Heart of the School / Social Justice
by Rita Platt · Published 08/14/2017 · Last modified 01/22/2025
In her first post at a new MiddleWeb blog, “Heart of the School,” teacher-librarian Rita Platt responds to a weekend of civil strife and a deepening discussion about race and diversity in America with eight steps she believes can promote social justice through education.
Book Reviews / Race, Class and School
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/03/2017 · Last modified 11/18/2019
After building a theoretical groundwork for social justice education, Caldwell and Frame organize their book around the constructs of gender, race, and class. Each section includes a bank of relevant lesson plans, activities, and videos, says teacher Amy Estersohn.
Book Reviews / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 07/27/2017 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Carla Tantillo Philibert’s Everyday SEL in Middle School gives SEL implementation guidelines and brief lessons to help educators in classrooms and schoolwide meet their students’ social and emotional needs, says former teacher/now principal Tonya Curt-Hoard.
Children's Books / The Science Lady
by Kathy Renfrew · Published 07/24/2017 · Last modified 11/27/2019
Kathy Renfrew, The Science Lady, is launching a new science blog at MiddleWeb. In her first entry she shares some favorite selections from the National Science Teacher Association’s Outstanding Books collection and how they might be used to begin the school year.
Every school has unique procedures, traditions, and personalities. What if new and transitioning teachers, starting fresh in an unfamiliar space, had a checklist to make induction easy and systematic? Author-consultant Frank Buck supplies that tool!
With its ready-made product menus and immediate applicability, Differentiating Instruction with Menus is one of those books that won’t gather dust, as teachers will turn to it for quick reference throughout the school year, says ELA and gifted facilitator Kim Rensch.
Laurie Lichtenstein can’t let the school year end without thanking Lin Miranda’s Alexander Hamilton for his profound effect on her 7th grade American history class. Her open letter to the Founding Father shares her students’ new excitement for history’s unfolding drama.
Walton Burns’ easy-to-use book can help teachers find creative ways to accomplish the necessary and often mundane tasks that come with the start of school. Renee Bogacz notes most of often engaging activities can be adapted for any subject area or grade level.
Close Reading the Media / Visual Literacy
by Frank Baker · Published 06/27/2017 · Last modified 12/12/2019
If your students think a photo can’t change history, have them think again, with this resource-rich article from media literacy expert Frank W. Baker, drawing on the work of civil rights era photojournalist Charles Moore, whose iconic images still haunt us today.
Do teachers always need to be the tour guide and plan every step of the learning journey? Consultant Gravity Goldberg believes teachers can also be co-explorers and create opportunities for students to make their own discoveries. Her sample reading unit shows how.
