Teaching and learning in grades 4-8

Becoming a Connected Educator

Reviewer Anne Jolly finds The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach & Lani Ritter Hall is “a detailed description of how to create my own learning community, expand my own connectedness, and involve others in sharing and learning as well.”

Engagement Party

Everyone’s Invited! Interactive Strategies That Engage Young Adolescents by Jill Spencer is full of adaptable ideas for student engagement that will inspire creativity and problem solving in your classroom, says reviewer Sandy Wisneski.

Safe and Happy Classrooms

How to Bullyproof Your Classroom by Caltha Crowe is an excellent resource with lesson plans that include objectives, materials needed, step-by-step directions and follow-up activities, says reviewer Linda Biondi.

Real World Writing Strategies

In Write Like This: Teaching Real World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts, Kelly Gallagher’s real-world approach to writing instruction is practical, relevant and doable by any teacher, says reviewer Rhonda Leduc.

Partnering with Parents

In Everyday Engagement: Making Students and Parents Your Partners in Learning author Katy Ridnouer has good ideas that can help teachers become better at partnering with parents to advance student learning, says reviewer Nicole Warchol.

What Makes Kids Tick & Learn

Debbie Silver’s gift in Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed, says reviewer Julie Dermody, is not just informing readers about motivational research, but bringing all the research together for classroom use.

Teacher-Led PD Circles

Don’t let the Process Learning Circles in “Strengthening and Enriching Your Professional Learning Community: The Art of Learning Together” scare you: no hand-holding & singing, says reviewer Becky Osterfeld. These circles can put relevant, practical PD back in teachers’ hands.

Energize ELLs

The understanding she gained from Reaching English Language Learners in Every Classroom: Energizers for Teaching and Learning by Debbie Arechiga will help reviewer Mary Churchill better prepare her pre-service teachers to work with ELL students.