Teaching students to take good notes and allowing them to use “open notes” on most class tests is good instructional practice, says ELA teacher Amber Chandler. She details how her open-note approach sharpens student focus and provides data to strengthen lessons.
Middle schoolers are “notorious sponges” who soak up the emotional energy around them, says teacher Elyse Scott. In the wake of a divisive election, she recommended an activity that can help kids build collaborative skills, empathy and acceptance of other viewpoints.
Given social media’s popularity as a news source, consultant Frank Baker says students must gain both the knowledge and the analytical skills to distinguish fact from fiction. Baker highlights the pervasive rise of fake news and shares teaching resources.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Multicultural Learning
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 11/20/2016 · Last modified 11/04/2024
Few things are more important to Cheryl Mizerny than creating a classroom environment that honors all of her multicultural students. She looks at beliefs, the visual environment, instructional materials, and teaching choices for ways to support everyone’s learning.
Gifted and advanced fifth graders will find the four units in this book – fiction and nonfiction – packed with graphic organizers, tech, and student discourse. Each unit focuses on a text exemplar. Instructional coach Donna Wall says the units provide suitable rigor.
STEM By Design / STEM Teacher Development
by Anne Jolly · Published 11/13/2016 · Last modified 11/23/2019
Anne Jolly deeply believes that well-informed and skilled teacher leaders are the most valuable assets we have at all levels. In the STEM education arena, teacher leaders are particularly crucial. How to provide leadership? She fills in the picture.
Current Events / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 11/10/2016 · Last modified 11/27/2019
In the wake of the election, Sarah Cooper recalls that teaching MS history means teaching identity. “It’s our job to give examples. It’s our students’ job to internalize what they agree with, set aside what they don’t, and grow into the human beings we know they can become.”
During her 27 months teaching English in a Macedonian village school, Peace Corps volunteer Jordan Lucas learned a lot about the relationship between culture and learning – insights that will help her be a better language educator. It all began with a kombi ride.
In the busy world of school our well-intentioned plans grow dust. Loose ends are too numerous to count, and nothing seems to be moving forward. Welcome to Stuck Valley, says organizational expert Dr. Frank Buck. But take heart – he’s here to get you back on track.
Author and veteran teacher educator Ann Weber outlines 3 key supervisory steps – preparation, coaching and evaluation – that can help cooperating teachers shine in their advisory roles and assure new teachers are ready to launch their careers in the middle grades.
