American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, AFL-CIO

Asking students high-quality questions is key to “sustaining deep learning,” according to Illinois high school teacher Chris Kubic, and so is incorporating one simple, specific query: How do you know?

“Asking this follow-up question after a student provides an answer prompts deeper thinking in a number of ways,” Kubic writes for Edutopia. “Students have to not only consider evidence and alternative answers but also support their thinking.…

When Connecticut middle school teacher Katie Durkin decided her classroom library could use “a serious facelift,” she turned to her students for help.

“I’d been researching the benefits of promoting student voice and choice — specifically by allowing them to assist in organizing an in-class library,” Durkin writes for MiddleWeb. “Now I wanted to give it a try.”…

Incorporating physical activity into classrooms “isn’t just good for kids’ bodies, it’s also a powerful tool for improving learning and focus and reducing classroom management issues,” write former teacher Stephen Merrill and journalist Sarah Gonser for Edutopia.

“There are many smart, innovative ways to build movement into lessons,” they add, and among their examples is something called basketball math.…