Class environment, student attitude toward writing, student choice, and teachers who write with kids are overarching themes that help to make Welcome to Writing Workshop a good resource for creating a productive writing program, says 5th grade teacher Kathleen Palmieri.
Thinking Like a Scientist provides strategies to encourage students to explore and understand how scientists approach problems, investigations and research. The detailed lessons can be used in grades 5-8, writes educator and former research scientist Laura Von Staden.
‘Smart pills’ are often marketed to students as a way to fire up the brain and excel academically. Media literacy expert Frank Baker uses a familiar radio ad and other examples to suggest lesson ideas that can actually boost their critical thinking and listening skills.
Class Discussion / Heart of the School
by Rita Platt · Published 09/09/2019 · Last modified 11/27/2019
Students love to talk! And that’s mostly a good thing, if teachers can harness the natural social drive of tweens and teens “and use it to pull the wagon of content learning through whole-class discussions.” Try Rita Platt’s proven step-by-step map to discussion success.
Create Compose Connect / The Reading Problem
by Jeremy Hyler · Published 09/04/2019 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Teachers and literacy coaches have to realize there really are middle level students who refuse to read a book, says ELA teacher Jeremy Hyler. “As we look for answers, we have to first understand students today read differently and communicate differently than we did.”
Co-Teaching Teams / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 09/03/2019 · Last modified 07/19/2024
Whether you began the school year weeks ago or you’re just launching, it’s time to consider what you hold most important when you think about a successful co-teaching partnership. Elizabeth Stein shares an experience from her own career that unwrapped three essentials.
Family Engagement / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Valentina Gonzalez · Published 09/02/2019 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Middle graders, especially ELs and newcomers eager to blend in, may not want to involve families at school. Yet partnering with families leads to greater achievement, lower absenteeism, and better behavior. EL expert Valentina Gonzalez shares her favorite strategies.
First Days of Math Class / Meaningful Math
by Michelle Russell · Published 09/01/2019 · Last modified 11/25/2019
From get-acquainted activities like “Superhero registration” to first-week math games like “Four Fours,” teacher Michelle Russell takes readers through the steps of a new plan to start slow, welcome her students individually, and reassure the anxious ones that math can be fun.
From the classroom to the whole school, Dr. Myles Cooley’s revised Practical Guide for Mental Health and Learning Disorders will help new and veteran educators understand specific student challenges and support kids affected by them, writes educator Elizabeth OBrien.
Boundaries and Consent / It's Not Easy Being Tween
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 08/20/2019 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Teaching about empathy, boundaries, and consent needs to begin in middle school if not before, writes teacher leader Cheryl Mizerny. She talks us through the problems and suggests age-appropriate approaches. Her resources include RAINN network and Laurie Halse Anderson.
