How Much Homework is Too Much?
When it comes to homework, we firmly believe that quality matters way more than quantity. We’d much rather see students working on a task for 10 minutes that effectively grows their thinking and expands their understanding than spend hours solving monotonous problems that reinforce the same skill over and over again. The “Right” Amount That […]
Supporting Students at Every Academic Level
In every classroom, there are students at all ability levels: right on or around grade level, significantly above grade level, and significantly below grade level. It can be challenging to address a sea full of different needs, levels, interests, and learning styles all at once. Attempting to address them all in one lesson, or even in […]
Weighing in On the Homework Controversy
Homework remains a hot-button issue. The complications of pandemic learning have intensified the conversation around the value of assigning homework. The science is out—some studies demonstrate a link between homework completion and higher test scores. Other studies found no significant link between performance and homework completion. But you probably didn’t need experts to tell you […]
Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conferences
We know that metacognition plays a large role in students’ academics. When students are aware of their own learning process, they experience greater and more meaningful growth. In addition to having this academic awareness, they should also be metacognitive about how they are doing in general. A great way to help students demonstrate their self-awareness […]
Strategies for Engaging Kids Who Struggle with Attention
For many students, focusing in school takes real effort. For students with ADHD, it’s sometimes an almost insurmountable obstacle. Now, with so many students learning from home either full-time or part-time, and with all other students working at least six feet apart from their teachers, sustaining focus and engagement on school tasks is harder than […]
Differentiating Instruction 101
Are you a passionate educator? Join our team and become a Braintrust tutor today! A lot of people misunderstand the term “differentiation.” Some parents (and even teachers) believe that differentiation means giving some students a different curriculum than their peers. Some people even think it means “to dumb down.” Nothing about differentiation should ever involve […]
How to Help Students with Writer’s Block
When writer’s block hits, it can feel impossible to escape. Even published authors experience writer’s block all the time. Therefore, students of all ages are bound to fall into the writer’s block rut at some point or another, too. As paralyzing as writer’s block can be, there are strategies we can teach students to help […]
Strategies to Manage Remote Teaching
Teachers, we get it. You have been losing sleep for months, trying to stay afloat in the hardest year of your career. To say that you’re burnt out by the school year already is an understatement. You are probably going above and beyond the call of duty, and still feel like you’re failing your students. […]
A Message for the New Year
Despite the challenges that 2020 brought, we are optimistic about the future. We are so grateful to the families we’ve connected with, the teachers who have offered their incredible expertise, and most importantly, the amazing students who have come through our Braintrust “doors.” At the end of the day, they are who we are all […]
Teaching Thanksgiving Responsibly
For decades, students have been hearing a fairly one-sided story about Thanksgiving. The picture that many teachers paint about the holiday involves pilgrims and Native Americans getting along peacefully and celebrating their shared bounty. We attempt to honor the past, in our homes and in our classrooms, by giving thanks for what we have. And […]
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