Testing time can ramp up the anxiety of already stressed-out middle schoolers. During week-long testing at her school, media specialist Paige Garrison designed fun, relaxing early morning activities to give their minds and bodies a break. She shares her Week of Zen.
Teaching Mistakes / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 02/19/2018 · Last modified 12/14/2019
Kevin Hodgson remembers vividly the day when what seemed like a fantastic new idea for exploring word origins with his 6th graders fell apart rather quickly and left him in a panic. He shares this and other memorable missteps over the years – and some lessons learned.
Book Reviews / Passion Based Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 02/15/2018 · Last modified 11/17/2019
In “The Passion-Driven Classroom: A Framework for Teaching and Learning” Angela Maiers and Amy Sandvold provide an inspiring and practical resource for educators who embrace or want to explore the student-centered focus of passion-based learning, says Jacie Maslyk.
Photos, zipper baggie quilts, stick puppets, story time capsules and more – all add to the learning in Simmons and Guinn’s collection of hands-on activities for kids in K-5. Educator Elizabeth OBrien says activities can be easily adapted from one subject area to another.
Close Reading the Media / Media Literacy & History
by Frank Baker · Published 02/13/2018 · Last modified 11/17/2019
The tumultuous and difficult year of 1968 is getting lots of media attention during 2018 because it marks the 50th anniversary of so many newsworthy events in America. Media literacy expert Frank Baker says the anniversary focus offers many teaching opportunities.
David Palank’s Class Hacker is so enthusiastically and conversationally presented and informative that it needs to get into the hands of teachers in order to change instruction, writes former principal and writer Mary Langer Thompson.
Great educators don’t exist in a vacuum. More often than not they are supported by loved ones who also play a part in the accomplishment of a teacher’s daily miracles. Consultant Debbie Silver describes how spouses, children, and parents share in the teaching life.
Math Dislike / Meaningful Math
by Michelle Russell · Published 02/04/2018 · Last modified 11/22/2019
When Michelle Russell began teaching, she was always surprised when students said they didn’t like math. She’s not surprised any longer. After considering some of the roadblocks to loving math, she shares the goals she’s established to help reach more of her students.
Every year, writes teacher leader Jennifer Smith, schools “muddle through” standardized testing days trying to design schedules that take less time away from productive learning. Her 5th grade team tried a fresh approach that both engaged and energized test-weary kids.
Mary Tedrow makes a strong case for daily student writing that generates ideas and wonderings not only in English but all content areas. Sarah Cooper finds Tedrow’s detailed guide to using Daybooks and her recommendations on grading and indexing particularly helpful.
