Heart of the School / Stress Avoidance
by Rita Platt · Published 05/20/2018 · Last modified 12/12/2019
As the school year winds down and heightened emotions proliferate, it’s easy for teachers to lose their cool. Student (and parent) behavior that would have been met with patience earlier suddenly ratchets up teacher frustrations. Rita Platt shares her coping strategies – laughter included!
With leadership from the Western Massachusetts Writing Project, teachers regularly share classroom stories in their local media. Offering tips and lessons learned, Kevin Hodgson shows how adding educator voices to community discussions increases understanding and support.
Close Reading the Media / Pop Culture
by Frank Baker · Published 05/07/2018 · Last modified 11/21/2019
One way to reach and connect with today’s adolescents is to bring their pop culture into the classroom. Fads and favorites can be hooks to boost media literacy – from a hip-hop song to a clip from a popular TV show, a trending commercial or snippet from a current movie.
Encouraging Quality / Heart of the School
by Rita Platt · Published 04/30/2018 · Last modified 12/01/2019
There is a growing flood of poor quality work being turned in by students. How can teachers turn the tide on rushed assignments filled with errors and unclear thinking? Teacher and soon-to-be principal Rita Platt shares her strategies for encouraging excellent writing.
Articles / Games & Learning / Wide Open Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 04/29/2018 · Last modified 09/13/2023
End of year is an ideal time to try something new. Teachers and students have a lot of material to review, but also need to be engaged and energized. Why not stage a breakout game? Teacher Megan Kelly shares tips and says breakouts also make good school year starters!
Kids develop STEM habits in the classroom, but they spend most of their time outside of school. That’s where parents and other adults can help to inspire, support, and continue their children’s STEM learning. Anne Jolly’s tip-filled letter to caregivers can help.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Job Interviews
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 04/23/2018 · Last modified 11/13/2019
This time of year many new teacher candidates are graduating and are excited to enter the profession. The one thing they all have in common: they want to nail their job interview. After sitting on both sides of the hiring desk, Cheryl Mizerny has learned what works.
When it comes to student learning, we usually think about how to get information into memory, says expert Marilee Sprenger. But we also have to get the information out. Be sure to use these 7 brain-based steps to strengthen connections and make memories permanent.
In an age of fake news and the dismissal of science, teaching students to conduct research provides them with a critical skill. In “It’s a Matter of Fact,” teacher librarian Angie Miller shows how students across content areas can focus on a thesis and master resources.
During the barrage of mandatory assessments each spring, it can be tempting to “decide to do very little with our students” between tests, says Curtis Chandler. But why not make every minute count? Teachers can do just that with these engaging cross-curricular activities.
