International Mindedness / Wide Open Learning
by Megan Kelly · Published 10/20/2019 · Last modified 11/24/2019
When Megan Kelly asked her students to paste sticky notes on a world map to show the setting of YA novels they were reading for pleasure, she quickly saw she needed to diversify her classroom library. See her list of 19 recommended “adds” and share your own favorites!
Like a rocket launch, learning math lingo requires plenty of ongoing, personalized checkpoints. Author and instructional coach Pam Koutrakos offers a streamlined, easily replicable process we can all use to help middle grades students prepare to take off with math vocabulary.
Personalized Professional Learning: A Job-Embedded Pathway for Elevating Teacher Voice is a must read for school leaders especially but also for anyone who plans and facilitates professional learning, writes Amy Whitehead, a member of her district’s PD facilitation team.
Jordan Walker-Reyes recommends Lori Wilfong’s Content Area Literacy Strategies That Work to all literacy coaches and facilitators, ESL teachers, and content area teachers who want to grow students’ content area knowledge while also increasing their literacy skills.
Notice and Note / Teaching with a View
by Brent Gilson · Published 10/02/2019 · Last modified 01/19/2024
The Notice and Note reading strategies “changed my life as an educator,” writes Brent Gilson in a post he unabashedly describes as a “love letter” to Kylene Beers and Bob Probst. You’ll understand his passion when you learn how he integrates the 6 Signposts into lessons.
Podcasting is exploding, and teachers are discovering that listening to and producing podcasts are great ways to promote deeper learning. Former NPR reporter Monica Brady-Myerov shares the whys and hows of engaging kids in their own projects, with examples and resources.
Climate Change / I Will Screw This Up
by Dina Strasser · Published 09/25/2019 · Last modified 09/03/2020
We can no longer avoid teaching about climate change because it’s not in our content area or curriculum guide, writes teacher leader Dina Strasser. Educators can’t shield children from “eco-anxiety,” but they can give them hope and the knowledge and skills to take action.
‘Smart pills’ are often marketed to students as a way to fire up the brain and excel academically. Media literacy expert Frank Baker uses a familiar radio ad and other examples to suggest lesson ideas that can actually boost their critical thinking and listening skills.
Class Discussion / Heart of the School
by Rita Platt · Published 09/09/2019 · Last modified 11/27/2019
Students love to talk! And that’s mostly a good thing, if teachers can harness the natural social drive of tweens and teens “and use it to pull the wagon of content learning through whole-class discussions.” Try Rita Platt’s proven step-by-step map to discussion success.
First Days of Math Class / Meaningful Math
by Michelle Russell · Published 09/01/2019 · Last modified 11/25/2019
From get-acquainted activities like “Superhero registration” to first-week math games like “Four Fours,” teacher Michelle Russell takes readers through the steps of a new plan to start slow, welcome her students individually, and reassure the anxious ones that math can be fun.
