Although we have always known the importance of teaching vocabulary, there’s been a recent surge of interest in teaching academic vocabulary across the content areas. Author Barbara Blackburn describes three strategies she recommends to help make the new words stick.
When we give in and teach students to “write for the test,” Brent Gilson says, we force them into a writing box that many kids come to hate. Learn how he’s reinventing his writing instruction so students discover their truth, expressed through their own words and ideas.
With unprecedented levels of stress among adolescents, and promising new research from leading institutions, there’s never been a better or more crucial time to implement mindfulness practices into middle school classrooms, says author-consultant Dr. Thomas Armstrong.
Cultural constructs and limited school resources can impact our ability to discover gifted and talented English learners. Despite these barriers, determined teachers can help close the EL representation gap in gifted programs. Specialist Valentina Gonzalez offers her ideas.
Family involvement boosts student success. Yet parents of middle schoolers sometimes face a steep learning curve as they seek to interact with an increased number of teachers. Dr. Curtis Chandler suggests ways to engage and support families, including useful technology.
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.
A recent study found drawing can improve our memory more than re-writing or visualizing because it activates more areas of the brain. With this in mind, Megan Kelly set out to incorporate sketchnotes into her English class without it becoming “Language Arts and Crafts.”
Matthew Kay shows how to establish and maintain a positive classroom community that allows teachers to begin to broach racial discourse with our students in a healthy and productive way. Teacher Nicole Warchol finds Not Light, But Fire “smart, supportive, and necessary.”
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.
In Team Makers Laura Robb and Evan Robb examine the power of collaboration and the visioning that can empower educators to move away from tired practices and embrace new ideas that help transform schools into active learning centers, says principal and NBCT Rita Platt.
