With the “let’s be nice” novelty of the first weeks of school fading, you’re tired and the kids are restless. It may be time to refresh your systems for maintaining positive behavior. Discover ways to overcome the challenges of DEVOLSON in Rita Platt’s resource-rich post.
Articles / Classroom Discussion / Talking about Race
by MiddleWeb · Published 10/15/2018 · Last modified 02/03/2024
In his powerful book “Not Light, But Fire” teacher Matthew Kay shares three rules of discussion – each centered around listening – that he teaches his students. His goal is to transform the classroom into a true “safe space” for difficult conversations about race and life.
As a strong believer in teacher as learner, Rita Platt returns to some books again and again – books that continue to guide her work though she may have first read them 20 years ago. With the new school year underway, she shares her 10 most impactful education books.
Current Events / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 09/23/2018 · Last modified 11/13/2019
Current events add immediacy to history class, but with crowded curricula and the challenges of the political climate, Sarah Cooper is fine-tuning the news discussions in her 8th grade classes. She shares several stories and explains what makes them right for fall 2018.
Grading student writing in the traditional manner takes too much time and yields too little learning. Literacy consultant Sarah Tantillo offers three better ways to give students effective feedback – with all the tips and how-to teachers need to make the switch. Act now. Save your weekends.
Museum educator Christa Flores shares a summer STEM partnership that introduced middle schoolers to programmable microprocessors that can perform a variety of lab-oriented tasks. Flores, a former MS teacher, says it’s time to include computer skills in science classrooms.
With commitment and hard work, school librarians can become indispensable to school success, writes Judi Moreillon. Through their support for community building, PD, inquiry learning, digital resources and more, librarians can be a vital part of leadership teams.
Jonathan Cornue does an excellent job presenting standards-based grading’s nuances, critical players, and the steps to transition from a traditional 100-point grading system. Teacher Julie Bernardi says the 30-step process, including checkpoints, can be a valuable guide.
Anyone can doodle, writes Dr. Susan Daniels. When students doodle to represent concepts and ideas, they synthesize information and encode it in memory for easy recall and retrieval. It’s a well-researched strategy that can be used across grade levels and subject areas.
Heart of the School / School Climate
by Rita Platt · Published 08/27/2018 · Last modified 12/02/2019
A strong positive school climate is essential for learning and assuring a happy workplace. One way to interrupt that healthy climate is rude behavior, which tends to ripple out and have lasting negative impacts. Principal Rita Platt shares strategies to repel rudeness.
