After a spring of Zooming with established classes, Sarah Cooper finds new challenges using virtual breakout rooms this fall. Having to sort groups of unfamiliar students really makes a difference. She shares which breakout strategies still work and what needs extra care.
In her 2nd month of hybrid teaching, Kasey Short is still adapting day by day through trial and error. She’s learned a lot, as you’ll see in this detailed look at her virtual/in-person blending, digital organization, communication, collaboration and feedback – with tips for each!
In a school year when frustration, fatigue and uncertainty make teaching and learning an unprecedented challenge, principal Rita Platt is leading her staff to focus on two top priorities: (1) limit instruction to essential standards, and (2) build personal connections with EVERY student.
At the beginning of a new school year, establishing a strong class culture is a top priority, whether we are face-to-face or virtual. We can’t assume this culture exists, even if students have been classmates before. Lynne Dorfman shares some community building ideas.
PBL expert Dayna Laur packs her book with 8 chapters of learning sciences-based practical examples, offering authentic challenges and connecting content standards to teens’ real lives. The complex student-centered activities earn a thumbs up from teacher Susi Durand.
Worry, anger and fear are not worthy expenditures of a teacher’s precious energy, writes Dina Strasser, as she prepares for a pandemic fall in a new school. “I am inviting us to look upon our exhaustion as a gift. It will teach us what is necessary and what is not.”
The Social Studies Teacher’s Toolbox is THE book that will help teachers develop a rich social studies curriculum founded in research and practical knowledge, writes teacher educator Linda Biondi. This major resource will be welcomed by novice and veteran teachers alike.
Kathryn Caprino and Sean Ruday encourage you to include inquiry in your teaching this fall, whether it’s face to face, in remote settings, or a blend. The literacy educators share 5 tips with cross-curricular application to engage kids in the pursuit of essential questions.
Practical, touching and funny, David Sherrin’s Authentic Assessment in Social Studies: A Guide to Keeping It Real offers a multitude of innovative approaches while reminding us that student potential lies at the heart of everything we teachers do, writes Sarah Cooper.
Articles / Feel Good Books / Reading / Wide Open Learning
by Megan Kelly · Published 08/17/2020 · Last modified 11/14/2024
When middle grades kids look back to this time, Megan Kelly wants them to remember finding refuge in books. In this post she highlights graphic novels, short stories, mysteries and more she plans to share with her students to help them feel good and reduce their stress.
