Your students are online more than ever, scrolling, posting, gaming, researching. But are they navigating the digital world responsibly? That’s where Common Sense Education digital citizenship comes in, offering a free, comprehensive curriculum that removes the guesswork from teaching these essential 21st-century skills. As educators, we know digital literacy isn’t optional anymore. Students need to…
Between grading papers, managing classrooms, and actually teaching, finding time to hunt down quality materials feels impossible. Yet the right online resources for teachers can cut hours off your prep work while making lessons more engaging for students. The challenge isn’t a shortage of options, it’s knowing which ones actually deliver. Too many sites promise…
Classroom management doesn’t start with rules.It starts with whether students feel safe enough to learn. Predictability and trust are two of the most underrated—but powerful—forces shaping student behavior. When students know what to expect and believe their teacher is consistent and fair, behavior improves without constant correction. This isn’t about being rigid.It’s about creating a…
Every experienced teacher knows the feeling: standing in front of a class, watching a lesson unfold exactly as intended, with students engaged and learning happening in real time. That moment rarely happens by accident. Behind it sits a well-crafted plan. Understanding the lesson planning definition goes beyond memorizing textbook terminology, it’s about grasping why this…
The Strategy Most Teachers Were Never Taught Teacher-student relationships is one reason why teachers struggle with classroom management. The advice they’re often given sounds like this: “Be more consistent.” “Tighten your rules.” “Don’t smile until November.” “Show them who’s in charge.” But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Many classroom management problems are not rule problems.They are…
Most “defiant” students aren’t trying to challenge you. They’re trying to survive something. This module will focus on the perception of why students are defiant–and the truth, that we are often misreading it. Defiance is one of the most common—and most misunderstood—labels in classrooms. When a student refuses to work, ignores instructions, talks back, or…
Video content is everywhere in education, but getting students to actually engage with it, rather than zone out, requires more than just pressing play. That’s where Edpuzzle for teachers comes in. This free platform transforms passive video watching into an interactive learning experience by letting you embed questions, audio notes, and checkpoints directly into any…
Grading papers at 11 PM while your coffee goes cold isn’t a badge of honor, it’s a sign that something needs to change. Teachers spend an average of 5-10 hours per week on assessment tasks alone, time that could go toward lesson planning, student feedback, or simply having a life outside school. That’s exactly why…
Between grading papers, planning lessons, contacting parents, and attending meetings, finding time to actually teach can feel impossible. The right teacher productivity apps can give you back hours each week, time you can spend on instruction, student connection, or simply catching your breath. But with hundreds of apps competing for your attention, sorting the genuinely…
We often talk about student motivation and engagement as if it’s something students bring to the classroom. They’re either motivated… or they aren’t.They care… or they don’t.They’re engaged… or they’re checked out. But decades of research tell a different story. Engagement is not a student trait. It’s a classroom response. Students don’t disengage because they…