Author: sanjay
When Accommodations Exist but Access Doesn’t: A Middle School Reality Check contributed by Pramod Polimari, middle school special education strategist In middle school classrooms across the country, accommodations are in place. IEPs are written. Support plans are documented. Students are technically “included.” And yet, many students still struggle to access learning in meaningful ways. This disconnect—where accommodations exist on paper but access breaks down in practice—is one of the most common and least discussed challenges in middle school education. It’s rarely the result of negligence or lack of care. More often, it emerges from well-intentioned assumptions about independence, readiness, and…
Overview of associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees—definitions, common titles, typical length/credits, example jobs, and .edu sources. [Updated] Associate Degree (≈2 years; ~60 semester credits) Definition: Two-year undergraduate degree offering general education and/or applied career preparation. Popular titles: AA, AS, AAS Example jobs: Dental hygienist, radiologic technologist, paralegal, network support specialist Sources: University of Washington · Portland Community College Bachelor’s Degree (≈4 years; ~120 semester credits) Definition: Four-year undergraduate degree combining general education and a major field of study. Popular titles: BA, BS, BFA, BBA, BSN Example jobs: K–12 teacher* , accountant, software developer, civil/mechanical engineer, RN (BSN) Sources:…
Simon & Schuster’s Ready-to-Read helps K-3 teachers put the right books in students’ hands as they move from learning to decode to reading independently. Ready-to-Read emphasizes that there’s a book for every level of reader: the earliest of readers will find familiarity in the decodable texts of the Ready to Go! and Pre-Level One books, while more advanced readers can start building confidence with the longer, chaptered Level Three books. The clearly leveled texts, built-in phonics and vocabulary support, and high-interest topics make it easy to differentiate while keeping kids excited about reading. We asked California teacher Kellie Barragan to…
contributed by Meg Price, the ei experience Social-emotional learning (SEL) by definition is a process for learning life skills, including how to deal with oneself, others, and relationships, and work in an effective manner. Although there are many great SEL programs, SEL can also be incorporated into each lesson as a way of teaching students to understand how to action the skills in a variety of situations and form positive habits. All students start school with some level of social and emotional skills, and all will develop their social and emotional skills at different rates. Parents and teachers are both…
When you finally have more than a few minutes to eat, we’re willing to bet the lunchroom isn’t your favorite place to spend the time. While school lunches can be great in a pinch, bringing your own meal makes it easier to maximize those precious moments of quiet. And one of the best ways to level up your lunches? It’s to level up your kitchen. That’s where the 360 Cookware teacher discount can help! Teachers get 26% off with 360 Cookware Do you prefer to set the slow cooker in the morning so that you can smell dinner wafting from…
Teens are eager to earn money, but many have never practiced making real‑life financial decisions. The Teen Summer Paycheck Challenge turns your classroom into a summer job experience where students take on a typical teen job, calculate real earnings, and make choices about saving, spending, and dealing with unexpected expenses. This engaging, team-based activity gives students a safe space to learn how everyday decisions can affect their financial health. Whether they’re saving for a car, budgeting for weekend fun, or dealing with surprise costs, this challenge makes money management feel real and empowering. You and your students will love preparing…
You can find a classroom-ready copy of our Anticipation Guide prompts here. The Great Gatsby Major Characters The Great Gatsby Summary: Set in the decadent Jazz Age, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel follows the enigmatic millionaire Jay Gatsby and his obsessive quest to win back his former love, Daisy Buchanan. Through the perspective of narrator Nick Carraway, the story serves as a tragic critique of the moral decay and offers an engaging look at the elusive (and often illusory) nature of the American Dream. Character Short Description Jay Gatsby A mysterious, self-made millionaire entirely driven by his obsessive desire to win…
Show a little love for the teachers in your life with these easy, printable gift tags. Simply click the link below, print them out, and attach one to a small gift or treat as a thoughtful way to say thanks for everything they do. Need inspiration? Scroll down for dozens of simple gift ideas that pair perfectly with your tags. We Are Teachers FREE PRINTABLES Teacher Gift Tags Want to make your teacher gifts extra special? We created a special bundle of printable teacher gift tags with options for all the most popular gifts. Just fill out the form on…
With AI on every teacher’s mind, it can feel overwhelming to figure out how to use it safely and responsibly with students. That’s where the Lincoln AI Learning Coach (Linc) comes in. This easygoing, student‑friendly tool guides kids without doing the thinking for them. Linc offers both animated and human‑like coaches who keep students engaged, supported, and thinking independently. It makes tasks like argumentative writing, science, and social studies feel more accessible—and far less intimidating. We asked Amanda Davies, a middle school teacher–turned‑librarian with over 25 years of experience, to try it with her students. Here’s her Teacher Picks review…
When you spend all day connecting with students, parents, and admins, it’s important to be able to disconnect from work once you come home. Of course, “disconnecting” can mean something different for every teacher; to you, it may mean catching up on the newest episodes of a Netflix favorite, but for someone else it could mean online gaming. Regardless, you probably need the wifi connected while you unwind, and that’s where the NETGEAR teacher discount comes in. Educators save 10% on NETGEAR products How do you like to keep your home connected? Be it through cable modems, 5G routers, or…