October 26, 2022 My years of facilitating discussion in middle and high school Humanities classrooms taught me to wince at the phrase: “I have a quote.” Just as bad? “My
September 28, 2022 When I taught middle and high school Humanities, the same doom loop happened every time I had a class discussion: a verbally-confident student made a comment that
August 18, 2022 What do you do in your first class of the year? What do students do for their first homework assignment? (How) do these early experiences reflect your
July 20, 2022 Grading discussion is an age-old challenge rife with questions: Should I do individual or group assessment? How can I not punish introverts? Can I accurately record and
May 24, 2022 We all know that the best teachers make every student feel seen and valued. But what if part of being great students at the end of this
The other day, I looked at the back of a box of cereal and saw a word search: Annie the bunny asking kids everywhere to hunt for “friendly words” …
March 24, 2022 Today’s teachers face enormous — and exciting and overdue — pressure to “create belonging for all students.” The vocabulary varies across school communities — safe spaces, leaning
March 1, 2022 For months, headlines have been screaming that today’s students are in crisis. As districts close for mental health days and schools navigate Covid learning loss on top
January 17, 2024 For many teachers, class discussion is a chance to dive into content: to unearth new meaning in a text, debate the impact of a historical event, draw
By Katherine Burd, English teacher, The Chapin School (NY); and Liza Garonzik, founder, R.E.A.L. Discussion, & a former English teacher, The Westminster Schools (GA) Student-led discussions are harder than they
Contributors Lade Akande, M.S. is the Director of Wellness, a yoga teacher, and the faculty advisor for Black Affinity at University High School. She previously worked as Director of College