Count on it, writes STEM educator Anne Jolly, spring is almost here and your students’ energy and concentration are about to start slipping. Nice weather and seasonal events interfere with lesson continuity. How can you snag your kids’ interest again? Citizen science!
No single practice stops cruelty, but a combination of proven strategies used by committed staff trained in anti-bullying will maximize impact. Michele Borba outlines six rules that can help defeat the culture of bullying and replace it with the power of character.
Create Compose Connect / Digital Writing Portfolios
by Jeremy Hyler · Published 03/06/2019 · Last modified 12/05/2019
Although many of his colleagues disagree, middle school teacher Jeremy Hyler is convinced digital portfolios are the best way to measure student growth in writing skills over the whole school year. Learn why he thinks so, and how he does it, with plenty of useful tips.
Close Reading the Media / Government Hearings
by Frank Baker · Published 03/05/2019 · Last modified 06/10/2020
Exposing students to broadcasts and other news of past Congressional hearings brings those events to life and can help kids relate to current hearings. Media literacy consultant Frank Baker traces 60 years of hearing coverage, underscoring the vital role of a free press.
Cultural Identity / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Valentina Gonzalez · Published 02/25/2019 · Last modified 11/30/2019
Wanting to fit in is not a new phenomena in the middle grades, writes Valentina Gonzalez. Most adolescents experience the urge to be more like their peers. The sooner kids realize how valuable their identity is – how it’s their special power – the better off they will be.
Service Learning / Wide Open Learning
by Megan Kelly · Published 02/24/2019 · Last modified 11/13/2019
Incorporating more service learning in your teaching can offer opportunities for students to experience empowered citizenship. Megan Kelly shares how her 6th graders connected learning about the science of water and world-wide challenges with related Kiva fundraising.
Every teacher who works with students as readers should read Jennifer Serravallo’s new book, Understanding Texts & Readers, writes NCBT and principal Rita Platt, noting it brings big-picture reading goals, skills, strategies and texts together in a meaningful hierarchy.
Classroom Equity / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 02/20/2019 · Last modified 11/30/2019
To meet the learning needs of students with diverse abilities in inclusion classrooms, NBCT Elizabeth Stein suggests a focus on equity. She offers four key strategies (with supporting resources) that align specifically with co-teaching strengths and student abilities.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / UDL Strategies
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 02/12/2019 · Last modified 12/01/2019
ELA educator Cheryl Mizerny invites you to have fun developing your own UDL-enhanced unit. The former special ed teacher details how using Universal Design for Learning helps all learners grow, then she shares her argumentative writing unit enhanced with UDL practices.
Future of History / Student Research
by Sarah Cooper · Published 02/11/2019 · Last modified 11/23/2019
Sam Wineburg’s new book Why Learn History (When It’s Already on Your Phone) is a game changer, writes Sarah Cooper. Here she focuses on his ideas for teaching students to evaluate websites laterally in addition to vertically, in the manner of professional fact checkers.
