If there’s ever been a year for reflection and pampering during winter break, then 2020 is that year. A.P. DeAnna Miller intends to set aside time to write and reflect on what worked and what needs changing. And she will “really and truly” revive and embrace the self-care routines she loves.
The 2016 Gallup Poll of Students asked nearly a million tweens and teens in grades 5-12 about engagement in learning. The results were not encouraging, writes author Patti Drapeau. Teachers need to move beyond the “what” of engagement to focus on the “why.”
2020 has been traumatic for students. A global pandemic, social unrest, and economic hardship have all impacted their well-being. For adolescents, writes school counselor Stephanie Filio, there is also no reprieve from the emotional clutter of growing up. Here’s her advice.
Using homemade surveys can help you become a better teacher and leader. They can boost our understanding of student, parent and staff perspectives on issues that impact teaching and learning. Principal and NBCT Rita Platt shares ways she uses them – with tips and resources.
Meaningful Math / Pandemic Teaching
by Michelle Russell · Published 11/23/2020 · Last modified 05/17/2021
With at least half her math students learning virtually, Michelle Russell found it necessary to slow down and focus on critical standards. To her surprise, both her quarantined kids and her face-to-face students are learning and retaining more by going at a slower pace.
Rigor in the Remote Learning Classroom is a valuable guide that will help teachers and schools reframe the conversation about remote teaching. The book’s tips and strategies can make a remote approach both robust and rigorous, writes middle school head Michael McLaughlin.
Inviting students to analyze fact-based data about topics that interest them will not only lead to greater engagement, it will grow their ability to investigate first and then draw conclusions that are well reasoned and supported. Teacher educator Curtis Chandler shares tips.
Amid pandemic learning, we must address virtual PD experiences for teachers, write experts Barbara Blackburn and Ron Williamson. By considering our purpose, the content, and the appropriate platforms to engage teachers, leaders can assure effective professional learning.
Articles / Questioning / remote learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 11/02/2020 · Last modified 11/29/2020
Effective questioning during remote learning doesn’t require new strategies. Consultant Barbara Blackburn suggests building questions with higher order thinking models; including questioning stems; adding cubing for student choice; and having students source their answers.
Writing workshop can be an exciting part of the day for students in the middle, writes author and workshop expert Lynne Dorfman. Even when middle level schedules aren’t a great fit for extended workshop writing, teachers can nurture “writerly” attitudes with daily quickwrites.
