Fresh teaching ideas engulf math teachers each fall. Which strategies take priority as we seek to help students have the best year ever? Teacher and coach Mona Iehl recommends three: build classroom community, review and augment resources, and select engaging lesson formats.
We Belong by Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney offers a community-forward approach to classroom management that promotes a culture in which schools become “places where [students] can discover who they are and who they want to become” through the year, writes Michael McLaughlin.
Geraldine Woods offers strategies for teachers to design and implement a self-contained independent study program or to incorporate principles of independent study into an existing unit or class. Sarah Cooper finds the book’s efficacy lies in its wide, practical application.
In this unprecedented school year, as teachers and school leaders set goals and decide what to keep and what to change, Lynne Dorfman and Aileen Hower argue that “it is social-emotional learning – not academics – that should be the focus for the first month of school.”
Laurie Lichtenstein’s travels to Holocaust sites this summer “had an indescribable emotional impact.” And now, “within this new consciousness resides a deeper understanding of history and an enthusiasm that I hope is infectious as I re-enter my classroom this school year.”
It’s the start of a new school year, and you’re 100% excited about making a difference for kids! But issues in and out of the classroom can dull your enthusiasm in no time. How do you stay sharp? Barbara Blackburn shares insights to sustain your can-do energy all year long.
Stephanie Filio’s Responding to Student Trauma: A Toolkit for Schools in Times of Crisis provides a well-developed framework for school personnel to handle four sources of trauma. AP Virginia Hornberger notes it is a good starting point to develop a crisis plan of action.
Here are MiddleWeb’s 12 most popular articles about asking quality questions in class, scaffolding student discussions, and gathering formative feedback from kids through dialogue. Learn from Jackie Walsh, Valentina Gonzalez, Barbara Blackburn, Curtis Chandler and more!
Language specialist Tan Huynh offers a framework called the 3 C’s of Equity – Community, Curriculum and Culture – to guide schools on the journey to provide an equitable learning experience for their multilingual learners. To start, avoid deficit-based models that segregate.
Whether you are a classroom veteran or a new teacher in your first room, Katie Durkin urges you to think about how you can repurpose, redesign, and rejuvenate your learning space so you feel fresh and ready to tackle the many opportunities for growth this coming school year.
