Guest posts by expert educators
What works when school leaders need to tackle complex challenges? Principal and author Matt Renwick suggests letting go of trying to control outcomes and operating with certainty on “fixing” problems. Pursuing 20 sharply focused questions helped his school gain momentum.
While comics may not be an immediate go-to for all educators, they are a rich source of adolescent reader engagement. Teachers who are willing to linger with text and images to build conversations will discover their potential for literacy instruction, says Dr. Jason DeHart.
After another school year weighed down by a wide range of challenges, education consultants Ronald Williamson and Barbara R. Blackburn offer school-based leaders a path to restore momentum in their school and revitalize their community’s commitment to a collaborative vision.
Chris Hall wasn’t satisfied with the way he taught revision in MS writing workshop. After much reflection he’s concluded that the best revision takes place in the mind of the writer during the writing process – not after it’s done. Six mindset ‘stances’ help students learn this skill.
What does it look like when your students are doing rigorous work and thinking deeply? Dr. Karin Hess discusses how content complexity, cognitive engagement, and the intended scope and depth of a learning activity can work together to scaffold and support deeper thinking.
New Teacher Advice / New Teachers / Resources
by Susan Curtis · Published 06/18/2022 · Last modified 06/28/2022
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.
Looking for a way to incorporate creativity into your curriculum next school year? You may want to consider teaching students about design thinking. Teacher educator Katie Caprino and her preservice colleague Alyssa Marzili introduce the concepts and highlight 3 useful apps.
Author and LPC Emily Kircher-Morris, host of the Neurodiversity Podcast, details four ways educators can support twice-exceptional (2e) learners – students who have advanced cognitive abilities as well as a diagnostic disability such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or dysgraphia.
Learning assertiveness skills can help middle school students express themselves while also respecting and empathizing with others. Using six short videos, Drs. Pattie Noonan and Amy Gaumer Erickson share strategies to teach tweens how to apply this key communication tool.
When we transform a text into a multitasking mentor text, we increase the instructional mileage we can get from one power-packed teaching tool, writes veteran teacher and literacy consultant Pam Koutrakos. She includes five “energy star” ideas and a text set to get started.
