eSchool News

MAY 5, 2025

Having conducted well over a thousand observations of K-12 teachers over the last 15 years, I have noticed there is one piece of feedback I have given more than any other–and it involves a seemingly minor word change. Multiple times in any class period, teachers call on students to contribute to the lesson of the day.

Culture 254

Culture Feedback Language Languages 254

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 26, 2023

Why should teachers use rubrics to assess student work? Rubrics identify specific criteria relevant to the assignment, along with corresponding levels of performance that allow for more precise grading. Using rubrics helps teachers stay focused during the grading process and ensures that grading is objective, consistent, and fair.

Fairness 545

Fairness Assignments Feedback Evaluation 545

eSchool News

MAY 27, 2025

Throughout my career as a behavior therapist, classroom teacher, and Head of School, Ive worked closely with students on the spectrum and their families. This might mean clearly outlining what is expected in an assignment, breaking down large tasks into smaller steps, or organizing test questions in a logical, grouped format.

Students 195

Students Learning Styles Assignments Intelligence 195

eSchool News

DECEMBER 4, 2023

Technology’s effect on teachers Individuals who struggled to use technology have argued that the incorporation of too much technology is one of the reasons for teacher burnout. To overcome these obstacles, collaboration and communication are key. Students may know how to use some technology, but not all.

Collaborative Learning 316

Collaborative Learning Gamification Teachers Teaching Methods 316

Ask a Tech Teacher

JULY 9, 2024

I didn’t think PDF annotation grading tools would work, not even a little but, so when my colleague, George, introduced them in his online history class, I watched amazed at how seamlessly George could highlight key points, strike through errors, and add personalized feedback on student assignments. x Interested?

Assignments 166

Assignments Grades Feedback Evaluation 166

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 27, 2021

It is also how we communicate to our students that we value the process over the product. Teachers want to give students timely, focused, and actionable feedback, yet it is easy to neglect. Teachers want to give students timely, focused, and actionable feedback, yet it is easy to neglect. Assignment Checklist.

Feedback 546

Feedback Peer Review Assignments Online Learning 546

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

Within the principle of action and expression, there are three guidelines: 1) physical action, 2) expression and communication, and 3) executive functions. I encourage teachers to record a quick screencast highlighting these accessibility features on the devices students are using so that they and their families are aware of these features.

Universal Design 546

Universal Design Blended Learning Learning Textbooks 546

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 29, 2020

Online discussions offer an avenue to connect students online and facilitate knowledge construction; however, many teachers are frustrated by a lack of student engagement online. Too often, a teacher’s questions in a video conferencing session are met with long silences. Preparing for Online Discussions.

Discussions 546

Discussions Participation Questions Assignments 546

Edsurge

OCTOBER 7, 2024

Then there’s the sudden temptation of ChatGPT and other new AI tools, which can make cheating on assignments easy and often undetectable. Instead, college instructors need to change how they assign and communicate their homework assignments. Some students don’t understand how important assignments are, Beckett says.

Instructors 200

Instructors Assignments Textbooks Essay 200

eSchool News

DECEMBER 19, 2023

This is my first year as a teacher and I’m teaching sixth grade, so both my students and I are new to the school. You have a toolbox of strategies from your pre-teacher service work. I teach 12th grade now, but when I was a middle school teacher, I was constantly thinking of ways to reach students. newsletters.

Teachers 324

Teachers Middle School Middle School Failure 324

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 21, 2020

Teachers are preparing for an uncertain future. Teachers are questioning how the instructional strategies they have used in the past will work if students are coming to school on a modified schedule or if they are learning online. It creates smaller learning communities within the larger class.

Blended Learning 546

Blended Learning Communication Assignments Activities 546

eSchool News

MARCH 9, 2023

According to a recent study , grading is one of the least stressful activities early career teachers have to complete. For instance, are teachers allowed to reduce grades for late work? A philosophical foundation is important to how a teacher grades. Are students allowed to retake tests on which they did not do well?

Grades 269

Grades Teachers Instructors Exams 269

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 14, 2020

It’s only two months into the school year, and teachers are exhausted. This year has made everyone, regardless of their years of experience, feel like a brand new teacher. Teachers are designing learning experiences for a range of learning landscapes. Yet, teachers and students need those touchpoints now more than ever.

Learning 546

Learning Assignments Universal Design Feedback 546

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 29, 2021

” I used that Chromebook to design a collaborative online station to complement my teacher-led and offline stations. I wanted students to collaborate, communicate, and create at that online station using the devices as a tool. Typically, there is a teacher-led station, an online station, and an offline station.

Blended Learning 535

Blended Learning Critical Thinking Communication Participation 535

eSchool News

APRIL 25, 2025

CPS uses NotebookLM for clear communication and understanding around the district’s guidance and policies, ensuring they’re following district mandates. Teachers can use Gemini to create personalized lesson plans in a much shorter amount of time. What are you using AI for in your school/classroom?

Education 193

Education Quizzes Coaching Special Education 193

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 1, 2021

One of the challenges teachers in concurrent classrooms face is feeling torn between the needs of students in two learning landscapes simultaneously. Teachers feel guilty because they know one group of students is commanding more of their time and attention. If that doesn’t work, then they can ask the teacher a question.

Questions 455

Questions Students Attention Assignments 455

eSchool News

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Key points: Edtech tools can provide an important bridge between teachers and their goals Can artificial intelligence help teachers improve? Schools can also use tech and AI tools to enhance the success of teacher teams and professional learning communities (PLCs).

Teachers 331

Teachers Feedback Evaluation Intelligence 331

eSchool News

JANUARY 3, 2023

This is my first year as a teacher and I’m teaching sixth grade, so both my students and I are new to the school. You have a toolbox of strategies from your pre-teacher service work. I teach 12th grade now, but when I was a middle school teacher, I was constantly thinking of ways to reach students. newsletters. I’m New Here.

Teachers 285

Teachers Middle School Middle School Failure 285

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 20, 2020

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools teachers have in their “teaching toolbelts” for guiding learners toward mastery. Teachers must find ways to give feedback that are sustainable and effective. When done well, feedback can strengthen the relationship that online teachers have with their students.

Feedback 546

Feedback Blended Learning Writing Communication 546

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 5, 2023

As teachers, we know that the physical environment of a classroom can have a significant impact on how students engage with the material and each other. I know many teachers reading this don’t have flexible furniture. Teachers can easily move around the U-shape to provide targeted instruction and support as needed.

Motivation 481

Motivation Learning Outcomes Communication Coaching 481

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 29, 2020

When I ask teachers, “How would you describe a successful online or blended learning course? ” Most teachers include some form of the word “engagement” in their answers. So, it makes sense that teachers are frustrated when they feel like students are not engaging. What would that look like?”

Learning Spaces 545

Learning Spaces Student Engagement Learning Students 545

eSchool News

OCTOBER 25, 2024

I typically assign a hefty 20-page final project in my STEM course, but I decided to take a more playful and hands-on approach for this group of students. This inspired me to incorporate KIBO into my STEM course for pre-service teachers. My parting advice for colleagues who are teaching the next generation of teachers: Let them play!

Teaching 277

Teaching Teachers STEM Syllabus 277

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 12, 2023

Why Would a Teacher Use the Flipped Classroom Model? auditory processing, attention deficit, lack of background knowledge or vocabulary, absences), teachers record video instruction and assign those videos for homework. I caution teachers not to do this.

Blended Learning 467

Blended Learning Students Assignments Lecturing 467

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 11, 2021

I fear these mental models will cause many leaders, teachers, parents, and school systems to embrace a return to pre-pandemic norms without questioning what has been gained in this year that is worth retaining. Teacher training programs likely reinforced those mental models. The teacher is the expert. The Power of Mental Models.

Mental Models 541

Mental Models Education Hybrid Learning Blended Learning 541

eSchool News

JUNE 28, 2024

It takes only seconds to plug a writing prompt into a generative AI tool and receive a completed assignment. Instead of forbidding generative AI tools, it’s critical that teachers show students how and when it’s appropriate to use AI in student writing.

Writing 327

Writing Essay Plagiarism Assignments 327

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 16, 2024

Understanding that not all students express or communicate their understanding in the same way is crucial. By offering meaningful choices, we can ensure that every student has the opportunity to successfully apply and communicate their learning, accommodating their unique strengths and preferences.

History 382

History Art Essay Physical Education 382

eSchool News

JULY 17, 2020

In partnership with eSchool News, Illuminate Education is spotlighting teachers in a series recognizing educators, the way they have moved instruction online during COVID-19, and how they have prioritized the needs of their students. 4th Grade Teacher. East Village Community School. Drew Craft. NYC Department of Education.

Teachers 298

Teachers Feedback Assignments Questions 298

eSchool News

AUGUST 28, 2023

Within HMH’s connected literacy solution, Writable ’s new GenAI capabilities increase the impact teachers can have by engaging more students with targeted feedback and motivating better writing in the moment. This approach to AI is teacher-guided, allowing teachers to incorporate AI-suggested feedback and scores into their instruction.

Plagiarism 246

Plagiarism Teachers Feedback Essay 246

Edsurge

JULY 27, 2023

That has sparked a burst of activity by teachers at schools and colleges to change their assignments to make them harder to game with this new tech — and hopefully more human in the process. A recent survey of 1,000 K-12 teachers found that 61 percent predicted that ChatGPT will have “legitimate educational uses that we cannot ignore.”

Assignments 148

Assignments Instructors Writing History 148

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 24, 2020

As I support teachers struggling to navigate the demands of the concurrent classroom, I find myself continually returning to the station rotation model as a strategy to design and facilitate learning for this challenging teaching assignment. There is an inequality of teacher attention.

Attention 546

Attention Blended Learning Activities Feedback 546

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 28, 2020

I want students to complete assignments because they are meaningful, interesting, and rewarding, not because they are worth points. I want students to know that their teachers are there to support them as they work because learning is a process and everyone needs feedback and help to improve. It is exhausting.

Blended Learning 343

Blended Learning Feedback Learning Communication 343

eSchool News

MAY 14, 2025

Our education community across the country is still working to overcome setbacks in student achievement and learning progress , all while facing ongoing challenges such as chronic absenteeism, teacher shortages and burnout, and a noticeable increase in student mental health and behavioral concerns. Are they consistent?

Grades 155

Grades Evaluation Students Achievement 155

Catlin Tucker

JULY 2, 2023

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools a teacher has to support students in achieving standards-aligned goals. Fosters effective communication and dialogue between teachers and students. How can pulling feedback into the classroom help students develop confidence and improve their self-regulation skills?

Feedback 423

Feedback Metacognitive Skills Blended Learning Beliefs 423

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

In our book UDL and Blended Learning , Dr. Katie Novak and I encourage teachers to work toward firm, often standards-aligned, goals. They may express and communicate what they know or can do in different ways. I encourage teachers to limit the criteria they include in their rubrics to avoid overwhelming students.

Blended Learning 521

Blended Learning Essay Feedback Writing 521

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 18, 2023

However, I often hear the question, “Can I use the flipped classroom if I don’t assign homework?” To overcome these limitations, teachers can identify the instruction that they would present the same way for all students and create video instruction. Some teachers do not assign homework.

Lecturing 433

Lecturing Knowledge Assignments Writing 433

k12 Digest

MAY 28, 2025

Maybe they forget to turn in assignments, have trouble organizing their thoughts, or feel overwhelmed by fast-paced lessons. Teachers use direct, explicit instructionbreaking down complex concepts into manageable stepsso students can grasp new ideas without feeling lost or overwhelmed.

Skills 144

Skills Schools Learning Students 144

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 25, 2019

The more I learn about leadership, the more convinced I am that teachers need leadership training in credential school. However, for many teachers, classroom management and behavior issues are constant distractions that complicate an already challenging job. This reminds me of the way many teachers run their classrooms.

Teaching 419

Teaching Motivation Attention Classroom Management 419