Teaching and learning in grades 4-8
Social studies teacher Lauren Brown makes the case that learning about the history and culture of Judaism, Christianity & Islam is critical for today’s middle school students and offers a useful guide that she believes can help with curriculum development and lesson planning.
Whatever classes you teach, it can be a tremendous challenge to find engaging texts that help students develop key literacy skills. Teacher educator Curtis Chandler offers resources to find nonfiction texts online and, if needed, ready them for students with assists from AI.
This fall with some tweaks and fresh online tools and resources, Halloween can be fun and packed with learning. Check out MiddleWeb’s updated resource collection for ideas across the content areas.
Andrea Honigsfeld seamlessly integrates theory with real-world classroom scenarios in Growing Language and Literacy. Her emphasis on differentiated instruction benefits the book’s audience: teachers of multilingual learners. Helpful to veteran and new teachers alike.
As we get to know each student and welcome them into class, we may feel the excitement of the new commingled with the apprehension of the unknown. Educator Stephanie Farley reminds herself that kids want to learn, teachers know what to do, and 20 year-olds want to teach.
How do we infuse fun into our classes and keep the content fresh in our students’ minds? Keeping in mind that physical activity enhances academic performance, Megan Kelly shares activities she uses with her 6th graders to have fun while emphasizing the content they are studying.
With so many students experiencing stress, David Campos and Kathleen Fad help K-8 teachers understand anxiety and then implement strategies to help anxious students. Other students can benefit, too. MS leader and teacher Kasey Short sees their book as an essential tool.
Media literacy educator Frank Baker never imagined that his graphic novel – a true family saga of the Holocaust – “would be criticized and restricted in the middle schools of a district near where I reside.” He tells what happened in this contribution to Banned Books Week.
Comprehension is a concern in every content area. If a student cannot comprehend the material, whether it’s words or images, they cannot meet learning goals. Teaching coach Barbara R. Blackburn offers some simple strategies that can help you scaffold comprehension for your students.
For educators, wellness extends beyond physical self-care; it also involves self-awareness, respect and kindness. NBCT Kathleen Palmieri shares guidelines that remind us to put boundaries in place and incorporate physical and emotional wellness into the new school year.