Category General Articles

I saw this question on Quora recently and then most-upvoted response was curious to me, so I thought I’d offer my .02 as a teacher who sometimes struggled with this in practice.

And while I’m not sure it’d be widely useful for TeachThought readers and doesn’t really fit in with our typical content that focuses on critical thinking and innovation in education, I decided to share it here as well for any teachers who’ve been on either side of this scenario.

Question: What do other teachers think of the ‘cool teacher’ in school?

It depends on the nature of the ‘cool.’ It also depends on the school culture and the relationships the ‘cool’ teacher has built not only with students but other teachers and administrators. Content areas and grade levels would probably be factors as well–a ‘cool’ 2nd-grade teacher versus a high school drama teacher, for example. But broadly speaking,

In a successful strength observation, you will ask questions, expect unconventional answers, and learn about the students’ worlds. Searching for strengths in your students might seem intuitive, but it’s not. Since most of us educators were trained to identify students’ deficits, we have to actively work to identify their strengths. Pay attention to the following:

• Does the student work better independently or in a group?
• When does the student show excitement, boredom, more energy or less energy, frustration, or sustained focus?
• How easily do they initiate tasks, shift between tasks, and stay on task?
• Are they inspiring or motivating others?
• Are they creative in how they approach a given task?
• Do they leverage resources or social capital in a meaningful way?
• What was challenging for the student?
• What seemed easy for the student?
• What patterns did you notice throughout the observation?

After the observation, review your findings with the student.

In this webinar we were welcomed by Kayla Warburton, MEd in curriculum studies and early childhood educator! Kayla joined us to discuss how you can create an inclusive learning environment at your center. She focused on the ways we can create a safe space for the children in our care, and how we can comfortably embrace challenging conversations with children. Kayla also discussed how we can reflect on internalized stigmas of gender and sexuality and how we can alleviate fears we have to create a more inclusive space for all children. Keep reading to access the slides and the recording!

🎤Our Special Guests:

Kayla Warburton- MEd, ECE, Customer Success Specialist at HiMama

 Kayla is a mother to a toddler and was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. She entered into the child care space at a young age; first, as a volunteer at before and after school programs, and then

This easy homemade caramel sauce recipe has 5 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and fridge! This easy caramel recipe is a creamy, buttery homemade caramel sauce that has SO many yummy uses. Use this caramel sauce to top your favorite latte, make caramel apples, top a sundae or even serve over your favorite dessert!

Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe

It isn’t fall without the sweet and tangy combination of apples and caramel sauce! Once you see how simple it is to make your own rich and creamy caramel sauce at home, you’ll never buy it in the store again! 

This easy caramel sauce recipe: 

• Makes 2 ½  cups 
• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

This post contains affiliate links. 



Imagine with me: You’ve got your preschool classroom all set up. The centers are stocked and ready to be used, full of materials you’ve purchased or made yourself. 

Everything is the best it could be, and you just can’t wait for your students to use and enjoy every single center in the classroom.

However, somehow, your kids just avoid certain centers. They don’t like them, don’t want to go near them, don’t even look at them…

Uh oh, Houston, we have a problem.

Does this sound familiar to you?

If so, this episode is for you, because in it, I’ll be discussing how to solve this exact issue!

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in!

Help, My Students Don’t Like My Math Center!

What do you do when your preschool students only gravitate towards “fun” centers like art and drama? And completely ignore the ones for math and literacy?