STEM By Design / STEM Mid-Year Review
by Anne Jolly · Published 12/20/2015 · Last modified 11/22/2019
The midpoint of the school year is a great time for STEM educators to do a quick program checkup, says curriculum expert Anne Jolly. She offers five STEM progress indicators that can help teachers identify examples of success and any needed adjustments.
Help middle graders take the next step in environmental studies & awareness. Using USDA resource materials, students can join the effort to uncover and eradicate the invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle which threatens 70% of the tree canopy in the United States.
Like many other teachers, Curtis Chandler is trying to uncover all he can about learning and cognition to better understand and serve his students. Here he shares 3 brain-savvy teaching principles – beginning with the primacy-recency effect – drawn from recent research.
How can we judge the effectiveness of students bringing their own electronic devices to class? Matt Renwick’s checklist looks at whether devices meet all students’ needs, how they are involved in choosing devices, and whether they’re able to collaborate in class and beyond.
A class full of middle schoolers are ready to learn. But supplies are low, technology is sparse, and you have already spent too much of your own money for the classroom. Educational consultant Anne Anderson repurposes 3 classroom staples you’re sure to have.
Healthy Teaching / It's Not Easy Being Tween
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 11/29/2015 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Have you been there as a teacher? Overwhelmed, weary, dissatisfied – not taking care of your physical and emotional health – not happy with your professional performance? Cheryl Mizerny got there this fall and shares some of what she’s doing to bounce back.
Co-Teaching & Gratitude / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 11/22/2015 · Last modified 11/06/2023
During a recent November Elizabeth Stein gave thanks for research she’d discovered showing the power of gratitude. No surprise, she shared ideas about using the research to strengthen co-teaching. Further, she invited readers to join her in being thankful for IDEA on its 48th Anniversary.
If demoralizing teachers worked, then our educational system would already have reached a state of perfection. Instead, says reviewer Jenni Miller, policymakers can find a true roadmap for change in Richard DuFour’s “In Praise of American Educators And How They Can Become Even Better.”
“I’m just like my country, I’m young scrappy and hungry, and I’m not throwing away my shot,” sings Alexander Hamilton in the Broadway show on his part in American history. Jody Passanisi & Shara Peters are enthusiastically sharing “Hamilton” with their 8th graders.
Co-teaching Models / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 11/10/2015 · Last modified 11/24/2019
As weeks turn into months, co-teachers can look back to gauge how well their partnership is working and then consider adjusting their practice to benefit all students. Elizabeth Stein suggests revisiting and implementing four tried and true co-teaching models.
