Instead of letting students take a nosedive into mindless games on screens when you have extra minutes at the end of the class, entice your learners with brain boosters that have them wanting to return for more. Sharon Ratliff shares several favorites with tips and examples.
Arab American Heritage Month / Resources
by Susan Curtis · Published 03/22/2025 · Last modified 04/14/2025
During Arab American Heritage Month students explore the diversity within the Arab community, its members’ contributions to the United States, and the discrimination many Arab Americans have faced in the 21st century. This resource collection can help with the exploration.
By revealing and humanizing stories from the past, historical fiction fosters curiosity, inspires empathy, stimulates critical thinking, and helps develop understanding of complex issues. Kasey Short shares questions, activities and titles to help students benefit from the genre.
Working with kids in the middle grades has never been harder. We can’t do it alone. Building trust between parents and teachers is crucial, writes middle level leader Jody Passanisi. “When there’s trust, we can work together to support kids through challenges and successes.”
When students learn to both regulate their emotions and apply executive function strategies, they become more engaged learners who are better at managing stress, staying focused, and solving problems. Marilee Sprenger shows how SEL and EF work together in various subject areas.
Women’s history is no longer in hiding, thanks to scholars who are documenting women’s impact on society. Middle grades teachers can help their students trace that history with these resources, just updated and expanded, for Women’s History Month and beyond.
Cooperation among teachers, parents, students, and administration has been key as Katie Durkin’s middle school has adopted a strict phone-free policy this school year. She cites three factors that she believes account for a smooth transition and shares her hopes for the future.
Setting goals across all subject areas is an important practice that helps students at every grade level excel academically and nurtures essential life skills. Incorporating mindfulness into this process strengthens student focus and resilience, writes Kathleen Palmieri.
I Will Screw This Up / Real Self Care
by Dina Strasser · Published 02/08/2025 · Last modified 02/09/2025
When teacher Jay Wamsted tweeted about why and how teachers should leave school on time and not work at home or on weekends, he lit up social media as teachers took sides for and against his proposition. In Dina Strasser’s interview, Wamsted explains and expands on his thinking.
Effectively managing resilience has never been more important for educators. In the first of her five-part series, teacher educator Julie Schmidt Hasson shares what she has learned about the need to manage our educator batteries and sets the stage for a battery management plan.
