Hispanic Heritage Month / Resources
by Susan Curtis · Published 07/08/2023 · Last modified 09/05/2023
For over 50 years the United States has commemorated the achievements of Hispanic and Latinx Americans as well as learned about the discrimination they have faced over centuries. MiddleWeb’s resource collection can help students learn more about this rich and complex heritage.
Lesson Planning / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Tan Huynh · Published 03/07/2023 · Last modified 08/20/2023
This lesson planning template created by Tan Huynh and Beth Skelton serves the learning needs of both multilinguals and non-MLs in any subject. It helps assure planning is highly structured and intentional, lessons are accessible, and success is within reach of all students.
Educator Amber Chandler’s feel-good Movie Magic in the Classroom prepares any teacher to guide students through 10 films that address a range of SEL topics, from creating a sense of belonging to building an inclusive community, writes Sarah Cooper. For ELA, history and more.
The first step to taking control of your time is making the effort, and educator Frank Buck’s “Get Organized Digitally!” provides the rungs of the ladder to get you there. Department chair Stephanie Choate says Buck inserts educator success stories in just the right places. Highly recommended.
“Let’s face it, adolescence isn’t plump full of safety and confidence. It’s a developmental stage in which students want and need to be connected and valued.” No wonder middle schoolers dread the “correction” approach to grammar. Jeff Anderson and Travis Leech have found a better way.
Is there a price students must pay to earn a teacher’s respect? The posters in Dina Strasser’s classroom and school seem to frame “respect” as a transaction. Given the power and skill imbalance that exists between student and teacher, can that possibly be good practice?
Get kids engaged in narrative writing using Story in a Bag. ELA consultant Lynne Dorfman shows how this hands-on activity enlivens in-class and distance learning as it helps students build their writing fluency and encourages them to learn problem solving on the spot.
Rita Platt peruses lots of professional texts, but the books she reads each year to meet her personal Goodreads goal cross many genres. Some are funny. Some are scary. Some examine America’s urgent problems. Not your typical PD books, but they have plenty to say to educators.
Using reading comprehension strategies in the content area helps students build background knowledge and academic skills. Tara Dale and Mandi White, authors of The Science Teacher’s Toolbox, share four techniques they use to help middle schoolers grasp informational text.
In Climbing the Literacy Ladder Beverly Tyner offers a practical book with ready-to-implement ideas for grades PreK-5, including support for upper elementary teachers with early readers. Intermediate literacy coach Pam Hamilton recommends it as a versatile go-to resource.
