Each year more educators become familiar with the growing research that shows a direct link between the quality of instructional materials in classrooms and student achievement.¹ The findings are pretty compelling drawing attention to the fact that  merely shifting from poor quality to higher quality materials can be a “game changer” for some students.² Providing professional learning for using such materials is equally powerful and important.³  Getting higher quality instructional materials into the hands of all teachers and providing them the support essential to implement them well and appropriate for their students is one critical way to address equity issues in schools today.

We are all looking forward to a fall where most students are expected to return to traditional schooling.  However, the mark of blended learning has already been imprinted- and it’s highly probable that features of remote and hybrid instruction are here to stay.  

“When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm.  Not join their chaos.”  L.R. Knost

Mindset can change a classroom dynamic, and help to raise a generation of self-aware leaders. Carol Dweck differentiates between growth mindset -- “I love a challenge!” learners, and fixed mindset -- “I’m not a math person,” learners. While both mindsets are powerful enough to dictate success, only one actually leads to it.

While learning a new language can be fun and exciting, bilingual and multilingual experience increases academic performance,  enhances work-force success, and even slows down age-related brain decline.  

These days, music isn’t just for music class.  At least, it shouldn't be.  

In a report written by Robin Scarella, a member of The University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute, she states, “Learning academic English is probably one of the surest, most reliable ways of attaining socio-economic success in the United States today.”

We have a love-hate relationship with math.