Top 20 Teacher Jokes

To end the summer with a giggle, I've compiled and concocted 20 side-splitting (and maybe a little corny) teacher jokes to laugh our way back around to the weekend.

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Teacher Quiz: How Ready Are You for Back to School?

As the sun begins to set on summer break, teachers and students need to get back into the school year swing.  It can be a rough transition from summer to a full-time school schedule if you don’t prepare yourself.

Are you ready to go back to school? Take this quiz to find out:


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Cheap Teacher Professional Development for Summer Break

“I’d love to do some professional development, but it’s just so expensive!”

If that sounds familiar, take heart: here are some activities that are low cost, but high impact – guaranteed to make you a more effective teacher next fall.

Read Your Way to A+ Teaching

During the school year, you probably don’t read much beyond the assignments you’re grading. So this summer take time to read. Study research in your subject area or on education in general.

Read Cheap Teacher Professional Development for Summer Break

How to Teach Writing in STEM Classes

Traditionally, the task of turning students into proficient writers has always been considered an English teacher’s job. Therefore, finding innovative ways to include writing in the ELA classroom appears second nature to most English teachers.

With the impending implementation of the Common Core State Standards, school districts now expect all teachers to play a vital role in honing students’ writing skills by consistently incorporating writing into their lesson planning.

While this expectation doesn’t appear unrealistic, some teachers outside of the ELA content area find themselves in unfamiliar, as well as, uncomfortable territory. This sentiment grows steadily especially among STEM teachers who feel their math and science backgrounds haven’t sufficiently prepared them to teach writing.

Have no fear! The successful integration of writing doesn’t have to be steeped in unease. In fact, employing a few simple tips over a period of time will allow STEM teachers to build a writing program easy to facilitate and maintain.

Read How to Teach Writing in STEM Classes

Cooperative Learning Checklist

Cooperative learning can be a powerful tool for energizing a classroom, motivating students, and raising achievement. However, any teacher who’s used cooperative learning knows that it's not always easy to get kids to work together and stay on task. Sometimes it may even seem like your students would rather work alone than work with someone else!

Luckily, when I first began using cooperative learning, I was working with a terrific team of teachers who enjoyed sharing ideas and supporting each other. We had all been trained in the structural approach to cooperative learning developed by Dr. Spencer Kagan so we were using similar methods. If things weren’t going well, we could talk with each other about what we were experiencing, and often another teacher could point out exactly where things were breaking down.

As it turned out, we discovered that some key pieces had to be in place in order for cooperative learning lessons to go smoothly, and if something was out of whack in one area, it often adversely affected another part of the activity.

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Fighting Childhood Hunger in Schools

Schools Fight Hunger is on a mission to bring America's schools and school families together in the effort to end childhood hunger.

Learn about the Schools Fight Hunger organization and find out how your school can participate in this exclusive TeachHUB interview.

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Video: The Myth of the Super Teacher

Roxanna Elden, author of See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers, reveals how the myth of the super teacher creates unreal expectations for struggling young teachers.

This clever, practical presentation will hit close to home for every educator and will help set realistic expectations for new teachers.

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Ryan Gosling: Teacher Motivation Poster Boy?

Hey girl, Ryan Gosling is here to motivate you through those tough days of teaching...

If you're a teacher on Pinterest, you've probably noticed that everyone is going pin-crazy over the teacher "Hey Girl" series. These are basically pictures of hot stars "saying" encouraging statements about awesome educators.

While there are a few Matt Damons and Justin Timberlake's floating around, Ryan Gosling is ruling the "Hey Girl" teacher scene. You can't like a pinteresting teacher blog without Ryan clogging your feed saying things like: "Hey girl, I like my women how like I like my bulletin boards - bright, engaging and well informed."

This trend may be completely silly, but admit it, it's fun, clever and just plain motivational. And don't we all need a little motivation these days.

Read Ryan Gosling: Teacher Motivation Poster Boy?

Handy YouTube Tools for Teachers

Many districts are realizing the potential that YouTube learning can have in the classroom. There are lots of great videos and channels out there on 1000's of topics.

I have put together a list of some of my favorite tools to use with YouTube. Some are for the creation end, while some are for the consumption end.

Overall, they hopefully will give you a good start on getting more out of your favorite video service.

Read Handy YouTube Tools for Teachers

Top 12 Ways to Beat the Heat in Your AC-less Classroom

Putting your blood, tears and sweat into teaching takes on whole new meaning during steamy summer months.

With the recent heat waves, schools with air conditioning are still warm and those without it are just plain unbearable.

Here are twelve ways to stay cool and keep learning alive as the mercury rises in your classroom.

Read Top 12 Ways to Beat the Heat in Your AC-less Classroom

Co-teaching with Olympians: Interview with Classroom Champions Co-Founders

Olympic gold medalist Steve Mesler knows what it takes to be a champion.  After winning the first bobsled gold medal in 62 years for the U.S. at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Steve wanted to give back to those who helped him succeed.

Realizing the importance his education and inspirational mentors had on his journey to success, Steve teamed up with his sister Leigh Mesler Parise, Ph.D., an enthusiastic educator, to support and inspire young students across the country.  Together, they created Classroom Champions.

In this exclusive TeachHUB interview, the Classroom Champions duo gave us the inside scoop on how their work brings together Olympic athletes with high needs schools

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Teacher Must: Embed 21st Century Skills

Too often, I hear colleagues whining about the mystical “they” adding another set of expectations to our already overflowing plate of responsibility. I don’t disagree that “they” seem to ask more and more of educators while the concept of "pay raises" seems a distant, mythical memory.

Thus, we are told to achieve more with fewer resources due to the mismanaging of educational financing and get paid less on top of it. It gets tough, and positive morale is difficult to maintain.

Yet, when it comes to teaching 21st century skills, the cry of, "Please, not another thing to teach” does not fly. The 21st century skills are embedded in the instruction of the core curriculum.

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7 Effective Parent Teacher Communication Tips

Many schools today have set clear goals for increasing ‘family engagement’, and are rolling out systems and programs to reach parents. More than information about the school, parents want to know what their kids are doing in the classroom. Providing parents with this information can create strong and effective partners for teachers.

Here are 7 tips to create a robust communication plan that leverages the power of your students’ families.

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How To Choose The Right Education Masters Program For You

Unlike many careers, educators are required to continue their education to move up the payscale and advance in their schools and districts.

There is no shortage of choices in education Masters programs, but that makes it that much more difficult to find the program that is right for you.

Here is a quick guide to help teachers choose among the available education masters programs available to them.

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Top 12 Olympic Lessons & Classroom Activities

To help you make the Olympics a learning experience in your classroom, here are some teacher-favorite, Olympics-inspired ideas for lessons, classroom management techniques and fun activities.

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Sneak Peek: Finding Superman Excerpt

Waiting for Superman shined a national spotlight on the major problems facing education while painting a bleak picture of public education and glorified charter schools.

The upcoming book Finding Superman reveals the reality behind the claims in Waiting for Superman and explores the untold stories missed by the film with the help of today's leading minds in education. Dr. Watson Scott Swail and company also recognize the flourishing public schools, the failing charter schools, and the unlauded success stories of educators.

This chapter of Finding Superman shares ways to stop waiting for Superman and find him in our schools.

Read Sneak Peek: Finding Superman Excerpt

4th of July Jokes, Fun Facts & Games

To kick off this holiday weekend, we want to spread a little patriotic pride with awesome 4th of July jokes, fun facts and games for all ages.

4th Of July Jokes

What did one flag say to the other flag?

Nothing, it just waved!

What’s the difference between a duck and George Washington?

One has a bill on his face, and the other has his face on a bill. 

Read More 4th of July Jokes, Fun Facts & Games

12 Low Cost Professional Development Ideas for Summer Break

“I’d love to do some professional development, but it’s just so expensive!”

If that sounds familiar, take heart: here are some activities that are low cost, but high impact – guaranteed to make you a more effective teacher next fall.

Read Your Way to A+ Teaching

During the school year, you probably don’t read much beyond the assignments you’re grading. So this summer take time to read.

Hit the library and study research in your subject area or on education in general.

Read More 12 Low Cost Professional Development Ideas for Summer Break