Stephanie Farley has come to realize that she’s a hybrid kind of person – she enjoys the blurring of traditional lines between categories. Here she shares how she uses elements of fiction to help students conceptualize and improve their nonfiction writing. And vice versa.
Exploring human experiences through personal stories promotes discussions that focus on facts and individual realities rather than generalizations and stereotypes and helps students develop empathy, compassion and understanding, writes Kasey Short. Reading suggestions included!
Effective questions build in opportunities to scaffold student learning. Teaching coach Barbara R. Blackburn suggests creating questions that encourage multiple answers, include hints and context, allow students to help each other, and provide a clear indicator of success.
We all deserve to work towards creating a culture of growth in our schools, and reading Mary C. Murphy’s Cultures of Growth on the science of mindset is a wonderful place to start, writes educator Brad Waguespack. The book applies Dweck’s findings to organizations and groups.
Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn advocate for a three-step teacher evaluation process that emphasizes pre- and post-observation conferences designed to promote full teacher ownership and collaboration, with an emphasis on recognizing strengths and planning for growth.
In her 3rd article offering questions to help grow critical readers, Marilyn Pryle says we must help students examine what a text is HIDING. “To navigate the information that bombards them outside of school, students must have the skills to detect the bias, lie, or hidden intention.”
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.
Teaching guru Barbara R. Blackburn returns to her roots in the classroom to give new teachers a list of quick tips – 26, one for each letter of the alphabet – all ideas that will help newbies launch and navigate their journeys. Included: her list of links to essential resource websites.
American Indian Heritage Month / Resources
by Susan Curtis · Published 09/09/2024 · Last modified 10/15/2024
Native Americans’ thousands of years of history are filled with achievements and challenges. In recent years the United States has commemorated their history in November. MiddleWeb’s resource collection can help students understand this rich and complex heritage.
100-Word Stories is a valuable resource, providing a structured yet flexible framework that serves as a tool to enrich language instruction and a catalyst for exploration and creative expression in the classroom. It will be especially valuable to her SLIFE learners, writes Melinda Stewart.
