Ask teachers for some Do Now synonyms and they’ll come up with terms like Warm-up, Quick Review, and First Steps. Teaching coach Sarah Tantillo’s favorite is Brain Defibrillator. When done right and used routinely, she says, Do Nows establish a norm of urgency in your class.
Facilitating science-based research around real world problems empowers students through the skills they acquire and the subject knowledge they gain, says teacher Angela Duke. And what better topic than climate change? “The environment of the future will be theirs to live in.”
Co-teaching Reflections / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 01/08/2019 · Last modified 11/24/2019
As the new year (and 2nd semester) unfolds, coach Elizabeth Stein suggests forgoing resolutions in favor of a set of reflective questions than can strengthen your co-teaching effectiveness. Stein uses the story of teacher “Joan” to illustrate and suggest some solutions.
Inclusion / It's Not Easy Being Tween
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 12/31/2018 · Last modified 11/12/2019
Former special education teacher Cheryl Mizerny says the same techniques used to help kids with dyslexia succeed can benefit all students in the core subjects. Now an ELA educator, she highlights useful tools, instructional techniques, assessments, and SEL strategies.
Building Empathy / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 12/30/2018 · Last modified 12/01/2019
While photos and texts can bring alive an issue one medium at a time, reality-based comics have the power to drop us into a story both visually and verbally. Sarah Cooper’s eighth grade students learned that lesson when they followed the trek of Syrian refugee Mohammad.
Sharing Your Education Expertise with the World helps educators contribute their professional know-how to the larger education community. NBCT Rita Platt reports it is packed with great tips and resources for educators to widen spheres of influence and accelerate careers.
Nonfiction Texts / Wide Open Learning
by Megan Kelly · Published 12/18/2018 · Last modified 11/21/2019
Students getting a bit bored with your classroom library? The return from winter break is a perfect time for a “refresh,” says teacher Megan Kelly. She stretches her dollars by purchasing nonfiction books with broad appeal. Here are a few of her cross-content favorites.
It’s true. Teachers in K-6 need to prepare students for STEM and engineering careers that don’t exist yet. The solution? Focus on gifting our younger students with a broad range of inquiry experiences and collaborative know-how, writes STEM education expert Anne Jolly.
How can we recognize the significance and impact of our paraeducators to our students, and at the same time help them maximize their effectiveness? Principal and NBCT Rita Platt shares ways to appreciate them, keep communication open, and provide professional education.
Recently Sarah Tantillo worked with 8th grade teacher Bianca Licata to analyze students’ difficulty in effectively explaining how evidence supports arguments in their writing. After they identified causes and potential solutions, Licata tested their ideas in class.
