Students with special needs face a particular challenge in middle school. Literacy is crucial to understanding academic content, and for many, literacy is a weakness. Blackburn and Witzel offer strategies to help them see patterns, read fluently, and comprehend information.
Rather than fixating on immigrant parents’ economic conditions and languages as deficits and labeling them as unable to contribute to their children’s education, ML specialist Tan Huynh advocates for an assets-affirming narrative, sharing the instructive story of his own mother.
Using a variety of teaching strategies is a great way to ensure students are cognitively engaged, writes math teacher Kathie Palmieri. Their responses to strategic prompts start productive discussions, and this helps kids feel they have a voice in shaping their learning.
Do rewards help kids learn better? Motivation expert Dr. Debbie Silver argues instead for the effective use of positive, constructive feedback as the best means for fostering creativity, active involvement and intrinsic motivation. Included: How to make feedback effective.
Vocabulary / Vocabulary / Wide Open Learning
by Megan Kelly · Published 03/06/2022 · Last modified 02/04/2024
How can teachers be more intentional about teaching vocabulary words given the limited instructional time available? Megan Kelly shares ways she has begun to add more vocabulary instruction into small pockets of class time using focus words, drawing, GIFs, and Spot It cards.
After two years of pandemic strain and distraction, it’s time for educators to reclaim the “why,” writes district leader Brian Taylor. “10 Perspectives on Learning in Education” can help teachers and administrators refocus attention “on what we do every day for students.”
School leaders often find themselves coping with unexpected events that create turbulence and uncertainty. During the pandemic, these challenges have expanded and intensified. Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn share six researched steps to help leaders respond effectively.
As Russia begins its invasion of Ukraine, many adults turn to the news to stay informed. Our students do too. Expert Frank Baker considers where kids get their news these days and shares resources to help them follow current events in an era of sensationalism and disinformation.
While supervision has a place in schools, the purpose is not to improve instruction, writes principal and author Matt Renwick. Leading like a coach supports teaching and learning, and principals will be in a prime position to do this vital work if they develop three coaching skills.
Boost learning and fun this spring with quirky calendar celebrations collected by ed consultant Anne Anderson. Whether it’s observing National Optimism Month in March or Paper Airplane Day in May, adding exclamation points to the arrival of spring is a win for everyone!
