Michelle Russell’s math students depend on her to be cheerful and happy in these difficult times. That can be a challenge, she admits, “but having some new (or not so new) activities to try gets me excited and energized to come to work. I figure that’s good for everybody!”
If there’s ever been a year for reflection and pampering during winter break, then 2020 is that year. A.P. DeAnna Miller intends to set aside time to write and reflect on what worked and what needs changing. And she will “really and truly” revive and embrace the self-care routines she loves.
Argument Writing / Create Compose Connect
by Jeremy Hyler · Published 12/16/2020 · Last modified 02/03/2021
When the pandemic began Jeremy Hyler and his 6th graders were working on argument writing – choosing topics, evaluating sources and drafting opinions. How to simulate all that online? His colleague Dr. Troy Hicks offered to help. Here’s the 2-part lesson they came up with.
Cutting-edge teachers never answer the question “why do we need to learn this” with vague references about an unlikely future, writes curriculum coordinator Alex Valencic. Instead, they provide “instant relevancy” and respond with immediate examples from our lives today.
The 2016 Gallup Poll of Students asked nearly a million tweens and teens in grades 5-12 about engagement in learning. The results were not encouraging, writes author Patti Drapeau. Teachers need to move beyond the “what” of engagement to focus on the “why.”
Coteaching / Engagement / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 12/09/2020 · Last modified 08/02/2023
Whether you’re online, hybrid, or wholly in person – teaching solo or co-teaching – the Community of Inquiry “three presences” framework creates the supportive structure you and your students need to stay focused on learning, writes instructional coach and NBCT Elizabeth Stein.
Incorporating quick-to-prepare, visually appealing learning maps in your unit planning simplifies the process while increasing its effectiveness. In addition learning maps naturally guide co-planning between content teachers and language specialists, writes Tan Huynh.
2020 has been traumatic for students. A global pandemic, social unrest, and economic hardship have all impacted their well-being. For adolescents, writes school counselor Stephanie Filio, there is also no reprieve from the emotional clutter of growing up. Here’s her advice.
Using homemade surveys can help you become a better teacher and leader. They can boost our understanding of student, parent and staff perspectives on issues that impact teaching and learning. Principal and NBCT Rita Platt shares ways she uses them – with tips and resources.
Literacy specialist Sunday Cummins shares her “explode to explain” technique, using a Newsela story about shark-spotting aerial drones along the beaches of Australia. It’s one more tool to help students develop a skill set for understanding and retaining informational text.
