Matthew Kay shows how to establish and maintain a positive classroom community that allows teachers to begin to broach racial discourse with our students in a healthy and productive way. Teacher Nicole Warchol finds Not Light, But Fire “smart, supportive, and necessary.”
Speculative fiction β apocalyptic, dystopian or fantasy β continues to grab the attention of middle and high school readers. ELA/EL teacher Dina Strasser also sees an opportunity for educators to explore current social issues that may be difficult to address otherwise.
Wondering how to differentiate the format of the standard paper-and-pencil summative assessment to meet the needs of English learners? Tan Huynh shows how word banks, visuals, single-task questions, sentence starters, and synonyms can help ELs convey what they know.
Adolescent Development / Book Reviews
by MiddleWeb · Published 11/21/2019 · Last modified 12/07/2019
Both parents and teachers will find a refreshing look at how to help middle schoolers thrive in Phyllis Fagellβs Middle School Matters. She provides practical, straightforward advice informed by experience and research, writes middle grades teacher Cheryl Mizerny.
Why is NBCT Marilyn Pryleβs βnever-failβ Character Sketch activity so effective? Because it asks students to use the people in their own lives as inspiration β a parent, grandparent, sibling, or friend. Pryle provides the teacherβs script, complete with student prompts.
At its best, annotation starts a dialogue between our English and History students and thoughtful writers past and present. But that doesnβt mean adolescents are eager to do it. Sarah Cooper shares ideas and online resources to make the process a true learning experience.
In The Right Tools Towanda Harris has created a system to review the literacy materials at a teacherβs disposal to decide which are strongest and weakest. She also includes strategies for finding fresh resources that better match student needs, says Erin Corrigan-Smith.
Writing for authentic audiences motivates students to do their best work, says English department chair Kasey Short. Public audiences offer a practical reason to revise and edit and allow studentsβ ideas to have real impact. See her tips to transform routine assignments.
There is an incredible amount of inspirational βstuffβ going on in the world of middle school, and it’s ours for the taking, writes teacher Laurie Lichtenstein, after her first experience participating in an AMLE national conference. Now, if they just had fast passes!
Adventures in Teacher Leadership is brief yet packed with how-toβs for any situation a teacher leader might encounter. Practical and concise, this book written by two State TOYs has resources for new and veteran teacher leaders alike, says new leader Michelle Voelker.
