When it comes to making educational resources, nobody knows better than teachers themselves. At NewsHour Classroom, our advisory board of educators help us make content that works for you! Keep reading to learn more about our brilliant teacher advisors.

Leah Aiwohi

Digital Media, STEM, Computer Science, & Information Technology teacher from Lihue, HI

School: Kauai High School

Why use current events in the classroom? Students are surrounded with what they 'presume' to be news but through social media platforms that are riddled with bias and misinformation. Using current events in teaching is important to help students discern fact from fiction and keep informed of actual events happening in society today.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Time-saving resources are so much appreciated but it's important that developers keep in mind ease-of-use, facility in adapting to different grade levels, and useability at any moment.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? CHOCOLATE

Sarah Debolt Badawi

Upper School Learning Support Coordinator from Akron, OH

School: Hawken School in Gates Mills, OH

Why use current events in the classroom? For our work in classrooms to be relevant to our students, we have to address what's going on in our country and the world and the questions young people have about them.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Get input from teachers!

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Coffee

Monica Belton

School social worker from Ashburn, VA

School: Loudoun County Public Schools

Why use current events in the classroom? Students, families, and communities are always aware of what is happening in our world, but may not always be aware of how it is effecting them and their lives. School social workers need to help people view current events through different perspectives that allow for open dialogue, understanding, and resolutions.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Don't be afraid of specific topics. If people aren't talking about it, they should be, so help guide the conversations.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Gluten free crackers!

Juan Campos

AP Environmental Science & Physics teacher from Garland, TX

School: North Garland High School

Why use current events in the classroom? So much of my content is related to current events; from environmental news to the latest technology and science discoveries related to physics. It’s great material to help make the content relevant and fresh and help my students connect with the content and me with them.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Make sure you meet your kids where they are, not where you think they should be, or where you hope they could be.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? RC Cola

Jean Darnell

6th-8th grade librarian from Austin, TX

School: Dessau Middle School

Why use current events in the classroom? Cultural relevancy, authenticity, and non-fiction realism.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Mobile compatibility, something true & brief w/a link for deeper content, free trial period, curated content that is authentically curated.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Chips (the crunch is stress relief)

Angela DeSarro

High School Employability Skills for Carpentry educator from Okeechobee, FL

School: Home Builders Institute

Why use current events in the classroom? The students need to be aware of what is going on in the world and how it affects them.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Activities should be cross curricular and meaningful to the student.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Chocolate chip cookies

Alexa Encarnacion

9th-12th grade History teacher from NY

School: Bedford Academy High School

Why use current events in the classroom? To effectively participate in a democracy, information literacy skills need to be bolstered in our students.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? They need to center people of color in their teaching resources to decolonize history. In particular, I want to center on Black people because my students are Black. They need to see themselves in their education.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Natures Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Bars Raspberry Real Fruit

Syd Golston

Secondary Social Studies consultant from Scottsdale, AZ

School: Phoenix Union HSD (retired)

Why use current events in the classroom? Civic mission of schools!

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Interactive lessons using online resources

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Coffee

Tremayne Lewis

3rd-5th grade Special Education teacher from Philadelphia, PA

School: Richard R. Wright Elementary School

Why use current events in the classroom? Events that are current that effect schooling too.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? To encourage more resources throughout the region.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Fruit snacks, health drinks and fruits in a bowl. Also, Snickers and Ritz Crackers!

Kory Loyola

10th-12th grade teacher from Sussex, NJ

School: High Point Regional High School

Why use current events in the classroom? I use current events because it's important for students to see what is going on in their world. They need to be informed citizens. I also use current events to connect history to the present. History helps provide context for current events so it's really valuable to help students to connect the dots between the past and the present.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? I would suggest that they make the resources easily accessible and user friendly. I would love to have more resources that ask students to engage in debates, discussions, and simulations.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? I didn't know that this existed, so while I'm dreaming this up, I'd love to have a nice spread of Spanish tapas! That would be lovely.

Liz Ramos

10th & 12th grade teacher from Rancho Cucamonga, CA

School: Alta Loma High School

Why use current events in the classroom? It is important for students to understand the world they live in and to be able to apply disciplinary and social justice standards to current events. Current events are also important to understanding the world they live in and take informed civic action.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Having engaging resources and scaffolding questions is helpful, especially to our new teachers. (I also work with pre-service teachers teaching literacy and methods). Also, having lexile differentiation is extremely given the diverse needs of students in a classroom.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Dark chocolate and coffee!

Sari Beth Rosenberg

11th grade US History & APUSH teacher from NY

School: High School for Environmental Studies

Why use current events in the classroom? It’s how you best empower & engage young people. Because at the end of the day, when I teach kids about history it’s so they can understand the context of current events when they are no longer in my class.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Short videos and materials that teachers can integrate in existing lessons.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Twizzlers & popcorn & apples

Tim Smyth

High School Social Studies teacher from Doylestown, PA

School: Wissahickon High School

Why use current events in the classroom? Students have access to world events as they happen. It is vital to put events into a historical context to help make meaning of the present. Students need a safe space to ask questions about the world around them. When current events are ignored in the classroom, the silence is deafening.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Teachers need lessons that are flexible and multi-modal so that we can reach learners on multiple levels. These lessons need to be written by, or at least advised upon, by current classroom teachers. Connections to Common Core and other standards are also helpful as many educators are tasked with making these connections in their lessons.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Chocolate

Kate Stevens

High school GT Coordinator & Instructional Coach from Fort Collins, CO

School: Poudre Global Academy

Why use current events in the classroom? We send a powerful message to young people that what they're living through and seeing isn't "classroom" appropriate when we ignore current events. Drawing on current events helps students apply skills in timely, present contexts. We can model the importance of staying informed and connected to the world around us.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? In the scroll, scroll, scroll digitalverse that many young people are living in, giving time and space to truly understand, slow down, and critically engage matters.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? You guys have stocked faculty rooms??? (Popcorn, please)

Ryan Werenka

11th-12th grade AP US Government & Politics teacher from Troy, MI

School: Troy High School

Why use current events in the classroom? I use current events in my classroom to make dry content about government and the Constitution relevant to students today. We start each class period with at least two student led current events and it is a great way to get students engaged and talking.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? I strongly recommend making educational resources available on editable formats such as Google Docs. Allow for educational resources to be editable gives teachers the flexibility to pick and choose what would work with their students, allows them to use resources within the time frame the teacher has available, etc.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Cliche for teachers, but a faculty room should always have apples. Apples are delicious, provide natural sugar, and also help cover coffee breath.

Ricky House

6th & 10th grade US History teacher from Arlington, VA

School: Maret School

Why use current events in the classroom? Current Events bring history to life and help students connect material we are learning to what is happening in the world.

What advice would you give to organizations making educational resources for teachers? Make sure resources are easy to use and relevant.

What snack should always be stocked in the faculty room? Golden Oreos! Or donuts!

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