Helping Kids Stick with Learning
Call it grit or resilience, it’s a behavior that can serve students well. We’ve gathered advocates’ views, pushback from critics and ideas to build it.
Call it grit or resilience, it’s a behavior that can serve students well. We’ve gathered advocates’ views, pushback from critics and ideas to build it.
Teachers who begin lessons without telling students “what we’re doing and where we’re going” are kidnappers, says Sarah Tantillo. Don’t take your middle graders on a mystery ride. Use the RPM strategy to write rigorous, purposeful, measurable objectives in any subject. Cheatsheet included!
Kids on the Cusp / Teaching writing
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 11/05/2014 · Last modified 11/29/2019
Leaping into writing with students can be almost as thrilling as sky-diving, says Mary Tarashuk, who has now tried both. Here she describes how she is modeling “the writer as reader” with her 4th graders and shares their organizer for narrative writing.
Want to improve relationships between families and school? Teachers benefit when learning is reinforced and supported from home. Consultant Barbara Blackburn has tips on how to PAIR with parents and avoid school-side mistakes that weaken engagement.
Kids on the Cusp / Parent Engagement
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 09/23/2014 · Last modified 11/21/2019
As a 4th grade teacher, Mary Tarashuk is responsible for helping her students begin the transition from early to more independent learning. At Back-to-School Night, Tarashuk talked with parents about why kids will benefit from some academic struggle.
The ‘T’ in STEM manifests in many ways, says science educator Anne Jolly. One new trend, coming rapidly to the fore, is writing program code. In this post Anne shares some coding ideas she and teacher Emily Vickery have brainstormed for STEM classes.
The spectrum of health issues our students face is mind-boggling, but our response to their needs shouldn’t be. With forethought and guidance from school personnel, worries about children with health conditions can be reduced, says teacher Beth Morrow.
Book Reviews / Gradual Release of Responsibility
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/16/2014 · Last modified 12/10/2019
In the 2nd edition of Better Learning Through Structured Teaching, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey use specific classroom examples and deep knowledge in the field to explain how students can become independent learners. Sarah Cooper says read it now!
The most effective teachers know that if you want to have a great lesson, you need to plan a great lesson, say experts Todd Whitaker and Annette Breaux. Novice teachers will appreciate their handy planning checklist. Bonus download: How to overplan!
William H. Robertson channels his unique perspective and experiences as a skateboarder and educator into a well-written, informative, and enjoyable read in Action Science: Relevant Teaching and Active Learning, says reviewer Hallie Askuvich.