Whether your classes dive into poetry in April or throughout the year, teacher Megan Kelly has lots of activities to enrich your students’ experience. Her latest unit has kids collaborating on visual analysis, horoscope haiku, matching teachers to their poems, and more.
Should culturally responsive teaching include “pop culture” as a unifying interest in multicultural classrooms and schools? A.P. Andrew Canlé makes that argument, singling out online competition-based gaming as his example of the engaging pedagogy Generation Z wants.
Teacher Social Media has had a powerful positive effect on Brent Gilson’s professional growth. That’s the plus, he says, but there are also the minuses, including too-safe and comfortable conversations, edu-celebrity, and frequent failure to give credit where it is due.
Future of History / Writing in Social Studies
by Sarah Cooper · Published 02/10/2020 · Last modified 03/23/2020
Writing a letter to a politician is about as “civic” an assignment as we can do within our classroom walls, and it feels so relevant in our polarized political climate. After 3 years of tweaking her project, teacher Sarah Cooper shares tips to boost the response rate.
Students need structure, but that doesn’t mean monotony. For her math classes Michelle Russell recently spent a planning day collecting activities to start the New Year. As they returned, she introduced them to a math-friendly Simon Says, some Desmos routines, and fresh card sorts.
At the heart of Ralph Fletcher’s Focus Lessons, writes Jeny Randall, teachers will find lessons that can help students connect the photographic concepts of tension, point of view, and mood to the craft of writing – so that the idea of sensory details becomes concrete.
Based on the first edition’s core concepts for improving daily literacy learning and assessment, The CAFÉ Book has added teacher feedback, hands-on work with students and teachers, and research to strengthen the original practice, writes teacher educator Linda Biondi.
Close Reading the Media / Influencers
by Frank Baker · Published 01/08/2020 · Last modified 02/14/2020
In today’s online marketing environment, everybody seems to be after the attention of young people, writes media literacy expert Frank Baker. Many tweens and teens have money and may not see through all the strategies and tactics of influencers. Educators need to help.
We asked Google Analytics to find the 10 most-read posts published at MiddleWeb during 2019. We love the variety and the solid advice. Every contributor has been a successful classroom teacher who loves to collaborate with colleagues. Here they are, in no particular order.
For social studies teachers, incorporating civics and current events is an important part of the job, says teacher and civics blogger Brian Rock. “Your task is, ultimately, to help grow and develop the next generation of citizens.” He suggests four helpful online resources.
