Heart of the School / Remote Teaching
by Rita Platt · Published 05/24/2020 · Last modified 05/27/2020
After weeks of deciphering digital teaching and supporting students in new ways, educators are reflecting on their changed worlds. Principal Rita Platt reached out to collect some of their thoughts on the challenges, the silver linings, and their concerns about public education’s future.
The future may be uncertain but the mental health of our students shouldn’t be. Teacher, author and mentor Cathleen Beachboard describes how – through a focus on communication, consistency and control – educators can begin to help young people regain their sense of safety.
As Mary Tarashuk leads her fourth graders into full-time virtual learning, insights gleaned from the writings of Diane Ravitch and Rosita Boland are helping her see how the pandemic’s sudden jarring changes could lead to a rebirth of public education in the years ahead.
Parents & Inclusion / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 05/13/2020 · Last modified 05/15/2023
Our classrooms have been replaced for now by remote learning platforms, and the connection between students, parents, and teachers has taken on a whole new life. Elizabeth Stein considers how we can make the most of expanding our co-teaching relationships with parents.
The social studies classroom is an obvious place to examine current events, write teacher-authors Elisabeth Johnson and Evelyn Ramos. Highlighting “history in the making” helps students recognize that historical events don’t occur in a vacuum. Lots of quick lesson ideas!
As schools enter another month of virtual learning, Megan Kelly has implemented elements of The EduProtocol Field Guide by Hebern and Corippo. Many of the free tools and activities translate easily into online practice, allowing her to create time-efficient new routines.
Future teacher Kara Tyler recommends Determining Difference from Disability to help teachers and parents respond to linguistically, culturally and socio-emotionally diverse students. Tyler appreciates the book’s opportunities for reflection and the range of resources.
Create Compose Connect / infographics
by Jeremy Hyler · Published 05/06/2020 · Last modified 05/26/2020
Jeremy Hyler likes the power of infographics to engage students and differentiate instruction in science and ELA classes. Drawing on his recent book Ask, Explore, Write! An Inquiry-Driven Approach to Science and Literacy Learning, Hyler shares some remote teaching ideas.
Words are a low-risk point from which to launch Students with Interrupted Formal Education on their schooling journey. One of the best ways to teach words is with the Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM), a multi-step process to teach vocabulary. Tan Huynh shows how.
Helping students learn to read and love to read are two of the most important jobs of any teacher in the middle grades. You can’t do either without having robust libraries with books of all types, subjects, and levels. NBCT Rita Platt can help you build your collection.
