Teaching and learning in grades 4-8

Hiring the Best Staff for Your School

What makes an educator a good fit for a school? While knowledge, skills and abilities are essential, candidates also need the right attitudes and dispositions. Rick Jetter’s narrative interview approach can help reveal those aspects, Allison Wilson says.

Mastering Global Literacy in the Classroom

Teachers beginning to think about how they can bring the world into their classroom will find that Mastering Global Literacy gives them helpful frameworks for understanding why teaching global competence to students is important, says ESL expert Susan Schwartz.

Paraphrasing Is Key to Deeper Comprehension

Paraphrasing is the first step on Sarah Tantillo’s “stairway” to deep reading comprehension and needs to be deliberately taught early in the school year. She shares a two-step process that can help students paraphrase strategically and offers a tool for student practice.

On the Very First Day (Be the Best You Can Be)

It’s the first day of school and your middle level students are acting like, well, adolescents. You’ve got to hook them quick, says teacher Elyse Scott. Forget the pre-tests and paperwork. Jump in and let them know how exciting your classroom universe is going to be.