When Cheryl Mizerny invited her 6th graders to pursue a “passion project” of their own choosing, she included the option to help someone in need. The results surprised her. “I greatly underestimated my students’ capacity for wanting to make a difference.”
Kids on the Cusp / Standardized Testing
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 02/11/2015 · Last modified 11/13/2019
New Jersey teacher Mary Tarashuk finds herself in a traffic-snarled “PARCCing lot” waiting for March testing madness to begin. In a new Kids on the Cusp post, she lists her concerns –including a PARCC 4th grade reading test sample that levels at Grade 9.
Future of History / History & Current Events
by Sarah Cooper · Published 02/08/2015 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Like many history teachers, Sarah Cooper begins her classes with a current events discussion. Sometimes it can be harrowing, “especially when acts of terror occupy the stage.” She reflects on ways teachers can help students cope through positive action.
What makes a lesson or unit STEM-worthy? Expert Anne Jolly evaluates two actual lessons that have been given the STEM label. Each incorporates science, math, group work and technology, but one fails the ultimate STEM test. She details the reasons why in this insightful article.
Teachers who want to combine deep reading of poetry with the joy of discovery will find engaging lessons and activities in Georgia Heard’s Poetry Lessons to Meet the Common Core. Reviewer Linda Biondi praises the book’s strategies to “live with a poem for a week.”
Helping students develop into strong writers is difficult work. Fortunately, as teacher Kevin Hodgson discovered recently, the Common Core emphasis on writing in every content area means there are many more colleagues with ideas to share.
Altering Perspective / Future of History
by Jody & Shara · Published 01/25/2015 · Last modified 12/06/2019
When student teams create skits to gain perspective on different aspects of the same historical event, they may begin to grasp complexity of history. Sometimes they leap to fresh insights, as they did during a Revolutionary battle in Jody Passanisi’s classroom.
Jim Knight’s Unmistakable Impact: A Partnership Approach for Dramatically Improving Instruction focuses on school leaders working with an instructional coach in a partnership model, says principal Matt Renwick. But he finds value in the book for other leaders who lack a coaching model.
Stressing the need to provide wide fiction and informational text choices, the authors consider the needs of all readers while offering extensive activities for all classrooms. Reviewer Jenni Miller found the book “wonderful” – both informative and encouraging.
What happened to classroom play and activities like dramatic storytelling? How do we bring it back? Kevin Hodgson finds answers in Kevin Cordi’s lively book Playing with Stories, which suggests ways to use storytelling as literacy and speaking practice.
