As we prepare for an unprecedented school year, many parents are looking toward online school as a solution for their students. Others are still debating the pros and cons: is online learning effective? Can their students benefit from that style of learning, or will it set them back? There's a consensus among many parents that [...]
With many schools recently adopting an online version of their classes, the internet has never before been such a perfect tool for educating young minds. Sometimes, though, children and teens can become tired of structured learning and long for some mindless screen time. If you're wanting to give your child a little bit of a [...]
Some teachers love to talk! It's great to have an enthusiastic, passionate teacher, but in the classroom, there needs to be a balance between talking and listening. Too much teacher-talk can actually harm a student's learning experience. Learn about the ways more talk leads to less learning. 1. Shortcuts Student Thinking When a teacher asks [...]
There is nothing more defeating for parents and teachers than the moment when a child just gives up. If the child would just keep trying, parents and teachers alike are willing to go above and beyond to help that child succeed, often more than anyone believed possible. When a student gives up, on the other [...]
Every teacher has experienced the sinking feeling of looking around a classroom and realizing that the students are so bored that they are hardly listening. Indeed, student engagement is a difficult thing to accomplish. Some of the responsibility rests on the students themselves. But here at The Tenney School, we wonder if much of the [...]
This is the time of year where students start to get spring fever. As the weather starts to warm up and Springtime offers a world of new possibilities, students start to shut down. It is simply the cyclic nature of the learning process and a consequence of the school calendar, but although their minds are [...]
As they grow, children are (consciously or subconsciously) taught to conform to rules and boundaries, and not to question for fear of displeasing others or being mocked. Without even realizing it, adults often curb their curiosity and critical thinking, in place teaching them conformity and acceptance of what they believe is right. Even in school, [...]
Keeping students motivated is an incredibly important part of being an effective teacher. Students' potential to learn is almost endless as long as they can stay motivated to continue working hard—especially in the face of difficult problems. Grades are the classic way to motivate students. Traditionally, good grades have been held out as a kind [...]
Today's educational world has parents more involved than they ever have been before. For one thing, the pressure to know what's going on with their children's grades has gotten much more intense. There's a sense that every class (even in elementary and middle school) is a make-or-break moment that could prevent the child from progressing [...]
There's nothing more frustrating than a child who just can't seem to get it together in school. They lack those executive functioning skills that will help them be successful as a student: organization, interest and engagement, and a deeper understanding of the consequences of their current actions. If you've struggled to help your kid "get [...]
