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Every year, millions of high school students graduate and move on to attend college or university. So many students follow this path that it has almost become an expectation for high schoolers to move immediately on to college after graduation. Of those millions upon millions of high school graduates, however, some don’t follow tradition – some take a year off between high school and college. This is called a gap year.

What exactly is a gap year, and what are the potential benefits? In this article, you’ll receive an overview of what a gap year is and the associated pros and cons. You’ll also receive tips for making the most of your gap year, should you choose to take one.

This TED Talk explains the benefit of taking a gap year.

What is a Gap Year?

Though many high school graduates move immediately to college in the fall after graduation, many students do not. The term “gap year” refers to the year off some students take between graduating high school and college. There are many reasons why a student might take a gap year. For many, a gap year is a time to work and save money to pay for tuition, lodging, and supplies while attending college. For others, it is something unexpected – an unplanned setback caused by an injury or significant life event.

Gap years first became standard practice in the United

Has your child started to withdraw from friends and family? Does he spend a lot of time on his own, seemingly uninterested in activities he once enjoyed? Have you noticed changes in his behavior, sleep, or eating habits? If you answered “Yes” to any of these, your child could be depressed. Many people think of depression and other mental health issues as adult problems, but the truth is that they can affect young adults and children as well.

Mental health problems are nothing to scoff at and they certainly shouldn’t be ignored. Childhood mental illness can affect the rest of your child’s life, depending on whether he gets treatment at a young age or not. Every child experiences mental illness differently so it is your job as a parent to know your child well enough to identify the signs and to take the initiative in seeking treatment. Keep reading to learn more about mental illness in children and to receive tips for supporting your child.

Mental Health Issues in Public Schools

According to the CDC, as many as one in five kids in the United States will exhibit signs of mental illness in any given year. This means that in a typical classroom of 25 students, as many as five of them will be struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, or other forms of mental illness. Unfortunately, about 80% of children who suffer from mental illness don’t get the treatment or support that they need which ultimately leads

Participating in extracurricular events is important for students of all ages but for middle schoolers, it is even more so. Your child’s middle school years can be challenging, with puberty being thrown into the mix along with standardized testing and more challenging academic standards. Student sports can be a great benefit to your middle schooler during this time, though there are also some drawbacks to consider. Keep reading to learn about the pros and cons of sports for middle schoolers and to learn how you, as a parent, can support your student-athlete.

This video from TheHealthyState presents Bonita Springs Middle School students and their physical education teacher sharing their thoughts on P.E. in schools. They speak in light of Florida House Bill 4057, which proposes removing the state mandate for P.E.

What Are the Benefits of Sports for Middle Schoolers?

Regular exercise is important for your child’s health and wellbeing, and sports are a great way to ensure that your child gets some exercise. Aside from the physical benefits of playing sports, there are some other benefits to consider. For example, a recent study has shown a link between physical activity and improved academic performance. The University of Kansas looked at the performance of students compared to their participation in athletics – the results of the study showed that student-athletes had higher GPAs and a 10% higher rate of graduating high school. It is

Being a teacher is one of the most difficult careers out there – it may also be one of the most thankless. Though there are certainly teachers out there who make the minimum amount of effort to keep their jobs, there are also plenty of teachers who take their roles as educators very seriously and who make it their life’s mission to improve the lives of their students. Regardless, there is no denying that teaching is a challenging job and the challenges seem to change with each passing year. Keep reading to learn about the top ten challenges facing public school teachers this year.

Top 10 Challenges for Public School Teachers in 2017

Though it is difficult to be a teacher in any capacity, public school teachers face an entirely different set of challenges than private school teachers. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are more than 50 million students enrolled in the public school system in the United States each year. Public schools typically have larger class sizes and less flexibility in regard to the curriculum than private schools – plus, they are subject to more rules and regulations than private schools. All of these things combine to create a unique set of challenges – here are the top ten:

1. Technology

Technology is rapidly improving and it has begun to proliferate every aspect of the average person’s daily life, including his education. Though technology can do some wonderful things, some teachers find

Education is constantly evolving and being reformed. Over the centuries, as the world has changed, so has the focus of childhood education. Today, early childhood education is aimed at introducing key subjects and core concepts that will be developed later in the child’s educational career but there is always debate about which educational methods are the best. Keep reading to learn about some of the top current trends in elementary school education.

Trend #1: Promoting Inquiry-Based Learning to Develop a Love for Science

No matter where you send your child to school, you are probably familiar with STEM education. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and is it an active style of education that focuses particularly on creating a student-centered learning environment. As part of STEM education, students engage in hands-on activities that use and develop their skills for questioning, problem-solving, and teamwork all the while addressing relevant real-life issues. In a STEM educational environment, teachers fill the role of a classroom facilitator – they act as a guide to students, helping them through the problem-solving process and creating lessons and projects that guide students toward proficiency in the content of the curriculum. The goal of STEM education is to develop students into becoming effective communicators and logical thinkers – they should also be proficient and literate in science, mathematics, and technology.

This video explains inquiry-based learning.

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