Teacher Leaders Network

As part of a partnership, Education Week Teacher publishes a regular column by members of the Teacher Leaders Network. TLN is a professional community of accomplished educators dedicated to sharing ideas and expanding the influence of teachers.

Reflecting on their fast-changing profession, members of the Teacher Leaders Network share their thoughts on the most important lessons they learned about teaching this year. May 23, 2012 – Teacher

Veteran teacher Cossondra George offers ideas on how to send students off into the summer months feeling good about the lessons they learned throughout the school year. May 14, 2012 – Teacher

Cindi Rigsbee thinks her students' grades should reflect their knowledge rather than behavior, so she gives cheaters and those who are late with assignments a second chance. May 8, 2012 – Teacher

In an excerpt from their upcoming book, Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski highlight student reflection as an important tool in assessing the progress of English-language learners. May 1, 2012 – Teacher

Special education teacher Laurie Wasserman says collaboration, diligence, and compassion can help schools better support students with learning difficulties. April 24, 2012 – Teacher

Cross-curricular teaching requires forethought and communication but pays off in student engagement and knowledge retention, says one middle school teacher. April 17, 2012 – Teacher

Teachers and student leaders planned a weeklong festival devoted to learning about—and taking actions to help solve—complex global and local water issues. April 10, 2012 – Teacher

A veteran teacher takes an instructional leap, eschewing traditional memorization-heavy methods of teaching a second language, and offers some takeaways from the experience. April 3, 2012 – Teacher

A veteran teacher offers a neuroscientific perspective on helping students forge long-term memories that boost their future learning. March 27, 2012 – Teacher

Elementary school teacher Anthony Colucci is hopeful about the common standards, but says they're not as important as the standards he holds himself to in the classroom. March 20, 2012 – Teacher

Drawing on their experiences, educators from the Teacher Leaders Network identify key attributes of effective collaboration. March 14, 2012 – Teacher

An AP English teacher with an open-enrollment policy explains how she tries to unlock the potential in students in the same way that a former high school teacher helped her to "dream big." March 6, 2012 – Teacher

By using student feedback to plan instruction, teachers can be more responsive to a class' learning needs, says teacher Brianna Crowley. February 29, 2012 – Teacher

How do you know you're ready to become a teacher leader? Middle school teacher Marsha Ratzel says these signals will let you know you're on that path. February 21, 2012 – Teacher

A community organizer-turned-teacher describes the ways he helps students develop their natural leadership abilities. February 14, 2012 – Teacher

An early childhood expert says that what teachers say (and do not say) during play-based learning can make a big difference for students. February 8, 2012 – Teacher

Non-native English speakers—who access meaning through more than one language—can offer novel insights during whole-class comprehension exercises, says one high school teacher. February 1, 2012 – Teacher

One teacher learned the hard way that just bringing iPads into the classroom won't truly change things—you also have to redefine your practice. January 25, 2012 – Teacher

Katie Hull-Sypnieski and Larry Ferlazzo offer stage-setting strategies and daily actions to help teachers effectively differentiate instruction in their classrooms. January 17, 2012 – Teacher

Social studies teacher Stephen Lazar says that teachers can learn a lot about purpose and meaningful instruction from the Citizenship Schools of the Civil Rights era. January 10, 2012 – Teacher

Teacher Dave Orphal offers a few guidelines on how to best facilitate and yield positive results from parent meetings. January 4, 2012 – Teacher

Knowing more about how kids' brains function and acquire knowledge can help teachers maximize learning opportunities for their students, says Wendi Pillars. December 20, 2011 – Teacher

Bill Ferriter discusses several ways that teachers can use Twitter in classrooms to encourage reflection and conversation among their students. December 13, 2011 – Teacher

Teacher and author Dan Brown, who recently earned National Board certification, discusses his achievement, the involvement required, and the impact it has had on his teaching. December 6, 2011 – Teacher

Members of the Teachers Leaders Network share their thoughts on testing early learners and the roles that teachers could play in ensuring that early-learning assessments are valid and meaningful. November 23, 2011 – Teacher

Stepping outside the traditional classroom to work in new capacities can give teachers perspective and inspiration, says Megan Allen. November 15, 2011 – Teacher

Meeting the needs of gifted students—especially those who, like gifted-program participants Mark Zuckerberg and Lady Gaga, may have an independent streak—can be a challenge. But these tips can help. November 8, 2011 – Teacher

Stephen Lazar describes how teachers can impart both critical thinking skills and cultural literacy through the use of historical documents and strategic questioning. November 1, 2011 – Teacher

High school English teacher Nancy Gardner describes a research assignment at her school that allows seniors to study anything from cake-decorating to homelessness. October 24, 2011 – Teacher

Past and present state Teachers of the Year share their insights on what teachers can do to transform the public's perception of the profession. October 18, 2011 – Teacher

Kindergarten teacher Allison Sampish shares fun classroom activities that can improve students' fine-motor skills, which she says are critical to later academic success. October 11, 2011 – Teacher

As the excitement of the start of school fades into routine, Cossondra George says this is a crucial time for teachers to develop positive habits that will help sustain them through the year. October 4, 2011 – Teacher

José Vilson says teachers can learn a great deal from hip-hop artist Jay-Z when it comes to both engaging students and managing their careers. September 27, 2011 – Teacher

Virtual book clubs can help engage students in independent reading by giving them opportunities to stay connected beyond the classroom, says Ryan Kinser. September 20, 2011 – Teacher

Motivating 6th graders to write in science class is no easy task, but Marsha Ratzel has some tricks for streamlining the process and even making it fun. September 13, 2011 – Teacher

From focusing on parent partnerships to implementing lessons from Uganda, see what this cross-section of teachers is looking forward to most. September 7, 2011 – Teacher

Before early-childhood teachers step foot in the classroom, they should have a plan for managing the various transitions that young students experience throughout the school day, says preschool teacher John Holland. August 29, 2011 – Teacher

Cindi Rigsbee shares advice—for both school leaders and faculty—on how to handle the transition when a new principal comes on board. August 23, 2011 – Teacher

Larry Ferlazzo shares the self-reflection questions that help him build relationships with students and maximize classroom management techniques. August 16, 2011 – Teacher

Technology integration expert and high school teacher Jennifer Barnett offers tips on how to support learning and familiarize students with technology when classroom digital tools are limited. August 10, 2011 – Teacher

Is it worth going into teaching in the current climate? Eleven-year veteran Dina Strasser offers a "letter to a young teacher" who's wondering if she's in over her head. August 3, 2011 – Teacher

Pre-service teachers need more opportunities to make meaningful connections between their coursework and classroom experiences, says student-teacher mentor Sarah Henchey. July 26, 2011 – Teacher

Awareness of common pitfalls and effective strategies can support teachers' efforts to help students "learn to learn" throughout the year, says Cossondra George. July 19, 2011 – Teacher

A group of accomplished teachers share the literary, cinematic, and musical pieces that sustain them in their work and help inspire their students. July 12, 2011 – Teacher

Middle school language arts teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron says teachers need to commit themselves to linking instruction more directly to the skills students will need for life after high school. July 5, 2011 – Teacher

Especially in a time of economic uncertainty, teachers need to do more to weave financial literacy into instruction and help safeguard students' futures, writes Anthony S. Colucci. June 29, 2011 – Teacher

Dealing with parents can be intimidating—especially for new teachers—but treating them as partners can go a long way in helping students succeed, says Gail Tillery. June 21, 2011 | Updated: March 24, 2012 – Teacher

A middle school language arts teacher helps her students meet writing goals by having them create their own magazines on topics of their choice. June 14, 2011 | Updated: March 24, 2012 – Teacher

A middle school reading teacher offers tips on how to help students develop their literary imaginations amidst the pop culture that surrounds them. June 7, 2011 | Updated: March 24, 2012 – Teacher

A special education teacher offers advice on how to ask effective questions—ones that require students to go beyond regurgitating facts. June 1, 2011 | Updated: March 24, 2012 – Teacher

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