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 HOW LEARNING HAPPENS
Tia Tsosie Begay is a fourth-grade teacher at a small public school on the outskirts of Tucson, Ariz.

Tia Tsosie Begay is a fourth-grade teacher at a small public school on the outskirts of Tucson, Ariz. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption

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50 Great Teachers

A 'Wisdom Keeper' Draws From A Deep Well Of Navajo Culture

In the Navajo culture, teachers are revered and trusted. Tia Tsosie Begay is no exception, making sure her fourth-graders know that "someone believes in them."

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Teacher in classroom being directed by a trainer
Annette Elizabeth Allen for NPR

Learning & Tech

A 'No-Nonsense' Classroom Where Teachers Don't Say 'Please'

WFAE

To get, and keep, students on track, teachers are trying a different method of classroom management called no-nonsense nurturing.

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Girl Watching Activity on Playground
Oliver Bevan/Illustration Works/Corbis

Play

Turns Out Monkey Bars And Kickball Might Be Good For The Brain

KERA

Research shows that, like adults, kids benefit from frequent breaks while working. So, a handful of schools in North Texas are experimenting with more recess.

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Stephanie Johnson teaches special education classes at Oak Canyon Junior High School in Lindon, Utah. She says the paperwork is a constant frustration.

Stephanie Johnson teaches special education classes at Oak Canyon Junior High School in Lindon, Utah. She says the paperwork is a constant frustration. Alex Hale for NPR hide caption

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K-12

It's Not Easy Teaching Special Ed

Teachers in some of the toughest jobs in education are overworked and stretched thin. One dedicated special ed teacher in Utah says she thinks about leaving constantly.

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Haley on the Willamette River.

Haley on the Willamette River. David P. Gilkey/NPR hide caption

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50 Great Teachers

Teaching Grit On The Water: A Top Coach Mixes Rowing With Life

For more than a decade, a rowing coach in Oregon has been teaching teenagers the value of hard work with tough love that sticks.

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College senior Becca Arbacher has a double major at Columbia in New York City — one of the most expensive colleges in America.

College senior Becca Arbacher has a double major at Columbia in New York City — one of the most expensive colleges in America. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption

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Higher Ed

3 College Seniors Contemplate Their Appointment With The Real World

Senior year of college for three students from Montgomery County, Md. brings the usual: fear, joy, anxiety, jobs. But does where they went to college change the outcome?

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