Effective teaching requires careful planning as well as ongoing adjustment. In their book, Formative Assessments in a Professional Learning Community, Todd Stanley and Betsy Moore offer tools and strategies to help teachers get better at doing both of these things.

Why form a PLC? To take a wide angle view of learning, beyond a single teacher in one specific classroom. Student learning will benefit from teachers thinking together with their colleagues...

Storytelling is a human tradition that continues to play a significant role in communication, education, and socialization. In the classroom, storytelling can be used to improve verbal and listening skills, as well as nurture students’ creative interests. However, with the advent of modern media, which offers a host of distractions for today’s students, some educators have started experimenting with digital and collaborative storytelling, two engaging twists on an ancient tradition.

In Problem-Solving Tools & Tips for School Leaders, author Cathie E. West offers up not only her own experience as a principal, but also extensive research as a helpful “how to” guide for school leaders. Read Cathie’s story below to see how she focuses on helping others in her school cultivate their own leadership skills, while at the same time developing her own.

Franklin Schargel was interviewed on Eye on New Mexico on Sunday, February 20th, 2011. The show was broadcasted all over the state and in El Paso, Texas. If you missed it, you can watch the video here.

Bryan Harris is the author of the new Eye On Education title Battling Boredom: 99 Strategies to Spark Student Engagement. The book is a great resource to help you drive boredom out of your classroom using student engagement strategies. These strategies will help you gain and sustain the attention of your students! Read on for an interview with Bryan Harris...

In But I’m Not a Reading Teacher: Strategies for Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas, author Amy Benjamin provides lessons and strategies for content area teachers to boost student achievement and address the specific literacy challenges in particular subject areas. Read on for a tip on how to tackle and improve students’ reading comprehension on multiple choice tests in the classroom.

Skype, a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls through the internet, is a free and easy way to connect students with the world beyond their classroom. According to Teachingdegree.com, "students can learn from other students, connect with other cultures, and expand their knowledge in amazing ways." Read below for a list of ways to use Skype in the classroom.

Presidents' Day, originally known as Washington’s Birthday, falls on the third Monday in February. This year’s holiday is February 21, 2011. This national holiday is a great opportunity for teachers to incorporate American history into many different content areas. Presidents' Day was the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen, but the day is not just about George Washington. Teachers can use the holiday to educate students of this country’s rich heritage. Students can learn more about this historic holiday through these educational activities.

Bryan Harris is the author of the new Eye On Education title Battling Boredom: 99 Strategies to Spark Student Engagement. The book is a great resource to help you drive boredom out of your classroom using student engagement strategies. These strategies will help you gain and sustain the attention of your students! Read below for a guest blog post from Bryan Harris, which answers the question: Are your students bored with worksheets?

Valentine’s Day is an annual commemoration celebrating love and companionship. The day is named after Valentine, an early Christian martyr, and became associated with romantic love during the 11th-13th centuries. Today, cards called “Valentines” are traditionally sent to family, friends, and loved ones.

Eye On Education recently published Annette Breaux's newest poetry book, 101 Poems for Teachers. The book is illustrated by L. Susan Brandt. Read below for a poem and strategy about the secrets of professionalism.

In 152 Ways to Keep Students in School: Effective, Easy-to-Implement Tips for Teachers, author Franklin P. Schargel provides practical tips for teachers that can be read quickly and easily implemented in order to improve student learning.

Deborah Blaz's book Differentiated Instruction: A Guide for Foreign Language Teachers includes many rich and diverse activities for differentiated foreign language classroom. Read below for a Valentine's Day unit, which has connections to geography, fine arts, journalism, health, and sociology.

Rebekah Stathakis recently published A Good Start: 147 Warm-Up Activities for Spanish Class (Un Buen Comienzo) with Eye On Education in 2010. The book will help you begin each Spanish class with interactive, engaging activities. There are ideas for writing and speaking exercises, improvisational activities, and more! Read on to learn ever more about Rebekah Stathakis in this two-part Author Spotlight interview.

In our monthly E-News, we bring you the latest education news, resources, and classroom ideas from the Eye On Education Blog and other blogs we read. Click below for our favorite educational blog posts from the past month. If you would like to have E-News sent right to your inbox, click here to sign-up.