In addition to using brain science and psychology to help students overcome test anxiety, Logan Thompson’s Beyond the Content offers ways to put mindfulness practices to work in support of student and teacher self-awareness, writes middle grades teacher Laura Von Staden.
Teacher Social Media has had a powerful positive effect on Brent Gilson’s professional growth. That’s the plus, he says, but there are also the minuses, including too-safe and comfortable conversations, edu-celebrity, and frequent failure to give credit where it is due.
The magic of Les Misérables has Anne Jolly revisiting her ideas about whether STEAM deserves a spot next to STEM on the list of science acronyms. The musical’s set engineering left her amazed. See her latest reflection on what’s essential for the marriage of Arts and STEM.
I Will Screw This Up / YA Reviews
by Dina Strasser · Published 02/19/2020 · Last modified 09/03/2020
Acknowledging that as a white woman of privilege she cannot fully experience the depth of meaning in Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone, ELA teacher Dina Strasser shares four takeaways from her limited perspective as an educator and lover of speculative Young Adult fiction.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Multicultural Learning
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 02/17/2020 · Last modified 09/18/2023
Racial “microaggressions” do harm to students’ self-image and health, says teacher Cheryl Mizerny, who has spent a decade studying this common teacher behavior and how to avoid it. Learn ways to recognize these often unintentional slights and better support all students.
As we move into the 2020 presidential election, questioning what we read and hear is paramount. In the fake news era, are students learning how to verify what they consume? Media literacy expert Frank Baker doesn’t think so and says it’s up to educators to teach them.
Learning to read hard nonfiction is a life skill, says principal Rita Platt. It allows students to dive deep into content, enriches vocabulary, and can be a jumping-off point for developing lifelong pursuits. Platt shares strategies her school uses to spark interest.
Future of History / Writing in Social Studies
by Sarah Cooper · Published 02/10/2020 · Last modified 03/23/2020
Writing a letter to a politician is about as “civic” an assignment as we can do within our classroom walls, and it feels so relevant in our polarized political climate. After 3 years of tweaking her project, teacher Sarah Cooper shares tips to boost the response rate.
While infographics can be engaging, students may not access the content in a way that leads to deeper understanding. Using NASA images, literacy consultant Sunday Cummins shares four ways to help readers create pathways for sticky learning from this type of resource.
Students need structure, but that doesn’t mean monotony. For her math classes Michelle Russell recently spent a planning day collecting activities to start the New Year. As they returned, she introduced them to a math-friendly Simon Says, some Desmos routines, and fresh card sorts.
