Top 12 Free Printable Lesson Plans of 2011

Continuing with the countdowns, here are the top 12 most popular printable lessons of 2011:

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Top 12 Teacher Blog Posts of 2011

In the spirit of counting down the year's best, we're sharing TeachHUB visitors' favorite features from the past year.

Here are the Top 12 most popular teacher blog posts of 2011:

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Top 12 Video Writing Prompts of 2011

It's that time of year where countdowns are everywhere, so we're here to share the most popular video writing prompts that ran on TeachHUB this year.

Here are the top 12 most popular video writing prompts of 2011:

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Top 12 Most Popular Education Articles of 2011

We're kicking off our New Year's K-12 countdowns with the most popular education articles that ran on TeachHUB this year.

Here are the top 12 TeachHUB Articles of 2011 based on your visits:

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Thou Shall Not Burnout

Unfortunately for most educators, burnout is cruel reality. From heavy course loads and large class sizes, burnout seems to be an inevitable occurrence in our lives.

However, Kent Crockett, author of "The 911 Handbook offers the following advice and steps for effectively dealing with burnout, from a Biblical perspective. I would suggest that you apply these principles to your life in order to "keep the fire burning."

"And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary." (Galatians 6:9)

Whether we’ve been planting educational seeds for an entire semester or for a year or more, we must not succumb to burnout.

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5 Super Fun Skill Building Games for Students

Need fun, constructive ways to use computer time?
Need skill building exercises for students of all ages?
Need drill-style activities for math, vocabulary, or geography?

Here are some awesome online learning games your students will love!

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How to Get a Teaching Grant

With January and spring deadlines approaching, now is the time to find and apply for teaching grants.

Check out these tips to getting grant funding for your classroom or school projects.

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10 Priceless Gifts Teachers Can Give Their Students

With the holiday season upon us, the spirit of giving is everywhere you look.

Here are 10 priceless gifts we can give to our students. There are more than 10 things that we could give our darlings, but these are the ones that stood out in my mind.

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Recreating the Magic of Parachute Day

What is the one thing you remember about elementary school gym class? Every so often, a day would come when 20-or-so kids would walk into the gym--a place where we usually enjoyed our sack lunches as well--and be greeted by a vast field of primary colors stitched in a silky nylon circle...

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Better Learning for ALL: Achieving Ed Reform In Your Classroom

These days, everybody is talking about educational reform, but almost nobody does anything about it. Except for a few exceptions, schools and the kids in them continue pretty much as Horace Mann started them almost 200 years ago.

Sad, isn't it? We know a lot more about how kids learn, but we rarely can do anything about it. We have more tools for learning than ever before, but even when we have them (which is also far too rare), the teachers haven't been trained in how to use them.

Now there are a few dozen exceptions to this tragic pickle jar we find ourselves in. Some schools with staff and kids that have leapt ahead in their teaching and learning. Most don't last for long. Leaders leave, teachers burn out, funding fails and the lamp of learning is dimmed again.

Furthermore, we find it almost impossible to replicate them anywhere else, no matter how extensive the documentation and supportive research. The chemistry is never quite the same.

What can we do to change this tragedy?

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Christmas Movie Curriculum Connections

Just because you're showing a movie before the end of term doesn't mean you are abandoning learning.

Here are a few ways to get the most educational value out of holiday favorites.

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Behavior RTI: 4 Steps to Tier II Intervention Success

Last month we talked about setting up an RTI format for student behavior management. In case you’ve forgotten, Tier I is all about preventing misbehaviors from occurring by establishing and teaching a schoolwide system of expectations, consequences and providing LOTS and LOTS of positives to acknowledge appropriate behavior.

If these elements of Tier I have been solidly established, taught throughout the school, and all staff members use the plan with consistency, 80-85% of misbehaviors that typically occur in schools will be prevented. The other 15% of students will be deemed as needing Tier II and Tier III interventions.

This article take you through a 4-step process to administer Tier II interventions, as well as supplying plenty of ideas and resources for addressing specific behavior problems for Tier II students or "frequent flyers."

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Top 12 Best & Worst Holiday Gifts from Students

As I learned on the blog last year, teacher gifts can be as surprising as a calm, quiet classroom the Friday afternoon before a vacation. Some gifts you just could never see coming.

Of course, it is so sweet and unnecessary for students or their parents to give teachers gifts during the holiday season. Regardless of what it is, it truly is the thought that counts! We want to share some fun gift stories and some tips for those looking for teacher gifts.

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Classroom Holiday Party Ideas

Is it just me or have school holiday parties transformed from fun, casual celebrations to PC-pressure cookers?

* I'm questioning all my activities to make sure they don't cross any lines:

~ Are games, crafts, movies or projects too religious (do Santa and reindeer cross a line; should I just stick with a winter theme? How many snow flakes can we really make?).

~ Should I still try to knock out the next step in my curriculum even though the kids are totally checked out before break?

~ Can I include snacks? (With health food initiatives at a lot of schools, do parties have to be all fruits and veggies? Should we decorate apples like they’re snowman faces instead of doing cookies and other sugary fare?)

Holiday parties may be getting a little dicier, but luckily there are tons of resources and activities out there to knock your students' candy-cane-striped socks off - whatever your grade level or school rules!

Here are my holiday party favorites:

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How to Handle Religious Holidays in Public Schools

Since 1776 the United States has grown from a nation of relatively few religious differences to one of countless religious groups. This expanding pluralism challenges the public schools to deal creatively and sensitively with students professing many religions and none.

The following questions and answers concern religious holidays and public education, a subject often marked by confusion and conflict. Teachers and school officials, as well as parents and students, should approach this discussion as an opportunity to work cooperatively for the sake of good education rather than at cross purposes.

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Top 10 Holiday Learning Activities

As December rolls by, the holiday hype has most likely invaded your classroom. The energy of your students is on the rise as they shift focus from their science homework to their holiday break plans.

Why not capitalize on your students’ holiday spirit with these Christmas and winter holiday activities!

**Of course, you'll need to be sensitive to your school's holiday policy. You can adapt these activities to be multicultural or more winter-themed.**

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4 Communication Tips to Use When Confronting Parents

Effective communication can be key when confronting parents about an issue with their child.

Though confrontation can be tough, having a positive and efficient approach for communicating can make a big difference in how the parent perceives the information.

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December Bulletin Board Bonanza

With so much creative decor going up in classroom around the country, TeachHUB wants to celebrate these decorating educators with the December Bulletin Board Bonanza.

Here are 10 original, awesome bulletin boards & classroom displays for the holiday and winter season.

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Transforming Education by Rethinking Teacher Prep Programs

“The illerate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” ~ Alvin Toffler

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” ~ Andy Warhol

Much has been written about and discussed on the state of primary and secondary education in the United States. Reform initiatives have been and are being implemented in school districts across this great country. The focus of these initiatives run the gamut from curriculum re-design to teacher efficacy. All of which are warranted in some form or fashion.

Ensuring what the “right” prescription for what ails us is paramount to a sustained rebound/recovery. It is indisputable the role that teachers play in student achievement. The corollary to that is the linkage between student achievement and effective teaching.

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