Patty McGee invites teachers to infuse some “Harry Styles magic” into social-emotional learning. In countless ways, Styles’ lyrics can be surprisingly fun and effective to build emotional IQ, acting as springboards for exploring and learning about our emotional landscape.
A Learning Culture / Making Questions Count
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/30/2023 · Last modified 07/17/2024
What teachers do the first weeks of school has a dramatic effect on student engagement and achievement the rest of the year. Building a classroom culture of learning and questioning – co-created with students – paves the road to success. Jackie Walsh and colleagues show us how.
Thomas Newkirk urges ELA educators to move beyond simply assigning formulaic writing grounded in rubrics and include more fiction writing. Using research as well as student and teacher voices, he shows the benefits of encouraging creativity. A call to action, says Katie Durkin.
How is teaching like marketing? In student-centered classrooms, relatable lessons motivate students because they connect and have emotional appeal, writes teacher and former marketer Kelly Owens. In turn, engagement leads to purposeful work, supporting more on-task behaviors.
A New School Year / New Teacher Tips
by Curtis Chandler · Published 08/13/2023 · Last modified 07/17/2024
As schools open their doors for a new year, preservice educator Curtis Chandler urges novice teachers to prioritize the two crucial elements most likely to fuel student success in the months to come: teacher relationships with students and clarity about classroom expectations.
Adolescent Development / Book Reviews
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/10/2023 · Last modified 06/23/2024
Phyllis Fagell’s Middle School Superpowers offers parents and educators productive ways to help tweens deal with change, social missteps, missed opportunities and disappointment as they encounter adolescent challenges. A must read, says consultant Anne Anderson.
If you’re looking for a book to guide your community of educators in collaborative reflections on math practice, Nicora Placa’s book will give you the tools. The practices will jump off the page with ready-to-use protocols and debrief questions, writes math educator Mona Iehl.
Be ready for the school year with 4-week learning calendars that identify critical routines for school success and guide instruction that enhances working memory. Shannon Costley and Susanne Croasdaile share tips to ensure this brain-based strategy meets your students’ needs.
To teach students to master standards while also cultivating a love of reading, Laura Robb offers new ideas and resources and a new outlook on old practices in Increase Reading Volume. It is exactly what teachers need for their reading blocks, says literacy leader Sarah Valter.
The reality of teaching in a co-teacher role was sometimes a rough ride, writes author and co-teaching coach Elizabeth Stein. Three things helped keep her strong, and one of them proved to be the key to solving all her co-teaching puzzles: the Universal Design for Learning.
