Get kids engaged in narrative writing using Story in a Bag. ELA consultant Lynne Dorfman shows how this hands-on activity enlivens in-class and distance learning as it helps students build their writing fluency and encourages them to learn problem solving on the spot.
When we scratch our heads and wonder how can we prepare our students for a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, Anne Jolly wants us to remember a great place to learn teamwork, technical skills, work ethics and social responsibility. STEM class!
Responding to a survey by Rita Platt, middle graders reveal what worked and what didn’t for them during their spring of virtual learning: more freedom and free time warred with tech glitches, months without friends, and less time with teachers. Rita shares some things we might do better.
Education isn’t about what the teacher does, it’s about what the child learns, write Genius Hour innovators Denise Krebs and Gallit Zvi. Learning happens in every subject when students have a purpose and are given autonomy and time. And their learning can benefit the world.
Two Teachers in the Room / Universal Design for Learning
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 06/30/2020 · Last modified 08/02/2023
As we consider what school will look like this fall, teaching coach Elizabeth Stein shows how the Universal Design for Learning gives educators flexibility to teach effectively within and without any learning space – fully in person, fully remote, or using a hybrid model.
Future of History / History & Current Events
by MiddleWeb · Published 06/29/2020 · Last modified 10/15/2024
The antiracist protests occurring across the country since the killing of George Floyd have led Lauren Brown and Sarah Cooper – two white female middle school social studies teachers – to consider even more deeply “how best to teach U.S. history.” Join the conversation.
Rita Platt peruses lots of professional texts, but the books she reads each year to meet her personal Goodreads goal cross many genres. Some are funny. Some are scary. Some examine America’s urgent problems. Not your typical PD books, but they have plenty to say to educators.
Articles / New Teacher Advice / Teacher Self-care
by MiddleWeb · Published 06/23/2020 · Last modified 06/28/2020
How do we ‘not take things personally’? We take feedback seriously but not to a point of diminishing our value. Teacher educator Victoria Lentfer, author of Keep Calm and Teach, shares ways to prepare for the stress and anxiety novices may encounter in the school environment.
African American History / Future of History
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 06/19/2020 · Last modified 02/15/2022
The Chicago district where Lauren Brown teaches has wrestled with issues of equity centering around race with new urgency in recent years. Amid the pandemic and the rising Anti-Racist Movement, she believes part of the answer is deepening curriculum and teaching Black history throughout the year.
Students at ages 9-13 still want to hear their teachers read aloud, want to sit on the rug, want to engage in stories. Jennifer Sniadecki and Jason DeHart share evidence that picture books are also an effective way to teach figurative language and other ELA standards.
