the paper counterclockwise to the next student. Finally, in step three, teams with the greatest number of correct responses gain some type of recognition. This type of cooperative learning can easily be used in the science classroom. For example, the students may be asked to write as many reptile names as they can. At the end the group with the most reptiles written down is rewarded. (Example: A teacher displays a picture and asks what are various food chains found within the ecosystem of the picture. One student writes a food chain on a piece of paper then passes the paper to other members of the team for them to write a food chain that they see in the picture. Students continue to pass around the paper until the teacher stops the activity or until a group runs out of answers.)
Carousel (University of Albany)
In this activity, students are broken into groups of 3-4 and the teacher places chart paper around the room with different questions on them, related to a certain topic. This lesson can be done before starting a new unit to activate prior knowledge, during the unit, or at the end of review. Each group starts at a different poster and is given a different color marker to write with. The marker travels with the groups around the rooms, and each group has 1-2 minutes to answer the question on the chart paper. They then rotate around the room to the next poster and repeat the process. You may want to try to get each group member to write their ideas down on the paper so that each student’s ideas are evident on the paper. When every group has written on each piece of paper, the class comes together for a whole class discussion and shares what is written on the posters.
Writearound (ColorinColorado.org)
For creative writing or summarization, give a sentence starter (for example: If you give an elephant a cookie, he’s going to ask for…). Ask all students in each team to finish that sentence. Then, they pass their paper to the right, read the one they received, and add a sentence to that one. After a few rounds, four great stories or summaries emerge. Give children time to add a conclusion and/or edit their favorite one to share with the class. Cooperative learning strategies
This strategy requires students to use their communication skills to work within a group. Here’s how it works: The teacher writes a proposition on the front board, such as “Should there be a vending machine in the school cafeteria?” then the students who agree move to one side of the classroom and the students who disagree move to other side. Once students are on one side of the classroom, that is now their group. The teacher then forces them to debate the opposing side that they have chosen. This strategy really utilizes students’ critical thinking skills and forces them to really think about the question as a whole in order to argue for the opposing side rather than what they really feel about the question.
Snowball (AlgonquinCollege.com)
Flip chart papers are posted around the room. Each page has a different question to respond to, sentence to complete or other prompt for input. Learners are divided into pairs or small groups (up to 6). Each pair or small group is given a marker. Each group is situated at a different flip chart page and asked to write their responses on the sheet in front of them. The facilitator calls “snowball” and each group rotates clockwise. They read what the previous group has written and add new ideas or different views. The process continues until each group has rotated to all pages. The facilitator leads a debriefing session. You may have each group summarize the page that they finish at and suggest possible implications, applications etc.
Cooperative Learning is beneficial to students. Students have a responsibility to the group and to themselves. It encourages positive student interactions. Students also gain practice using social and collaborative skills. At the end of each cooperative learning activity, conduct discussions with students. You might ask students to name one thing they learned, how they felt working in a group, or how they might improve their group work.
We’d love to hear from you! Tell us your favorite Cooperative Learning Strategies!
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There is a podcast for just about everything these days. Podcasts for teachers or education professionals is no exception. Whether you are looking for support from other real-life teachers, want to brush up on your skills, or have a good laugh from someone who “gets it”, there’s a podcast for that. You can also find podcasts for teachers that cover new activities and technology you can incorporate into your classroom. Or, if you want something that combines everything there is to know about teaching all under one roof, the perfect podcast is just a few clicks away.
It’s no secret that teachers are busy, especially at the beginning of the school year. Podcasts are the quickest way to learn new information from other professionals in the industry. Just pop in your earbuds and press play. Listen while you are grading papers, at the gym, doing chores around the house, or even in the car; and start learning!
Vicki Davis aka @coolcatteacheron social media talks with educators from around the world, for 10 minutes a day- 5 days a week. Learn about tips they use in their classrooms and how they overcome challenges for their students.
Jennifer Gonzalez talks teaching strategies, classroom management, educational reform, & new technology. Additionally, she interviews fellow educators, administrators, parents, and even students about their schools.
These podcasts are delivered in short, by some of the world’s greatest educators, researchers, and community leaders. They share their methods in teaching education and their vision for education in the future.
Hosts, Johanna and Jared, discuss methods on how to balance being a successful teacher in the classroom while still having a life. This podcast is guaranteed to make you laugh.
Comedian and fellow teacher, Devin Siebold, jokes about his life as a teacher/comedian, the woes of teaching, and the everyday thoughts that teachers have that they never speak out loud. This podcast is sure to bring you to tears with laughter. **Although listen with caution, this podcast could be considered “on edge”. Some topics discussed may be considered inappropriate for some audiences.**
Happy listening 🙂
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With all of the new technology and apps that are continuously being developed, it is easy for bullying to go unnoticed by parents and teachers. According to the American Federation of Teachers, 15-25 percent of all American students are bullied to some degree; 40 and 50 percent of that occurs in the form of texting and cyberbullying. Teaching bullying prevention and social media etiquette to students at a young age is key to combat bullying and cyberbullying.
Students that are victims of bullying are prone to suffer from loneliness, anxiety, and depression. They will likely carry this with them throughout their lives. Those who are bullied have also proven to perform at lower academic levels than their peers. That is why it is important for educators to be a part of the mission to combat bullying in schools. Bullying prevention
Here are some ways teachers can help prevent and fight bullying in their classrooms.
1. Maintain Consistent Classroom Management
To create a classroom environment of respect and responsibility invite students to help establish the classroom rules. Engage in a discussion about do’s (ex. saying please, raising your hand, using inside voices) and don’ts (ex. bullying, cheating, stealing). Keep the expectations of these rules clear, simple, and explicit. It is important to be consistent in enforcing these rules and follow through with consequences immediately if the rules are broken.
2. Have a Lesson on Bullying and Social Media Best Practices
Early in the year dedicate a lesson to bullying that shows first-hand the effects of bullying and cyberbullying. Go over best practices on how to avoid and handle cyberbullying and what to do it if is happening to them. Let students know bullying will not be tolerated, and reinforce the consequences of what will happen if someone is being bullied in your class.
3. Get the Entire Story & Act Immediately
If bullying does happen, be thorough in your “investigations” of the situation. Separately, talk to each student involved. Listen, don’t blame or assign labels. Hold all parties, including bystanders, accountable for their actions or lack of action. Once you know the full story, take action immediately. If you don’t, you are sending the message to all involved that the behavior is acceptable.
4. Follow Through
Check up on students who have struggled with a bullying situation: victims, witnesses, AND bullies. Ongoing support of students who have been involved in a bullying situation can help minimize, or prevent, the effects of bullying in the future.
5. Create a Safe Classroom Environment
It is important to create a classroom environment that is welcoming, safe, and supportive. Students should be aware of your willingness to listen and help them if they are in a situation where someone is bullying them in school or online.
6. Be Aware of School and District Bullying Policies
Brush up on your district and school bullying policies and procedures. When you know the rules, you can feel confident implementing them.
7. Open Up the Lines of Communication
Consistent communication with parents and families is an important tool in bullying prevention. When students are aware that their parents are only an email or phone call away from their teacher, they are less likely to commit acts of bullying.
8. Get Other Teachers Involved
Bullying isn’t limited to just one classroom or area in a school building. With your colleagues, talk about the issues in your own classroom and listen to other teachers as they discuss their specific challenges. As a team, or building, you can identify the needs of specific students, or areas of the building, that may need additional supervision/monitoring.
9. Learn About It
Not quite sure what to do with a bully or how to speak to a victim? Seek out professional development or courses that will help you learn about bullying. There are also many free resources for teachers, like the APA bullying module for teachers listed in the resources below.
10. Create a Club or Group Against Bullying
Group meetings are a great way to bring up the topic of bullying and peer relationships. Expound on the topic by discussing bullying in pop culture (TV shows, movies, etc.). Have students describe the impacts of bullying and ways to solve the issues, and then try and start a no-bully campaign at your school where everyone can be involved and stand up against bullies.
For more information on Bullying in the Classroom Visit:
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Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
Back to School Night can be overwhelming and somewhat dry for teachers and families.
Teachers try to squeeze as much information as possible into a brief period of time, while trying to meet new students and answering parent questions. But you don’t have to focus on just school business during this time; instead, have some handouts and packets ready for parents to grab, carve out a short time for some Q&A, and then start having some fun with students and their families!
We’ve compiled a list of some ideas that will have you, your students, and their parents excited about the upcoming school year. Here are 8 Simple Activities to Make Back to School Night Fun!
Families can complete this activity while they wait for you to begin the presentation, and/or afterward while they wait to talk to you. One parent sent me an email afterward saying how much she enjoyed it because she had a purpose in walking around the room and knew what she was looking at. The scavenger hunt can end with the parent at the child’s desk, waiting for you to begin talking.
Guessing games add an entertaining twist while helping parents get to know the teacher and classroom better. A bulletin board display with pictures of teachers as babies or kids is a classic game option. The parents try to match the teacher with the childhood picture. If the open house happens after school starts, the kids can get involved in the game. Each child draws a self-portrait for display. Each parent tries to guess which self-portrait belongs to her child.
Create a BINGO card with slots full of things parents have done relating to school and have them try to get BINGO by finding other parents in the classroom that can initial off each slot. For example, one slot on the card can have “Majored in business.”
Go around the room and ask parents to say their name accompanied with an adjective using alliteration (i.e. Marvelous Miranda). After each person says his or her name, the next person has to recite every person prior to him or her and build to the chain of introductions.
The kids write on a topic such as “The Hardest Part/Best Part of Being a Kid”. They then set up the page across from that page with the title, “The Hardest Part/Best Part of Being a Parent”. The families complete the journal entry at Back-To-School night and children read them in the morning. (Have another morning warm-up for kids whose parents did not come.) This is a good activity if you use journals and workbooks a lot: it lets parents see how much work the child is doing in class, even though it may not all come home because it’s not on loose-leaf paper.
*Be aware that some parents may not feel comfortable with their own reading or writing skills or may be preoccupied with their young children or the papers you have handed them, and may not take part. I have had moderate success with this activity in that regard, but the parents who did do the journal entry absolutely raved about it.*
Create a small quiz relating to the designated class and have parents participate by testing their knowledge on the subject. Make it extra fun by having the students grade it!
An academic theme to the games allows the teacher to introduce some of the concepts she’ll teach in class. If estimation is on the schedule for math class, an estimation game with objects in a jar is an option. The parents use estimation skills to guess how many of the object are in the container. For a language game, parents might receive letter tiles to make as many different words as possible using only those letters. If the teacher uses games in the classroom to teach concepts to the kids, those games can go out during the back-to-school night for parents to play.
Ask parents to look into their handbag or wallet and ask them to choose something significant to them. Then they have to share why that item is significant to them with others.
What are your tricks to get students and families feeling eager about the new school year?
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