Editors from The Center for Courage & Renewal introduce four short essays from a new book, Teaching with Heart, each written by an educator who reflects on an inspirational poem. Re-energize yourself as you begin to prepare for the new school year!
Homework can be one of the most renewing and exciting aspects of teaching middle school, says teaching expert Rick Wormeli, but we have to be smart about its structure, assignment, and assessment. Included: Ideas to make homework more engaging.
Advertising: it’s everywhere. As media literacy educators work to engage students in conversations about commercial marketing, we have to consider the close reading of print and video ads. Frank Baker provides starting points and resources for teachers.
Embracing Technology / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 07/16/2014 · Last modified 11/16/2019
This summer middle grades teacher Mary Tarashuk is diving into the deep end of the technology pool, accepting a challenging online leadership role. Yet she’s determined to protect the beach time she needs for family and reflection on the school year ahead.
The new book Motivation to Learn doesn’t just talk about the theories behind motivating learners. Using a fresh metaphor (river rafting), it gives new & veteran teachers “concrete strategies for creating a classroom culture that maximizes student engagement,” says reviewer Tasha Kirby.
New to the STEM classroom? Returning for another year of STEM when fall arrives? Either way, summer is the ideal time to wrap your head around what you’ll be doing. Try some of Anne Jolly’s suggestions for what you can do in July!
In this helpful how-to article Judith Wencel, founder of SUCCESS in the Middle, distills 20 years of experience effectively recruiting and preparing community tutors and mentors – dispelling the myth that “nobody will volunteer in middle schools.”
Standards-driven reading lessons often force students to “take” rather than “make” meaning from complex texts, says educator Dorothy Barnhouse. To deepen understanding, she recommends letting students first “notice” and think about the textual layers.
Kids on the Cusp / Last Days of School
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 06/09/2014 · Last modified 11/24/2019
What’s a teacher to do when vacation doesn’t begin until late in June and the classroom is hot, hot, hot? NJ teacher Mary Tarashuk tells how she’s planned so her 4th graders will stay focused & engaged, with the help of a just-in-time PTO gift.
Kids on the Cusp / Teaching writing
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 05/27/2014 · Last modified 11/30/2019
Having helped her students visualize scenes and characters during read alouds, Mary Tarashuk tries the same idea with writing. She and her students “write aloud” as they create text to match the opening illustrations from The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Then they envision their own stories.
