Jennifer Ingold wants her history students to make the connection between primary-source research and preparation for informed and civil disagreements. Learn about her MLK historical scene investigation activity and a virtual Black History Symposium among students in NY and FL.
Lately Michelle Russell’s students aren’t just talking about how anxious math makes them; many are lamenting about how boring math is. Beyond trying to make math fun via puzzles and games, she’s now looking for methods to spark more intrinsic interest in the world of numbers.
Telling us what not to read only makes it more intriguing. Amber Chandler confirmed this truth a decade ago, during The Year of Risque Reading. “The best thing that could have happened to my 8th graders’ literacy DID happen: a banned book was rebellion, and they were up for it.”
The new edition of Debbie Silver’s Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8 is an essential handbook for adults who want to help kids become committed, continuous learners. NBCT Kathie Palmieri finds the book’s attention to self-motivation, ZPD and growth mindset particularly helpful. Highly recommended.
Involving your students in creating public service announcements (PSAs) not only promotes media literacy, writes Frank Baker, it builds teamwork skills, energizes kids to conduct research into authentic social issues, and gives them opportunities to write with real purpose.
Novels in verse offer quicker reads with instant character connections, vivid imagery, pathways to complex issues, strong narratives, and much more. ELA teacher Kasey Short shares how to use them in class and introduces lots of titles for your middle graders.
When Dina Strasser feels at a loss or stymied in something she is trying to do for her students, she often turns to her list of options to gets things done – developed during her 20 years working with school districts and their occasionally labyrinthine bureaucracies.
Want to differentiate instruction while assuring rigor? Create a 3-D portrait of each of your students using a mix of formal and informal strategies. Teaching expert Barbara Blackburn has tips for gathering insights about background knowledge, culture, and growth mindset.
In Making Math Stick, David Costello offers advice to help teachers make the shift from “teach, test, move on” to “teach, connect, apply.” His detailed learning and instructional strategies will help you deepen student knowledge and improve retention, writes Lisa Hudson.
During reading instruction, implementing the “guided practice” part of Gradual Release of Responsibility can be tricky. Sunday Cummins and Julie Webb offer ways to select appropriately challenging texts and then provide guidance during conferences with students.
