Daylight Saving Time Travel

When I was in high school, I, like most seventeen year olds, knew everything. I knew how to drive (very fast), I knew how to iron my clothes (with just a squirt bottle), and you better believe I knew how to get the most out of my "extra hour" when Daylight Saving Time ended each fall.

After School at Imagine Learning Academy

Class is in session. No, we’re not a few months behind in our newsletter topics. Although many schools started regular classes a few months ago, students in Washington, Colorado, and Hawaii are starting something new this month — Imagine Learning Academy. So what is Imagine Learning Academy, and why are we all so excited about it?

What's Your Take on Idioms?

We all want to give our English learners a leg up in life, and teaching academic vocabulary helps them get ahead of the game. But if you really want to go the extra mile, breathe new life into the classroom by teaching idioms. Research shows that many languages share similar, if not identical, idioms, and students often need extra help to connect the dots. Read on for our crash course on idioms, complete with classroom tips, and you'll be good to go.

(If you're not yet convinced your English learners need to learn idioms, take a look at how prevalent they are, and you might change your mind. In this article alone, we've already used nine. At a loss? Make that ten.)

Thank You, Mrs. Ghessi

I still remember my first day of the second grade. I had just moved from California to Pennsylvania and didn’t know any of the other kids at school. The school was being remodeled and looked terrifying—all torn apart and covered in plastic sheeting like something out of a movie. It smelled like cement and new carpet, and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. My mom held my hand as she walked me to the classroom, and I remember the surge of panic I felt when she let go. I also remember that as soon as her hand slipped away, another hand took its place. The hand belonged to a pretty, blond woman named Mrs. Ghessi– my second grade teacher.

I think we all have a teacher who is particularly special to us, and who had a huge impact on our lives. Mrs. Ghessi was one of mine.

Celebrating Halloween in Schools

Crisp apples and fat pumpkins, brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges waving from the trees, and cool, sharp breezes signal one thing: Fall is here. And that means costumes, candy, and more candy. Halloween is coming. Children across the country are drawing pumpkins and ghouls in their notebooks, planning their maximum-amount-of-candy routes, and creating their version of the coolest costumes ever. My daughter is no exception.

Yet for many school administrators and teachers, Halloween isn’t as much about enjoying the festivities as it is about surviving the battle. Charles Haynes, Senior scholar at the First Amendment Center, explains it well: “They’re caught in the crossfire between parents who support and parents who oppose Halloween observances in the classroom.”

Obama's School Year Expansion

When President Obama announced his plan to expand the number of hours students spend in school, he was met with mixed reactions. "I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas," the president admitted. "But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom."

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan fully supports the idea. "Young people in other countries are going to school 25, 30 percent longer than our students here," Arne told the Associated Press. "I just want to level the playing field."