A New School Year / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 09/22/2015 · Last modified 11/13/2019
Personal narratives, reading folders, interest inventories – and new nicknames bestowed as the year begins. Mary Tarashuk uses many clues to get to know her 4th graders. PARCC scores haven’t arrived yet. No sweat. All that really matters is arrayed before her.
Written from the experiences of two veteran teachers, Empowering Families is the most useful guide in promoting student literacy at home that 4th grade teacher Alex T. Valencic has ever come across. He plans to share its many suggestions with teachers and parents this fall.
Plans for Republican and Democratic primary debates are well underway. Media literacy expert Frank W. Baker is ready with guidelines for engaging students in classroom research and discussion. Baker’s first focus: the very crowded GOP debates scheduled for this fall.
Future of History / Tragic Events
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 07/26/2015 · Last modified 12/11/2019
Whether a tragedy is recent or ancient, death is an unfortunate staple in social studies classes, writes history educator Lauren Brown. The challenge for MS teachers is to treat tragic events sensitively while helping students grasp the historical import.
The first step toward gamifying your classroom can be as simple as taking the “ew” out of “review” with these helpful game-oriented apps, selected and described by tech integration expert Curtis Chandler. Included: Quizizz, Kahoot, Classcraft and Class Dojo.
Author and former middle level school leader Frank Buck spends his professional life helping fellow educators manage themselves and their work in ways that maximize performance and benefit students. Buck shares three practical ideas to organize the new school year.
Relationships are built when children know that caring adults are on their side. If teachers team up with parents and families, they can help create success for even the most difficult students. Amber Chandler shares the strategies that work in her MS classroom.
Author and literacy consultant Regie Routman is a passionate cook who loves to make fresh fruit tarts. Here she draws connections between learning to bake and learning to teach, using her Optimal Learning Model as a framework. Fruit tart recipe included!
School technology coach Josh Burker offers eight reasons why classroom making is not only playful and fun but also an effective strategy to build organizational, problem-solving and leadership skills. Included: A MaKey MaKey musical instruments project.
Kids on the Cusp / Last Days of School
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 06/17/2015 · Last modified 11/15/2019
Like many teachers, when school ends, new work begins for Mary Tarashuk. “I earn a good salary, but it isn’t enough to pay for ‘summers off.'” There’s professional learning to do, too. But still some time to relax and reflect on the sheer joy of teaching children.
