Last Days of Math Class / Meaningful Math
by Michelle Russell · Published 05/12/2019 · Last modified 04/26/2024
Michelle Russell’s plan to end the year with some “serious teaching” has quickly collapsed under the weight of special events. That’s okay. “It came to me eventually that I also want to enjoy the last few weeks I will have these students.” Here’s what she decided to do.
The final bell of the year will soon ring, but teachers still have the opportunity to provide students with encouragement, tools, and an expectation to play, explore, and discover the world outside school. Curtis Chandler’s post overflows with STEM resources to do just that.
In response to kids just being mean or in instances of downright bullying, teaching children to be calmly assertive can help. Rita Platt shares strategies that students can use to stand up for themselves and others – learning the difference between tattling and reporting.
Low expectations and inequitable classrooms persist in many of America’s public schools, writes Regie Routman, author of Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence and Equity for All Learners. Here’s what Routman believes educators must do to address this moral dilemma.
If you are a beginning teacher, wondering about time, survival guide author Julia Thompson has created a collection of quick tips that can help you maximize every minute at school, minimize the time you spend working at home, and keep from sabotaging your own strategies.
Math students who prefer competition do a good job of creating it for themselves, writes author-educator Jerry Burkhart. On the other hand, kids who prefer collaboration and reflection need teachers to create an environment that supports their mathematical learning.
What if students could find a way to overcome their fear of speaking, learn storytelling, and become more confident public speakers? Teaching these skills to middle graders using stand up comedy can lay the groundwork for greater success, writes actor-educator Kevin Flynn.
Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp’s “Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids” is a must-read, writes principal, NBCT and veteran school librarian Rita Platt. Its 10 short chapters are power-packed with research, stories and strategies for building a strong reading culture.
Novels about school are rare and often feature a lone heroic teacher defying the odds. Instead, NBCT Roxanna Elden’s fictional account of life at a struggling urban Texas school – “Adequate Yearly Progress” – is funny, often moving, and always authentic. Read Chapter 2.
Preparing for Next Year / STEM By Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 04/23/2019 · Last modified 11/18/2019
Take time now to do some preliminary thinking about next year’s STEM lessons. Gather feedback from your students before they sign out for summer, suggests STEM expert Anne Jolly, and also consider four key areas that often get short shrift during STEM curriculum planning.
