In classrooms filled with conversations, oral instructions, and academic vocabulary, poor listening skills can drastically limit learning. Curtis Chandler shares seven simple activities educators can use to help students become active listeners who know more and retain more.
Don’t devote all your class prep time to the start and middle of lessons, says teaching expert Curtis Chandler. Closure is critical if the learning is going to stick. See his wide selection of quick and meaningful wrap-ups to reinforce each lesson, including student favorites.
Back to School / Back to School / Resources
by Susan Curtis · Published 07/20/2023 · Last modified 08/17/2023
What’s waiting for you on the other side of the door? Lots of excitement, a few nervous moments, and faces filled with questions. Welcome back! We’ve rounded up lots of useful resources for your first days.
Beginning your first year as a middle level teacher? Our resource collection points to plenty of how-to advice – from our very own bloggers and guest writers as well as other outstanding sources – that will guide you through the first weeks of school and the semesters ahead.
As the weeks of summer spread out before us, teacher educator Curtis Chandler anticipates teachers will enjoy their well-earned break, balance relaxation with productivity, engage in self-selected, unmandated professional development, and reflect on fall’s possibilities.
What do your students believe about learning? Beliefs affect behaviors, and their perspective on failure is decisive. Teaching coach Barbara Blackburn examines 3 beliefs that impact the ability to learn and offers strategies to help students focus on growth.
Instead of giving middle graders the right answer after they cling tenaciously to their misconceptions, devise processes that lead them to discover the fallacies on their own. Literacy interventionist Kelly Owens shares some cross-curricular tools and strategies that can help.
First and foremost, writes EL expert Valentina Gonzalez, new teachers need to view multilingualism as a student asset. Learn her five proven strategies to achieve teaching success with multilinguals, who need to be valued, respected and supported to master academic content.
This entry in Corwin’s Five to Thrive series offers a valuable ELA resource with accessible, crucial advice and information for real teachers – written by real teachers. Veteran middle school teacher Kelli Stuhr finds the book succinct, meaty and refreshingly optimistic.
Whether it’s our students or our colleagues, the mentor relationship is a win-win for mentor and mentee. As mentors, we can realize a unique personal fulfillment and grow as a listener, a coach, a friend, a leader. And one day, our mentees may decide to “pay it forward.”
