Taking time to refresh your classroom space, renew positive relationships and reinforce routines you established in the fall is time well-spent the first week back in January. Consultant Stacey Shubitz also recommends getting a head start on the new year with some December prep.
When Rita Platt assesses students using CBMs (curriculum based measures) for literacy, she gives the one-minute Oral Reading Fluency tests a twist to make sure comprehension is also being measured. Investigate her technique and a special approach devised for English Learners.
A recent study found drawing can improve our memory more than re-writing or visualizing because it activates more areas of the brain. With this in mind, Megan Kelly set out to incorporate sketchnotes into her English class without it becoming “Language Arts and Crafts.”
Articles / Teaching the Whole Adolescent
by MiddleWeb · Published 12/08/2019 · Last modified 07/17/2024
It’s hard to strike a balance between nurturing a middle schooler and fostering independence, but they need both from adults in their lives as they toggle between childhood and adolescence. Author and middle school counselor Phyllis Fagell shares 10 ways we can help.
Exploring Identity / Teaching with a View
by Brent Gilson · Published 12/04/2019 · Last modified 09/21/2024
Rural teacher Brent Gilson wants to help his 7-9 students “begin to see the world as it is and can be” before they leave school. His book clubs and writing projects will help small town kids understand more about people “who at first glance do not seem at all like them.”
Grading never goes away. But what if we approach it as a form of personal PD? Teacher Lauren Brown traces how a history assignment evolved over four years as she paid close attention to what stymied her 8th graders and adapted her instruction to support their learning.
Educators in co-teacher relationships can strengthen their interactions by adopting a spirit of gratitude, says co-teaching coach Elizabeth Stein. Research supports the idea that “gratitude” can be a powerful energizer in challenging circumstances. Try her tips.
Speculative fiction – apocalyptic, dystopian or fantasy – 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.
It can be hard to convince students that math mistakes are a good thing, when they are punished on standardized testing for every single error. But our intrepid math blogger Michelle Russell is coming up with ways to help her classes turn math missteps into better performance.
Learn the intricacies of mindfulness practice for both students and teachers in Dr. Thomas Armstrong’s Mindfulness in the Classroom. After explaining how stress affects the brain, he shows how mindfulness promotes concentration and calm in class, writes Kathleen Palmieri.
