Middle grades teacher and NBCT Kathleen Palmieri finds John Schu’s book The Gift of Story “an incredible journey into the power of stories” as he invites teachers to an exploration of the affective side of reading and shares ways to welcome students into the reading life. “Incredible.”
Teacher educator Curtis Chandler guides us through Global Pandemics, a “fantastic” free Chrome app that transports teachers and students back in time to the lives, choices, and dilemmas faced by individuals during some of the most severe plagues and pandemics in history.
Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn have advice that can help school leaders stay attuned to today’s constantly changing school environment, recognize the stress of external factors, and use strategies that encourage teachers’ intrinsic motivation and sense of self-efficacy.
You’ve spent the school year teaching students skills and strategies and covering the curriculum, giving your best to all your classes. Now as the year winds down, the time has come to let the students take over. See how Kathie Palmieri’s middle grades kids share learning.
Writing a decade ago, Jody Passanisi and Shara Peters wondered if online learning could replace physical school. Now as they evaluate the costs to students of pandemic driven education, the teachers turned school leaders have their answer: Content in a human vacuum can’t sustain itself.
As Kathie Palmieri implemented the vocab ideas in Marilee Sprenger’s The Essential 25, she found her 5th graders showed greater confidence in their daily work and demonstrated increased word knowledge in their reading, writing and test-taking. She highly recommends the book.
Every school leader needs a focused, intentional process to move a school from what it is to what it can become, writes veteran principal Frank Hagen. Robyn Jackson offers a “new way of thinking” through the phases of her Buildership Model and its 90-day iterative blueprints.
Close Reading the Media / Factchecking
by Frank Baker · Published 05/11/2022 · Last modified 05/12/2022
How do we help students question and verify what they read? It’s not that hard to check things out, writes media literacy expert Frank Baker, but teachers tell him many students today “won’t take the time to do even a cursory investigation.” Baker offers some teaching ideas.
Geraldine Woods led independent study at her school for more than 25 years. She’s convinced some version will work in most subjects and for most middle school students if three basic principles are present: student choice, adult guidance, and students teaching students.
Middle grades teacher Kathleen Palmieri uses a time-saving digital tool to create quick and concise visual instructions. Show students how to share a document, use an add-on, find an online resource and much more. Kathie outlines the basics and recommends a good YouTube how-to video.
