The Teaching Now blog explored the latest news on the teaching profession, from practical classroom tips to raging policy debates. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: teaching, teaching profession, and curriculum.
Education
D.C. Teacher to Be Obama Guest at State of the Union
Kathy Hollowell-Makle, a former member of Teach For America, will be one of Michelle Obama's guests at the annual address.
Student Achievement
Author: Poverty Matters, But Isn't Why U.S. Lags in Achievement
Amanda Ripley, author of The Smartest Kids in the World, pushes back on the theory that U.S. students' weak performance on international-comparison tests can be attributed largely to high poverty rates.
Education
Cut Off From Class, Remote Teachers Turn to Robots
New telepresence robots will help facilitate instruction in a remote area of Alaska.
Teaching Profession
For Teachers Seeking More Autonomy: Have You Tried North Dakota?
North Dakota may give its teachers more control over their classrooms than any other state, followed closely by South Dakota.
School Climate & Safety
Debt Spending: Credit Union Offering Classroom-Supply Loans to Teachers
A credit union in Las Vegas now offers loans to K-12 teachers struggling to pay for classroom materials. This reflects a trend among teachers who pay more out of pocket to buy classroom supplies.
College & Workforce Readiness
Oklahoma Redefines 'Full Time' Students to Allow for Several Missed Weeks
The state's department of education is creating a rule that will make teachers accountable for students who might be absent for the first several weeks of the school year.
School Climate & Safety
N.M. School Shooting, Teacher's Heroism, Bring Attention to School-Crisis Training
In a scenario that is becoming increasingly familiar, a teacher in New Mexico is being praised this week for putting his life on the line to protect students from an armed assailant. The incident has prompted additional concern about whether teachers receive adequate training in handling crisis situations like school shootings.
Teaching Profession
2014 National Teacher of the Year Finalists Named
Four educators, hailing from Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, have been announced by the Council of Chief State School Officers as the finalists for the 2014 National Teacher of the Year Award.
Standards & Accountability
Superintendent Accused of Strong-Arming Teachers to Support Common Core
In another example of the heated controversies still swirling around the Common Core State Standards, a state senator in Mississippi charged last week that a local school district superintendent had threatened to fire teachers for expressing opposition to the Common Core State Standards.
Standards & Accountability
Study: Novel Reading Generates Sustained Boost in Neural Connectivity
A new study out of Emory University offers evidence that reading novels is more than just high-level entertainment. It also appears to be good for your brain.
Teaching Profession
Group Looking to Bolster Educator Influence Announces 2014 Teacher Fellows
The Hope Street Group, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on economic opportunity, announced 13 teachers and instructional coaches from across the country to participate in the group's National Teacher Fellowship.
Equity & Diversity
Simulation Program Aims to Deepen Teachers' Understanding of Poverty
An elementary school in Wichita, Kan., recently took a unique approach to sensitizing teachers to the needs of disadvantaged students, reports The Wichita Eagle. According to the January 5th article, teachers and staff members at Allen Elementary School participated in a role-playing simulation intended to elucidate the unseen challenges of poverty.
School & District Management
Study: Teachers Give Higher Grades to More Attractive Students
A recently-released study concludes that good looks tend to improve a student's chances of academic success, including better grades in high school, according to a CNN research column.
Science
Did McDonald's-Eating Teacher's Class Project Go Too Far?
John Cisna, a high school science teacher in Iowa, reportedly lost nearly 40 pounds in part by partaking of an calorie-limited McDonalds-only diet that he used as a class project on nutrition. But did he cross a line by involving his students in his weight loss expedition?