Teachers at Pioneer Middle School were weary of their traditional one-size-fits-all summer school requiring every student to take the same classes. Learn how they’ve redesigned the program for eighth graders around specific skills that better prepare them for high school.
Close Reading the Media is an incredible resource for middle or high school humanities teachers teaching students how to think critically about the media, writes teacher Stephanie Leary, noting it is packed with informative, fun, and thought-provoking topics and ideas.
6th grade teacher Amanda Xavier was skeptical when colleague Rose Reissman suggested a Mary Poppins book study, but their multimedia approach was a hit. “If a very old fashioned nanny can bring smiles and make modern kids sit up in class and take note, I say, ‘Cheerio’!”
Bridging the gap between “real STEM study” and how school stakeholders may understand it is a doable task for teachers, says expert Anne Jolly. She offers some elevator-speech essentials to get you started (and perhaps avoid that virtual lab that could be in your future).
Maker-Centered Learning: Empowering Young People to Shape Their Worlds provides a well-organized and well referenced look at the role of maker-centered learning and offers a perspective that is different from that of the popular press, writes educator Laura Von Staden.
With the start of a new school year approaching, how can we make sure our middle school students are getting the support they need for an academically and personally successful school year? School leader Rhonda Neal Waltman offers three effective strategies.
NBCT and new principal Rita Platt shares the five beliefs that make up her teaching philosophy and serve as the framework of her new book Working Hard, Working Happy. Learn what she “knows to be true about teaching and learning” and why you might want a credo of your own.
By blending social emotional learning into writing workshop, we can spark student confidence and commitment. Author and ELA educator Lynne Dorfman describes a class where students feel safe to express themselves, celebrate writing achievements, and self-identify as writers.
Summer Growth / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 07/07/2019 · Last modified 11/13/2019
Teaching coach and NBCT Elizabeth Stein shows how to create a space that will keep co-teachers learning together throughout the rest of summer, concentrating on what we can do to refresh ourselves AND continue improving and learning in preparation for a productive fall.
Raised in rural Alberta, Canada, Brent Gilson set out to broaden his understanding of racial and cultural diversity, both to improve his teaching and to raise awareness among his mostly white middle grades students. Taking part in the #31DaysIBPOC Twitter project has been a revelation.
