In presenting a guide to eliminating aggressive student behavior, Ben Springer finds the perfect balance – sharing practical and compassionate strategies, support for teachers, allowances for imperfection, and opportunities to smile, writes principal and NBCT Rita Platt.
When Rita Platt assesses students using CBMs (curriculum based measures) for literacy, she gives the one-minute Oral Reading Fluency tests a twist to make sure comprehension is also being measured. Investigate her technique and a special approach devised for English Learners.
Articles / Teaching the Whole Adolescent
by MiddleWeb · Published 12/08/2019 · Last modified 07/17/2024
It’s hard to strike a balance between nurturing a middle schooler and fostering independence, but they need both from adults in their lives as they toggle between childhood and adolescence. Author and middle school counselor Phyllis Fagell shares 10 ways we can help.
The Elements of Education for Teachers offers 100 pages jam-packed with easily accessible, well vetted pedagogies and practices. Each of the 50 elements is presented in a crisp two-page format. Teacher Diane Kaplan has selected several strategies to implement right away.
Grading never goes away. But what if we approach it as a form of personal PD? Teacher Lauren Brown traces how a history assignment evolved over four years as she paid close attention to what stymied her 8th graders and adapted her instruction to support their learning.
Speculative fiction – apocalyptic, dystopian or fantasy – continues to grab the attention of middle and high school readers. ELA/EL teacher Dina Strasser also sees an opportunity for educators to explore current social issues that may be difficult to address otherwise.
Learn the intricacies of mindfulness practice for both students and teachers in Dr. Thomas Armstrong’s Mindfulness in the Classroom. After explaining how stress affects the brain, he shows how mindfulness promotes concentration and calm in class, writes Kathleen Palmieri.
Why is NBCT Marilyn Pryle’s “never-fail” Character Sketch activity so effective? Because it asks students to use the people in their own lives as inspiration – a parent, grandparent, sibling, or friend. Pryle provides the teacher’s script, complete with student prompts.
At its best, annotation starts a dialogue between our English and History students and thoughtful writers past and present. But that doesn’t mean adolescents are eager to do it. Sarah Cooper shares ideas and online resources to make the process a true learning experience.
Writing for authentic audiences motivates students to do their best work, says English department chair Kasey Short. Public audiences offer a practical reason to revise and edit and allow students’ ideas to have real impact. See her tips to transform routine assignments.
