For the past several years, students with autism at Altoona Area High School in Pennsylvania have worked at in-school coffee carts selling drinks and snacks to their peers and teachers. Life skills teacher Travis Young says working at the carts helps the students gain confidence and social and vocational skills as well as giving them more opportunities to interact with other students.
It wasn't until Tennessee teacher Su Williams' son was diagnosed with dyslexia that she realized her training was inadequate to teach students with the disorder. This article notes that Williams and other teachers have sought science-based specialized training to learn about dyslexia, the brain and how to help students with dyslexia achieve reading-level goals through targeted early interventions.
Did Students Achieve Catch-Up Growth? Formative assessment data can help determine if at-risk students made enough catch-up growth to reach learning goals this school year. In this article, learn what typical growth is, how it's measured and how much extra growth some students need to catch up to their peers. Read more.
Connecticut high-school principal Joseph Blake says he rarely spends time at his desk because he wants to be involved in students' lives and encourage them to stay in school. Blake, who has been named 2019 principal of the year by the Connecticut Association of Schools, is described by teacher Gary Baumgartner as someone who sees teachers as partners whose ideas are valued.
How to Advance as an Educator Educators with advanced degrees and certifications have better access to in-demand careers, particularly in fields like science, math, special education and leadership. Learn how to advance as an educator and fill demands in the field.
Some students with autism are learning to develop social, emotional and communication skills with the help of robots, including Milo from RoboKind. Improved eye contact, turn-taking and sharing are some of the gains seen among such students, though more research is needed to determine if these improvements will continue into the long term, says Brian Scassellati, a Yale University professor.
Your Guide to the Big Ideas of Mathematics Understanding the Math We Teach and How to Teach It by Marian Small brings the support and insight K-8 teachers need to be able to teach math with clarity and confidence. This accessible and comprehensive resource will be an important asset for new and experienced teachers alike. Learn more.
One South Carolina school district is considering switching to a four-day week in an effort to recruit and retain teachers. District officials say they will open up the idea to public comment before deciding on implementation.
Matthew Plunk, a senior at the Wesleyan School in Georgia, has a paid internship at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Marcus Autism Center. Plunk, who has autism and is trilingual, assists Emory Associate Professor of Medicine Gordon Ramsay in a speech communications lab as part of a program that aims to help students with autism gain positive work experience.
