In part one of this series, we did a quick rundown of the ISTE standards. Looking closer at these standards, you’ll learn how they can help students to engage, and even more importantly, to think. Don’t be deceived—just because ISTE is a technology organization, the standards are about good teaching and not just about how we use technology in the classroom.

Back-to-school season can be stressful for many reasons: planning curriculum for the semester, finding resources and content, and gathering important materials to support your curriculum and students throughout the semester. On top of that, if you have school-aged children of your own, you will have to make sure they’re prepared for a new school year as well—and remember to make their lunches and get them to class on time every day.

Now certainly is an exciting time with the start of the new school year! It’s another opportunity to build relationships with students and truly make a difference in their world in ways we can’t even fully imagine. 

As you prepare your lessons this month, you may be looking for ways to engage your students as everyone settles in for the new year. We’ve got you covered with our collection of themed lesson content for September:

Teachers in our neck of the woods tend to use the state standards to guide their lesson planning—and for good reason. The state tests that we take align to these standards, much like they do in other states that have adopted the Common Core standards. There are so many of these standards, we tend to stop there and not look any further when it comes to breaking them down.

Open house, also known as back to school night, is just days away for some of you, and this is your opportunity to make a great first impression. We just had ours—yes, some schools start in early August—so I thought I’d share a few tips to help you with yours.

Summer break is slowly winding down, which means one thing: it’s time to go back to school! Between creating lesson plans, organizing your classroom, and stocking up on supplies, you’ve got a lot on your plate this time of year. We’re here to help with a roundup of the best back to school deals for teachers:

Change in technology can be hard. The time investment from teachers that goes into developing and creating materials can’t be understated. So when we make decisions about changing technology, we should take this into consideration.

So far in our feedback series, we’ve discussed general types of student feedback as well as best practices for feedback in the classroom. In thinking about how feedback shapes a classroom, I have changed my understanding of what quality feedback really means. It is much more than responses to students, and it is even more than comments back to them when correcting their work. It is a response to learning moments that move students deeper into their learning.

Who doesn’t love the arts? We listen to music during our free time, go dancing, and watch live performances, among other things! This past week, I went to an arts symposium, where I learned a lot about integrating the arts into the classroom.

Here are several takeaways I wanted to share with my fellow educators: