In Causes & Cures in the Classroom, author Margaret Searle provides detailed exemplars for getting to the root of students’ academic and behavioral problems. To reduce feelings of inadequacy, read the last chapter first, says reviewer Sarah Grieb.
Every art teacher could benefit by having The Art Teacher’s Survival Guide for Elementary and Middle Schools by Helen Hume in their personal libraries, says reviewer Carrie Manders. It may not be one you use every day, but it is one to reference on a regular basis.
Falling in Love with Close Reading by Lehman & Roberts has cured the close reading fatigue of reading coach Katie Gordon. “I’m learning about the invisible processes I use as a reader so I can reveal them to students for whom they are not automatic.”
Introducing the concept of product placement, using pop culture images and sporting events, is a great way to jump-start students’ critical viewing and grow their media literacy skills, says expert Frank Baker. Key questions for analysis included.
Students with learning disabilities can meet high expectations and thrive in Common Core classrooms with the right teacher supports, say “rigor” experts Barbara Blackburn and Bradley Witzel. They recommend several proven scaffolding strategies.
Many teachers are frustrated by Common Core directions to ignore prior knowledge when teaching students to analyze texts, says literacy coach Laura Robb. She recommends a proactive approach: show students how to do it for themselves. Tips included!
Reviewer Fran Loose, PhD, finds Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom is a valuable resource for beginning and veteran teachers, in general and special ed, in K-12 and university settings. It’s a book best read once then revisited periodically.
The Essentials of Mathematics K-6: Effective Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment provides a general overview of curriculum development, but with its 2006 copyright, reviewer Susan Mielechowsky finds its use limited in the current Common Core environment.
Former middle grades teacher Daniel Fountenberry says his experiences struggling to organize group reading sessions among students with varied reading skills led him to develop adaptive technology that tailors the “same” book to different readers.
The Essentials of Science, Grades 7–12: Effective Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, by Rick Allen, is a great reference to use when preparing to teach a new unit or reflecting on a lesson recently taught, says reviewer Deborah Gaff, who likes Allen’s inquiry focus.
