As you watch kids pile back into the classroom after a holiday break, you may notice that they need to engage in some active lessons to work off excess energy and get back into the swing of learning. Try this fun STEM launcher activity shared by Anne Jolly.
High School Preparation / The Flexible Classroom
by Amber Chandler · Published 12/26/2017 · Last modified 12/03/2019
Amber Chandler envisions her middle schoolers as cupcakes in the making as she considers the need for teachers to support each other from elementary through graduation. Read about ways she’s strengthened her unit on The Giver to emphasize high school writing skills.
Today’s students have to learn to shift their writing styles to meet different real-life purposes, says ELA teacher-author Jeremy Hyler. Teachers should understand the different contexts (school, work, and personal) and help students learn to “code switch” as needed.
Co-teaching Reflections / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 12/24/2017 · Last modified 12/05/2019
Successful co-teaching is quite simple, says coach Elizabeth Stein. “All you need to do is keep them engaged.” Engagement begins by caring about what students think and feel as you design and deliver instruction – accepting ownership of your personal role in their success.
Looking for books that might inspire or help you grow as an educator? Perhaps you’ll find one in this winter reading collection, chosen from among our 2017 MiddleWeb book reviews. We’ve included content area titles, teaching strategies, leadership tips, and more.
Character Building / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 12/20/2017 · Last modified 11/14/2019
Mary Tarashuk’s fourth graders are immersed in Wonder this semester. As they view the new film based on R.J. Palacio’s novel, they are also embracing Auggie Pullman’s story in class. Mary shares resources she is using to enrich their experience in understanding kindness.
This story by Ruth Ayres, from her new book Enticing Hard-to-Reach Writers, is a holiday gift to novice educators everywhere and to any teachers still wondering whether their students can ever learn to love writing so much they stop turning in incomplete assignments.
So often we miss opportunities to deepen our students’ thinking about mathematics that would require just a few moments of our teacher time. Take a minute to look at these 10 simple strategies from Jerry Burkhart that transform formulaic math problems into explorations.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Reading
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 12/17/2017 · Last modified 12/11/2019
We know adolescents read far less than younger children. Classroom practices often don’t help, writes ELA teacher Cheryl Mizerny. By discarding strict regimes, she says, educators can increase the love of reading among tweens and teens and put the joy back into books.
This resource-rich book of comprehensive lessons is great for teachers who want to challenge 4th and 5th graders or for middle school educators looking for a way to bridge the gap from where students are to where they need to be, says ELA teacher Erin Corrigan-Smith.
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