Last week, the United States finished one of the most contentious and bitter elections in recent memory. While there are a lot of things that could be said about the election, one thing that became clear to people on all sides is that the US has neglected teaching civics in its schools. According to The Atlantic:

Teachers and administrators know it’s not just the time spent in the classroom that counts but the social and emotional learning that takes place at home and outside the classroom, too.

Guest post by Kenneth Waldman

Students frequently find themselves asking why they have to write yet another essay, and educators often forget to remind them about how essential essay writing is to self-development and future success. As a result, they often lose sight of the purpose for the assignment and don’t dedicate enough time to the project. This can be crippling to a new college student.

Break is coming up for all of us. Don’t let it go to waste! Today, we’re featuring a piece by Lily Jones, originally published on TeachingChannel, which offers some great tips that you can incorporate during your two weeks off that will help you brush up on your skills. Enjoy:

PACE is proud to announce the Fall 2015 Scholarship and Grant recipients. We love visiting schools to celebrate educators for their dedication to student outcomes, professionalism and passion. PACE is proud of our teachers who are consistently coming up with innovative ways to grow professionally and serve their students -from high risk to high achieving. PACE encourages teachers to keep the good ideas flowing through our Scholarship and Grant program.

Have you ever had a pet in your classroom? Are you considering one for your classroom this year? Back-to-school time may be the perfect opportunity to give consideration to such a rewarding undertaking!

By Conner Dunleavy

You know the Summer is drawing to a close and you're ready to go back to schools, so AAE put together this list of ways to tell you're ready to get back to work!

Last year, the College Board made waves when it released the revised standards for Advanced Placement (AP) US History.  The revised course was criticized by conservative politicians and pundits for being anti-American.  Many people pointed out that the framework often presented a one-sided view of history in its attempts to explore historical controversies and nuances.

What do our students do, think, create, and learn when we aren’t looking? Former PACE Staffer Tim Farmer’s two-year-old daughter provides a masterpiece answer to  this question.

The new school year will be here before we know it! Many teachers are already counting down the days until classes begin again and it’s time for teachers to start focusing on the road ahead.

Have you ever wanted to trek in the Andes amidst ancient ruins or experience rural indigenous culture in Cuzco? Have you ever dared to stare down Terracotta Warriors or commune with giant pandas in China?  Maybe you've always dreamed of following in the footsteps of Mayan warriors to lost cities cloaked in jungle mists or exploring the rainforests, rushing rivers, pristine beaches and towering volcanoes of Costa Rica.

It was only five years ago that Doug Lemov released his book on teaching, Teach Like a Champion. The book was revolutionary and quickly became a best seller.  Unlike many other books on the art of teaching, Teach Like a Champion delved into the practicalities of teaching.  It also made a bold claim: that good teaching was something that could be learned and developed, and wasn’t something that teachers were intrinsically born with.

Religious Freedom Day is tomorrow, January 16th. And schools are being encouraged to spend time recognizing the day as the anniversary of the passage of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom from 1786.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently passed new legislation requiring school districts to develop guidelines for electronic communication with parents and students.

If one thing has become clear in the 21st century, it’s that technology and engineering can no longer be ignored in the K-12 sphere.  The best way to equip students for future technological challenges is still being hotly debated, but some schools think that they’ve found the answer in the creation of “makerspaces.”

PACE is partnering with the University of Phoenix to offer you a FREE class aimed at helping you improve your scholarship and grant writing abilities! Not only will you learn how to apply for class project funding, but you will have the opportunity to put this knowledge to good use immediately to apply for a scholarship or grant!

Grading is probably the most time consuming activity a teacher does, so for this month’s resources we’ve pulled a load of webpages, tools, and apps designed to make grading quicker and easier.

Each month, we scour the web to find the best resources for teachers.  This month, we’re looking at ways to add more games into your classroom:

The end of the school year is upon us. In most areas, testing is over and evaluations are done. If you’re wrapping up a successful year, consider these five ideas that work great in any classroom:

High school can be a difficult time psychologically, socially, and emotionally for many students. According to statistics, by the end of their teen years, 20% of young adults struggle with depression. Additionally, over 50% of teens with depression will attempt suicide at some point.