The negative tone and unkind remarks adolescents use with one another make it tough to develop a classroom sense of community. They won’t learn to communicate appropriately without explicit instruction, write Samantha Layne and Susanne Croasdaile. Learn how UDL strategies help.
The decision to give students “extra credit” should be closely tied to a teacher’s reasons for grading, says teaching coach Barbara Blackburn. Do you grade to measure understanding, provide accountability or compare students? She includes a “redo” tool – her preferred option.
Lee Hancock’s “Talent Zones” provides a new perspective on developing talent and growing a healthy frame of mind in all our students and children – one that leads to confidence and success. School leader Virginia Hornberger urges teachers, coaches, parents to read it.
Making Questions Count / Self-Assessment
by MiddleWeb · Published 02/27/2024 · Last modified 09/16/2024
Not all students arrive in our classrooms, regardless of grade level, with the ability to self-question. We can support the development of this capacity with two strategies: providing prompts and stems, and including self-questioning in daily learning targets. See examples!
Students’ languages are one of the most effective tools they have to achieve academically, writes language specialist Tan Huynh. When we create space for heritage languages across the learning experience, we help students understand content and more fully express themselves.
Teachers become more effective when they embrace learning for all kinds of kids, including those who are both profoundly gifted and neurodiverse. Teaching coach Stephanie Farley shares ways to use choice, positive emotion, and novelty to engage and challenge every learner.
Women’s history is no longer in hiding, thanks to scholars who are documenting women’s impact on society. Middle grades teachers can help their students trace that history with these resources, just updated and expanded, for Women’s History Month and beyond.
The Reading Strategies Book 2.0 takes a great first edition and makes it even better, says literacy coach Pam Hamilton, noting Jennifer Serravallo’s contention that reading strategies are important across K-12. “This book should be in the hands of every teacher of reading.”
Responding to text can take many forms, write literacy experts Brenda Krupp, Lynne Dorfman and Aileen Hower. Teachers want to encourage sincere, honest responses where students share their thoughts, feelings, opinions, and insights about the fiction and nonfiction they read.
In his fourth post in a series exploring ways that digital literacy impacts teaching and learning in the middle grades, Jason DeHart considers a wide range of digital texts (including music, visuals, film, video) and notes changing trends in engagement among his students.
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