Teaching Mistakes / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 02/19/2018 · Last modified 12/14/2019
Kevin Hodgson remembers vividly the day when what seemed like a fantastic new idea for exploring word origins with his 6th graders fell apart rather quickly and left him in a panic. He shares this and other memorable missteps over the years – and some lessons learned.
Diverse Reading / Heart of the School
by Rita Platt · Published 02/18/2018 · Last modified 11/29/2019
How can we help students build understanding and empathy for people and cultures outside their own experience? Librarian Rita Platt launched the Books Without Borders reading challenge at her school. See how she does it. Materials and tips on acquiring books included!
Photos, zipper baggie quilts, stick puppets, story time capsules and more – all add to the learning in Simmons and Guinn’s collection of hands-on activities for kids in K-5. Educator Elizabeth OBrien says activities can be easily adapted from one subject area to another.
Close Reading the Media / Media Literacy & History
by Frank Baker · Published 02/13/2018 · Last modified 11/17/2019
The tumultuous and difficult year of 1968 is getting lots of media attention during 2018 because it marks the 50th anniversary of so many newsworthy events in America. Media literacy expert Frank Baker says the anniversary focus offers many teaching opportunities.
Future of History / Teaching Insights
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 02/11/2018 · Last modified 11/13/2019
Lauren Brown and her middle schoolers are in the sweet spot of the school year – settled after the holidays and with spring break in the distance – a perfect place to deepen learning built on established relationships and student skills developed over past months. Snow days help, too.
For many students, grammar is mostly about memorizing rules and having teachers correct their mistakes. Author Sean Ruday’s Bachelor Grammar activity helps them see how authors use grammatical concepts purposefully to make a piece of writing as strong as possible.
Building Relationships / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Valentina Gonzalez · Published 02/04/2018 · Last modified 12/04/2019
Middle grades English language learners and especially new immigrants can feel vulnerable in the classroom. How can teachers build relationships with our ELLs to help them feel safe and more open to learning? ELL specialist Valentina Gonzalez shares five proven techniques.
Difficult Topics / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 01/30/2018 · Last modified 11/25/2019
Middle grades teacher Mary Tarashuk confronts the line between preserving childhood innocence and honestly exploring the real world. Are her sudden tears during the daily real aloud of The One and Only Ivan encroaching uncomfortably on that unidentifiable boundary?
Every year, writes teacher leader Jennifer Smith, schools “muddle through” standardized testing days trying to design schedules that take less time away from productive learning. Her 5th grade team tried a fresh approach that both engaged and energized test-weary kids.
Alexis Wiggins has taken a 1930s Socratic discussion strategy and enriched it to provide more detail about process, assessment and self-reflection. Teacher Joanne Bell finds Wiggins’ Spider Web technique a useful tool to develop learners ready for 21st century employment.
