Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Education.
Advice for College Freshmen
The Month Rule Almost all of my friends who have gone away more than two hours from home all start off feeling like they should not be in college. If you are feeling homesick, you might start to think you should not have gone off to college, but you shouldn't worry so much—everyone is feeling the same way. Everyone is anxious about being in a new place, so you just have to give yourself a month to feel comfortable in your new home. You have to give yourself to adjust to the new environment, schedule, and friends.
By Alexandria R L Weihrich5 years ago in Education
Five Ways to Eliminate the Power Struggle So Everyone Wins
If you are a parent, educator, CEO, or leader of any kind, you may have, at one time or another, found yourself trying to get people to do something that they, for whatever reason, did not desire to do. Has your kid ever thrown a temper tantrum in the candy aisle, or simply refused to put their shoes on? In the classroom, students often communicate resistance by not being engaged, getting off task or being disruptive. In business, it may look like employees under producing, low morale or work dissatisfaction. However it looks, this is certainly NOT where you wanted to find yourself: faced with a power struggle.
By Alexandra Rizzi5 years ago in Education
I Attempt to Teach English, Damn It
I teach English to college students who don't want to learn English. I teach Freshman Composition. It is a required course, which means all students have to take it, whether they are majoring in math, science, computer engineering, architecture, medicine, or underwater basketweaving. Very few are majoring in English. Very few want to be in the room. Very few see any point in taking English AGAIN. They've taken it every year they've been in school. They speak (at least most of them) English (I do get some non-native speakers sometimes), or some variation of it, so enough already. My classroom is the last place they want to be.
By Jo An Fox-Wright5 years ago in Education
How to Write a Three-Paragraph Essay
How to Write a Three-Paragraph Essay I have always found three-paragraph essays very easy. I excelled at them in college and so I thought I would show a few people how to write a three-paragraph essay with a post on Squidoo. A lot of textbooks overcomplicate the process of editing a paper, when the basic layout is actually simple and very flexible. It also forces the writer to keep their word count down. That is why you will find that a lot three-paragraph essays are very concise. They force the writer to get to the point quickly, which is one of the reasons I like them.
By Kevin Stine5 years ago in Education
Life Without College: 4 Other Alternatives Worth Your Time
Education is highly valued in American society for numerous reasons. The institution of college has been around almost as long as the nation has, and an education has been a consistent, proven method to guarantee a career path for certain occupations. However, not everyone is interested in occupations that require a bachelor’s degree. If you aren’t planning on becoming a doctor, engineer, lawyer, astronaut, etc.,then perhaps college isn’t necessarily the best path to take you where you would like to go.
By Mia Morales5 years ago in Education
Why All Educators Should Do Personal Development. Top Story - October 2019.
Recently I was working with a group of young students who were, as students do, resisting doing the task that I, the educator, wanted them to. I began to enter into the familiar dance that anyone who has ever worked with children likely knows well: Kids moving around the room, talking to friends, asking unrelated questions, raising their hand and telling long-winded, boring stories about their friend Carley’s pet hamster who pooped on the floor. Everybody laughs but you—because let's face it kid, your story sucks and I see what you’re trying to do here.
By Alexandra Rizzi5 years ago in Education
I Have a Bachelor’s Degree and Don’t Know What to Do with It
I had always thought my life would be this smooth, linear path that would have one clear outcome. You know, go to college, graduate, get a job in my field, have a stable income, move out of my parents’ house, get married, and who knows maybe even start a family?
By Leah Yirga5 years ago in Education
Adventures in 7th Grade Discipline
One of my classes is pretty verbose and rowdy. The code word is "social." I have not had much success in getting AND maintaining their attention this year. This class lags behind my other sections on a consistent basis when I am presenting lessons just because there are more interruptions from the class. Some interruptions are unwanted, like stupid 7th grade jokes about Uranus. Some are ok, like questions about how the material relates to them and other interesting tangents.
By Graham Stewart5 years ago in Education
So, You Think You Want to Teach
So you think you want to teach Ever since you were little, you would play school with your dolls, siblings, or pets. Maybe you were one of the lucky ones, who had an inspirational educator you admired and seek to mimic because of the beautiful imprint that educator left on you. That imprint lead you to believe—this person must love their job, "Look at how much they love teaching me." Although many teachers love the craft of teaching, the level of stamina involved to reach the pinnacle goal of becoming an official "Teacher of Record" (Legitimate teacher in the classroom) can feel like your climbing an elongated ladder where each step gradually gets longer than the last. Now this ladder does have golden milestones of achievement, but nonetheless each one of them is well earned with sacrifice—money, time, and strong support.
By C.C Intrigue 5 years ago in Education
The Pros and Cons of Substitute Teaching
In my life, I have had a variety of jobs and one career. I have worked at a smoothie shop, a bagel shop, an OBGYN office, and a car dealership to name a few. I was a substitute teacher for half of a school year before settling in to my career as a full-time elementary school teacher. After teaching for five years, I had my first child and decided to take off. I truly loved teaching, so I figured I could sub part-time so I’d still be able to teach occasionally.
By Haley Peterson5 years ago in Education