Taking care of ourselves means finding time to rest, getting enough exercise, and having balance in our lives. It also means being inspired about who we are and what we do. Barbara Blackburn shares six ways she has incorporated inspiration into her teaching life.
Imagine yourself on a plane, about to start a new chapter of your life as an international teacher in another country and culture. With 30 years teaching abroad in North and South America, Elisa Waingort knows both the joys and challenges. Ready for take off?
Future of History / Middle School History / New Teacher Advice
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 07/19/2016 · Last modified 11/26/2019
After many years teaching high school & college students, Lauren Brown re-entered a middle school classroom last fall as a full-time social studies teacher. She describes her delight with young adolescents who greeted history with enthusiasm and deep discussions.
Kids on the Cusp / Self Assessment
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 07/17/2016 · Last modified 11/19/2019
Fourth graders draw surprising conclusions when they get the chance to look back at a whole school year. Mary Tarashuk reviews the year with them and makes plans to tweak the experience next year, creating a new graphic organizer she’ll use with her next class.
STEM expert Anne Jolly shares the 9-step process she uses to write a quality lesson that includes some or all of the elements found in the Engineering Design Process (EDP). Included: free downloads of six STEM lesson-writing tools she developed for her new book.
Many teachers are not well equipped to teach “argument” and prepare students for assessments that require them to build an effective claim. Author and consultant Erik Palmer deconstructs current efforts to teach persuasive writing and offers better solutions.
Literacy consultant Regie Routman’s determination to interact meaningfully with her teen granddaughter led her to take up tennis again. Her 10 takeaways apply to life on the court and in the classroom, including the value of joy and the necessity for follow-through.
Concept mapping is one of those underutilized but potentially powerful tools than can deepen learning and teaching significantly. In his new MiddleWeb blog, Class Apps, teacher educator Curtis Chandler shares three online mapping tools to get students started.
Digital Portfolios / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 07/06/2016 · Last modified 11/15/2019
Kevin Hodgson and his 6th graders learned how to build digital portfolios together in recent months, creating a reflective space to re-examine and “curate” a year’s worth of digital projects. He shares tools created to guide the process and the lessons learned.
Summer Growth / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 06/26/2016 · Last modified 11/14/2019
Elizabeth Stein offers resources to support the rejuvenation educators need to enjoy, learn, grow, and relax this summer. Once refreshed and centered, co-teachers can look ahead to the new school year by tapping into UDL guidelines and planning tools & templates.
