Teacher Teamwork explains the stages of effective team building, including agendas, routines, common purpose & more. Educator Laura Von Staden reports the book is right on point in terms of activities & concepts to implement, but may be overly time consuming.
Future of History / Parody for Synthesis
by Jody & Shara · Published 11/01/2015 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Song parodies can help students in history class create connections for themselves as they write their own lyrics about important events. As it turns out, writing songs in groups can also invoke 8th grade social machinations, teacher Jody Passanisi reports.
Teacher-author Roxanna Elden has prepared “a completely unscientific, non-research-based guide” to six common teacher nightmares. They may sound all too familiar to fellow educators. See if she’s analyzed a dream you recognize and share another of your own.
Future of History / History & Current Events
by Sarah Cooper · Published 10/18/2015 · Last modified 11/22/2019
FDR’s “Four Freedoms” speech in 1941 versus Donald Trump’s debate performances this year: meaningful connection or unfair comparison? Sarah Cooper describes her recent lesson and presents her new ground rules for history and current event mashups.
Kids on the Cusp / Teacher Development
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 10/07/2015 · Last modified 11/28/2019
How do we really build better teachers? Are current school system practices helping? Reading a long-neglected article from the NYT Magazine prompts a fresh reflection on the best ways to improve teaching practice from veteran tween teacher Mary Tarashuk.
Knowing how television programming is funded can help students understand what is available to view. Media literacy expert Frank W. Baker links to sources of advertising data and suggests activities to build student savvy about the genres that fill their screens.
Vocabulary knowledge is the heart of reading comprehension and academic achievement, says literacy consultant Brenda Overturf, “and it means way more than just learning words.” Students must have the tools to decipher unknown academic words. She shares three of the best.
ELA teacher Amber Chandler is in a quandary. She wants to give her students time each week to “read for enjoyment” but knows the research on Sustained Silent Reading reveals little impact on fluency. Can she bridge these muddied waters? All ideas welcomed!
Sarah Tantillo is back with 12 techniques that mid-grades teachers across the curriculum can use to help their students develop the habits of speaking and listening that most contribute to learning. One idea: “Treat students as sleuths out to solve a mystery.”
A New School Year / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 08/25/2015 · Last modified 11/16/2019
Mary Tarashuk is packing for her trip back to Room 106 and her new class of fourth graders. She shares her pre-flight checklist and her new student-centered theme for the year: “In Class 4-T We DO Learning.” Along the way she includes middle grades resources.
