Teaching and learning in grades 4-8
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In her latest look into the power of scaffolding to boost students’ learning, education consultant and author Barbara R. Blackburn centers on a traditional but very effective strategy: offering students graphic organizers. She shares seven examples with tips on how each one supports learning.
In Gender-Inclusive Schools Dave Edwards provides practical advice for educators, administrators and caregivers to help create climates that are predictably safe and affirming for their gender-expansive students. Melinda Stewart expects the book will be an invaluable resource.
Patty McGee shows how anchor charts can transform grammar from a set of abstract rules into a practical toolkit that students actually want to use. These sticky note charts become trusted companions in the writing process, turning hesitant writers into confident communicators.
If you teach students from immigrant families, EL teacher Dina Strasser is offering her list of “what can I do?” actions to prepare and support them. How you honor your duty of care depends on your students’ needs, your district’s policies and resources, and your political environment.
Alex Shevrin Venet guides educators on how they can become effective, equity-centered, trauma-informed changemakers to provide healing and justice at school. Her book includes many insights, moments of reflection and useful exercises, writes education consultant Randy Ross.
When we shape our teaching practice around wholeness, we intentionally deepen the presence of social-emotional learning in our classrooms. This deepening allows us to connect to ourselves and to our students. Sabrina Winkleman shows the importance of reflection in the process.
Katie Durkin’s students were asking for more feedback on their realistic fiction writing assignment than she could possibly provide. With some hesitation, she decided to see if AI could help. Learn about the procedures she developed and why she’s pleased with the results.
Sarah Pennington recommends The Scientific Principles of Teaching to educators in pk-12 and higher education due to its reader-friendly, well-researched content, and Nathaniel Hansford’s attention to a dozen of the most common controversies that surround the practice of teaching.
Teaching dystopian fiction offers students a meaningful way to engage with literature and social issues while developing critical thinking skills. Kasey Short suggests discussion questions, activities, and a sample of dystopian novels and short stories to capture students’ attention.
Endings – whether for middle or high school – are all about what comes next. We help students learn so they will be able to bring their learning forward to face new challenges. Students can benefit from our making these moves more explicit. Laurie Miller Hornik offers strategies.