How can teachers help students become deep thinkers and creative problem solvers – skills needed to solve the pressing challenges facing global societies? STEM provides a pathway. Expert Anne Jolly poses 11 questions that can help teachers design effective STEM lessons.
Relating to Students / The Flexible Classroom
by Amber Chandler · Published 02/26/2018 · Last modified 11/16/2019
Every school has a Giver – a keeper of collective memories. ELA teacher Amber Chandler can’t believe she’s waited so long to call upon Frontier Middle’s own Giver, guidance counselor Matt Schoeffield. He’ll soon retire, after 40 years, but first he has a story to tell.
It’s Oscar season and media literacy consultant Frank W. Baker has ideas about leveraging student interest in movies to teach visual literacy skills and learn about cool careers. Lots of resources, including teacher tools at the Oscars website.
Messaging Matters provides practical notions and step-by-step models to strengthen communication and build a positive culture with your students, parents, and community. And you can implement them almost immediately, writes school counselor Wendy Adams.
Testing time can ramp up the anxiety of already stressed-out middle schoolers. During week-long testing at her school, media specialist Paige Garrison designed fun, relaxing early morning activities to give their minds and bodies a break. She shares her Week of Zen.
Co-teaching Success / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 02/20/2018 · Last modified 11/29/2019
As schools go through the annual Least Restrictive Environment process, special needs coach Elizabeth Stein is wondering – what happens once the decision is made? Read her tips to ensure students assigned to co-taught classrooms have something more than a “banking model” education.
Diverse Reading / Heart of the School
by Rita Platt · Published 02/18/2018 · Last modified 11/29/2019
How can we help students build understanding and empathy for people and cultures outside their own experience? Librarian Rita Platt launched the Books Without Borders reading challenge at her school. See how she does it. Materials and tips on acquiring books included!
Mindfulness, teacher self-care, and increased job satisfaction for teachers are currently hot topics. Teacher librarian Rita Platt finds Lisa J. Lucas’ helpful book, Practicing Presence, a welcome addition to the conversation about Social Emotional Learning for educators.
Book Reviews / Passion Based Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 02/15/2018 · Last modified 11/17/2019
In “The Passion-Driven Classroom: A Framework for Teaching and Learning” Angela Maiers and Amy Sandvold provide an inspiring and practical resource for educators who embrace or want to explore the student-centered focus of passion-based learning, says Jacie Maslyk.
Photos, zipper baggie quilts, stick puppets, story time capsules and more – all add to the learning in Simmons and Guinn’s collection of hands-on activities for kids in K-5. Educator Elizabeth OBrien says activities can be easily adapted from one subject area to another.
