Immersive learning is a type of learning that incorporates a simulated or artificial learning environment. The learner is able to explore the virtual environment as they would the real world, making immersive learning feel just like the actual learning environment that is being simulated.

This type of learning is incredibly helpful when it comes to replicating real-world scenarios to boost learning experiences, immersing students in a hypothetical situation they may or may not be able to experience in real life. Because of its unique ability to fully engage students visually, mentally, and even physically, immersive learning is becoming more and more popular in the classroom. Teachers are joining in on this growing trend because of the immense impact it has on students, improving their learning experiences and helping to grow their understanding of deep and complex topics.

I realize this subject might make your skin crawl—sometimes we teachers feel like all we do is test, test, test. I recently read an article from USA Today stating that despite all our efforts with Common Core and standardized testing, the US is still lagging behind in test scores. However, I think what’s missing is how to use that data to guide our instruction and how to involve our students with the process.

As the winter testing window begins to open, here are a few tips for your classroom practice:

Because of the excessively violent situations that have occurred in schools over the past 20 years, school safety has been a hot-button issue. Many schools have moved to create a more secure environment by controlling access, locking doors, and conducting drills so that students and staff are prepared if something happens. And while all of this is good and necessary to some degree, I believe we must keep the bigger picture in mind as educators

Unfortunately, the concept of being safe must include a discussion of risk. When lawmakers make decisions about things like stoplights, speed limits, and other traffic laws, they consider the possible danger and how that weighs against normal operations on a roadway. For example, we could put a stop sign at every intersection in the country, which would create safe roads, but it would also hinder commerce, travel, and many other endeavors. There must be a balance between safe roads and the purpose of the roads in the first place.

Unfortunately, I have seen a number of teachers come and go throughout my 20 years in education. And for every teacher who leaves my school, there's a different reason for why they left. However, I would say that I've seen some patterns in the departures of teachers in terms of both why they left and in the manner in which they departed the school. 

And reflecting on this—all of which is based on my observation, not on any research—I believe it might be helpful for school leaders and for the teachers who remain to process the departure of their colleagues. Maybe some of these ideas can help the “professional breakup” to go more smoothly than it sometimes does.

With the holidays upon us, now is a very busy time of the year. It’s also notoriously a time when keeping students on task can be a bit more challenging. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with fun themed content and helpful teaching tips to keep you going right up until the holiday break! 

Here is our collection of engaging content to help you keep your students’ attention all month long:

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, it’s a great time to reflect on all of the aspects of the education profession that teachers are thankful for. We took a look back at some of our past blogs and posts from educators to compile this list of what makes teachers feel thankful. 

Here are our top 20 reasons why teachers are thankful for teaching:

Many people think that teaching is an easy job, but if you’re a teacher, you know this isn’t the case. In fact, a 2018 Gallup poll showed that 46% of teachers said they experience a high level of daily stress. With so many things to do to ensure the school day runs smoothly—from grading papers to preparing lessons and finding engaging content—it can be hard to keep up with all of the other important aspects of your life.

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of seven apps and services to help simplify your life as you work around all of the other important things you have to do as a teacher:

Space: The final frontier. A topic that is touched on in many science classrooms, but rarely finds a foothold in the major learning of our students. Learning about space provides opportunities to not only teach the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), but also allows students to think, dream, and wonder.  

As a classroom teacher of science or any other discipline, the topic of space can be a great crosscutting concept. As teachers dive into the NGSS, they can use these cross-curricular ideas to engage and deepen student learning.

Professional learning is not only a huge investment for a school district, it’s also a great opportunity for teachers to grow in their profession. Because it’s such a critical part of improving the educational experience for our students, we are looking at how to make it most effective for our teachers. In the first two parts of this series, we covered issues with professional learning and how to make learning more timely for teachers. In this third part of the series, we’ll focus on the implementation portion of any professional learning. We hope to answer the question of how teachers can practice and implement the new strategy in the most effective way.