In Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning, James Rickbaugh supports school leaders as they share the how-to’s and the why’s with staff. Instructional coach Debbie Parker thinks teachers can also benefit by gaining more understanding about implementation.
Teachers have lots of justifiable reasons to complain about their jobs, says author-educator Jenny Rankin. But “loving your work and experiencing peace and success on a daily basis are certainly within your reach.” Attitude isn’t everything, she says, but it helps to avoid toxic thinking.
Bambrick-Santoyo’s Get Better Faster offers a convincing argument and a comprehensive program for developing new teachers. Retired principal and teacher educator Mary Langer Thompson finds the 90-day plan sensible, fast paced, demanding, and dense with resources.
Close Reading the Media / Emotional Appeals
by Frank Baker · Published 02/19/2017 · Last modified 11/26/2019
That nostalgic Hallmark ad that touches your heart. A frightened woman stranded on a lonely road. What role does emotion play in media messages and how can educators help students recognize this powerful force? Media literacy expert Frank Baker has some answers.
Class Apps / English Language Learners
by Curtis Chandler · Published 02/14/2017 · Last modified 12/05/2019
Today, 75% of U.S. classrooms have English Language Learners. So the question isn’t whether teachers will be working with ELL students, but what can we do to help them be successful. Teacher educator Curtis Chandler shares some great online tools to help ELLs learn.
Positive and constructive self-assessments are what Mary Tarashuk wants for her fourth graders. Recently they used reflective writing to consider their own progress (and the progress of their class) more realistically, and to learn to set personal goals for growth.
Rather than “covering” a curriculum with instruction that’s driven by the chapters in a textbook, Diana Fenton and Nancy Van Erp advocate student centered standards-based lesson planning, relying on frameworks like Understanding by Design and concept-based teaching.
Jackie Walsh shares resources and strategies teachers can use to partner with students and create new roles and responsibilities in classroom questioning. Replace traditional “interrogation” with methods of inquiry that reveal understanding and strengthen learning.
Teachers should be Jedi Masters, called to be believers in our students and promoters of their ability to take charge of their own learning. ELA teacher and author Vicki Kahlenberg shares four writing strategies that foster autonomy through emulation and publication.
Current Events Humor / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 01/24/2017 · Last modified 11/12/2019
Discussing political news in class continues to feel like “walking on glass barefoot,” says Sarah Cooper. She’s drawn toward humorous interpretations of current events to reduce tensions. After some trial and error, Cooper uses four criteria for video selection.
