Getting Tween Girls Past “The Wall”

How can we encourage teen girls to stick with math and science?

Studies have shown for years that up until the age of about twelve, girls are at least as likely as boys to show interest in Math and Science courses. They show equal or superior skill in these areas and, when asked, will announce their desire to pursue careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. By all accounts, more than half of the scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and techies in this country should be female.

But at the magic (tragic?) age of 12, a transformation occurs. Researchers who study this phenomenon call it “The Wall”, and equate it with the “glass ceiling” that can keep women from reaching the same level as men in many corporations to this day.

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Use Survivor’s Stories for a Lesson in Perseverance

If you’re looking for a truly inspiration way to motivate your students to achieve, try this lesson based on Carolyn Rubenstein’s book Perseverance: True Voices of Cancer Survivors.

Using the story of a 12-year-old cancer survivor, you will challenge your students to think critically, to express themselves, to organize and plan for success, and most importantly, to achieve great things no matter what obstacles stand in their way.

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Character Education: Stop Teaching Subjects and Start Teaching People

If you’re a teacher, you are a character educator.

You teach by personal example, in class discussions, in the behavior you do or do not tolerate, and through student evaluation. On a typical school day, there are dozens of opportunities to integrate character into your curriculum. You can underscore character education consistently without specifically teaching a unit on it.

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Socratic Seminars: Teachers, Shut Up Already!

For years I’ve heard administrators tell me that I’m working too hard. They aren’t referring to my coming in early, staying late, or aggressively calling shotgun on committee seats. They’re talking about the way I plan and execute my high school English lessons.

“Tabernacle, let them do the work. You just guide them.”

But they’ll miss that allusion to the King James Bible or Star Wars, Episode IV, I think to myself. They’ll misinterpret the word “wherefore!”

“They’ll learn it better if they figure it out on their own,” they tell me.

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Best Dressed Teacher Challenge

You know you're the best dressed teacher around!

Now, it's time to prove it with the 2009 TeachHUB Best Dressed Teacher Contest.

Submit your best back-to-school outfit that is:
~ Super stylish
~ Work appropriate
~ Makes you feel awesome walking through the halls

Email your fashionista photo to acondron@teachhub.com by Monday, Nov. 1, along with your name and school.

TeachHUB's style squad will choose five finalists, then TeachHUB visitors will vote on a winner. The winner will be announced Monday, Nov. 16.

In addition to bragging rights, the winner of the TeachHUB Best Dressed Teacher Contest will receive a $100 giftcard to the teacher-appropriate store of her choosing AND a "spread" of her 5 best teacher outfits to be published on TeachHUB!!

In the words of Tim Gunn, MAKE IT WORK!!!!

The Secret Password to Online Security

Passwords are the bane of my existence! Here are some tricks I've found to keep your online identity secure.

I remember having a password that I would remember forever and using it for everything, including paying bills and banking. Wow, I would never do that today! Nor should you.

One of the biggest password scandals this past year involved a politician, who had email broken into. How did this happen?

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The Discipline Debate – Speak Softly or Carry a Big Stick

With the return to school, teachers are establishing their behavior plans and discipline methods in their classroom. Does your include a big stick?

Last spring, Newsweek published a story about a principal who turned his school around by instituting “paddling” for disruptive students.

With the permission of parents, students who commit “major offenses” are sent to principal David Nixon’s office at John C Calhoun Elementary in South Carolina. There, he calmly explains WHY they are being punished to directly correlate their behavior with their resulting punishment before giving them three licks.

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Curing Edusomnia

My new favorite word is “edusomnia.” I first encountered this word on one of my daily blog reads: Principals Page. I think it’s genius.

Teachers are odd creatures. We love our jobs. We hate our jobs. We feel energetic and fulfilled in our classrooms. We are consumed by dread as Sunday comes to an end and Monday approaches with the promise of another week of drama.

AND THEN THERE IS THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

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Listen to Scientists, Not Celeb Pseudoscience

As science continues to make discoveries and develop technologies to make our lives easier, universal scientific literacy becomes more and more critical to the functioning of our democracy. The products of scientific research are integral parts of our lives, and yet so many fail to understand the most fundamental principles of the scientific method.

A recent Pew Research Center poll found that most Americans appreciate the positive impact of science on their lives and have a high opinion of scientists. These facts paint a picture of a progressive, rational society.

And that is why I am always shocked at the willingness of the American populace to accept pseudoscientific claims as fact.

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Moving Day Dilemma

To pitch or not to pitch... that is the question?

When I moved into my classroom, I was forced to answer this difficult question. My dilemma began with a great triumph in New York City public schools!

After tirelessly toiling away through ten weeks of paid vacation, we teachers received two extra days off after the union battled for a contract only requiring us to arrive in the building September 8, one day before students return back. This means that many teachers did not step foot in their classrooms until the absolute minute this year’s contract mandates them to do so.

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Teach Students to Argue NOT Fight

Is it just me or is rudeness EVERYWHERE?

No teacher would ever abide a student screaming insults at another student giving a presentation. Nor would you allow a student to interrupt someone talking during a class discussion.

Yet that’s the example coming from pop culture to the Capitol building, setting terrible examples for students.

Read more & get tips on teaching argument!

Your Personal Learning Network

Do you feel isolated in your job? Are you the only one trying out new technology tools? Do not fear! I have some great suggestions for you, they are easy, free, very welcoming and supportive!

You can exchange ideas with other teachers right here on TeachHUB.com, on the discussion board or by becoming a member of the TeachHUB community. Here are 3 of my other favorites:

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Need a Pen?

Just look in my Organization Emergency Kit...

Every elementary school teacher knows that managing pencils and the sharpening of said pencils has the potential to ruin your professional life. Perhaps that is a bit dramatic, but when you are in the midst of a Pencil Crisis and cries of, “I don’t have anything to write with” and “she stole my pencil!” fill your classroom, it can get a little emotional to say the least.

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How a Sub Can Be the Highest Paid Teacher in the Building

Just when I thought I’d orchestrated a near-perfect first day of classes for all the students and teachers at my school, in walks Mr. Bowen…

Yesterday on the first day of school, after weeks of programming then shifting then shifting again the schedules for both teachers and students, I felt confident that there wouldn’t be any major melt downs in organization. There were slip ups – Antonio somehow got programmed for the same two periods in a row and Melissa didn’t have a period 5, but by and large, teachers and their students were showing up to the same place at the same time, and that felt nice.

Then, at lunch, I was introduced to a new teacher: I will call Mr. Bowen.

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9/11 Lesson Plans

Looking for last minute lessons to cover 9/11 in your classroom?

We've collected some great activities, writing prompts, teacher-recommended resources and lesson plan sites to help you out

September 11 YouTube Writing Prompt


Read prompts
Recommended books, websites and lessons for teaching about 9/11

Instant Video Messaging with Tokbox

Tokbox is my latest, and most fun tool!

Remember when you got your first boardgame? You wanted everyone to play it and enjoy it as much as you did. This is the similar feeling I have toward Tokbox.

Our town librarian pointed me to TokBox and their video messaging system, saying that she really liked how easy it was to use. I immediately registered for this free service and began sending messages and I can't wait to get everyone on board.

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Language Arts - All Twilight, All The Time

Ok kids, it's time to load your own literary canon.

More often, kids are being able to choose their own in-class reading material, according to this week’s New York Times Education article:

“The approach Ms. McNeill uses, in which students choose their own books, discuss them individually with their teacher and one another, and keep detailed journals about their reading, is part of a movement to revolutionize the way literature is taught in America’s schools. While there is no clear consensus among English teachers, variations on the approach, known as reading workshop, are catching on.”

As someone who has read Beowulf in four separate classes, I think it will be a really exciting change in education if its done well.

Read more: Gains and risks of students choosing their own books