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As January melts into February, isn’t it time to start planning your school’s next annual – or first annual – Math Night? We have some expert advice for you from intrepid Math Night veterans.
February, of course, is Black History Month, so you won’t want to miss a visit to our Black History Special Theme page, where you’ll find resources that include lesson plans, an online scavenger hunt, a Reader’s Theater script, and more.
Eric Baylin returns this week with a brand new song for educators. Is curriculum mapping turning you into a drowsy drudge? Sing your troubles away with The Curriculum Mapping Song!
Finally, Laura Candler’s important new article on teaching students how to set and work toward class and individual goals concludes this week. If you missed parts 1 and 2, you’ll want to read the entire 3-part series ASAP. Goal setting is a skill every child needs.
Don’t forget, this is No Name Calling Week!

The School of the Future
Eleven years ago this month, we published an article called “The School of the Future?" Is it the future yet? Find out -- and then let us know what you think the next decade will bring.

Whose Fault Is It Anyway?
Students who fail to make the connection between effort and results attribute their successes and failures to something other than themselves. Successful students see their successes as something they can influence.

Start Your Engines NASCAR activity sparks an interest in science, engineering, and learning.

Teaching Handwriting If you've been avoiding teaching handwriting because of a lack of knowledge or training, these resources can help

Goal Setting 101: Setting Individual Goals You don’t have to wait to achieve a class goal before teaching students to set personal goals.

Pretzels This activity allows students to exchange compliments and criticism, and can help resolve conflicts and teach children how to handle conflict.

Rewards galore!.

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Competition The 100-Day Presidential Challenge


What can you do with SchoolNotes? Check out Mrs. Grubb's Page.

 

Eric Baylin Yes, curriculum mapping can be a little tedious, but it makes good sense...doesn’t it? Doesn’t it? If curriculum mapping gets you down, just sing your mapping woes away.

Ruth Sidney Charney There is no one-size-fits-all consequence, although there are a few general categories that can help us consider effective implementation of logical consequences.

Dr. Fred Jones Training is the easy part of effective professional development. The hard part is follow-through.

Leah Davies Movement activities planned intermittently throughout the day can help children maintain focus on their schoolwork and reenergize themselves.

Ms. Powell’s Tips for Organizing Your Classroom Create an easy-to-maintain system for dealing with incoming items and papers.

Meet the other members of Education World’s Columnist Team.

 

Math Night by the Numbers Math Night gets students excited about math, familiarizes parents with the math curriculum, and encourages families to continue the fun of math at home. Is it time for a "Math Night" at your school?

Winter Math Whether charting cold weather or creating snowflakes, you'll find math comes alive in wintry explorations.

Roll ‘Em What numbers did you roll on the dice?

Math Mnemonics Dividing fractions.

From the Math Machine Traffic Jam Students practice problem solving as they solve puzzles in as few moves as possible. (Grades K-8)

Look for more math resources, lessons, and activities in our Math Corner and on our Lesson Planning page.

This week’s featured tip is from our Best Idea Ever Library.
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Hen-Picked The Little Red Hen has a thriving pastry business and needs an apprentice. Who should it be?

Motivating the Reluctant Reader How do we tap the potential of reluctant readers? How do we inspire them to become readers and writers? How do we give them the tools to be successful?

Reading Tips Reading comprehension, like phonemic awareness, decoding, and fluency, can be taught. Ideas for improving student concentration and reading comprehension.

From the Reading Machine Flood Cleo of the PBS series "Between the Lions" needs your help to find the books with related topics. (K-3)

Best Books for Teaching About…
Biographies
Puzzles

Integrating Reading and Writing Instruction into Content-Area Classrooms The 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that less than one third of U.S. high school students read or write at grade level. What can local schools do?

Kool-Aid House Jan McManus’s students share their writing "coffee house" style.

Black History Rap Write a rap lyric about a famous African-American. (Grades 3-12)

Help Wanted: President of the United States Learn about the President’s responsibilities; write a want ad for the position. (Grades 3-12)

An Interview With a President If you could interview any U.S. president…

Your Favorite TV Show Just Got the Axe Your favorite TV show has just been cancelled…