Students experience deep, joyful learning in classrooms where there is an ongoing cycle of responsive teaching, says literacy expert Regie Routman. The ultimate goal is to grow passionate learners who self-monitor, self-direct, and set their own worthwhile goals.
Future of History / Lesson Planning
by Jody & Shara · Published 08/16/2015 · Last modified 12/13/2019
If you could design your ideal social studies curriculum for middle school, what would it look like? After surveying area high schools, Jody Passanisi and Shara Peters decide to focus on skills development. Here’s their draft scope & sequence for grades 6-8.
Author and former middle level school leader Frank Buck spends his professional life helping fellow educators manage themselves and their work in ways that maximize performance and benefit students. Buck shares three practical ideas to organize the new school year.
New principals can fall prey to “task overload.” What’s more, the transition from working with teachers as peers to working as a supervisor can be disorienting. Experts Ron Williamson & Barbara Blackburn share advice in six critical areas of the new job.
David Goldberg wanted to create thought-provoking lessons that taught his fourth graders 21st century skills while also integrating history content about the settlement of California. He shares his first experiment, using the popular Minecraft video game.
After years of trying to cope with the flow of struggling readers coming into their school, teachers at Ericsson Middle banded together to create a academic coaching program that provides reading and writing support for students across the literacy spectrum.
Quick, ongoing classroom assessments of STEM learning can give teachers the timely information they need to keep lessons on track and be sure students are developing the skills to solve real-world STEM problems. Anne Jolly shares lots of assessment ideas.
Author and literacy consultant Regie Routman is a passionate cook who loves to make fresh fruit tarts. Here she draws connections between learning to bake and learning to teach, using her Optimal Learning Model as a framework. Fruit tart recipe included!
School technology coach Josh Burker offers eight reasons why classroom making is not only playful and fun but also an effective strategy to build organizational, problem-solving and leadership skills. Included: A MaKey MaKey musical instruments project.
Getting Started with STEM / STEM By Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 06/21/2015 · Last modified 11/26/2019
How do you get ready to teach STEM? Anne Jolly reviews key points to consider if you are spending time this summer planning for STEM classes in the fall. By thinking through some fundamentals now, Jolly says, you’ll be in great shape for the school year ahead.
