TEACH Mag
@teachmag.bsky.social
Delivering pragmatic articles and resources to K–12 educators everywhere. teachmag.com
Early literacy development goes far beyond recognizing and naming letters. By focusing on a broad range of foundational skills, teachers can help kindergarteners develop the confidence and knowledge they need to become successful readers and writers. #EduSky #EarlyLiteracy #Kindergarten #TEACHMag
Beyond the ABCs: Early Literacy Skills to Prioritize in the First Weeks of Kindergarten
The beginning of the school year is an ideal time for teachers to establish literacy-rich routines.
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These strategies won’t fix everything. Not the funding crisis or class sizes or all the systemic issues in education. But they’re within your control today. #EduSky #K12 #ClassroomWellness #WellBeing #ResilientClassrooms #TEACHMag
Building Resilient Classrooms: 7 Teacher-Tested Strategies to Foster Classroom Wellness
Will these techniques fix funding or reduce class sizes? No. But they do create pockets of calm in the chaos.
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When Gina Tinney’s journey of pursuing her teaching career in a different format first began, little did she know that she would be able to find everything she was looking for through the unlikely venue of her computer screen. #EduSky #OnlineTeaching #AlternativeEducation #TEACHMag
The Unexpected Joys of Teaching Online
When I first started teaching in 2010, I never would have considered doing so online.
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“The first day of school isn’t really about school at all. It’s about belonging. It’s about showing young people that they matter, that their voices are valued, and that there’s a place for them here.” #EduSky #K12 #BackToSchool #RelationshipBuilding #TEACHMag
The True Purpose of the First Week of School
The first week is no longer about covering material for me. It’s all about connection.
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Former teacher artist Floyd Rumohr shares two evidence-based drama strategies that middle school teachers can use to incorporate more emotional literacy in the classroom. #EduSky #MiddleSchool #DramaInstruction #SEL #EmotionalLiteracy #TEACHMag
Not Extracurricular: The Foundational Benefits of Drama for Middle School Students
For students ages 9 to 12, drama should not be an extracurricular activity. It is an essential part of their development as learners. And as human beings.
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Back to school season can be nerve-wracking, especially if it’s your first time stepping into a classroom of your very own. Thankfully, you’re not alone. Here are some books that offer advice, reassurance, or even a few comical anecdotes. #EduSky #BackToSchool #NewTeachers #BookList #TEACHMag
10 Books to Set New Teachers Up for a Year of Success
These essays, reflections, memoirs, and guidebooks are designed to help you navigate your first year in the classroom with confidence.
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For many of us, skills like independence, responsibility, and perseverance were never taught directly. Instead, they emerged as a bi-product of childhood. But this is often no longer the case. #EduSky #AlternativeEducation #LifeSkills #OutdoorEducation #TEACHMag
The Lost Curriculum of Childhood
Schools are increasingly being asked to teach capacities that children once developed outside the classroom.
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With the start of a new school year, educators have a fresh opportunity to shape not only what students will learn, but also what they will believe about themselves. #EduSky #K12 #GrowthMindset #BackToSchool #TEACHMag
How High Expectations from Day One Will Set the Tone for a School Year of Growth
High expectations remain one of the most powerful tools educators have for promoting achievement, confidence, and long-term success.
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What if our greatest danger is not soaring beyond our limits? What if it is convenience that makes us intellectually heavier, until we slowly lose the capacity to think for ourselves? #EduSky #AI #Writing #AssessmentAndEvaluation #TEACHMag
Flying Too Low: What AI Could Cost Education
AI will undoubtedly change education. The question is whether it also changes our understanding of what it means to think.
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Our latest opinion piece explores the observations of a teacher on the cusp of burnout and how she recognizes those same traits in her own students, as well as the systemic issues that led to this and what could be done to fix it. #EduSky #K12 #TeacherRetention #Burnout #StudentAgency
Why Teachers and Students Are Checking Out of the Classroom
Despite being the epicentre of education, the two parties with the most at stake have the least say in everything. What’s the incentive for us to be here?
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The term “upskilling” is often used in the private sector, but it is critically important in education, too. Here’s educator career coach Julia Bialeski on why it’s helpful for teachers to reframe their professional growth this way. #EduSky #ProfessionalDevelopment #Upskilling #AQ #ABQ
What Upskilling Really Means for K–12 Teachers
Upskilling is not a one-and-done or a quick solution—it’s a long-term investment in yourself and in your profession.
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“When students understand expectations and have ownership, accountability becomes shared.” #EduSky #K12 #StudentAgency #StudentAssessments
What Is Student Agency and Why Is It Important?
Student agency is often discussed but rarely defined in ways that feel practical.
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“Teachers aren’t expected to replace parents or substance abuse counsellors. However, they do play an important role in helping students develop the knowledge and critical thinking skills they need to make healthy decisions.” #EduSky #HealthEducation #MediaLiteracy
Beyond “Just Say No”: How Teachers Can Have Honest Conversations About Alcohol with Teens
Today’s educators know the standard “just say no” and one-size-fits-all approaches rarely resonate with teenagers.
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“With Permaculture Education, the curriculum is still there. The expectations are still there. The route in is just different. It starts with the student in front of you.” #EduSky #K12 #AlternativeEducation #OutdoorEd
Schools for Living Systems: The Impact of Permacognitive Education
What would school look like if we designed it around what we now know about adolescent brain development?
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Whether you’re drawn to ancient civilizations, modern art, or something delightfully quirky, these museums are calling your name. And now, you finally have the time to say yes. #EduSky #Retirement #Museums #USHistory #RetiredTeacher
10 U.S. Budget-Friendly Museums Retired Teachers Will Love
One of the best things about retirement is that it gives you a chance to keep learning and exploring, all at your own pace.
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“School psychologists do more than most people realize. While evaluating students for special education eligibility is often at the top of anyone’s list when thinking about our role and function, at our core, we are problem solvers.“ #EduSky #SchoolPsychologist #K12 #TEACHMag
The Essential Role of School Psychologists in Virginia
There’s a hard truth we can’t ignore: Virginia lacks enough school psychologists, and this shortage is hurting children.
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This Pride Month, Fiona Tapp reflects on what 25 years of legal equality has actually meant, for mental health, for classrooms, and for the work that’s still left to do. #PrideSky #EduSky #K12 #TEACHMag #LGBTQRights
A Legacy of Equality: Reflecting on 25 Years of Progress
The Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act reflected a significant shift in societal attitudes toward LGBTQIA2S+ individuals in Canada.
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How have Canadian schools have changed for #LGBTQ students and teachers in 25 years? Christine Cho has been watching the shift from two vantage points: first as an elementary teacher, and now as a professor training the next generation of educators. #EduSky #PrideSky #K12 #LGBTQInclusion #TEACHMag
Education for Everyone: 25 Years of Inclusivity
Here’s how Bill C-23 helped set the stage for changes in education and LGBTQIA2S+ representation in Canadian schools.
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“One of the most important things in teaching is the freedom to think and to question.” In her article, educator Swati Gautam reflects on what happens when teachers are encouraged to stay quiet, and how this can turn teaching into compliance rather than engagement. #EduSky #Reflection #TEACHMag
Taste the Water: A Teacher’s Ongoing Journey
There comes a point in every educator’s journey when one has to pause and ask, “Am I growing, or am I just repeating what I already know?”
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“Equality is about more than grand gestures. It’s about making sure fairness permeates every aspect of society, from hospital rooms to tax forms.” #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #SocialJustice #TEACHMag #EqualLoveEqualRights
Changing the Everyday Lives of the LGBTQIA2S+ Community
For LGBTQIA2S+ Canadians, the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act has meant a complete shift from legal exclusion to inclusion.
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K–5 students can benefit from the flexibility of an online learning environment, especially when they can build social connections, receive personalized support, and gain a foundation for lifelong learning. #EduSky #Elementary #OnlineLearning #DigitalLearning #TEACHMag
Three Myths About K–5 Online Education (And Why They Don’t Hold Up)
As the Dean of Elementary at a K–12 online private school, I constantly hear several myths about online education that I want to debunk.
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“Before AI, we could often infer a learning sequence: absorb, process, product. Post-AI, we sometimes get a little absorption and then a beautiful product appears. The learning, which lives in choosing, weighing, and justifying, goes missing.” #EduSky #AI #AssessmentDesign #ProcessFirst #TEACHMag
Fixing Assessments So AI Can’t Fake the Messy Middle
When we change what we reward, students change what they practice.
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Reading should feel fun, rewarding, and consistent for students. To accomplish this, we need to broaden our understanding of what makes someone a reader. #EduSky #Reading #Audiobooks #ComicBooks #TEACHMag
Why Non-Traditional Formats Count as Real Reading
If our goal is to raise strong readers, we shouldn’t limit the formats they might actually want to read.
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As we strive to foster learning environments that honour every student’s story, background, and identity, here’s a list of books that can be used to promote concepts like representation, empathy, and respect. #EduSky #PrideMonth #InclusiveLiterature #LGBTQ #TEACHMag
From Exclusion to Inclusion: Teaching Equity Through Books
Books used in the classroom remind us that education is most powerful when it affirms the dignity of every child.
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In our latest article, program coordinator Alicia Jager shares practical approaches schools can implement to build confidence, consistency, and long-term professional growth for teachers who are new to inquiry-based settings. #EduSky #InquiryBasedLearning #IBPYP #NewTeachers #TEACHMag
Supporting Teachers New to Inquiry-Based Learning
The shift to inquiry-based learning can present significant challenges. How can teachers best be supported through that transition?
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Over the past year, our most vulnerable students across the United States have been under attack. Here are 4 steps teachers can take to support them right now. #EduSky #K12 #SocialJustice #TraumaInformedTeaching #EveryStudentMatters
In Times of Extreme Political Polarization, Here’s How Teachers Can Support the Most Vulnerable Students
These ongoing traumas are unlike anything teachers have been trained for.
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“A punitive response to a late or absent student, the recorded tardy, the ‘you’re late again,’ doesn’t just fail to help. It adds to the weight a struggling student is already carrying.” #EduSky #K12 #Absenteeism #MentalHealth #Attendance #TEACHMag
Mental Health and Student Attendance: The Intervention Hiding in Plain Sight
How schools receive students is itself a mental health intervention.
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What’s something you’ve learned to say no to as an educator? Our latest issue explores the power of saying no, alongside stories about creativity, well-being, self-expression, and social-emotional learning. Read it here: bit.ly/4x9hkGB #EduSky #K12 #Magazine #LessonPlan #TEACHMag
To kick off #PrideMonth, we’re taking a deep dive into the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act. 25 years after it was passed, Carolyn Gruske reflects on the legal struggles that paved the way for #LGBTQ rights, freedoms, and equality in Canada. #EduSky #History #Canada #TEACHMag
Before Marriage Equality: The Fight for Benefits and Belonging
Three central figures reflect on the legal and personal struggles that paved the way for LGBTQIA2S+ rights, freedoms, and equality in Canada.
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