Responding to a survey by Rita Platt, middle graders reveal what worked and what didn’t for them during their spring of virtual learning: more freedom and free time warred with tech glitches, months without friends, and less time with teachers. Rita shares some things we might do better.
Reading teachers work hard to meet the needs of individual students in small groups. Yet many students struggle while reading self-selected books. Meghan Duermit and Sunday Cummins offer ways to build stronger bridges of support from guided instruction to joyful independent reading.
Two Teachers in the Room / Universal Design for Learning
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 06/30/2020 · Last modified 08/02/2023
As we consider what school will look like this fall, teaching coach Elizabeth Stein shows how the Universal Design for Learning gives educators flexibility to teach effectively within and without any learning space – fully in person, fully remote, or using a hybrid model.
Future of History / History & Current Events
by MiddleWeb · Published 06/29/2020 · Last modified 08/12/2020
The antiracist protests occurring across the country since the killing of George Floyd have led Lauren Brown and Sarah Cooper – two white female middle school social studies teachers – to consider even more deeply “how best to teach U.S. history.” Join the conversation.
How can teachers plan successfully this summer when they don’t know what teaching will be like in the fall? ELA/science teacher Jeremy Hyler is investing time creating lessons driven by Hyperdocs – a flexible strategy he can use face to face, online, or in a blend.
In Part 2 of a series on using picture books in middle school, Jennifer Sniadecki and Jason DeHart focus on “the simple power” of stories with minimal text to set the stage for lessons, provide background knowledge, and make efficient use of daily class time. Example: Eva Bunting’s Terrible Things.
We enjoy publishing MiddleWeb articles that team a school-based teacher and a school-focused author/consultant who share classroom strategies they’ve been developing together. We’ve chosen 10 examples from our trove of guest articles to showcase the power of these team-ups.
“I used to think clever lessons would show students how much I cared,” writes sixth grade teacher Kelly Owens. But she’s come to understand that “If you want to fully engage and motivate students to delve into your innovative instruction, get going first with a greeting!”
Students at ages 9-13 still want to hear their teachers read aloud, want to sit on the rug, want to engage in stories. Jennifer Sniadecki and Jason DeHart share evidence that picture books are also an effective way to teach figurative language and other ELA standards.
STEM educator Anne Jolly reflects on the core skills embedded in an Education 4.0 vision for future learning – a vision that reshapes the way we think about the rapidly changing job market and calls on schools to be intentional in helping students acquire these skills.
