Reshma Saujani offers insights about what it means for girls to be brave but not perfect. Teachers can pass her ideas on to their students, writes educator Bill Ivey, whether by internalizing them and sharing when needed or by actually studying Saujani’s book in class or in clubs.
Engagement / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 04/03/2019 · Last modified 11/14/2019
Among the outdated teaching still found in schools, coach and NBCT Elizabeth Stein singles out round robin or popcorn reading for immediate elimination. Other research-based strategies can easily be substituted and lead to a more effective and just learning environment.
It’s at the precise moment when students are bombarded by facts, whether historical or current, that we need to be especially vigilant, writes American history and current events teacher Sarah Cooper, paraphrasing historian Sam Wineburg. Sifting through sources has become a life skill.
Accessibility / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Valentina Gonzalez · Published 03/24/2019 · Last modified 12/11/2019
Simply making content available to students is not enough. We have to make it accessible to each and every one, including English learners. Specialist Valentina Gonzalez offers ways to identify obstacles to accessibility and create paths to learning in every subject.
Count on it, writes STEM educator Anne Jolly, spring is almost here and your students’ energy and concentration are about to start slipping. Nice weather and seasonal events interfere with lesson continuity. How can you snag your kids’ interest again? Citizen science!
No single practice stops cruelty, but a combination of proven strategies used by committed staff trained in anti-bullying will maximize impact. Michele Borba outlines six rules that can help defeat the culture of bullying and replace it with the power of character.
Classroom Equity / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 02/20/2019 · Last modified 11/30/2019
To meet the learning needs of students with diverse abilities in inclusion classrooms, NBCT Elizabeth Stein suggests a focus on equity. She offers four key strategies (with supporting resources) that align specifically with co-teaching strengths and student abilities.
Future of History / Student Research
by Sarah Cooper · Published 02/11/2019 · Last modified 11/23/2019
Sam Wineburg’s new book Why Learn History (When It’s Already on Your Phone) is a game changer, writes Sarah Cooper. Here she focuses on his ideas for teaching students to evaluate websites laterally in addition to vertically, in the manner of professional fact checkers.
Many millions of people who tune in to the 2019 Super Bowl will be there to watch the pricey, high-engagement commercials. Media literacy consultant Frank Baker explains how to teach about these “super ads,” approaching them as informational text worthy of close scrutiny and analysis.
Facilitating science-based research around real world problems empowers students through the skills they acquire and the subject knowledge they gain, says teacher Angela Duke. And what better topic than climate change? “The environment of the future will be theirs to live in.”
