Character Building / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk Β· Published 12/20/2017 Β· Last modified 11/14/2019
Mary Tarashukβs fourth graders are immersed in Wonder this semester. As they view the new film based on R.J. Palacioβs novel, they are also embracing Auggie Pullmanβs story in class. Mary shares resources she is using to enrich their experience in understanding kindness.
Michelle Russell knows that listening to math talk can help students solidify their thinking and recall. Now sheβs begun to realize how much improvements in her own listening skills could help her with assessment of learning. Check out the helpful resources she found.
STEM engineering β in class or after school β can come alive when young students encounter the 10 projects in McBride and Gonzalesβ Engineer This. Reviewer Linda Biondi expects students will gladly accept their mission to solve interesting problems in creative ways.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Social-Emotional Learning
by Cheryl Mizerny Β· Published 11/06/2017 Β· Last modified 12/15/2019
Off to a great start, Cheryl Mizerny continues to promote a Year of Kindness among her 6th graders and her school. Here she looks ahead and describes plans for the rest of the year. Youβll find lots of resources to promote kindness among your own students and community.
Shirley McPhillipsβ non-traditional book about teaching poetry is both insightful and fun to read, says retired principal and former California senior poet laureate Mary Langer Thompson. She predicts teachers will not be able to read for long without writing poetry themselves.
Book Reviews / Communication Skills
by MiddleWeb Β· Published 09/28/2017 Β· Last modified 11/15/2019
Noting that high quality classroom discussion fosters content learning and critical thinking, social studies teacher Michael Yell reports that Challenging Learning through Dialogue is a powerful resource to help make middle grades discussion more thoughtful, engaging, and real.
Close Reading the Media / News Literacy
by Frank Baker Β· Published 09/26/2017 Β· Last modified 11/16/2019
No one knows for sure whether there will be actual war with North Korea, but talk about the potential conflict abounds on TV and in social media. Media literacy expert Frank W. Baker calls on teachers to help students learn how to identify trustworthy news sources now.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Social-Emotional Learning
by Cheryl Mizerny Β· Published 09/25/2017 Β· Last modified 11/25/2019
Cheryl Mizerny has launched a year-long Kindness Classroom project with her all-girl sixth graders. Learn about Sept-Nov plans to strengthen peer relationships, develop positive mindsets, and practice empathy β including activities that anticipate the new Wonder movie.
This fall, as school districts scattered around the country are considering βno homeworkβ 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.
Being Culturally Responsive / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Valentina Gonzalez Β· Published 09/12/2017 Β· Last modified 11/22/2019
Texas professional learning leader Valentina Gonzalez launches her new MiddleWeb blog, The UnStoppable ELL Teacher, with a look at Culturally Responsive Teaching β what it means and why itβs essential to helping English language learners succeed in American classrooms.
