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In class, we discussed how important it is to engage student learning. How children are most likely to come in with good attitudes to class. In this article, they discuss 6 counterintuitive strategies to boost student learning. 1. Assess more grade less. Grading can be easier but assessing will give more feedback about each child in their learning. If you grade more children will be more focused on a grade rather than what they are learning in class which isn't the best way to encourage learning. An example of this is having them write a paper instead of doing a test. 2. Give students text that they aren't ready to read. Giving them challenging books helps them want to keep learning. If you were to give them a reading-level book they wouldn't feel motivated to try and learn new things. 3. Design failure right into your lessons. Children should feel emotions when they have failed. If they do feel these emotions that means they are learning and vice versa. 4. Quiz students before they learn the material. A pre-test is a way of doing this. You would be able to see what educated guesses they have inputted and what you can focus on more. This also encourages children to find out the correct answers. 5. Don't answer students' questions. Let them think and figure out the answer. If you answer for them you aren't encouraging learning. 6. Encourage a little noise. Discussions are great for having students express their thoughts and hear from other students rather than hearing from the teacher. It can get boring and children need another way of learning. I think all these ways go hand and hand but also contradict themselves. I think that as an educator one should get to know their students first before using these strategies.

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Sometimes the best practices aren't obvious-they challenge cherished notions, upend decades of conventional wisdom, or just feel kind of eccentric.

We often look to teachers and researchers as we source innovative teaching practices and strategies that require out-of-the-box thinking but lead to big impacts in the classroom: greater academic independence, for example, or high-order thinking and reasoning.

In an effort to highlight some of these more surprising insights, we've put together a list of six effective and evidence-based practices, backed by educators and by research.

1. Assess More, Grade Less

It's common to think that assignments and formal grading go hand-in-hand, but if it's true that practice makes perfect and also true that every assignment requires your input, then you've stumbled into an unavoidable contradiction: The more you have to grade, the less you can assign.

The research also suggests that too much formal grading often causes students to focus on the grades themselves, rather than thinking about and addressing their actual learning gaps. Grades, the researchers concluded, "may encourage an emphasis on quantitative aspects of learning, depress creativity, foster fear of failure, and undermine interest."

There are many ways to relieve the bottleneck and shift to scalable models of assessment that focus on peer feedback and self-evaluation. Michigan high school English teacher Matthew M. Johnson, for example, assigns more writing but saves the bulk of his effort for later iterations of a draft, letting students do the heavier lifting early on. When he does read and respond, Johnson says, a "2+1" approach to feedback allows him to address two higher-order concerns-such as organization and the strength of arguments-and one lower-order concern, such as trouble with punctuation or spelling.

Meanwhile, the evidence suggests that peer-feedback and self-feedback methods actually work quite well, particularly when clear, achievable expectations are discussed before setting the processes in motion. One 2023 study found that when students are given rubrics and exemplars by which to judge their own writing, they generate effective self-feedback and improve their performance on future drafts by as much as half a letter grade. And a 2022 study concluded that when students take active roles in providing feedback to themselves and their peers, it leads to "significantly better academic performance," in addition to improvements in metacognition.

2. Give Students Texts They Aren't Prepared to Read

One popular philosophy of reading-often referred to as leveled reading-suggests that the best way to improve reading comprehension is to match students with books they can get through comfortably and slowly build up their capacity.

But according to literacy expert and researcher Timothy Shanahan, regular exposure to texts two to four grades above current reading levels leads to "robust gains in oral reading fluency and comprehension" and increases students' ability to handle more complex texts in the future. Shanahan says that teachers across disciplines often shy away from this approach, fearing that such a challenge might undermine a student's motivation to read altogether. But, he argues, students become more motivated to read in English language arts, science, and social studies, for example, when they make progress on challenging texts-and are exposed to complex textual features that strengthen their muscles as readers in the process. "When kids are challenged and their learning is obvious, you won't need to worry about discouragement or a lack of motivation," he says.

Moderation is a key here: Students fall out of love with reading in the middle grades, by most accounts, and it's important to make time and space for books that students love. There's nothing wrong with a student periodically reading at or even below grade level, in the same way that adults do.

3. Design Failure Right Into Your Lessons

"When students are stuck, they feel all sorts of emotions-shame, guilt, and frustration, for example," says Manu Kapur, learning scientist and father of the concept of productive struggle. "Our research has shown that if you think positive emotions are always positive for learning and negative emotions are always negative for learning-that's not true." In fact, if you're not sometimes frustrated or struggling, he told Edutopia in a 2022 interview, "that means you're probably not learning."

Kapur argues that teachers should periodically design lessons that include concepts and prompts "just beyond students' reach." Students will fail in the process of trying to accomplish these tasks and generate incorrect solutions.

Of course, students shouldn't be failing all the time: "We don't want students to flounder," Kapur says. The idea is that productive failure lessons will be used at key junctures during the school year-for example, when students are learning a crucial concept. When designing for productive failure, craft challenging problems that test the limits of your students' abilities, then let them struggle for 30-45 minutes before providing direct instruction, Kapur recommends. A seminal 2012 study reveals that the method can double their comprehension, compared with direct instruction only.

Similarly, in math classrooms, researcher Peter Liljedahl suggests that teachers can revise the traditional "I do, we do, you do" approach to challenging work by removing the "I do" portion-thereby giving students the opportunity to struggle and think through hard work on their own. His suggestions include starting classes with difficult puzzles that push students to their limits and working in social contexts: His students often stand and work on public-facing, erasable surfaces like whiteboards to engage in iterative problem-solving before they transition to structured group activities that promote discussion and peer review.

4. Quiz Students Before They Learn the Material

Asking students to take a practice test before they've even encountered the material on the test might seem cruel. But a 2021 research study shows that the approach, called pretesting, can actually be more effective than other, more typical review strategies. In the study, students who took a practice test before learning material outperformed peers who studied more traditionally by 49 percent on a follow-up test. Making a lot of mistakes on pretests is key to the strategy's success, the researchers concluded, as it spurs students' curiosity and pushes them to search for the right answers when they finally do encounter the new material.

Their findings dovetail with a 2018 study that found that making educated guesses and generating errors prior to studying information helped improve retention when the material was eventually covered. Both studies point to the idea that learning is deeper-and more durable-when students get things wrong and do the work of correcting their misconceptions and mistakes.

5. Don't Answer Student Questions

Reducing the amount of time you commit to answering student questions, while gently guiding them to direct their own inquiry, solutions, and discussion, can reap academic rewards and boost student confidence. One of the conclusions of the 2000 National Reading Panel, for example, is that younger learners, whose oral language tends to outpace their ability to read and write, need time and space to connect the rigorous reading and writing they do to speaking and listening, ideally with their peers.

To effectively reduce "teacher talk" and increase engagement, Tori Filler, an elementary school literacy teacher in Brooklyn, writes, teachers first need to model productive discussions. Tactics like discussion mapping -a teacher or student records the progress of the discussion visually-can help ensure that students' comments to each other are relevant, build on what was previously said, and provide room for clarifying arguments, disagreements, and elaboration.

When things get particularly tough, Filler says, teachers should resist the urge to jump in and provide answers. Instead, she says, ask students to discuss with peers or evaluate for themselves what is difficult and how they might find their way to an answer. Asking your students questions like "What makes this hard?" or "What have we tried?" can get groups of students, or the whole class, thinking through possible solutions before a teacher steps in to provide the clarity they're looking for.

6. Encourage A Little Noise

An always-quiet, always-composed classroom can look like success but actually disguise disinterest, or even boredom, veteran teachers tell Edutopia. Typically, letting kids chat in class is discouraged because it's thought of as distracting.

But there are ways to take ownership of the pent-up energy students often have-to determine when it's allowed and designate parts of the school day during which it can be released.

One way to do this, according to educator Rebecca Alber, is to deepen relationships with students by sharing about yourself and creating "opportunities for them to share with us-and each other." For example, you might start your period by asking if anyone has a good story to share with the class. Or, ask students to pair up and set aside a minute or two to chat about things unrelated to classwork, like something they're really looking forward to. "It doesn't have to be anything major-it can be something as simple as 'It's taco night at my house tonight,'" says Alber.

Teacher and author Michael Linsin writes that beginning or ending class with a few minutes of open, unstructured time is another effective strategy. "Not every student will take advantage of it, and that's OK. Let them take a few deep breaths if they wish or get up and stretch or just daydream. The idea is to give them a truly free mental break," he says.

These little concessions honor students' emotional needs and build the kind of trust that can feed into more focused and determined student work after the break.

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6 Counterintuitive Strategies to Boost Student Learning

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When it comes to finding ways to get big wins in the classroom, it's sometimes the approaches that feel a little unconventional that are the most successful.

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As a student, I appreciate how much time some teachers would give to their students. There will always be that one teacher a student will remember but as a student I never saw the other side of the page. I recently went to talk to one of my high school teachers and during that talk, we discussed teacher burnout. What she told me was education can get overwhelming but ask yourself "Can you see yourself doing anything else?" My answer to the question was no. She told me that teachers need undivided attention as well as students but it doesn't always work like that and after reading the article I understood that teachers can go through so much when there is change. In the article, they mentioned how Maslow's Hierocracy will always come before Bloom's taxonomy. We should always ask how a teacher is doing before anything. Another great way to help teachers is by giving them time. Administrators should ask how they feel with time and if they can do anything to reduce stress. Then they mentioned how they can talk about change to a teacher. They recommended doing it around children so that they know what is going on as well. The way administrators receive feedback is through student reactions. I think these are great tips to do if one is an administrator I feel like they can go a long way. Teachers would also appreciate them more because they are showing a way of sympathy.

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An instructional coach shares strategies for helping teachers manage their workload during uncertain times.

The only constant in education right now appears to be change. Veteran teachers sometimes joke about the swinging pendulum and quip about "this too shall pass" mantras. Shifting to new practices and new understandings doesn't have to negate the work we've been doing, however, and could instead be seen as an opportunity to grow and do better as we learn more.

Care for the teachers as you care for the students

Just as we do when working directly with students, we must build trust through genuine compassion and listening before we can be successful building knowledge of research or motivating anyone to consider something new.

Even in less politically fraught times, teaching was an incredibly difficult profession. Given today's challenges, our teachers deserve more respect and compassion than ever before. With the recent threats of censorship, public scrutiny and blame that sometimes feel mean-spirited, low pay, teacher shortages, new education-related state legislation, the pandemic, and, perhaps most troubling of all, the seemingly unending series of school shootings that weigh heavily on those who work with children in schools every day, it shouldn't be surprising that teachers are exhausted.

For instructional coaches, these challenging times for teachers mean it's more important than ever to see the human at the head of the classroom and remember that Maslow's Hierarchy must come before Bloom's Taxonomy. Although time in schools is always short, it's never a waste to stop and ask a teacher how they're doing, to inquire about their families and hobbies, to see if there's anything we could do to support them. This might mean rolling up our sleeves to reorganize math manipulatives, making a ream of copies, or helping replace a torn bulletin board border. If it's the work of the classroom teacher, it's our work, too.

Give teachers the gift of time

Ask if there are tasks or paperwork that teachers are asked to do that take away from their ability to sit with new learning or integrate new research. If so, that might be work we can eliminate or help with. Teachers need a lot of cognitive space to process and plan for these new shifts in practice, so it's important to design systems that relieve teachers of doing tasks that don't improve their professional development or instructional practice.

In our district, teachers are required to lead collaborative team meetings following DuFour's PLC cycle. Rather than have this be one more thing on teachers' plates, our instructional coaches ask the teachers how they would best use their time within each PLC cycle. Based on teacher feedback, the coaches create the PLC agenda, gather resources ahead of time, prepare everything, and keep the minutes. This way, teachers can focus solely on their learning, their planning, and their students.

Time is also important during professional learning, and we take a less-is-more approach when planning professional development with teachers. We might give them quotes or excerpts from research reports, but that's coupled with plenty of time to process through writing and small or whole group discussions. We also recognize that everyone is different in how they process and how long they must sit with new learning. Because we know our teachers well and respect them, we can plan time for them to digest new learning before they make the necessary changes.

Keep students at the center

Change can be difficult for everyone. The way some instructional shifts are being framed on social media suggests that there are "right" and "wrong" ways of teaching students, putting forth false narratives of "us" versus "them." These dichotomies do little good for students in schools, who need all of our combined knowledge and experience working in concert efficiently and effectively.

When discussing new shifts in teaching best practice with teachers, it might help to frame the conversation around students. As we shift from teacher-created backward-design units of instruction to using high-quality curriculum resources (HQCR) at our school, for example, our instructional coaches share about how our own results in the classroom were inconsistent. Sometimes a lesson would feel like magic; sometimes it would flop. What's helpful about HQCR is that the resources have been vetted, and we can rest assured knowing that all of our students are getting high-quality lessons every day in every classroom.

Likewise, keeping feedback focused on students and how our effective practices impact them can go a long way in reinforcing both our mission to teach all kids at high levels every day and the teacher moves that will get us there. If we keep reminding ourselves of our shared mission to become the best teachers we can be, it might help us remember to never stop learning and growing together.

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Supporting Teachers Through Times of Change

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An instructional coach shares strategies for helping teachers manage their workload during uncertain times. The only constant in education right now appears to be change. Veteran teachers sometimes joke about the swinging pendulum and quip about "this too shall pass" mantras.

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This article really surprised me. Education has been a topic a lot of businessmen try to avoid. They think it is unnecessary to talk about and they tend to brush off the topic. In this article, they discuss Biden's opinions over school shootings. The first thing mentioned is what Biden said about how he thinks educators shouldn't be threatened at their job and how unnecessary it is for them to carry guns. He also has called for gun control, teacher pay raises, more funding for students with disabilities, and preschool expansion. In my opinion, I think this is all talk until I see actions being made. What I think is interesting is his gun control opinion. While here in the state of Nebraska, they passed a law to permit less concealed gun carry. Their reasoning for doing this is an eye for an eye. I can understand their reasoning but a lot of the school shooters we have had in the past were diagnosed with a mental disorder and this law will not help reduce the number of school shooters we will have. It is much easier for them to obtain these weapons. This article was only two paragraphs long which also is reasonable since education has not been Biden's priority. I hope their will be options to help reduce the number of school shootings.

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President Joe Biden called for gun control, teacher pay raises, more funding for students with disabilities, and preschool expansions during an event to honor the 2023 State Teachers of the Year at the White House's Rose Garden on Monday, April 24.

"Teaching should not be a life-threatening profession," he said to the crowd of educators. "And educators should not need to be armed to feel safe in the classroom."

The president used the event as an opportunity to showcase his education agenda ahead of his anticipated run for re-election, which he is expected to formally announce this week.

Alongside First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, and 2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson, Biden applauded teachers for navigating a challenging educational environment and thanking them for their hard work.

"We ask so much of you, and each and every time you all step up and say, 'yes,'" Biden said. "The impact you have on our students is profound."

Teachers use opportunity to advocate for changes

An emphasis on respect for and the power of the teaching profession guided the tone of the event on Monday.

Peterson, who teaches high school math in Tulsa, Okla., said teachers "are fueled by the equalizing power of public education to dismantle marginalization, eliminate systemic inequities, and end generational poverty."

"I teach because it gives me life to offer the American dream to the next generation," she said. "Teachers, you hold our democracy."

Biden specifically recognized Peterson during his remarks, joking about he wouldn't be able to teach calculus as she does.

"Oh, God, do I remember calculus," he said, making the Catholic sign of the cross. "God bless the calculus teachers, and that is no joke."

Teachers at the event said they'd like to see raises in teacher pay to make up for high costs of living, and the increasing demands of the profession.

Schools are "losing teachers because we can't afford to stay in the area" where they teach, Catherine Matthews, the Montana State Teacher of the Year, said in an interview after the event.

Matthews teaches special education and early childhood education at Hyalite Elementary School in Bozeman, Mont., and said she'd like to see more support for universal preschool.

Other teachers want to see more support for LGBTQ students and an end to gun violence.

"From my students, I promised them that if I talked to anybody today that was important I would say trans rights," Danielle Charbonneau, the Massachusetts teacher of the year, who teaches English language arts at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, said in an interview after the event.

Charbonneau teaches in an alternative program embedded in the Martha's Vineyard high school. She'd like to see policymakers figure out ways to design alternative settings so "they aren't always pushed aside or isolated from the regular community."

The teachers said Monday's ceremony served as a boost of confidence for the profession, noting they feel happy to have multiple educators in the White House with Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who teaches at Georgetown University.

"I'm so inspired that people are so grateful for the work that we do," said Konelio Cornelius Sagiao Alofaituli, the American Samoa teacher of the year who teaches social studies at Manu'a High School, in an interview after the event. "The validation is just incredible."

Biden showcases education agenda

The president's speech was his first major address this year focused on education. He made school safety, specifically gun control, a primary focus.

"We passed the most significant gun safety legislation in 30 years because educators now find themselves on the front lines, and gun violence is a real problem," the president said, referencing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed last year following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed. "We want to do more, and I continue to call on Congress for common sense gun safety laws to protect kids and our teachers."

That stance received applause from the educators in attendance. Since the start of 2023 there have been 14 school shootings, according to Education Week's school shooting tracker.

"Let's end the guns now," Charbonneau said.

Biden also criticized books bans that have been happening in districts across the country and a House Republican 2024 budget proposal that would keep funding at 2022 levels, effectively cutting funding.

"I never thought I'd be a president who is fighting against elected officials trying to ban and banning books," Biden said. "Empty shelves don't help kids learn very much."

Biden's comments on the House Republican budget proposal came in response to a plan the party's lawmakers released last week to raise the debt ceiling ahead of a summer expiration of the nation's borrowing authority.

T he White House projects that keeping education funding at 2022 levels endangers the positions of 108,000 teachers, aides, and other school staff.

"Cutting education funding is the last thing this country needs," Biden said.

Instead, Biden said he'd like to expand funding for students with disabilities. The president's 2024 budget proposal includes a $1.2 billion increase for funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act-the federal special education law-which Congress has never fully funded. Biden's budget still wouldn't realize that funding level originally promised in 1975.

The president also called for support for LGBTQ students, as Republican-led legislatures across the country have passed bans on the participation of transgender student athletes on teams consistent with their gender identity.

He highlighted the administration's recent proposed changes to Title IX that would explicitly protect students from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and prevent schools from enacting categorical bans on transgender students from playing sports consistent with their gender identity.

Jill Biden pushed against a narrative that teachers and parents are at odds with each other. Earlier this year, House Republicans accused schools of "stonewalling" parents and passed the national Parents' Bill of Rights that would codify in federal law parental rights to review school curriculum, be heard by school boards, and examine school budgets.

"Lately, when I turn on the TV, I see pundits and politicians talking about our profession," said Jill Biden, who is a community college professor. "I hear them attacking our public schools, distorting the truth about what we do, and saying that parents and teachers are at odds, but that's not what I've seen."

President Biden said he still feels optimistic about America's future, in large part because of teachers.

"God bless our nation's teachers," he said.

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Teaching Shouldn't Be a 'Life-Threatening Profession,' Biden Says

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President Joe Biden called for gun control, teacher pay raises, more funding for students with disabilities, and preschool expansions during an event to honor the 2023 State Teachers of the Year at the White House's Rose Garden on Monday, April 24. "Teaching should not be a life-threatening profession," he said to the crowd of educators.

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When we read this in class I thought it was crazy how more than half of teachers now are more than likely to leave the education field. The article stated that they have seen that teaching became more overwhelming after COVID-19. There have been surveys put out for teachers. These surveys are asking them how they are more likely to stay. 7/10 teachers' survey responses were getting more pay. I think the pay isn't all so bad, but maybe giving the teachers more recognition would show how much the administration appreciates them. The world today sees teachers as unimportant human beings. Which can be stressful but the intrinsic reward a teacher receives goes a long way to keep them in the field. I had another article about this in my current events journal about how COVID brought a lot of great things such as using technology more often and giving teachers a little break from having children in their classrooms.

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Deciding to leave any job can be hard, but for teachers, exiting the classroom can be downright heartbreaking.

Teaching is, in its essence, about relationships-understanding students' needs, fostering their passions, figuring out what makes them tick. To give up that work, for many, would be a deep loss.

"It's the students' faces, it's their excitement to learn," said Akilah Williams, a 5th grade teacher in Georgia's Clayton County school district, outside Atlanta. "The students are what keep me here."

And yet about 8 percent of teachers leave the profession every year, federal data have long shown. Younger teachers, and those early in their careers, are among the most likely to leave teaching. And while trends in turnover do vary regionally, special education teachers and science and math teachers tend to be at high risk for turnover.

All of that was true before the coronavirus pandemic began last year. How the fallout from COVID-19-the unparalleled physical, financial, and emotional stressors, and the upending of what work looks like-ultimately affects those statistics on a national scale won't be clear for some time.

"This year has been very difficult for me," said Williams, who recently participated in a filmed series for Roadtrip Nation in which classroom teachers interviewed inspiring educators who've persisted in this field. "I'm the teacher that when students get here, you can give me a high-five, hip bump, a handshake, or a hug. ... It stifled me so to know my students were just sitting at computers."

(Education Week has a joint grant with Roadtrip Nation to pursue reporting on teacher retention.)

To understand more about why teachers consider leaving-or actually do make the jump-and the impact of the pandemic on their decisionmaking, the EdWeek Research Center surveyed about 700 teachers and 300 school leaders online in March 2021. The nationally representative results provide a backbone for this series of stories, which are meant both to illuminate the barriers to keeping great teachers and offer some solutions.

Here's some of what the data tell us:

More teachers are thinking about leaving now than before the pandemic

When asked about the likelihood that they'll leave teaching in the next two years, 54 percent of teachers said they are "somewhat" or "very likely" to do so. That's compared to just 34 percent of teachers who said they would have answered that question with "somewhat" or "very likely" if they'd been asked in the fall of 2019 (before the pandemic began).

That's not too surprising, given that 84 percent of teachers also said teaching is more stressful than it was before coronavirus closures.

It's important to remember, though, that many teachers who say they're considering leaving won't actually do so. Many teachers simply can't afford to lose their pay and benefits; some older teachers will decide they're close enough to a pension to hang on.

"There are so many forces and so much stress and pressure on teachers, many of them do really want to leave," said Tuan Nguyen, an assistant professor in the college of education at Kansas State University, who's studied teacher attrition. But "intentions aren't the same thing as behaviors."

Teachers stay because they love their students

When asked which factors play the biggest role in keeping them in the teaching profession, teachers were most likely to point to "love for students."

Caring for young people is, of course, what draws many to the profession, and more than 2 in 5 teachers said it's a top reason they stay. Retirement benefits and love for subjects taught were the next two most frequently chosen answers.

As one Indiana middle school teacher surveyed wrote: "We are pulled in [so] many ways by outside forces. There are committee meetings, PLC meetings, teacher meetings, IEP meetings, grade level meetings, team meetings, subject area meetings, and the list goes on and on, plus every meeting requires more emails. Teaching students is wonderful. It is all the OTHER that is exhausting."

Pay makes a big impact

The survey asked teachers what their school or district could do that would make a major difference in reducing the likelihood they would leave the K-12 teaching profession in the next two years. The most frequently chosen answer? Increase salaries.

School leaders agreed there, with nearly 7 in 10 saying pay raises would make a major difference in keeping teachers.

And yet some states had to scrap planned salary increases when the pandemic hit.

Those pay hikes could return as economies recover. And some states, like Utah and Georgia, are already giving teachers small hardship bonuses of $1,000 or more.

"In general, we do have evidence that teachers who receive higher salaries are more likely to stay in teaching than teachers with lower salaries," said Nguyen of Kansas State. And while a couple thousand dollars won't usually move the needle on retention, he said, this year things may look different.

"It's not just about the money, but also the recognition that they've had to work so hard this year," he said. "I think that makes a big difference."

Teachers and administrators see things differently

Asking the two groups what keeps teachers in the profession reveals some disparate thinking. Nearly 1 in 3 teachers said retirement benefits are one of the biggest factors in getting them to stay, while just 6 percent of school leaders said the same about teachers. And 35 percent of school leaders said supportive administrators are one of the biggest factors in getting teachers to stay, but just 11 percent of teachers felt the same.

Administrators also seem to underemphasize the impact of reducing administrative burdens such as paperwork, meetings, and hall duty-27 percent of administrators said this is something schools could do to keep teachers, and 43 percent of teachers said the same.

There are countless other variables that affect whether teachers stay or go. Child-care and other family responsibilities can compel teachers, 80 percent of whom are women, to take time off or ultimately leave their careers.

For Black male teachers, who make up just 2 percent of the workforce, isolation and being pigeonholed as disciplinarians can lead them to consider opting out.

Schools and districts want to keep good teachers, and in this special report we'll also explore some of the creative ways they're trying to do just that. Some districts are giving teachers more flexibility in how and where they do their jobs, including offering continued options for virtual teaching and meetings. Others are looking to improve their mentorship programs for new teachers. And some schools are making teachers' mental health a priority by creating support groups and reducing barriers to getting insurance-covered counseling services.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the report is that even while many teachers feel underappreciated and worn out, there are some concrete steps administrators can take to increase the odds they'll stay-but it all starts with listening.

"I think sometimes administrators might think teachers are just being dramatic," said Jennifer Atkins, a 7th grade English/language arts teacher in Victoria, Texas, who has been teaching remote and in-person students concurrently since last summer. "They need to take what we say and not assume we're overexaggerating. It really is difficult this year."

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Why Teachers Leave-or Don't: A Look at the Numbers

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New EdWeek survey results reveal why teachers consider leaving the profession, and how the pandemic has changed their decisionmaking.

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After reading this article, I found it interesting how I think this is a great idea to do in classrooms from a teacher's perspective. Both students and teachers learn from each other and how to interact with each other. This is a great way to start because they will need to face the real world once they graduate. Practicing in the classroom will better prepare them once they graduate. The article stated that Neurodivergent learners meant people with ADHD, autism, or trouble with brain functioning. Since these individuals aren't formally diagnosed they end up struggling in life. The struggles they may face are things such as depression, low-self esteem, and many other things. The article did talk about how teachers can help these children. A strategy was using the Universal Design for Learning framework. This framework " centers choice, balance, and self-esteem to establish baseline practices inclusive of neurodivergence." Another way is giving these children an option. These options could be used when doing a classroom activity. Children will remember these moments. Another great way to help neurodivergent learners is to avoid burnout. Teachers can do this by letting the child explore what they want to do. An example can be talking in a classroom and asking what best works for them when completing a specific task. After reading the article I thought it was interesting to find out different ways you can help neurodivergent learners. I just wished they have added ways other children can benefit from having neurodivergent learners in their classroom.

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Neurodivergence is underrecognized in childhood. Teachers can use these strategies for a universal approach that supports all learners.

Neurodivergent individuals-those who are autistic, have ADHD, or experience other variances in brain functioning-make up 15 to 20 percent of the population. Yet many neurodivergent people aren't formally diagnosed; for example, one study found sex discrepancies in which boys were diagnosed with ADHD at a 3:1 ratio during childhood, even though that diagnostic ratio evens out to 1:1 in adulthood.

While it is important for teachers to collaborate with special education professionals and others trained in scaffolding the well-being and learning of all students, we may not always know who in our classroom lacks a formal diagnosis.

For that reason, and to better reach all learners, we can employ a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework that centers choice, balance, and self-esteem to establish baseline practices inclusive of neurodivergence.

Offer Alternatives and Choices

To create learning environments supportive of a breadth of neurotypes, give students alternatives and choices throughout classroom activities. Consider how you might be flexible about how students complete assignments. For example, I encourage my students to have a conversation with me if they can think of a way to complete an assignment that would work better for them; as long as the rigor and content are intact, I am happy to accommodate alternative ideas.

As a student who was a then-undiagnosed neurodivergent, I remember a time in high school when we had an assignment to create a foldable to help us study for a math test. I made mine with flaps that would open to reveal definitions, but my teacher expected definitions to be written on the same page as the flap. I lost points. When I explained that my approach would benefit my learning, my teacher told me that I was welcome to remake the foldable her way, a "better" way, to get a 100-I was only one of two students across her three classes who had made it a different way, she said.

Stubbornly, I told her no. This experience has stayed with me throughout my teaching career.

My students may interpret things differently than I do, and as long as students demonstrate understanding of curricular concepts, I want to respect those differences.

In my classroom, there is a map that my graphic design students are making for a major project. I told them to make a map of a real place, like a continent or state. A handful of students approached me to ask if they could map locations from video games or shows they enjoy. Though fictional, these places still have landmarks and creatures that students can create as icons, so I am happy to oblige. This is one example of how choice and adaptation can facilitate deeper, more inclusive learning.

Some neurodivergent students might struggle with taking the initiative to reach out and ask for accommodations, so I try to automatically offer choice in my assignments whenever possible. Students benefit from having options; however, it is also important to limit options to avoid overwhelm. I usually offer students two to four options for showing me what they know.

In the map project, I give them an option between an artistically styled map and a fantasy-styled map.

In my computer programming classes, students can choose from a set of exercises to earn a certain amount of points. For example, if they need three points, they may have a set of three single-point options, two two-point options, and two three-point options to choose from, with levels of complexity appropriate for the number of points the exercise is worth.

By embedding choice within assignment structures and considering alternative approaches that students suggest, we can create classrooms in which students can both think differently and thrive.

Help Students Avoid Burnout

Neurodivergent individuals are prone to burnout. There are many thoughts as to why, but the basic idea is that it takes extra energy to adapt to a world centered around neurotypical individuals, so sensory stress, attempts at "masking" (or working to present as neurotypical), and overcompensating for differences can cause exhaustion.

There are protective factors that can help neurodivergent students avoid or minimize burnout-for example, encouraging students to be themselves and explore what works for them. I model this by discussing what works best for me and talking through alternative ways to approach situations. As a class, we talk about the different ways we listen best, considering what each part of our body does while listening.

I talk about how, when I am listening and absorbing what I hear, my hands are typically busy, and my eyes are looking somewhere else. I talk with students about how some people benefit from staying still. I encourage them to self-reflect, and we have similar conversations about studying, taking notes, and completing assignments, acknowledging that everyone learns differently and there is no "right" way to approach learning.

Promote Balance

Balance is another important topic to discuss with students, especially in relation to burnout. Some neurodivergent students might overcompensate by being overinvolved, taking on large amounts of extracurricular activities or demonstrating perfectionism in their work. Others may find it difficult to focus or participate and may end up doing very little in class.

If we encourage students to consider work-life balance from a young age, we can help them prioritize their mental health. We can ask students to consider what they do to relax or enjoy themselves outside of school. Our students may be running low on energy halfway through the day due to bright lights, excessive sounds, or other factors, and we can encourage them to replenish by turning to self-identified strategies.

Language also plays a role in promoting or preventing burnout. Neurodivergent students can struggle with executive function-cognitive skills involved in starting and sustaining tasks.

For example, I often tell myself to "just start" a task as I sit in a state of paralysis due to executive dysfunction.

Discussing potential can be particularly problematic in such instances, breaking down self-esteem and compounding stress. Students know when they aren't meeting expectations. Instead, encourage them to take a break, walk around the room, or get a drink of water. If the student is out of energy for the day, approach them with empathy and help make a plan for catching up the following day.

Support Students' Sense of Self

Self-reflection is a critical learning tool for all students. In my courses, I make a list of key skills related to metacognition, goal setting, and planning, and I invite students to visit this list multiple times a quarter to identify skills they feel confident about and others they would like to work on.

Imposter syndrome, or the feeling that one's successes are disproportionate to their abilities, is more prevalent in neurodivergent people. Neurodivergent students may receive negative and bigoted comments throughout their lives, messages that can impact their self-image.

I keep this in mind when interacting with my students and remember to compliment and encourage strengths even when offering constructive feedback. Neurodivergent students may hyperfocus on their interests, and these special interests may improve their self-esteem and self-efficacy. Encouraging students to talk about their interests can help them build confidence rather than feel stigmatized for having these more intense interests, and it can position students to learn from one another's expertise.

Not a Strategy, A Mindset

Overall, meeting the needs of neurodivergent students can require a shift in thinking. Whether or not we see it, our students may be struggling. Offering alternatives and choices for assignments, helping students avoid burnout, and working on students' sense of self are some ways we can meet the needs of all students, including those who may be neurodivergent but lack a formal diagnosis.

These skills and experiences can help our students learn in ways that work for them while helping them better understand themselves, skills that transfer far beyond the classroom and support students' well-being into adulthood.

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Creating an Inclusive Classroom for Neurodivergent Learners

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Neurodivergence is underrecognized in childhood. Teachers can use these strategies for a universal approach that supports all learners. Neurodivergent individuals-those who are autistic, have ADHD, or experience other variances in brain functioning-make up 15 to 20 percent of the population.

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Before reading the article the first thought that came to mind was figuring out how COVID impacted me as a student. It was hard at the beginning but in the end, it wasn't as bad. I just had to get used to it and figure out how I can customize the curriculum for myself to see what best helps me understand. As I started to read the article the main tool was brought up. Technology. Technology was a big part of COVID. The use of it was mainly forced. Teachers/Professors/ & many other professionals would meet up through Zoom and other virtual chat rooms. In the article, it states that teachers learned a lot of great skills when using technology but once they went to in-person education they forgot about all the new skills. I could see why this would happen. Even as individuals if we need to make a change we will but as soon as we are given the opportunity to "go back to normal" we will. COVID was beneficial to teachers by being a form of mental health support. This was the first "stress leave" of their careers. Another thing COVID taught educators is patience. Since the whole world was going through a pandemic everyone was getting sick. This skill they were working on was all due to COVID if it wasn't for COVID they would have never touched up on this skill. As a student, I think COVID really limited the time for me to enjoy my last year in high school. Even though we left school during the last few months we were still able to enjoy a graduation ceremony in person.

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The three-year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic coincides with my birthday. I remember having a school potluck on that Friday, not knowing the very next day that we would be informed that we would not be returning to school for weeks. Of course, weeks turned into months, and months turned into over a year. My "birth" day unknowingly "birthed" our entrance into a new online world. The questions lie in not only what lessons have we learned but what lessons should we have learned from the Pandemic Era of education.

COVID taught us the importance of technology

The pandemic forced many teachers, including veterans like me, to learn how to use Zoom, Remind, virtual chat rooms, online learning management systems like Canvas, and so much more. I heard many testimonials from teachers who had more one-on-one time with their students. But like many, once we re-entered in-person education, I did not use many of the lessons I learned about how technology improved my teaching. In " Education after the Pandemic," Frederick M. Hess talks about how "Today's technology gives students, and teachers access to a dazzling array of explanations, illustrations, activities, exercises, and assessments." As I reflect on the past three years, I find myself wondering if I have gone back to the status quo and missed out on opportunities to continue using technology to diversify my teaching and reach more of my students.

COVID taught us the importance of mental health

In " Teachers Are Experiencing a Mental Health Crisis, Too," Mira Miller wrote, "Experts say it's vital that teachers have access to much-needed mental health support both during and after the pandemic." As a teacher who took the first stress leave of my career during the pandemic, this reality hits home. I was very pleased to see that in our newly ratified contract, our union negotiated mental health as an acceptable reason educators can take a personal day. Other districts should take note of this.

In the same vein, Miller reports, "At least 12 states have adopted some form of "mental health days," which excuse student absences for mental health purposes." It is clear, as the Washington Post put it, " The crisis of student mental health is much vaster than we realize." Covid amplified mental health issues that may have been underlying for years. While some took the opportunity to increase mental health services, we still have not completely addressed the mental health crisis among American school children. The Post discusses the potential effects of this issue in detail. Sharon Hoover, co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health, summed up the challenge well, saying, "We know that when kids are mentally well, they're much more likely to attend school and do well in school." We should have seized the opportunity to address the exacerbated mental health struggles our students faced.

COVID taught us the importance of flexibility

The grace, mercy, and patience needed for both students and teachers cannot somehow be put on the back burner now that we are all beginning to settle into a "new normal." Cases are down, attendance is less sporadic, and the previous atmosphere of inconsistency and disruption has fizzled. Does that mean we should forget about the flexibility we relied so much on when we needed it the most? Easing the hardline due dates for assignments, accepting late work, and offering more than one chance to pass assessments are sample practices that benefited many students. If nothing else, the pandemic amplified the need for these principles that we should have been emphasizing as educators regardless of Covid-19.
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Reflecting on Three Years of COVID

I will be the first to admit that the day to day of teaching has made the lessons I learned during the pandemic begin to fade. The struggle of being a teacher can make one use the excuses of lesson planning, grading, and literally just showing up to the daily hustle in this unpredictable system. No matter our reasons, we must not allow the post-pandemic era to become yet another missed opportunity to change the way we do the business of education.

The three-year anniversary of COVID's arrival in the United States is a time for reflection, not regret. Let's remember the lessons learned, evaluate the lessons we should have learned, and make permanent changes to improve our craft.

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Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Three Years Later - The Educators Room

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Have you signed up for The Educator's Room Daily Newsletter? Click and support independent journalism! The three-year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic coincides with my birthday. I remember having a school potluck on that Friday, not knowing the very next day that we would be informed that we would not be returning to school for weeks.

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Reading the title of this article really caught my attention. In modern times we are seeing various changes in society. I have seen all over the news about how women, LGBTQ, and many other groups losing their rights. This saddens me because history is repeating itself all over again. But this article brought back my hope. The article states that it is hard for a woman to jump from assistant principal to principal but that 80 percent of K-12 educators are women. Since it is hard for women to become principals they say it is better for them to find sponsorship to support the cause. The article also claims that there is potential for "transformational impact." New information I learned from the article is what mentorship really means when principals utilize it. Mentorship is more of guidance for principals that won't really open doors for them. Such as proving to a community or group what they are capable of bringing to the table. Thus sponsors are able to support the cause and prove women are capable of achieving tasks men could do in this position. I think it is great to know that there are sponsors that do this.

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Championing Women as Leaders in Education

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Men in authority can sponsor women as leaders and push for hiring more women in leadership roles.

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The beginning of the article had me thinking. I think it is very common for a first-year teacher to imitate another teacher's form of teaching. I would be guilty of doing so only because I would be new to the education field and wouldn't know where to start. The author of the article claimed that the assessments were showing her clear proof that she wasn't doing well. She said her students loved to do labs but couldn't figure out how they connected to the material they were learning about. She also stated that the tools the school gave such as curriculum, workbooks, and online websites would bring boredom to her students. What she did was fantastic she figured out she was going to use the information the district gave to her and personalize the lessons. She did this in small chunks and found it effective. She had a weekly schedule planned out that would work for herself and her students. The advice she gives, in the end, is useful to me as a student reaching out to be an educator in the near future. She said that "It’s not about perfection in the lesson. Instead, new teachers should focus on their own growth and the growth of their students. Teaching is about creating a safe atmosphere where learning can occur." I strongly agree with her statement. In my teaching philosophy, I stated that I want to become a teacher that encourages imagination not only in the classroom but also outside of the classroom. I would totally would dislike being the teacher who instructs children what to do and what to learn because I am forced to. As a student, I would dislike coming into class if I had a teacher that would teach in that style. I will indeed take this teacher's advice and use it when I become a teacher.

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New and veteran teachers can benefit from creating a predictable weekly routine of content delivery, student application and exploration, and assessment.

Alice Mollon / Ikon Images

When I first began teaching middle school science, I felt this overwhelming urge to be the perfect teacher. I thought that I needed to create the best lesson the students had ever experienced every single day. My failed attempt to be Bill Nye quickly proved ineffective and left me feeling like I was falling short.

My assessments showed that I wasn't getting the content across effectively, students liked the labs but couldn't relay the purpose of them, and they simply were not engaged in other lessons. I was a teacher trying to imitate others instead of creating my own structures, and the students were not benefiting at all. I was burning out and developing resentment toward the profession.

Rethinking scope, standards, and sequence

About five years ago, I made the switch to teaching high school biology. When I met my content-specific teaching partner, we realized that we were in a similar boat. Both of us wanted to create and teach amazing lessons but felt like we were failing at creating effective systems in our own classrooms. Our district provided curriculum in the form of a workbook and online resources; however, the students were not engaged with this method of delivery.

We decided to use the district's resources and to begin creating our own lessons. We realized that we were trying to tackle large content chunks and would lose sight of the standard's purpose. We needed to look closely at the standards and the scope and sequence so that each lesson was meaningful and aligned. We took larger overarching ideas and broke them into smaller, easier-to-work with, concepts, teaching one or two concepts per week.

By taking the content and working through it in smaller chunks, we were able to stay focused on our goals. Slowly, we created a system that worked. We created a theme for each day and stuck to it as closely as possible. Rigor of content increased, and the stress levels decreased.

Our Weekly Sequence

Monday: The first day of the week focused on introducing the content with some type of text. Our science team had been focusing on bringing literacy into science. Articles from Newsela were extremely helpful because I could change the Lexile levels as well as download translated articles.
Example: Students receive a text on homologous structures. They read out loud, trading off paragraphs with their partner, and highlight important information. Then, the partners answer the guided questions using textual evidence. Class wraps up with discussion based on the questions.
Monday's lesson was focused on reading the article with purpose, defining vocabulary, and having a small class discussion about the text. This set the foundation for the rest of the week because the students used this text to support or refute content later on.
Example: Students do a gallery walk of homologous structures placed around the classroom. They write their observations down on a graphic organizer provided at the beginning of class. Then, they work with their partner to make connections to the text and observations from the gallery walk.
Tuesday: Tuesday was focused on exploring the concepts from the text. This could look like a class discussion, research, exploratory lab, or gallery walk.

Wednesday and Thursday: These two days were focused on application of the new concepts. The goal was for the students to take their content from Monday and Tuesday and apply it to something. This could be a lab, debate, essay, or poster.
Example: Students choose two animals to compare their homologous structures. They research the animals and create a presentation about the structures, how they may have common ancestors, and what those ancestors looked like.
I purposely kept these days flexible so I could adapt the activity to the content. If my informal assessments showed that I needed to differentiate instruction, these two days allowed the flexibility to do so. For example, the students who were grasping the content could work on a partner or individual project. Then, I was able to take the group that was struggling and reteach it in a different way.

Friday: The final day of the week was focused on makeup work and a quiz. The quiz had 10 questions, covering only what they learned from the week, and was an open assignment (students could access their work from the week to use on their quiz).
Example: Ten-question quiz with vocabulary questions, questions from the text, and questions based on the research from the week.
Allowing students to use their work on the quiz was a huge shift for me. However, after a trial period, I realized that students were working so hard to complete their work before Friday that I had much more buy-in during the week. In addition, I had less late work turned in because students knew they needed to complete their work before the quiz if they wanted to use it. The rest of the period was used to do any remaining makeup work. I was able to do quick grade checks and mini-conferences for students who needed it.

Implementing This sequence in Your Classroom

Now, as a veteran teacher and a credential coach (I work with credential students to guide them through their program as they learn to become teachers), I stress to my student teachers that it's not about perfection in the lesson. Instead, new teachers should focus on their own growth and the growth of their students. Teaching is about creating a safe atmosphere where learning can occur.

Having a clear layout that is consistent from week to week is beneficial no matter what subject area you teach in. If you are trying this kind of shift in the middle of the year, communicate the change with your students. They can be very effective critics! Students, especially in middle and high school, truly thrive on clear expectations. While they may complain about structures in the classroom, students need clear and consistent structures in order to be successful. By creating this structure, I have been able to get through more content effectively than ever before, and my students reap the benefits!

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New and veteran teachers can benefit from creating a predictable weekly routine of content delivery, student application and exploration, and assessment. Alice Mollon / Ikon Images When I first began teaching middle school science, I felt this overwhelming urge to be the perfect teacher.

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Technology is playing a big role in today's world. I think it is crazy to think there is now a tool that can get your homework done with no trace of plagiarism. In class we explored the ways we can use ChatGPT and how if you submit a paper in they can't really accuse you of plagiarizing. Although it can be helpful to students it can also be helpful to teachers. The article mentions how teachers can plan using the tool. An example they used is how ChatGPT can make planning instructions. I think this tool can be very useful to an extent. Especially with teachers. With how much they have to do this tool will be able to help them reduce the amount of stress they already have. I also think they are able to get an idea of how to make lessons by using this tool. The article also included assessment making. I think it would be great to use for a classroom but would need a lot of editing in order to fit what the instructor is looking for and what materials to add to it.

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Teachers can use the artificial intelligence tool to effectively automate some routine tasks.

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot trained to understand typed prompts and generate content that sounds human, is the fastest-growing web platform ever. For a couple of months, I've assessed how ChatGPT handles dozens of common teacher tasks. It's not perfect, but the chatbot can reduce the 10 hours and 40 minutes a day that the average teacher works by automating the first drafts of our most time-consuming professional writing.

In the paragraphs that follow, I've divided these tasks into the following categories: planning instruction, handouts and materials, differentiation, correspondence, assessment, and writing instruction and feedback. Welcome to the revolution.

Category 1. PLANNING INSTRUCTION

Unit outline:When you align its output with the Common Core State Standards, the AI tool is able to craft a unit outline for any grade level, subject, or timeline.

Lesson plans:Ask ChatGPT to write a lesson plan on, say, Westward Expansion. The tool composes assessments, activities, scaffolding, and objectives. Want that in the form of problem-based learning or revised for a flipped classroom? ChatGPT can adjust the lesson plan according to your instructions.

Slide shows: When directed to outline a slide show for any topic and grade level, ChatGPT creates an intuitive organization and adds formative assessment questions if requested.

X-factor instruction: When I asked ChatGPT to devise a "challenging and creative approach to teaching metaphors" to students, the tool described an activity that involved integrating student-created metaphors into original stories conveyed through visual genres (e.g., a comic strip, a storyboard).

Simplify topics:Having difficulty articulating an advanced concept? Ask ChatGPT to "explain the topic to a first grader." Here's the tool's simplified explanation of chloroplasts: "Chloroplasts are little green things inside plant leaves that help the plant make its own food. They are like tiny factories that use sunlight, air, and water to make the plant's food."

Discussion questions: Use ChatGPT to write engaging, higher-order prompts for a class discussion on any topic.

With its mighty language processing and generation capabilities, ChatGPT can streamline planning when you're developing the following assets:

Category 2. HANDOUTS AND OTHER MATERIALS

Develop instructionsthatdescribe cooperative learning roles and expectations.

Generate assignment directions with a detailed overview, grading criteria, a description of the required format, and task details.

Create solved examples of math problems, chemistry equations, etc., with explanations of each step.

Build a prereading or advance organizerby extracting critical and unfamiliar vocabulary from a chapter and listing keywords with their definitions.

Provide word problems-for example,using ratios: ChatGPT gives the problem, the formula for solving it, and a full explanation of the procedure.

Compose a syllabus (boilerplate) that includes a course schedule, late-work policies, and a description of how assignments will be graded.

Make flash cards with questions and answers.

Produce posters that list classroom rules, 10 reasons why algebra is important to the students' future, or the 20 most common writing errors of high school students, with short definitions and examples included.

Perhaps ChatGPT's biggest time feature is that it can generate text for materials and handouts that target your specific instructional needs. It can do the following:

Category 3. DIFFERENTIATION

Need a choice boardfor an art activity? Boom, done. Ask ChatGPT to create a passage, chapter, or book summary for students who need support. The tool can also function as a text compactor that analyzes readings and creates more concise and condensed versions. Furthermore, the AI will generate differentiated rubrics for an assignment so that each heuristic emphasizes customized expectations and levels of challenge.

Category 4. PROFESSIONAL CORRESPONDENCE

Using ChatGPT, teachers can streamline communication with parents, colleagues, and administrators via AI-composed welcome-to-class letters, newsletter copy, volunteer and donation requests, supply lists, grant and field trip proposals, assembly programs, and permission sheets.

Category 5. ASSESSMENT

Quizzes:AskChatGPT to create tests on specific topics using any type of question format. Paste a passage into the chatbot or identify the title and chapter of a classic piece of literature, and the AI will produce a test bank and answer key.

Rubrics: ChatGPT will compose a rubric for any type of student performance. Depending on the needs of the user, examples include analytic, holistic, and developmental rubrics, as well as rating scales.

Checklists: The tool can develop an observation checklist to document students' academic, social, emotional, and physical progress.

Cloze tests: ChatGPT can create a Cloze comprehension test, where words are removed from a passage, and the reader is asked to fill in the blanks to test their understanding of the main ideas, vocabulary, and sentence structure of the passage.

With careful oversight, teachers can use ChatGPT to quickly create a variety of assessment materials.

Category 6. Writing Instruction and Feedback

Prompt generator:The tool can compose writing prompts for any genre and include a corresponding rubric.

Essay improvement: Submit sections of student writing to ChatGPT, and it will suggest enhancements.

Grammar feedback: When kids make grammar errors, teachers can direct ChatGPT to define, describe, and identify how to improve the error and also provide examples.

With ChatGPT's assistance, teachers can improve their students' writing skills through a range of tools and features.

While ChatGPT amplifies our pedagogy and automates routine tasks, it's easy to overlook its greatest weakness: The tool always sounds authoritative, even when disseminating inaccurate content. Erroneous and polished bloviation pops up in human communication as well. Nevertheless, we must check all AI-produced information for accuracy and usefulness before it reaches students.

The chatbot's prose represents another shortcoming. Without clear directions from the user, it comes off as canned, like it was written by an algorithm, when a prerequisite for uplifting, informing, and empowering students and school stakeholders is correspondence that sounds like you, not Wikipedia. Using ChatGPT responsibly means always viewing its compositions and curricula as first drafts.

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Teachers can use the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to effectively automate some categories o routine tasks.

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It is sad to see how "To Kill a Mockingbird" is in the process of being banned. I have heard so much about this book but I never read it. From my understanding, I feel like this book was an educational book that would be able to teach children about a subject a teacher couldn't. In the article, they mentioned that the teacher offered children the choice to pick between books. The majority of children voted for "To Kill a Mocking Bird." Before they used the book she let her students know that it has the N-word. She then proceeded to ask her black students for permission to use the book and they were completely fine with it. The process she used surprised me because I would have never put so much thought before using a book in class. Then she proceeds to have a mock court for this book. This is where I felt like children's opinions mattered because a lot of the books that go through this banning process mainly happen because of parents that report the book. They claim to say that the book isn't appropriate for their children to read because of the inappropriate use of language etc.

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Books Are Meant to Be Discussed, Not Banned
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Last summer, I served on the jury of my first murder trial. We heard all kinds of griping testimony, viewed extensive forensic evidence, and witnessed dramatic outbursts from the defense lawyer, who deemed everything the prosecution presented as "hearsay." The experience gave me an idea I wanted to try with my 8th-grade students as part of our novel study; we put a banned book on trial.

Why Some Texas Schools Are Banning "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Oscar Wilde once said, "The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame." Recently, school districts across Texas have banned a range of books they deem immoral or inappropriate. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has issued guidance to schools for banning books deemed inappropriate because they possibly contained explicit material, racial issues, and/or LGBTQ characters. As the Texas Tribune reported, "School districts are not required to adopt the agency's recommendations but can use them as guidance as they develop new procedures or alter their policies for selecting or removing library books." So, technically, the fate of books is in the hands of school districts.

The Problem With Book Bans

My professional belief is students need choice. Students need to discover characters they can relate to and identify with. As a teacher, I always Inform students of the content of a YA-type book because a few students are not permitted to read books from this category, and I respect that. As a mom, I did not have a problem with my children reading such books because it gave us a chance to discuss as a family the situations in the books and reaffirm that our values are different, but it showed them that there were other viewpoints in the world.

While I support student choice, the issue of families exercising choice is double-edged. I oppose the unilateral decision of banning a book for everyone when there are families which allow their students to read the titles in question. I do not believe it should be a one size fits all ruling. The whole situation reminds me of an old episode of "The Waltons." You see, because of WWII, the citizens of Walton's Mountain decided to destroy all books from German authors or in the German language. John Boy interrupts a book burning and asks a woman to read a book written in German about to be tossed into the flames. She reads, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and Earth." One by one, people drop their books as they realize they are making judgments without evidence. This was the big picture I wanted my students to grasp.

We began our journey after a book tasting of sorts. I offered my students two choices of currently banned books in Texas: "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee because of its use of the N-word and "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury due to graphic content and vulgarity. Students overwhelmingly chose "To Kill a Mockingbird" because they performed the play two years before. Even though they were already familiar with the content, I still felt slightly nervous. Luckily, I currently teach in a private school, so we are not as affected by rulings coming from TEA as my public school friends.

Preparing to Put "To Kill a Mockingbird" on Trial

Before we began reading this book, I shared statements from several districts which have banned this book. Then I privately spoke with my Black students to see if they would feel uncomfortable reading this. They assured me they were fine with it. However, my one rule when we read aloud, we did not say offensive words - period.

As we read, students kept a dialectical journal (a T chart where text evidence is written on one side and commentary is on the other side, all providing evidence for and against banning the book). Why did I decide to have them collect evidence for both sides of the argument?

Recording evidence from both sides provided them with a counterargument.

It kept the debate from becoming too biased by allowing them to see both sides of the story.

The evidence could be used as witness testimony when we "went to trial."

I would not reveal which side of the courtroom they would represent until a few days before the trial.

On the reveal day, students formed teams to collect their best evidence and write a closing argument. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the discourse between the students. Side note - this experience would be a great choice for a formal observation. Evaluators definitely would witness total student engagement, high levels of critical thinking skills, and student-directed discussions.

To further prepare my students for building their case, we watched the closing argument scene from the movie version starring Gregory Peck. I asked my students to pay close attention to the facts he presented. Everyone also noticed the counterargument, which I pointed out is key to winning their case.

Afterward, students found various arguments to support their claims. Some students noted the White savior aspect of the story. The White savior has been a popular trope in literature portraying White people rescuing a Black person. It appears not only in "To Kill a Mockingbird" but also in "The Help" and "The Blind Side." The second most popular argument compared banning books like "To Kill a Mockingbird" to erasing history. Students opposed this practice because they argued that we must learn from history. A few of their examples included cities tearing down Civil War statues and renaming schools. They combed the internet, collecting their evidence from a myriad of sources, including videos of school board meetings from across the nation regarding the topic of book banning.

The Court Date

If you visited my room on this date, you would see it arranged in the style of a courtroom, complete with a judge's bench where I presided as judge. I wore my black graduation robe and found a gavel in the "theater prop room to set the tone. (Yes, students addressed me as Your Honor).

Students huddled together, checking over their evidence before our "trial" began. Students had rules of the courtroom to follow. Obviously, you had to present facts - meaning text evidence - when you appeared before my "bench." If either side felt as though evidence had been omitted in a point, they could "Object!" on the grounds of hearsay, speculation, or circumstantial evidence. This made them double-check their evidence more. In the midst of the trial, students would ask to approach the bench to ask for rulings (decisions), etc. They were also allowed to call witnesses from their peers.

A "Not Guilty" Verdict for "To Kill a Mockingbird"

As our trial drew to a close, students became the jury and could offer a verdict. Both sections of my 8th graders offered alternatives to book banning that seemed reasonable. They believed there might be adult themes in the book, so make sure vulnerable children are not permitted to read it. Schools could provide a warning like some programs on Hulu or Netflix do. However, no one said "To Kill a Mockingbird" needed to be completely banned. It just needs warning labels for families to decide if it is the right choice.
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In the end, I felt as though my students made more level-headed suggestions than adults they noticed in either articles or videos. They learned in a highly interactive way to provide true text evidence that was relevant and purposeful. In order to ensure success for my students, I visited with them prior to our "court date" to make sure they were on track, but ultimately their work was 100% in their hands.

Will I do this again? Absolutely! For my 7th-grade students, we decided to take a different approach and put Jonas from The Giver by Lois Lowry on trial to determine if he was justified in taking Gabriel and leaving the village. Holding a mock trial for a book or character taught my students to provide evidence to support their claims because sometimes students only want to provide an opinion without proof. It also gave them a taste of real-world collaboration toward a common goal. It is always interesting to see who emerges as a leader in these situations because everyone has an equal voice. I am so glad I took the opportunity to try it out, and I hope you will too.

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We Put "To Kill a Mockingbird" on Trial - The Educators Room

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Have you signed up for The Educator's Room Daily Newsletter? Click and support independent journalism! Last summer, I served on the jury of my first murder trial. We heard all kinds of griping testimony, viewed extensive forensic evidence, and witnessed dramatic outbursts from the defense lawyer, who deemed everything the prosecution presented as "hearsay."

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When I first saw this article I instantly thought of my favorite #teacheroftiktok. Sofia Bella. I was bummed when I didn't see her included in this article but she does show what a day-to-day school day is like. She demonstrates how she interacts with her students. She also shows what her classroom design looks like. The article mentioned that teacher TikTok creators can post things similar to what Bella posts but it also mentions that some educators post more about real-life issues in the education field and how it has impacted the style in which teachers teach. In my opinion, I feel like educators that use TikTok appropriately can really get to their audience since a lot of people in this generation use the app. At the very end of the article, it mentions how educators would recommend their younger selves to not pursue a career in teaching. I think it is sad to even read about this because I am sure about my decision but things may change in the future.

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How Teachers Use TikTok: To Get New Ideas, Feel Inspired, and Indulge a Laugh or Two

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From classroom layouts to comfy-but-cool outfits to solace from others in the trenches, #teachertok connects educators.

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After reading the article I felt like I could relate to it in a way. We discussed something like this in class. ChatGPT is an IA tool children have been using to have their essays written out. Technology is just getting stronger and stronger and in a way humans are losing skills IA tools have that we once had. As the article states children learn best if they handwrite stuff. Handwriting papers can really help children grow in becoming more reflective and deeper thinkers. A tip the article gives is as educators one should have their student's interest constantly to avoid using IA tools. The article mentions 5 ways to maintain the integrity of student writing. As an educator, you can be honest and let them know you are aware of these tools and how they could benefit from them, and how they lose certain skills by using these tools. Two establish conditions. Let them know their work should be original. Three talk often and take notes. An example is writing down notes every time a student speaks so then you could go back and reflect on what they have said. Four dedicate more time to instructional design. Lastly, give more time when you plan and grade material. This will show that you are putting your best interest in children's work.

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How to Keep Students Writing in the Age of AI Tools

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Despite the proliferation of AI writing tools, teachers can work to create an environment where students are invested in their growth as writers.