This year, Memorial Day takes place on May 30, 2011. Memorial Day, originally known as “Decoration Day,” is a national holiday that commemorates all United States soldiers who have died while serving in the military. Initially, the holiday was conceived to honor Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War, but after World War I, the holiday was extended and now honors Americans who have died in all wars.

Annette Breaux's poetry elicits knowing nods and smiles from teachers, while delivering everyday wisdom. Read below for a poem and strategy about being nice to students, and greeting them each day as if you are genuinely happy to see them.

Shelly Arneson is a principal at an elementary school and is pursuing her doctorate in education. She lives with her husband Dave and their three Labrador Retrievers in Niceville, Florida. She has presented workshops on leadership and communication at ASCD and enjoys writing fiction as well as educational books. Shelly's most recent book, Communicate and Motivate: The School Leader's Guide to Effective Communication, was published by Eye On Education. Read below for an interview with Shelly!

How can teachers encourage students to use a classroom library? They must first decide what types of readers their students are. Read on to find out how from Heather Wolpert-Gawron, author of  ‘Tween Crayons and Curfews: Tips for Middle School Teachers.

There are ranges of student readers, and access to books should be thought about with the same differentiated approach as any other lesson, assessment, or activity. Along these lines, four categories of readers, who all relate to books in different ways, are identified: the Brash Bibliophile, the Public Library Literate, the Lunchtime Lurker, and the Fretful Phobic.

In her new book, Communicate & Motivate: The School Leader's Guide to Effective Communication, principal and author Shelly Arneson shares guidance on communicating with confidence in all mediums, including email and face-to-face conversations. Read below for a tip from her book.

While email is efficient, quick, and easy, there is a danger in it. Remember that once something is put in an e‑mail and the “send” button is pressed, there is no taking it back. You might be able to explain, “That’s not exactly what I meant” if someone asks why you wrote what you wrote, but there is not a do-over button. The e‑mail will always and forever be “out there” for the receiver to see, and not only to see, but also to share with others.

On Thursday, June 9th at 4:00 - 8:00 PM, Nancy Sulla will be signing copies of her new book with Eye On Education: Students Taking Charge: Inside the Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classroom. The signing will take place at s.h.e.gallery in Boonton, New Jersey.

Ellen Eisenberg is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Institute for Instructional Coaching (PIIC). Supported by the Annenberg Foundation and working in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, PIIC builds on the work of the Pennsylvania High School Coaching Initiative (PAHSCI) as a statewide resource for developing and supporting the delivery of consistent, high-quality professional development around instructional coaching and mentoring in Pennsylvania schools. Below is a guest post from Ellen about the importance of professional development for teachers.

Frank Buck writes about organization and time management on his blog, Get Organized! Throughout the last month, Frank has paid special attention to those funny little squares "filled with a small squares of black and white." In the following four posts, Frank introduces us to QR codes. "QR" stands for "Quick Response."

Bryan Harris shares easy-to-implement strategies for engaging even your most reluctant learners in Battling Boredom: 99 Strategies to Spark Student Engagement.

Humans are naturally inquisitive, but often this inclination gets lost when it comes to learning in the school setting. Harris reminds us, “It is important not to confuse reluctance to participate with motivation to learn.” Skillful teachers can, over time, engage any learner by using strategies that have certain characteristics:

In Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers to Classroom Challenges, author Larry Ferlazzo offers educators tips on how to ensure that students are intrinsically motivated to learn. The book presents lesson plans and “on-the-spot” intervention tools aimed at engaging students and helping teachers connect with their pupils’ personal interests. Read below for ideas on how to make the most out of the end of the school year.

CALLing All Foreign Language Teachers: Computer-Assisted Language Learning in the Classroom is a comprehensive guide that shows foreign language teachers how to enhance student learning by using technology in their classrooms. There are over 100 activities offered. See below for one of these student-centered ideas.

Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D. is an international leader in the development of creativity, innovation, and human resources. A professor of education for twelve years at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, Robinson is the recipient of a multitude of awards and honorary degrees from many organizations and universities. An author and speaker, audiences all over the world are familiar with his thoughts on the creative challenges facing education and business within the global economy.

Annette Breaux's poetry elicits knowing nods and smiles from teachers, while delivering everyday wisdom. Read below for a poem and strategy about using rewards appropriately for students.

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.

Elementary schools across the country are adopting Response to Intervention (RtI), but secondary schools have experienced more challenges making the change. Jeremy Koselak is the RtI coordinator at a Colorado high school and author of Transforming High Schools through Response to Intervention: Lessons Learned and a Pathway Forward. Read below for a better understanding of Response to Intervention.