Teaching and learning in grades 4-8

Help New Students Feel Truly Welcome

Too often students get little more than a schedule and a friendly pat as they enter new schools. Counselor Dana Worden is changing all that at Travis Ranch MS where student volunteers not only welcome newbies but buddy with them until they fully blend in.

Make a Fresh Start after Winter Break

The first days back after the holiday are a perfect time to strengthen behavior and culture in active classrooms. Libby Woodfin shares text and video tips that teachers can use to make the transition smooth and set the tone for the rest of the school year.

All About Rubrics: A MiddleWeb Resource

In this Resource Roundup we’ve pulled together a selection of classic and contemporary resources about the effective use of rubrics in the classroom. Follow the links and discover many examples of rubrics, devised for a variety of purposes.

A Resource to Support RTI in Secondary Schools

William N. Bender explains how to effectively use RTI in conjunction with differentiated instruction and technology strategies in all subject areas. Reviewer Sarah Iriogbe-Efionayi joins him in anticipating RTI’s move into secondary schools and its potential to significantly change instruction there.

How to Become an Organized School Leader

Annual resolutions to “get organized” usually fade quickly, despite ready access to smart devices and clever management apps. What we need, writes organizing expert Frank Buck, is some good advice. He begins his 5-part series with the digital calendar.

How Better Grading Reshaped My Teaching

A struggling student’s recent exclamation that she UNDERSTOOD a history lesson confirmed to Shara Peters that her new school’s grading policy improves teaching and student achievement by shifting the emphasis from earning a higher grade to achieving mastery.

My Nephew Wants to Be an English Teacher

When Mary Tarashuk’s college-age nephew tells her he wants to become an English teacher, she smiles a welcome because she can see the “essential fire” in his eyes. He will, she writes, face innumerable challenges, “but also innumerable moments of sheer joy.”

What’s Missing from That Media Message?

It seems, with the holidays upon us, that some companies have decided it’s a good idea to acknowledge underrepresented groups in their marketing, advertising, and media coverage. But consultant Frank W. Baker is wondering: What took them so long? He shares tips to raise student awareness.

Four Social Media Strategies for Principals

Principals can use social media to improve communication, provide information during school safety situations, increase collaboration, and enhance professional development. Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn argue, in fact, that social media is a leadership essential today.