Educators may be reluctant to try memoir writing with middle grades students, but the rewards are considerable, says 8th grade teacher-author Jake Wizner. He shares three insights that can help guide teachers as they enrich the student writing experience.
Knowing how television programming is funded can help students understand what is available to view. Media literacy expert Frank W. Baker links to sources of advertising data and suggests activities to build student savvy about the genres that fill their screens.
Classroom Routines / It's Not Easy Being Tween / New Teacher Advice
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 10/04/2015 · Last modified 12/10/2019
By staying true to your personality and developing routines that proactively eliminate your sources of stress, you and your students will have a happier, more productive year. Cheryl Mizerny shares some favorite procedures that work in her tween classroom.
As a school leader, consultant Frank Buck’s experience was that “if I wanted to launch something new, re-tool something old, or do some course correction, October was my best shot.” Here, Buck suggests several organizational ideas to pursue during the October Oasis.
Book Reviews / Teaching for the Future
by MiddleWeb · Published 09/03/2015 · Last modified 11/14/2019
“Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World” by David Perkins zeroes in on curriculum, pursuing “lifeworthy” learning pursuits, fresh approaches to content and less preoccupation with technology. Principal Matt Renwick likes Perkins’ flexible outlook on the “what” of teaching.
Students experience deep, joyful learning in classrooms where there is an ongoing cycle of responsive teaching, says literacy expert Regie Routman. The ultimate goal is to grow passionate learners who self-monitor, self-direct, and set their own worthwhile goals.
New STEM Teachers / New Teacher Advice / STEM By Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 08/30/2015 · Last modified 02/16/2022
As school begins this year, quite a few educators face a new and potentially daunting assignment: Teach STEM. Expert Anne Jolly is here with help – six essential tips that can help “sudden” STEM educators survive a challenging start and achieve success.
Book Reviews / Vocabulary Instruction
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/27/2015 · Last modified 02/03/2024
A multitude of authentic classroom examples and strategies make “Vocabularians” a must-have book, says ELA teacher and word nerd Amber Chandler. Author Brenda Overturf also provides realistic ways to bring schoolwide vocabulary immersion to the middle grades.
Reading Wellness makes teacher Linda Biondi want to “take a risk in teaching literacy, get out of my comfort zone, collaborate with my colleagues, and bring the joy of reading to all my students – and colleagues.” She expects others will feel the same.
In his ELA classroom, David Sebek focuses on four aspects of what it means to be a “good citizen” – truthfulness, justice, equality and responsibility – and uses whistleblower stories and dystopian fiction to explore the elusive definition of citizenship.
