For starters, this is the wrong question to ask (we might consider asking instead, ‘How can technology support teachers?) but I see it come up more and more as technology both improves and disappoints in fulfilling its considerable promise–potential that ten years ago now seems naive in hindsight.

A few years ago, I approached this topic in Will Robots Replace Teachers? after doing an interview on the topic. In the post, I focused on the effects a ‘teaching robot’ might have on a classroom (an underlying assumption here being that a robot would be shoehorned into a traditional ‘classroom’ in a traditional ‘school).

“If robots replaced teachers…

…teachers can actually have time to plan.

…the robots can support and supplement teaching and assessment of learning while teachers can focus on building relationships with students, their families, and the communities they live in, contribute to, and depend on.

…teachers can work

contributed by Dr. Allen Mendler

While stress caused by common core concerns has dominated the recent education landscape, dealing with ‘difficult’ students remains the number one source of constant tension for most teachers.

Continual exposure to students who won’t behave or produce can quickly erode both confidence and well-being.

As a new school year approaches, the guidance offered by six ‘pillars’ can help you stay at the top of your game by dramatically influencing even your most challenging students to want to behave and achieve. Each pillar is explained followed by a few hands-on suggestions. Add or substitute other methods within each pillar to reflect your style and preference.

6 Strategies For Growing Closer To Your Most Challenging Students

1. Establish Trust

‘Difficult’ students may have difficulty trusting adults and authority figures, perhaps because they have been jilted in the past. Build trust so that you can build a real,

I saw this question on Quora recently and then most-upvoted response was curious to me, so I thought I’d offer my .02 as a teacher who sometimes struggled with this in practice.

And while I’m not sure it’d be widely useful for TeachThought readers and doesn’t really fit in with our typical content that focuses on critical thinking and innovation in education, I decided to share it here as well for any teachers who’ve been on either side of this scenario.

Question: What do other teachers think of the ‘cool teacher’ in school?

It depends on the nature of the ‘cool.’ It also depends on the school culture and the relationships the ‘cool’ teacher has built not only with students but other teachers and administrators. Content areas and grade levels would probably be factors as well–a ‘cool’ 2nd-grade teacher versus a high school drama teacher, for example. But broadly speaking,