It’s late and you can’t sleep...you’re fretting over failing students, looming achievement tests, and how you’re going to find time for your next lesson plan. You toss and turn and before you know it, the alarm has gone and sleep has once more eluded you.

Insomnia and disrupted sleep are typical signs of stress and burnout and with teaching listed as the fourth most stressful job in America, it’s no wonder that poor sleep affects many in the profession.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, it's normal to feel worried about what a new principal means for your school. Transitions are never 100% smooth, but there are ways to make sure you can do your part to help your new principal and students stay successful.

The conversation about the use of grades in schools is rife with strong opinions. More and more, traditional letter or numerical grades are proving an antiquated way of evaluating student progress. As such, some schools have swapped grades for evaluation systems tied to standards-based proficiency models. Some, like education expert Alfie Kohn, argue that schools should do away with grades altogether. Unfortunately, despite the mounting pushback, the reality for many teachers is that grades are still expected to be used to evaluate students. While some districts are very prescriptive in their grading policies, others afford teachers more leeway in choosing what and how to assign scores to student efforts.

The moment you’ve been working towards since you began your quest to become a teacher has arrived. Student teaching is more than a requirement to fulfill a degree and certification requirements. It’s your chance to put everything you’ve learned into practice in front of a real class. Making a positive impression is vital, especially since it’s not unheard of for a student teacher to be offered a regular position at his or her placement.

STEM projects are all the rage these days, and for good reason. Not only do these hands-on activities provide children a gateway into learning about science, engineering, technology, and math, but help with developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. Fortunately, there are a number of fun, entertaining, and educational activities you can do all year to spark curiosity in little minds.