Future of History / History and Spoken Poetry
by Sarah Cooper · Published 10/22/2017 · Last modified 11/24/2019
In a recent post, Sarah Cooper wrote about her fears surrounding a new current-events project – her 8th graders creating spoken poetry videos on issues of interest to them. Here she reviews the experience and its power to create community as it engaged her students.
Educators talk about giving students “voice, choice and agency,” says NBCT Rita Platt, but how does that actually happen in a practical, curriculum-friendly way? Platt believes the secret is teaching students to set goals. Learn about her 5-step process (tools included).
The framework Jennifer Abrams develops in Hard Conversations Unpacked focuses on professional growth, and ultimately on positive outcomes for student learning. Principal Mike Janatovich will never again attempt a challenging conversation without this guidance.
Regardless of where educators land politically, it can sometimes feel like tiptoeing through a minefield to facilitate a balanced discussion of current events, writes teacher Sarah Cooper. Are there times when it’s appropriate for teachers to reveal their own views?
As new teachers develop routines for their classrooms, Class Tech Tips founder Monica Burns says it’s important to plan how they will check for understanding each day to gather information and inform future instruction. She shares three simple class assessment tools.
Engagement / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 10/02/2017 · Last modified 11/13/2019
Emotions are a natural part of learning, writes co-teaching coach and NBCT Elizabeth Stein. In fact, she says, when teachers in inclusion classrooms tap into emotions and provide quality feedback, they’ll find they’re better able to serve diverse learners effectively.
Book Reviews / Response to Intervention
by MiddleWeb · Published 09/28/2017 · Last modified 11/18/2019
Catherine Collier’s strategies for building a multi-tier system of support (MTSS) fit into the planning, implementation, and monitoring of interventions to meet the needs of all students. Educator Rita Platt finds the RTI-focused book a useful addition to teachers’ resource shelf.
Excited about Science / The Science Lady
by Kathy Renfrew · Published 09/20/2017 · Last modified 12/01/2019
What can science teachers do in the first weeks of school to get students intrigued, energized, and focused on science studies all year long? Using an NGSS framework, veteran middle grades teacher and science specialist Kathy Renfrew shares some of her favorite ideas.
This fall, as school districts scattered around the country are considering “no homework” policies, teacher educator Curtis Chandler looks at research on whether and how homework can support learning and suggests teaching apps to help make it short, meaningful, and accessible.
Close Reading the Media / The Emmy Awards
by Frank Baker · Published 08/31/2017 · Last modified 09/08/2021
As the Emmys return in September to celebrate the art and craft of television, how do we encourage students to view the programming from a media literacy perspective, with the thinking parts of their brains turned on? Frank Baker ties television studies to CCSS.
