Practical and conversational, the ideas in Powerful Partnerships will inspire teachers and school leaders to examine family engagement practices and build partnerships that are collaborative, interactive, and learning focused, says literacy specialist Lisa Maucione.
K-12 and higher education veteran M. Scott Norton has written a book about the human resources role of principals. Retired principal Mary Langer Thompson finds the resources on school climate helpful, but disagrees that principals should take on major HR responsibilities.
Close Reading the Media / Literacy and Film
by Frank Baker · Published 11/28/2017 · Last modified 11/28/2019
Film, video and television media are powerful engagement tools for literacy teachers. Author and media consultant Frank W. Baker shares lots of ideas about using screenplays, closed captioning, and media-related projects to boost reading and other literacy skills.
Future of History / Writing in Social Studies
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 11/26/2017 · Last modified 12/12/2019
Lauren Brown’s eighth grade classes are undergoing a “writing revolution” since she discovered the ideas and strategies of Judith Hochman. Thanks to writing templates and explicit instruction, students are beginning to write more complex answers to history questions.
Heart of the School / Stress Avoidance
by Rita Platt · Published 11/19/2017 · Last modified 01/31/2024
Teaching truly is a never-ending job. You can’t stop time, but there are simple strategies to help you save time and decrease stress. Rita Platt offers 10 ideas to help put yourself in a teaching sweet spot instead of constantly struggling in a frantic survival zone.
Ralph Fletcher’s approachable book offers useful, practical guidelines on how to implement effective writing teaching. ELA teacher Erin Corrigan-Smith notes his emphasis on choice, voice, purpose and play will help students enjoy the daily writing he recommends.
Hands-on Science / The Science Lady
by Kathy Renfrew · Published 11/13/2017 · Last modified 11/13/2019
When science coach Kathy Renfrew agreed to fill in as a fourth grade science teacher, she got a centerfield view of the challenges faced by middle grades teachers in self-contained classrooms as they try to offer enriched, engaging, standards-based science lessons.
Math Homework / Meaningful Math
by Michelle Russell · Published 11/12/2017 · Last modified 11/23/2019
This fall Michelle Russell implemented a new policy of assigning but not checking math homework, and then checking homework understanding with short quizzes. After 15 weeks of school, she’s ready to share the results so far. Learn her “good, bad, and ugly” findings.
Paula Kluth and Julie Causton offer a book that uses everyday language, is punctuated with wit and humor, and genuinely addresses many of the obstacles that face co-teachers in their real-world classrooms, says special education lead teacher Laura Von Staden.
Successful Group Work can help teachers provide structure within groups of students to help classrooms run more smoothly, says teacher Stacey Knighton. It’s most likely to be useful to a beginning teacher or someone just starting to do collaborative team work.
