Teaching and learning in grades 4-8

10 Ways to Build the Trust Kids Need to Learn

It’s difficult to learn from someone we don’t trust, writes literacy consultant Regie Routman. Bonding with individual students and their families builds that trust. Routman offers 10 ways to make sure that none of our students ever become “mostly silent and unseen.”

Media Literacy: Learning from the Oscars

It’s Oscar season and media literacy consultant Frank W. Baker has ideas about leveraging student interest in movies to teach visual literacy skills and learn about cool careers. Lots of resources, including teacher tools at the Oscars website.

Why We Need to Entice Hard-to-Reach Writers

In Enticing Hard-To-Reach Writers, Ruth Ayres offers wide ranging ideas and resources to help all students become writers because “when writers believe their words matter, nothing can stop them.” We begin, reviewer Mary Langer Thompson notes, by getting our hearts right.

Use Messaging to Build Positive School Culture

Messaging Matters provides practical notions and step-by-step models to strengthen communication and build a positive culture with your students, parents, and community. And you can implement them almost immediately, writes school counselor Wendy Adams.

Reduce Testing Stress With Daily Zen Activities

Testing time can ramp up the anxiety of already stressed-out middle schoolers. During week-long testing at her school, media specialist Paige Garrison designed fun, relaxing early morning activities to give their minds and bodies a break. She shares her Week of Zen.

Simple Self-Care Strategies for Teachers

Mindfulness, teacher self-care, and increased job satisfaction for teachers are currently hot topics. Teacher librarian Rita Platt finds Lisa J. Lucas’ helpful book, Practicing Presence, a welcome addition to the conversation about Social Emotional Learning for educators.