Deana Swanson

Being organized is often an indicator of a student’s success in school, and it certainly does help a student function Read More...

One of the most exciting tasks we teachers can pursue is cultivating curiosity in our students. When our students are Read More...

While most of our class time should be spent covering major concepts and the material in our textbooks, there is Read More...

This year marks my fourteenth year teaching full-time in a parochial school classroom, and it hasn’t always been easy. But, Read More...

Research papers are probably the most daunting of all assignments for school students. Keeping that in mind, these steps are Read More...

Dedicated teachers should be able to make just about any curriculum work well for their students. It may be challenging, Read More...

When I think back to when I was in school, I think science was my least favorite subject. It didn’t Read More...

There are many different publishers and textbooks available to schools, but all curricula are not created equal. Some are superior, Read More...

  Book Review: Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner by Persida Himmele & William Himmele One of Read More...

Daniel T. Willingham, a cognitive scientist, wrote this fascinating book about how the mind works, how this relates to student Read More...

While I do love teaching and enjoy my job greatly, it is stressful being responsible for little humans all day, Read More...

I began teaching before everyday Americans had computers or email in their homes. I remember when students had to get Read More...

Bible class is the most important class we teach. How can we make it come alive for students? What can Read More...

History is actually a class where we learn about real people and true stories about what they did. It should Read More...

Here are a few suggestions that I have found to be very helpful when teaching English classes. Too often, some Read More...

The first time I heard about them at Teachers Week about ten years ago, I had lots of excuses for Read More...

Note: The following article, written as an open letter, offers a mix of general principles and specific recommendations for leaders Read More...

I’ve been a fan of Michael Linsin for a few years now. I began with reading his information on classroom Read More...

While every classroom should reflect the personality of the teacher who teaches in it, there are a few additions that Read More...

Having a good seating arrangement can be a tremendous help in the classroom. If the right students are in the Read More...

The best kind of student motivation is intrinsic to the process of learning, but sometimes students need an additional incentive Read More...

After several years of teaching, I compiled a list of basic classroom management survival tips.  They have served me well, Read More...

Cramming for Bible memory is frustrating for both students and parents, and it is NOT hiding God’s word in their Read More...

What does making a Renaissance-era dome out of newspaper or role-playing a labor strike have to do with school? Learning, Read More...

Do your English students struggle with diagramming sentences? Sentence diagramming is a classic method for helping students see the structure Read More...

In this short ebook, Deana offers suggestions for having students write a few sentences daily, painlessly (hopefully). Students develop creative Read More...

You’ve taught the lesson. Your students have learned the parts of speech, the parts of government, or the parts of Read More...

Slavery. The births of Argentina and Brazil. The Industrial Revolution. Are your students’ eyes glazed over yet? Studying the past Read More...

Almost every school has a few students who need extra help and tutoring, yet many of our schools do not Read More...

Effectively motivating our students goes far beyond a piece of candy or a sticker chart. It is possible to create Read More...

Deana says, “I’ve had students beg not to go to recess so that we could finish reading a chapter of Read More...

Generation Alpha students are the children who have been born in the years after 2010. They are growing up surrounded Read More...