David Lee Finkle teaches English and creative writing in a Florida public school. For 20 years in local newspapers and online, his comic strip Mr. Fitz has shared the realities of teaching and school life with humor, empathy and irony – as you’ll see in this selection of recent ‘pandemic strips’.
The slow burn of racial injustice has once again erupted in a blaze of protests – illuminating long-standing social, economic, and educational disparities and divisions. Only this time is different, writes Vernita Mayfield. And it demands cultural competency from every educator.
To motivate students to embrace independent reading, Kasey Short recommends we help them find the right books, use authentic assignments for accountability, and provide the time to read – all to help build a classroom climate where reading is valued, enjoyed and celebrated.
Get kids engaged in narrative writing using Story in a Bag. ELA consultant Lynne Dorfman shows how this hands-on activity enlivens in-class and distance learning as it helps students build their writing fluency and encourages them to learn problem solving on the spot.
Looking through the lens of formative assessment, Dayna Laur shows how project based learning can be used as a way to teach all standards, using her five-stage process. Laur includes examples and many formative assessment tools, writes teacher leader Laura Von Staden.
Future of History / History & Current Events
by MiddleWeb · Published 07/22/2020 · Last modified 08/12/2020
How can social studies teachers sufficiently teach about systemic racism and oppression without making this lens the only way students see history and its connections to current events? Sarah Cooper and Lauren Brown continue their chat about teaching U.S. History in 2020.
Simulations involve tactile or kinesthetic participation and offer a way for students to be actively engaged in lessons and experience another dimension of learning. Barbara Blackburn and two colleagues share online and in-class SS, ELA, and STEM ideas.
Jennifer Sniadecki and Jason DeHart dive deep into using picture books in upper level classrooms to meet state standards and increase student mastery. In this 3rd post on the topic they share examples, research, and stories from their own teaching experiences.
Book Reviews / Student Driven Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 07/16/2020 · Last modified 04/20/2022
Two-for-One Teaching is an excellent resource for educators who want to help connect what matters most to kids with what matters most to schools. The authors’ flexible strategies will help students learn and grow, writes 21st century curriculum coordinator Alex Valencic.
In March, when her physical classroom vanished, NBCT Kathie Palmieri knew she had to embrace her career-long passion for professional growth. Here’s how she tapped into best practice research and her own skill set to design online learning that kept kids and parents engaged.
