Teaching and learning in grades 4-8

A Deep Dive into How Learning Works

In How Learning Works: A Playbook education researchers John Almarode, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey offer teaching and learning strategies that can help students grow into independent learners. Education consultant Anne Anderson shares some highlights from her deep dive.

Aligning How You Lead with Who You Are

Engaging with What’s Your Leadership Story? by Gretchen Oltman and Vicki Bautista will help leaders – especially newer ones – articulate their purpose and bring their whole selves to school each day. School leader Sarah Cooper appreciates the book’s practical honesty.

A Lesson in Leadership from the Covid Years

When DeAnna Miller became assistant principal in 2019, she could never have anticipated the challenges pandemic schooling would bring. Looking back now, she identifies her most important lesson learned: “Real leadership is recognizing that we must serve the people we lead.”

3 Tools to Help Develop the Talents in Every Kid

Rather than label just some kids talented, we need a new approach that serves all children, writes performance coach Lee Hancock. Among his strategies: embracing failure as progress, spending time in deep practice, and fostering in kids a love for their own special interests.

Reflective Thinking for Leaders at All Stages

Educators considering entering administration and those already there will find Kara Knight’s The Confident School Leader a useful guide to key elements of leadership. Reviewer Beth Hassinger found Knight’s discussion of social and emotional aspects particularly helpful.

Paying It Forward: Why We All Need Mentors

Whether it’s our students or our colleagues, the mentor relationship is a win-win for mentor and mentee. As mentors, we can realize a unique personal fulfillment and grow as a listener, a coach, a friend, a leader. And one day, our mentees may decide to “pay it forward.”

For New Teachers: How to Keep Kids on Task

Effective class management begins with dynamic planning and engagement, writes instructional specialist Miriam Plotinsky. Teachers who focus not just on delivering information but responding to student feedback in the moment can avoid “helicopter teacher” syndrome. Here’s how.

Try Café Conversations for Deeper Learning

Want a fun way to turn student talk into deeper learning? Teacher Kelly Owens serves up tips and resources for Café Conversations, showing how students’ need to talk can become on-task, productive, and reflective when they encounter this welcoming cross-curricular strategy.