Karissa is an award-winning writer, seasoned editor, and former educator with a passion for storytelling and marketing. When not searching for the perfect word or phrase, she's busy trying (unsuccessfully) to convince people that plaid is a color.
A California 4th grade class is making a difference for California’s social studies curriculum. Tiffany Vandehoven’s class at Bishop Elementary in California recently collaborated with members of the Studies Weekly curriculum team to strengthen and amplify the voices of California’s indigenous tribes in Studies Weekly Social Studies. Vandehoven reached out to Studies Weekly in March…
As Dorcas Kimutia looks around at the tin walls, glass-less windows, and open doors of Lolongbei Primary School, she sees much that still needs to be done. But she also sees the strength, courage, and perseverance of the 250 students that she teaches. “Our kids are very, very, very hard workers. They perform very well…
“Inquiry is training for life,” Dr. John Lee explained at the 2021 Studies Weekly Educator Summit in October. Lee continued with a quote from John Dewey in his 1916 book, Democracy and Education. “No thought, no idea, can possibly be conveyed as an idea from one person to another. When it is told, it is,…
Are your teachers happy? That is a tough question to answer lately. But part of an administrator’s job is looking after teacher well-being, and ensuring teachers are motivated and feel appreciated. These efforts don’t have to be big. Small efforts to improve teachers’ happiness and job satisfaction helps them be stronger where it counts —…
As a subject, Science can be one of the most equitable topics taught in the elementary classroom. Race, culture, and socio-economic status can affect how prepared a student is to gain literacy or math skills, but phenomena-based instruction that pulls directly from the observable world around students puts all students on equal footing. “Centering science…
“Life is integrated. Why isn’t learning?” —Tom Vander Ark Charlie Perryman, Director of Professional Development with Studies Weekly, posed this question in a recent webinar with curriculum coaches and district personnel. “Can you think of a single job in the world today our students are going to enter, that doesn’t require integrated knowledge and thinking?”…
Sandra Bradshaw, a second-grade teacher in Texas, is in the education field because she wants to positively impact students’ lives. “When students show a true understanding of the concepts being taught and topics being discussed, then I am thrilled for their discoveries and personal connections,” she said in a recent interview. As a child, Bradshaw…
Jen Mello has been an educator for 15 years and doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. Her very own elementary teachers as a child were her inspiration. “They made learning fun and made personal connections with myself and my classmates,” she said in a recent interview with Studies Weekly. “I still keep in touch with…
Teaching is hard. Fun. Joyful. Stressful. Exciting. All of the above. That’s why Studies Weekly’s goal is to make curriculum that is enjoyable to use and helps teachers successfully realize learning outcomes. To help you do this, we’ve launched completely new 2020-2021 Professional Development training offerings. These PD programs can be done digitally or face-to-face.…
Education is evolving, and Studies Weekly is matching that change step for step. Educators need a curriculum that strengthens and supports them as they use multiple diverse learning strategies with today’s students. Thus, we are very, very excited to announce our NEW Studies Weekly Social Studies product line. Currently in limited states, it will soon…