When student agency is amplified by the integration of modern technologies, students have great potential to solve real-world problems and learn in a deep and engaging way. And yet often schools are hesitant to provide students with true agency. Richardson looks at some powerful student projects and inventions that were possible through agency and…

Mayfield poses a parable that sheds light on educators' reluctance to openly broach race-based inequalities in schools: A tale of a land whose "mountain" farmers for benefited from policies that plundered land, resources, and rights from the land's (struggling) "valley" farmers, but where farming conditions couldn't be openly…

A school-based behavioral therapy intervention at East High School in Rochester, New York, in partnership with a local university, builds resilience for middle-school students with high trauma.

Julie Causton, Kate MacLeod, and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak work with administrators all over the world who believe in supporting students with compassion and leading schools with love. But these administrators report incredible challenges they face in ditching traditional behavior-management practices like punitive or public discipline tactics.…

Color. Carpets. Configurations. The classroom can create a sense of safety, calm, and invitation to learn if designed correctly. Authors and educators Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and Dominique Smith describe their journey to making their school's classrooms trauma-informed and safe, inviting spaces for students.

Parents know their children best. When schools build relationships with the families of English learners, students benefit. In this article, learn three essential actions from which you can cultivate an engaging and welcoming school community: (1) create a supportive learning environment, (2) make resources multilingual and multimodal, and (3)…

In light of recent highly publicized and tragic incidents, such as the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, school communities are increasingly concerned about student and teacher safety. School leaders, politicians, and community members are frantically seeking solutions to the problem of school…

The authors discuss what data from several years of the Quaglia School Voice Student Survey reveal about whether students feel "known," accepted, and valued in school, and whether they feel there is a caring adult at school to whom they could go for help--all aspects of students having a "voice" in school. After sharing…

Virtual reality has the potential to revolutionize education because it immerses students in their learning, blocking out visual and auditory distractions and letting learners focus intensely on a structured learning experience. The authors describe how using virtual reality headsets helped 5th graders at Gavin Cochran Elementary School in…

Incorporating virtual reality or augmented reality into classroom instruction and activities not only engages students, it provides learning experiences otherwise unavailable, such as virtually walking on the moon or building a 360-degree animation of a Revolutionary War battle. The author gives examples of ways AR and VR can be used in…

Many Black female educators feel pressure to be super-strong. They neglect self-care, often leading to serious health problems (what one psychologist has termed the StrongBlackWoman cycle). Hughes Jones shares her story of denying work-related stress and breaking down, and suggests ways leaders can create more supportive work environments for…

A school's success is largely determined by the effectiveness of its principal--decades of research have made this clear. Less settled is the question of what principals need to know and do to drive positive outcomes in their schools. A recent report funded by The Wallace Foundation provides evidence on the connection between school principals and…

Within our society's growing culture of "busyness," schools have an important counter role to play. One critical antidote to this epidemic of overload is to reorient reading instruction to cultivate intentionally present, mindful readers. In this article, the authors share five ways to foster immersive reading through daily classroom…

Noting that teens are disengaged in school and increasingly dispirited by social problems, the authors argue that these students need learning environments that foster engagement, connection, and a greater sense of purpose. They make the case for deep learning--learning that helps students "make connections to the world, to think critically,…

If leaders want to support and retain--not just hire--Black educators, they must understand what it means to be a Black educator now. El-Mekki, a veteran educator and founder of the Center for Black Educator Development, shares realities Black teachers face, from the fact that schools don't always feel safe to them to the responsibility they feel…