Using an innovative idea from her district’s teacher-sharing day, Katie Durkin and her 7th grade ELA and Social Studies teams implemented a “motifs and lenses” strategy to strengthen students’ close reading of fiction and academic texts. She details their successful steps.
In a time of unprecedented teacher criticism, burnout, and flight, National Board Certification offers an opportunity for teachers to feel empowered and inspired, writes NBCT Marilyn Pryle. Best of all, the challenging, self-directed process helps good teachers become even better.
With so many daily classes, the working memories of adolescents get overloaded. Their evolving brains have not yet developed fluent coping strategies. To teach students to handle all the inflow, two experts share UDL strategies that build executive function and self-regulation.
Interactive student notebooks are a great way to reduce the amount of time your students spend on screens, writes middle school ELA teacher Jenna Smith. Her step-by-step example of a week-long literature study – plus how-to tips and lessons learned – make it easy to get started.
Fresh off seeing U2 in concert at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Stephanie Farley is still savoring the experience by describing it to others. New research says students can learn better and enjoy school more by savoring their own favorite memories. Farley shares some strategies.
The authors of Shifting the Balance (Grades 3-5) invite literacy educators in the upper elementary and early middle grades to “engage in both the headwork and the heartwork required to ensure our practices are science-aligned and student-centered.” And do it in a safe space.
Learning focused schools have a collective growth mindset and a shared belief that every student can learn and grow. Education leaders Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn share six characteristics that define such schools and offer ideas about how to accomplish each one.
Adolescents are particularly susceptible to circadian rhythms – the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle – writes principal Mike Gaskell. Educators can do more to plan academic lessons and other content to take advantage of peak learning times.
Without good math fact recall, many students become discouraged about building math knowledge and solving equations. Kathleen Palmieri uses song and movement to engage fifth graders in computation fluency. Watch the music and exercise videos that are hits with her kids.
If Regie Routman had to name the most important mindsets and actions for a full and flourishing life, “I’d say gratitude and generosity are at the top and are especially essential for living and thriving in challenging times.” All of which gets her thinking about Thanksgiving.
