Blog
How to Keep Kids Off Their Phones While Homeschooling
By: Scott Wilson | Sep 2, 2026
The most reliable way to keep kids off their phones while homeschooling is to agree on a spot where the phone goes during schoolwork, out of reach and out of sight. Set a clear return point, keep the work surface phone-free, and switch off notifications before the session starts.
Teachers have been working on this problem for a long time. Now it's your kitchen table.
Eyes down ...
AI Tools for Teachers: What Actually Saves You Time
By: Amanda Castillo | Apr 11, 2024
AI tools for teachers save the most time on lesson planning, worksheet and quiz generation, and administrative writing. Teachers who use them weekly report saving about 5.9 hours a week, according to a Walton Family Foundation and Gallup survey. The tools handle first drafts. You still verify standards alignment, accuracy, ...
Benefits of Teaching: What the Job Actually Gives Back
By: Amanda Castillo | Sep 15, 2023
The benefits of teaching fall into four buckets: skills you build by doing the job, learning the license itself requires, the standing you earn in a community, and real advancement paths. Each one carries a trade-off worth knowing before you commit. This is what the job actually gives back. Most articles ...
How to Choose a Teaching Degree Program: 7 Things to Check
By: Amanda Castillo | Aug 15, 2023
When you're choosing a teaching degree program, confirm it's approved by your state for the credential you want. Program approval is a key requirement for licensure eligibility, though you'll also need to meet your state's other licensing requirements. From there, compare degree level, route, clinical placement, and reported exam pass ...
How Technology Improves Student Outcomes in the Classroom
By: Dr. Jerri Ward-Jackson | Aug 9, 2023
How technology improves student outcomes comes down to who's driving it: teacher-led tools work; tech left to run itself doesn't. Alabama's ACCESS program gives students access to live AP courses their own schools can't offer, and interactive tools like virtual labs and educational games have been shown to support engagement, ...
AI in the Classroom: A Guide for Teachers
By: Amanda Castillo | Aug 2, 2023
AI tools like ChatGPT can speed up lesson planning, personalize practice problems, and free up grading time, but they also raise real concerns about plagiarism, outdated information, and over-reliance. Used with clear boundaries and a built-in fact-checking habit, AI works best as a teaching assistant, not a replacement for a ...
10 Best Side Hustles for Teachers to Earn Extra Income
By: Amanda Castillo | Aug 2, 2023
The best side hustles for teachers use skills you already have and fit around the school calendar: tutoring, selling lesson plans on Teachers Pay Teachers, coaching, and summer work like camps or online courses. Match the hustle to your subject expertise and your actual free hours, and treat summer break ...
How Education Policy Shapes Teacher Preparation Programs
By: Amanda Castillo | Jul 17, 2023
Education policy shapes teacher preparation programs through three main levers: program approval, required coursework, and the exams tied to each license. Teacher licensure and preparation-program approval are primarily controlled by states, so requirements vary across state lines. Check the rules where you intend to teach, not where you study. If you're ...
Rural STEM Education: Inside Alabama’s Black Belt STEM Institute
By: Dr. Chet Nicklas | Jun 27, 2023
Rural STEM education struggles less from a lack of student interest than from a lack of infrastructure: certified teachers, equipment, and travel budgets. In Alabama’s Black Belt, the University of West Alabama’s Black Belt STEM Institute answers that with coaching, credentialed training, and loaned equipment, staffed largely by people who ...
Teacher Certification Requirements: The Complete Guide
By: Amanda Castillo | May 17, 2023
Teacher certification requirements generally include a bachelor's degree, completion of a state-approved preparation program, passing scores on your state's licensure exams, and a background check. Exact steps, exam names, and renewal timelines vary by state and by pathway, so the traditional route and alternative certification don't always follow the same ...