Grounded in research and real-world situations, The Social-Emotional Learning Playbook by Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher and Dominique Smith supports the social-emotional growth in you, your students and your community, writes Anne Anderson, calling the book “a great PD resource.”
While most middle schoolers can decode text, the crux of any worthwhile lesson is assuring they understand what they’re reading and how it might impact them or the world around them. Peg Grafwallner shares strategies to help embed these literacy skills across the content areas.
I Will Screw This Up / Unstructured Learning
by Dina Strasser · Published 11/06/2023 · Last modified 11/08/2023
A just-crafted clay dino from seventh grader Gil reminds Dina Strasser that middle graders need unstructured time under the careful but non-interfering eye of a teacher who is trained to watch, listen and learn. Making room for such time is a challenge that’s seldom met.
Gholdy Muhammad’s Unearthing Joy offers ways to elevate meaning, reflection and joy so readers can offer cultural and historically responsive teaching most effectively. Sarah Cooper calls it “one of the most beautiful, inspiring, actionable books about pedagogy I’ve ever read.”
The authors of Welcome to Reading Workshop explain why student work in small groups is not just one of many teaching options but an essential everyday strategy to reduce teacher-student ratio, personalize learning, give students a voice, review, reteach, and apply new learning.
American Indian Heritage Month / Resources
by Susan Curtis · Published 10/31/2023 · Last modified 11/24/2023
Native Americans’ thousands of years of history are filled with achievements and challenges. In recent years the United States has commemorated their history in November. MiddleWeb’s resource collection can help students understand this rich and complex heritage.
Lauren Buell’s 8th grade ELA team works with students on a comprehensive unit that helps all participants develop speaking, listening, writing, reading and life skills as they prepare end-of-year TED-style talks. She shares the unit’s impact once students enter high school.
The Unstoppable ML Teacher / Videos in Class
by Tan Huynh · Published 10/23/2023 · Last modified 11/13/2023
Explainer videos are challenging for multilingual learners because of the dense academic language, the rapid speaking pace and the large amount of content covered. Language specialist Tan Huynh shares strategies he uses to help MLs maximize the ‘learning gold’ videos offer.
Recounting her visit from a grandfatherly apparition grabbed the attention of Stephanie Farley’s students and launched a study of storytelling. Putting “stunt teaching” into action – sometimes with colleagues – builds engagement and opens the door to choice, challenge and play.
Kasey Short finds Brett Vogelsinger’s Poetry Pauses “amazing – and a must read” for middle school English teachers. “The book is original, honest, and filled with practical resources” that can help educators integrate poetry into lessons around any ELA topic or standard.
