There is no perfect method for shared decision-making among principals, teachers, staff and families, but it’s most successful when involvement is authentic, time is adequate, and agreed-upon norms are in place. Authors Ron Williamson and Barb Blackburn share strategies.
Whatever you know, sharing it outside school walls can inform policymakers, journalists, the public, other teachers, researchers, and professors – who can use your classroom discoveries to better serve students. Educator and writer Jenny Grant Rankin shows how.
Responsive Literacy’s 400 pages are well worth the read, writes Linda Biondi. Each of the contributing teacher educators present a theoretical framework and practical tools to apply in the classroom and guidance on how to help young students develop a love of literacy. Five stars.
Responding to the current dust-up on leveling books, literacy consultant Patty McGee explores a few common questions about cultivating a responsive class library and shares some great ways to immerse your students in a “bookstore” experience, as both customers and staff!
Future of History / Teaching strategies
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 11/05/2018 · Last modified 11/16/2019
Lesson plan improvement notes written a year ago may not be as useful as you now wish they were. That’s what Lauren Brown discovered when she tried to decipher scribbled comments on materials from last fall. Learn some of her ideas to lessen the need for total recall.
The Unstoppable ML Teacher / Videos in Class
by Valentina Gonzalez · Published 11/04/2018 · Last modified 11/25/2019
Short animated videos are excellent for supporting literacy skills while making learning fun. For English learners they can serve as a scaffold when studying story elements. Valentina Gonzalez shares a multi-day video plan and lots of films, including some award winners.
Matthew Kay’s Not Light, But Fire is a thought-provoking book that challenges teachers to move beyond typical classroom conversations to help students understand how to discuss difficult topics such as race. Teacher Laura Von Staden says the risks are worth the growth.
One of the most common concerns Sarah Tantillo hears from ELA teachers is “I want to teach grammar, but I’m not sure how to fit it in.” Her new MiddleWeb post explains a systematic approach that blends grammar into narrative reading and writing classes, day by day.
Meaningful Math / Online Resources
by Michelle Russell · Published 10/29/2018 · Last modified 11/25/2019
Michelle Russell is always looking for new resources for her math classes. But before she spends time incorporating new tools, she wants to know what the resources can do. Here she shares what she and her students think of two online math platforms – IXL and Delta Math.
International Mindedness / Wide Open Learning
by Megan Kelly · Published 10/28/2018 · Last modified 11/25/2019
Having taught internationally since 2003, Megan Kelly loves to share her experience and enthusiasm with her students in hope they’ll become more globally minded and curious people. Here she shares strategies she uses in her classroom to open the world up to middle graders.
