As you relax into summer break, keep an eye on what’s up with STEM learning. Expert Anne Jolly shares resources for keeping up with STEM news and lesson ideas as you reflect on what worked (and didn’t) last year and consider how to amp things up for next fall’s students.
What a difference a year makes! Rita Platt reflects on takeaways from her first year as a principal with observations that may buoy other new and aspiring school leaders: avoid your office, encourage laughter, recognize that all staffers play essential roles, and much more.
In his latest book, Super Spellers Starter Sets, Mark Weakland provides a classroom resource to support the principles he presented in 2017’s Super Spellers – that spelling should not simply be a list of words to know for a test but a learned skill essential to literacy.
Remember Ralphie’s theme in A Christmas Story? Today’s ELA educators would love to see that kind of writing commitment, says Jeremy Hyler. Instead he’s seeing a lack of writing endurance in his 6th and 7th graders. Here’s some of what Hyler does to improve their stamina.
When Brent Gilson began teacher training he vowed to one day give his students more choice and voice than he ever had in school. Follow his journey from early experiments to his growing success, thanks to insights gained from mentors like Kylene Beers, Kelly Gallagher and Marisa Thompson.
Wondering how to set up your new classroom? Or just ready to make some changes in your familiar space? Creating Your Dream Elementary Classroom is the book for you, writes teacher educator Linda Biondi. It’s filled with ideas from pros to benefit newbies and vets in grades K-6.
Close Reading the Media / Visual Literacy
by Frank Baker · Published 05/15/2019 · Last modified 11/25/2019
It’s not a simple matter to separate photojournalism from visual propaganda intended to sway emotions and opinions. Drawing in part on iconic images from Dorothea Lange’s career, expert Frank Baker explores the question and shares SEL and media literacy lesson resources.
School in Spring. Freedom so close you can taste the poolside popsicles. Teachers open windows for a waft of fresh air. Sunny dispositions abound. Students squirm but they learn. Except, writes teacher Laurie Lichtenstein with weary humor, this is MIDDLE school. In Spring.
Book Reviews / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 05/09/2019 · Last modified 01/17/2020
Building People is like a panel discussion on the current state of social emotional learning with 12 authors looking at where SEL is, its future, and ways to use SEL to help kids succeed. Teacher leader Laura Von Staden finds the book a useful if one-sided resource.
Future of History / Teaching Insights
by Sarah Cooper · Published 05/08/2019 · Last modified 11/21/2019
Returning from the 2018 NCSS conference, Sarah Cooper reignites her US history unit on reformers to deepen student understanding about historical, current and future activism. Learn more about the 10 Changemaker Questions she used to create a sense of action in her classes.
