Author: MiddleWeb

How We Can Celebrate Every Student as a Writer

In Celebrating Writers: From Possibilities to Publication, Ruth Ayres & Christi Overman provide clear, powerful ways to recognize and encourage the writer in all students – even those reluctant ones, says middle grades ELA teacher Kevin Hodgson.

Useful Advice Helps Students Ignite Potential

Reviewer Susan Shaver recommends Igniting Your Potential to help adolescents develop into responsible & successful adults. The conversational writing & organization make the book good for sharing with parents & teens or in guided class discussions.

Teaching in High Gear: The Classroom Coach

In her new book Teaching in High Gear, middle school teacher Marsha Ratzel describes a transformational journey, marked by a gradual shift toward student-driven learning and energized by a global network of collaborators. In this excerpt, Marsha describes how her development of a “coaching mode” helped students become more self-reliant learners.

Updating Our Recipes for Learning – and Biscotti

Whether it’s Grandma’s biscotti recipe or a lesson plan, adding new ingredients (like digital tools) shouldn’t distract from the end result you seek, says teacher and technology consultant Mike Fisher. “The modern mindset is really about willingness, not digital knowledge. It’s about trying new things and exploring new tools and avenues for instruction WITH the students rather than FOR the students.”