As educators make their way back into the classroom after the winter break, some may be feeling weary—but nonetheless, they will return, and they will continue the good work of teaching tomorrow’s problem solvers. Here’s a poem by José Vilson that captures that determined spirit.

According to Kyle Zimmer, the president and CEO of nonprofit First Book, 2015 marked the first year that the majority of kids in public school in the United States come from low-income homes. What that means for First Book, which provides new books and other school supplies to educators with students in need, is that a lot more books are needed—500 percent more than four years ago. Go to firstbook.org to learn more, including what you can do to help.

For a quick snapshot of education reform in 2015, check out these ten quotes that highlight the major challenges in the education reform landscape. They’re focused on California, but most of the quotes speak to issues that all educators can relate to.

Education Week rounds up its most popular special education stories of the year (subscription required).

What are these Missouri school districts doing to help homeless kids graduate high school?

What happens when instead of suspensions, kids talk out their mistakes?

Looking for fun new closure activities to check for understanding and help students internalize new material they learned? Here are 22 good ones. Some of these, like sketching a book cover about the topic, sound really fun!

At Teaching Tolerance, justice educator Anna Czarnik-Neimeyer provides her best “strategies for renewal in the face of our necessary but very challenging work.”

Many students with ADHD struggle with math, which requires skills they tend to have difficulty with, like working memory. Smart Kids provides a few simple tips for educators to remember when working with these kids. (The Survival Guide for School Success provides many tools for kids to use.)

Brightly compiled “The Children’s Books That Took Our Breath Away in 2015.”

At Education Week, Peter DeWitt compiled “16 Books Educators Should Consider Reading in 2016.” It’s a sharp glimpse at what innovative educators are thinking about now.

Finally, click here to read about Daffodil, a Chihuahua that was born without front legs. Don’t worry, it’s a rescue story with a happy ending.

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