Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn advocate for a three-step teacher evaluation process that emphasizes pre- and post-observation conferences designed to promote full teacher ownership and collaboration, with an emphasis on recognizing strengths and planning for growth.
In the conclusion of their two-part series on supporting student research, our classroom teacher-authors share an Inquiry Chart tool educators can use to coach middle graders as they discuss how their findings are coming together, annotate their work, and plan next steps.
We can spark student interest in STEM studies and careers with stories of middle school-aged inventors who gained the world’s attention by solving a real problem. STEM author and curriculum expert Anne Jolly tells the story of eight such kids. Editable student handout included!
Future of History / Understanding Religions
by MiddleWeb · Published 10/06/2024 · Last modified 10/15/2024
Social studies teacher Lauren Brown makes the case that learning about the history and culture of Judaism, Christianity & Islam is critical for today’s middle school students and offers a useful guide that she believes can help with curriculum development and lesson planning.
This fall with some tweaks and fresh online tools and resources, Halloween can be fun and packed with learning. Check out MiddleWeb’s updated resource collection for ideas across the content areas.
With so many students experiencing stress, David Campos and Kathleen Fad help K-8 teachers understand anxiety and then implement strategies to help anxious students. Other students can benefit, too. MS leader and teacher Kasey Short sees their book as an essential tool.
Media literacy educator Frank Baker never imagined that his graphic novel – a true family saga of the Holocaust – “would be criticized and restricted in the middle schools of a district near where I reside.” He tells what happened in this contribution to Banned Books Week.
Delving into commonly held beliefs about learning math and discussing productive struggle and growth mindset are central to Lidia Gonzalez’s Bad at Math?, a thoughtful look into what can be done to make math accessible to all students, writes math teacher Kathleen Palmieri.
The Freelance Educator is an easy read and a practical look at the beginning steps you’ll need to take to convert your knowledge as an educator into part- or full-time work in the world of freelance professional development, says literacy coach and PD provider Tanya Ray.
Teaching guru Barbara R. Blackburn returns to her roots in the classroom to give new teachers a list of quick tips – 26, one for each letter of the alphabet – all ideas that will help newbies launch and navigate their journeys. Included: her list of links to essential resource websites.
