Boost learning and fun this spring with quirky calendar celebrations collected by ed consultant Anne Anderson. Whether it’s observing National Optimism Month in March or Paper Airplane Day in May, adding exclamation points to the arrival of spring is a win for everyone!
I Is for Inquiry presents a diverse repertoire of concepts to help teachers be intentional about embedding inquiry-based teaching and learning strategies into their lessons and supporting K-12 students in embracing a learning mindset, writes Michael McLaughlin.
Assessing ELs / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Tan Huynh · Published 02/14/2022 · Last modified 01/16/2023
Language specialist Tan Huynh shares the process he’s developed to plan a unit for multilingual learners (and all students). Begin with the assessment – the global “forest” view of the unit – then the trees (lessons) and leaves (tasks). Tan walks you through each stage.
Multimodal literacy autobiographies encourage students to reflect on the many ways they have developed literacy skills and offer valuable insights that help teachers shape instruction. Educators Erin Knauer and Kathryn Caprino share tips and examples to get students started.
Novels in verse offer quicker reads with instant character connections, vivid imagery, pathways to complex issues, strong narratives, and much more. ELA teacher Kasey Short shares how to use them in class and introduces lots of titles for your middle graders.
Middle grades teacher Mona Iehl wants students to be able to “see themselves in math” and be represented in the work they do together. Learn how she uses the images and words of Black Mathematicians to empower and inspire her classes to welcome and master math challenges.
Bouncing off a family session of Scattergories gone wrong, Curtis Chandler considers how to tap into multilingual learners’ interest in games and competition – including challenging tasks – by offering opportunities to play with and practice new skills in collaborative settings.
Bradley Witzel and Barbara Blackburn share research-supported strategies proven effective for students with special needs and mathematics challenges. They model the concrete-visual-abstract sequence of instruction (CVA) and schema-based instruction (SBI) for word problems.
Katie Durkin’s 7th graders are once again able to visit the school library, and she has three goals for them: tap into the expertise of librarians; learn how to preview a fiction or nonfiction text; and grow the skills to become expert book hunters. Don’t miss the infographic!
Anne Anderson has added read-alouds and other picture books to her calendar celebrations – an engaging collection of odd information, birthdays of the famous and not-so-famous, and lesser-known holidays. See the Fantastic Flying Books and other top picks for December, January and February!
