Reflecting on Our Teaching / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 06/15/2014 · Last modified 12/04/2019
Co-teaching? Take a moment to reflect about on the year just past. What action steps did you take to amplify learning for you and your students? Elizabeth Stein recalls her action steps and shares 5 questions to help co-teachers do summer planning.
Kids on the Cusp / Last Days of School
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 06/09/2014 · Last modified 05/20/2025
What’s a teacher to do when vacation doesn’t begin until late in June and the classroom is hot, hot, hot? NJ teacher Mary Tarashuk tells how she’s planned so her 4th graders will stay focused & engaged, with the help of a just-in-time PTO gift.
The Teaching Life / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 06/03/2014 · Last modified 12/14/2019
The end of the school year has been difficult for Kevin Hodgson, as his 6th graders begin to abandon their collaborative community, looking ahead to summer and secondary school. He finds sustenance in a new book of poetry and teacher reflection.
Summer is upon us and we hope you’ll soon be able to settle in with a stack of books you’ve been looking forward to reading. Some fiction perhaps. And then a couple of books to grow on. Here are a dozen we’ve selected from among our MiddleWeb reviews.
Social Media / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 05/18/2014 · Last modified 12/03/2019
Elizabeth Stein constantly searches for professional development opportunities to strengthen co-teaching. Her district offers excellent PD, and she values virtual colleagues she’s found online. Lately her favorite PD comes with her own hashtag: #coteachat.
The topic of dictionaries came up in assorted conversations in the past few weeks, reminding Kevin Hodgson both of the power of those esteemed books of words as symbols of thought and scholarship, and the ways in which technology is completely altering the ease and means of how we find information when we need it.
Creating Content with Your Tablet by Susan Brooks-Young is just the ticket for any teacher who wants to integrate tablets and apps meaningfully, no matter the grade level or type of device being used, says reviewer Jennifer Underwood.
Donalyn Miller’s Reading in the Wild is a great workshop-focused resource for any ELA teacher who wants to cultivate lifelong reading habits and is “looking for a viable alternative to traditional instruction,” says teacher-reviewer Tyler McBride.
Continuing a long tradition, Mary Tarashuk reads a novel aloud to her fourth graders after lunch. But this year, in pursuit of “close reading,” she tries out several graphic organizers to help them probe deeper into the dramatic novel Red Kayak.
Former principal Sue Stephenson describes how she and a team of teachers recently helped seventh graders prepare and perform standup comedy routines, all the while learning serious writing, speaking and personal living skills. Video link included!
