How teachers can confront student’s pandemic-era excuses for not getting work done
“The Cloud Ate My Homework” . . .
There was a time when students could sometimes get out of doing their assignments by telling their teachers excuses like these . . .
- “My dog ate my homework.” We’re not sure if any student ever used this excuse, but it is now considered a classic for not turning in assignments.
- “My grandfather died.” Poor old grandpa died repeatedly in some families, just to give kids an excuse to stay home.
- “I’m sick.” Of course, students do get ill. But many more of them claim to be sick when they aren’t. It’s probably the most common way of getting excused from going to school.
Why Having a Teacher as First Lady Is Bound to Help Education in America
Welcome, Jill Biden . . .
First Lady Jill Biden is clearly smart, resourceful, warm, courageous, and highly supportive of her husband. But she has something else going for her . . .
Jill Biden is a teacher Read more
A Pandemic Reading List for High School Students
If you teach high school students and would like them to develop a historical perspective on the great plagues and pandemics in history, we would like to suggest you let them know about the books on the list that we have compiled below.
One reassuring lesson these books teach is that the current Covid-19 pandemic, horrible as it is, might not be the most frightening or devastating world health disaster in history. Plus, these books contain a varied and useful selection of topics for students to research and explore. What public health initiatives were used to combat these prior pandemics, for example? What countermeasures did people use to combat them, and are there lessons we can learn? How was society changed, and what changes are still visible today? Read more
Mental Health Resources for Teachers During Covid-19
Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions. But we also know that during the current pandemic, teaching has become one of the most challenging.
If you are a teacher and you are becoming discouraged, you are certainly not alone. Read more
Teaching Citizenship Skills to Future American Leaders
Calls to boost civic education are growing, and teachers need help answering that call. The RAND Corporation finds only 1 in 5 social studies teachers nationwide feels well-prepared to support their students’ citizenship education. Consistent with our commitment at the Student Research Foundation (SRF) to support teachers in preparing students for life after high school, we want to share two resources that may help all educators – and particularly those who feel caught between community pressures and lack of resources. Read more