To improve the effectiveness of PLCs, the four authors of Amplify Your Impact have created a framework for coaches to use to guide teachers in practicing effective teamwork. Educator Laura Cockman is already implementing elements of it with her PLC and recommends it.
Student discussions fueled by doubts and personal questions can push learning very deep, says teaching consultant Jackie Walsh. To set the stage, educators will need to address Teacher Mindset, Classroom Culture, Teaching Modeling, and Student Skills and Dispositions.
After considering his early years as an English teacher, looking at research and talking with teachers and administrators, teacher educator Sean Ruday shares four recommendations to help new ELA teachers’ first years in the classroom be as successful as possible.
Heart of the School / Summer Family Contacts
by Rita Platt · Published 06/17/2018 · Last modified 11/13/2019
We work all year to build and nurture relationships with our students and families. Why stop over the summer? Rita Platt offers quick, low-stress ideas for teachers and principals to stay connected to during the summer months. Public library meetups are super simple!
In Creating Scientists Christopher Moore helps readers better understand the reasoning behind the NGSS and how to implement the standards in classrooms. If teachers focus lessons with his goals in mind, says science educator Joyce Depenbusch, students will benefit.
Mary Tarashuk’s fourth graders dedicate a large part of their end-of-year together looking back at where they began and how far they have come, not only as individuals, but as a classroom community. The Workshop journaling model helps everyone share their conclusions.
Articles / New Teacher Advice / Teacher Self-care
by MiddleWeb · Published 06/12/2018 · Last modified 11/25/2019
Successful, career-minded teachers must learn how to juggle the demands of being in a classroom all day long and also maintaining a satisfactory personal life. Julia Thompson, author of a bestselling survival guide for first-year teachers, tells how to achieve that balance.
Future of History / New Teacher Advice / Novice History Teachers
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 06/10/2018 · Last modified 07/19/2024
When Lauren Brown left her history classroom and became a teacher educator, she always shared a page of advice when pre-service teachers finished her course. Three years after returning to middle school, Brown updates her tips with fresh insights from the front lines.
Close Reading the Media / Media Literacy Videos
by Frank Baker · Published 06/06/2018 · Last modified 11/28/2019
Recent Stanford research found that today’s students have difficulty distinguishing media content created to inform from content designed to persuade and even deceive. Consultant Frank Baker shares some of his favorite short videos to help teachers address the problem.
Articles / Tech for Teachers / Wide Open Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 06/04/2018 · Last modified 06/22/2020
GIFs are great teaching tools. The brief videos can bring out the ideas and creativity of students too. Megan Kelly shares how kids can make GIFs with a helpful tutorial and where in the curriculum they belong: ELA, science, social studies math, PE – everywhere!
