The conference tends to attract a crowd that’s different from your typical teacher conference. About half the attendees are educators and administrators from both K-12 and higher ed institutes and the other half are edtech businesses and government/non-profit representatives.

It’s no secret that American high school students have a sleep problem. Yes, a fair percentage of teenagers stay up too late texting or playing video games. However, the root of the problem rests in how early in the morning high school begins. I still fondly (not really) remember 1^st-period Calculus my senior year – plopping down in my chair at 7:25 AM, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.

To move ahead with times, we all need to upgrade our skill sets. To make our future knowledge more competitive, we need to go beyond the limitations of the traditional knowledge and prepare them for future industry requirements. The big question is that: How can you contribute as a teacher to make your students future-ready?

8 QUESTIONS is a series of interviews with teachers who have effectively transitioned their classroom skills into new and exciting careers in the field of education. We at Teach.com believe that teaching is a rigorous and diverse classroom in and of itself; the skills learned “in the trenches” can translate into an exciting portfolio of professional options. From education tech to consulting, the only “X factor” is where you want to go — our interviews hope to shine a light on the steps it takes to get there.

As a teacher, you’re (hopefully) diligent in helping your students stay healthy during this beast of a flu season. But promoting good health extends further than just preventing sickness. Students’ overall health and wellness affect everything from their academic performance to success later in life.

It’s fun to work with actively engaged and enthusiastic students. But holding the attention of distracted kids or making the quiet ones participate can be a big challenge that requires some extra effort and creativity.

To get students excited about the learning process, teachers should not only rely on lectures but also incorporate interactive, hands-on activities in the classroom.