This Halloween, don’t miss 4th grade teacher Mary Tarashuk’s self-assessment of how she managed learning on a delightfully creepy day. First presented a year ago, still just as funny. “It’s not all about sugar, but sugar anticipation is in the air.”
STEM By Design / STEM Teacher Development
by Anne Jolly · Published 10/15/2014 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Your school wants to offer STEM classes to its students. How do you select teachers? And what professional development and other supports will teachers need to successfully involve students and facilitate projects? STEM expert Anne Jolly shares ideas.
Learning to code is an important new literacy. But how, wonders edtech coach Emily Vickery, do we close the opportunity gap between those who have access to coding instruction and those who don’t? Vickery suggests some resources that can help less advantaged students cross the divide.
Whether you’re a principal, staff developer or teacher leader, you’ll find ideas to convey your PD message effectively in this checklist adapted from “The Ten-Minute Inservice” by experts Todd Whitaker and Annette Breaux. One tip: Walk your talk.
When bickering and bullying began to weaken her classroom culture, 6th grade teacher Mackenzie Grate tried a simple but powerful strategy involving pink and green sticky notes, 30 brown paper bags, and some brutal honesty. The results were impressive.
Have you ever sat in a meeting and were afraid you might nod off? Reviewer Linda Biondi recommends Energize Your Meetings! The easy-to-implement guide offers 35 strategies for leaders to help all attendees feel engaged and valuable.
Amber Chandler has participated on both sides of the Parent Teacher Conference. Here she offers novice teachers five strategies they can use to establish productive relationships, address parent concerns, and find ways to help parents “do something” for their children.
Kids on the Cusp / Parent Engagement
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 09/23/2014 · Last modified 11/21/2019
As a 4th grade teacher, Mary Tarashuk is responsible for helping her students begin the transition from early to more independent learning. At Back-to-School Night, Tarashuk talked with parents about why kids will benefit from some academic struggle.
When ELA teacher Ariel Sacks wrote a book tying the teaching of novels to student empowerment, her hopes for reader interaction were modest. Now she’s become part of a community of connected educators, digging deep into everyone’s ideas.
Teaching with Heart gives voice to teachers and explores the nature of teaching in a totally new way. Reviewer and teacher-leader Ariel Sacks also finds it a testament to the power of poetry in a culture that often forgets its value.
