Education

A decade ago, the CBSE class 12 topper, Swati Prusty scored 98%. Now in 2020, the CBSE class 12 topper, Divyanshi Jain scored a whopping 100%. It might seem like just a 2% increase, but the increase of 10 marks means Divyanshi scored 100 marks in every subject.  The recently announced CBSE class 12 results showcase a huge increase in pass percentage and students scoring about 90% and 95%. How is this inflation in marks going to affect your child’s future? Read on to know more. Scenario A Decade Ago In 2010, Maths and Science were the only two subjects that used to be considered the ones in which a student can score 100%. Even the student who topped in 2010 scored 95 marks in a subject like English. Scoring 90% or 95% was considered a huge deal, because they were not ma...

Mancha-Sumners knew that her family couldn’t afford that. She is taking time off work to sort out schooling for her 5-year-old and her 10-year-old, who can’t work as independently as her high schooler. With a doctorate in applied demography, she feels that she should be able home-school. This summer, she is trying it out to see if she is up to the task for an entire year or more. Emma Mancha-Sumners is hoping to find a socialization and enrichment pod with a few other families to give her children opportunities to see friends while staying home from school this year. (Courtesy of Emma Mancha-Sumners)Nationwide, fearful that the reopening of schools could lead to more coronavirus outbreaks and presented with less than ideal distance-learning plans, parents are being forced to make dif...

Anchor charts have become a staple in many classrooms, and for good reason. Teachers use these colorful tools to introduce a topic, then hang them around the room for students to reference later. It’s easy to accumulate a lot of them, so we’ve rounded up some of the best anchor chart organization and storage ideas to keep your classroom looking sharp. You’re bound to find one that works for you! Psst … looking for even more ways to use anchor charts? Check out our Anchor Charts 101 guide here. Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. Thank you for your support! 1. Color-code them in a storage bin Anchor chart organization can be as simple as rolling them up and storing them in a tall bin. If you do, be sure to label them so you...

Let’s face it: Teachers have a lot of stuff to keep track of … and that’s not even counting students! It might seem like a messy classroom is inevitable, but we promise you it’s not. This school year, keeping your classroom clean and organized is going to be more important than ever, so we rounded up the best messy classroom solutions to help you out. Pro Tip: You’ll find all the cleaning and school supplies you need on the Walmart Teacher Shop. Go forth and conquer the chaos! 1. Create a teacher cart Source: Elementary Sweetness/ABCs in Room 123 Teachers absolutely love rolling carts. Take a look around Instagram and Pinterest and you’ll see so many ways to use these carts to keep messy classroom spaces in check. These may come in especially handy this year as some schools a...

Who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh first thing in the morning? Sharing a few giggles can be a great way to create a positive and joyful environment for your students (and you!). If you’re trying to come up with ideas, look no further. We’ve compiled this list of the 25 cutest kindergarten jokes to start the day! 1. How do you get a tissue to dance? You put a little boogie into it. 2. What is big, green, and plays a lot of tricks? Prank-enstein! 3. Why did the superhero flush the toilet? Because it was his doody. 4. Why did the ghost blow his nose? Because it was full of booo-gers! 5. Why did the melon jump into the lake? It wanted to be a water-melon. 6. How does the ocean say hello? It waves. 7. What did the tree say to the wind? Le...

The following is an excerpt from Love, Teach, by Kelly Treleaven, available in bookstores now. Kelly has been a longtime contributor of WeAreTeachers, and we’re delighted to share this preview from her new book. New teachers need to know that in a lot of ways, the first year (or sometimes two) is like a grieving process. You are grieving the death of a person you thought you knew. The self who used to be in control of your surroundings. The self who always had easy, accessible, work-through-able solutions to problems in your life. The self who was able to get the hang of anything—difficult professors, a conditioning class, the subjunctive in Spanish—after a few weeks. The self who believed you were indestructible. Of course, these are all false selves. None of us are in contro...

Digital Tools for Families Grow Students’ Confidence to Say “NO” to Underage Drinking Parents are the leading influence on their kid’s decision to drink – or not to drink – alcohol.  As summer approaches, educators can support parents with a diverse array of digital resources now available from Ask, Listen, Learn and Discovery Education to initiate conversations that help students say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking. In partnership with Discovery Education, Ask, Listen, Learn provides digital resources for communities to learn about the impacts of alcohol on the developing brain. Encouraging informative and engaging conversations – both inside and outside of the classroom – is key to teaching kids the importance of saying “NO” to underage dri...

Fundraising can be tricky in even the best of times, and coronavirus, social distancing, and distance learning provide even more challenges! But at DonorsChoose, we have a massive community of donors who are ready and excited to help — they just need to hear your story. To help you raise funding for your project from friends, family, and the larger public, we talked to some superstar DonorsChoose teacher fundraisers to find out what works best for them. Paint a picture for your donors As a teacher, you’re in a unique position to tell your students’ stories to the world. Tap into that insight and give donors a taste of what it is to teach during coronavirus. Whether sharing your favorite moments on Zoom calls, your innovative at-home teaching set up, or the way your stu...

Over the last two weeks, the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and too many others have rightfully driven our nation to grief and outrage about systemic racism and its profound impact on Black lives in America. To channel my own sorrow and anger into action, I’m reflecting on why DonorsChoose began, where we’ve fallen short in the fight against systemic racism, and how much more we have to do.   DonorsChoose was born out of inequity. I taught for five years at a high school in the Bronx where the students in my classroom, who were predominantly Black and Latinx, did not have access to the same resources that had enriched my own education at a predominantly white school.   Since our founding twenty years ago, our organization has focused on economic ne...

Ms. Fudge is a fourth-grade reading teacher at a public school in Manhattan. Her students have always loved being transported into a whole new world within the books they read. Her student’s enthusiasm for reading is a huge reason why she went into teaching, Ms. Fudge wants her students to share the same love for books that she has. Her students have shown an interest in graphic novels, and she wanted to provide her students with new graphic novels to read. To help Ms. Fudge bring graphic novels into her class library, a colleague suggested Ms. Fudge check out DonorsChoose, an online platform that makes it easy for anyone to support a classroom in need. Teachers can post projects to request tools and experiences students need for an excellent education. Once teachers post ...