Middle grades teacher Kathleen Palmieri uses a time-saving digital tool to create quick and concise visual instructions. Show students how to share a document, use an add-on, find an online resource and much more. Kathie outlines the basics and recommends a good YouTube how-to video.
The many Aha! moments in Chris Hall’s The Writer’s Mindset will lead the reader to reexamine classroom practices – from reimagining revision to building student self-awareness and much more. Literacy consultant Anne Anderson appreciates the activities that pack the book.
Belle O’Neill devoted three decades to classroom teaching before becoming a speaker and teacher educator. Her six principles of teacher professionalism are written with pre-service and novice teachers in mind and “may be used to build your reputation throughout your career.”
The end of every school year is always frantic. Especially this year, plan year-end celebrations that reflect your school’s values and recognize everything the staff has done to assure a successful school year, recommend Ronald Williamson and Barbara R. Blackburn.
Book talks are common in English Language Arts classrooms and libraries. But what about in the middle grades science classroom? Katie Caprino and Alyssa Marzili share how digital book talks can fit into science classes and offer book titles to catch students’ attention.
Class Apps / Formative Assessment
by Curtis Chandler · Published 04/04/2022 · Last modified 04/16/2024
One of the few silver linings to teaching in the pandemic has been a boost in teachers’ familiarity with and use of some pretty incredible tools, each designed to make it simple to gather evidence of learning with ease and efficiency. Curtis Chandler shares six favorites.
At Kasey Short’s middle school, drama teacher Aaron Mize brings students together to experience the creation and the performance of theater. See step-by-step how the middle graders put together shadow puppetry, monologues, workshop-improv scenes, song in a box, and plays.
365 Quotes for Teachers: Inspiration and Motivation for Every Day of the Year does what author and principal Danny Steele intends – motivates, challenges, and helps keep the job in perspective. Reviewer Anne Anderson suggests ways to use the book and offers some samples.
Students with special needs face a particular challenge in middle school. Literacy is crucial to understanding academic content, and for many, literacy is a weakness. Blackburn and Witzel offer strategies to help them see patterns, read fluently, and comprehend information.
Filled with great tips and references in a concise easy-to-access format, Bryan Harris’s book “17 Things Resilient Teachers Do (And 4 Things They Hardly Ever Do)” provides an authentic, must-have resource to build teacher resilience, writes teacher Laura Von Staden.
