Close Reading the Media / Pop Culture
by Frank Baker · Published 05/07/2018 · Last modified 11/21/2019
One way to reach and connect with today’s adolescents is to bring their pop culture into the classroom. Fads and favorites can be hooks to boost media literacy – from a hip-hop song to a clip from a popular TV show, a trending commercial or snippet from a current movie.
Kids on the Cusp / Teacher Evaluation
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 05/06/2018 · Last modified 12/04/2019
Mary Tarashuk just finished a required teacher self-assessment, using a large array of rubrics designed for her state by a former principal and leadership consultant. It has her wondering if top education and corporate leaders might benefit from a rubric, too? She offers a 1st draft.
Encouraging Quality / Heart of the School
by Rita Platt · Published 04/30/2018 · Last modified 12/01/2019
There is a growing flood of poor quality work being turned in by students. How can teachers turn the tide on rushed assignments filled with errors and unclear thinking? Teacher and soon-to-be principal Rita Platt shares her strategies for encouraging excellent writing.
Two Teachers in the Room by Elizabeth Stein explores how co-teachers can work together as effective partners to best serve all their students. Elizabeth OBrien recommends the book for people new to co-teaching and as a key resource in professional development settings.
Kids develop STEM habits in the classroom, but they spend most of their time outside of school. That’s where parents and other adults can help to inspire, support, and continue their children’s STEM learning. Anne Jolly’s tip-filled letter to caregivers can help.
In an age of fake news and the dismissal of science, teaching students to conduct research provides them with a critical skill. In “It’s a Matter of Fact,” teacher librarian Angie Miller shows how students across content areas can focus on a thesis and master resources.
Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Sypnieski provide ELL students the chance to read high-interest books independently. Literary conversations help ELLs interact with the texts, creating a classroom culture of shared literacy. The co-authors share six creative activities.
During the barrage of mandatory assessments each spring, it can be tempting to “decide to do very little with our students” between tests, says Curtis Chandler. But why not make every minute count? Teachers can do just that with these engaging cross-curricular activities.
Do teachers need to hire a PR firm or media consultants to effectively communicate their essential contributions to unaware constituents? Or can we begin to build more professional capital in our own schools and communities? Debbie Silver shares starting points.
If we expect students to achieve mastery, teaching consultant Rick Wormeli says, we must provide helpful feedback, document progress, and inform our instructional decisions with pertinent performance data. Yet many conventional grading practices render our data useless.
