What You Missed This Month: Highlights from Teach.com's December Newsletter

Don’t get Teach.com’s monthly newsletter? Here are the stories you missed:

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Teacher Observation But Were Afraid to Ask

Why do school administrators observe teachers?

Informal observations can be used as a way for team teachers and colleagues to brainstorm new approaches to familiar material, or fresh ways of interacting with difficult students. It can also help to have a mirror held up to your practice and really think in detail about the things that are working and areas you may wish to improve on.

Teach100 Mentor: On Bullying

Today, you don’t have to search very far to see bullying occur. Whether in the news, social media, professional settings or in a school environment, bullying has become more common in all areas of society. By definition, bullying is the unwanted, aggressive form of behaviors and threats to intimidate others repeatedly. Bullying has always existed in school environments among children. However, now more than ever is bullying prevalent and a growing issue educators and teachers are looking to improve.

We Love Libraries

As Roald Dahl’s Title character Matilda soon found, the library is a place of learning, discovery and wonder. Every child deserves full access to a well stocked library. LIbraries are essential for all communities, and especially important for low income areas where they can provide families with their only access to technology, literature and community services.

Parents agree, the Pew Internet & American Life Project found 94% of parents say that libraries are important for children.

Music Education Hits All the Right Notes

When children first enter any sort of formal educational setting they are met with songs, music and rhyme, and that’s no accident: preschool and kindergarten teachers are well versed in just how important it is to expose students to regular rhythmic language play and prioritize the development of a sense of beat and timing.

These skills can help develop musical talent but perhaps even more importantly, they help to support a wide range of other essential skills and contribute to students excelling in other subject areas such as:

How to Incorporate the Three Types of Common Core Writing in Your Class

According to the new Common Core Standards, literacy is the responsibility of all subject teachers. In order to get students writing for these new standards, you’ll have to first understand what kind of writing they are expected to do. The three types of writing as defined by the common core are informative, argument, and narrative. Once you understand the three types of writing, you’ll still have to start incorporating them into your classes.