Kevin Hodgson’s sixth graders experience systems thinking when they explain Rube Goldberg contraptions, design interactive stories, and diagram sports plays. Hodgson offers many examples of student work and shows how the approach addresses Common Core objectives.
Responsive Classroom’s 50 brain breaks give kids a chance to rest their brains by redirecting their minds. Some are calming, some are energizing, and all help students refocus & release stress. Quick, easy and student approved, says teacher Linda Biondi.
Articles / Book Reviews / Reading / Whole Novels
by MiddleWeb · Published 03/16/2017 · Last modified 07/07/2024
Ariel Sacks’ Whole Novels for the Whole Class is “the ultimate teacher-friendly manual for accommodating all students around a single book,” says ELA veteran Mary Tedrow, who finds Sacks’ practical specificity convincing and her confidence infectious.
Class Apps / Emotional Learning
by Curtis Chandler · Published 03/14/2017 · Last modified 11/15/2019
How students feel about what is being taught and what they’re being asked to do works either as a catalyst or a deterrent to learning. Curtis Chandler shares activities and digital resources to help boost engagement and achievement by ’emotionalizing’ learning.
Close Reading the Media / Covering the Presidency
by Frank Baker · Published 03/13/2017 · Last modified 11/26/2019
How the news media functions and how it covers the White House are important for today’s students to understand, says media literacy expert Frank Baker. He reviews current controversies growing out of President Trump’s “war on the media” and offers teaching ideas.
Explaining that middle school is “the unspoken linchpin in establishing a positive trajectory for career and college success,” Principal Robert Messia shares eight tested strategies for helping students understand and begin to prepare for the possibilities ahead.
Building a STEM Program / STEM By Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 03/07/2017 · Last modified 11/25/2019
When Anne Jolly is asked for advice about creating STEM programs, she’s quick to say there’s no one-size-fits-all blueprint for STEM learning. Even so, she believes there are eight components any district, school or classroom initiative must have to be effective.
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.
Current Events / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 03/05/2017 · Last modified 11/21/2019
Social studies teacher Sarah Cooper improved classroom conversation and debate when she let students select and then rate current events articles as “super,” “okay,” or “not that great for discussion.” Cooper shares her process and some samples from each category.
Calculators in Class / Meaningful Math
by Michelle Russell · Published 02/26/2017 · Last modified 12/10/2019
Math teacher Michelle Russell is rethinking her open-use policy toward calculators in her classroom. Is ready access hindering students’ grasp of the fundamentals? She’s decided to be more intentional about timing and helping her students recognize reasonable answers.
