Meaningful Math / Pandemic Teaching
by Michelle Russell · Published 05/26/2020 · Last modified 08/05/2020
When Michelle Russell dropped by her classroom last week, she was overcome with emotion. As her school year ends, she reflects on the depth of her gratitude for that room, her colleagues, her students and their families, her newfound clarity, and teaching itself.
The future may be uncertain but the mental health of our students shouldn’t be. Teacher, author and mentor Cathleen Beachboard describes how – through a focus on communication, consistency and control – educators can begin to help young people regain their sense of safety.
When your students read, view, and listen to multiple sources on a topic or issue, do they tackle each source in a silo? Martha Polley and Sunday Cummins share Martha’s dive into helping students think across history sources, synthesizing to deepen their understanding.
Parents & Inclusion / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 05/13/2020 · Last modified 05/15/2023
Our classrooms have been replaced for now by remote learning platforms, and the connection between students, parents, and teachers has taken on a whole new life. Elizabeth Stein considers how we can make the most of expanding our co-teaching relationships with parents.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Pandemic Teaching
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 05/11/2020 · Last modified 08/12/2022
Amid global fear and incredible teaching and learning challenges generated by the pandemic, Cheryl Mizerny has decided to take Mr. Rogers’ advice and look for the helpers. Here’s her list of six ‘silver linings’ she’s discovered as her school supports “virtual” students.
Future teacher Kara Tyler recommends Determining Difference from Disability to help teachers and parents respond to linguistically, culturally and socio-emotionally diverse students. Tyler appreciates the book’s opportunities for reflection and the range of resources.
Our deep dependency on media for everything from news and entertainment to mail-order buying underscores the urgent need for K-12 educators to make media literacy an essential part of the curriculum in today’s schools, writes author and consultant Frank W. Baker.
Helping students learn to read and love to read are two of the most important jobs of any teacher in the middle grades. You can’t do either without having robust libraries with books of all types, subjects, and levels. NBCT Rita Platt can help you build your collection.
Add dimension to student book talks with Lynne Dorfman’s version of the Book-in-a-Bag project. And it works online, as students introduce their books by sharing a paper bag covered in images they recreate from fiction or nonfiction and by pulling out representative objects.
In response to the sudden shift to remote learning, history teacher Sarah Cooper has jettisoned her usual fourth-quarter Civil War unit and launched an opportunity for her 8th graders to create podcasts on challenging events in US history. Here’s the project in process.
