Teaching and learning in grades 4-8

Leadership Strategies to Reclaim the Principalship

Reclaiming the Principalship develops six innovative ideas – including unifying the school community and professional networking – that a school leader can use and reflect upon throughout their career. Assistant principal Laura Colbert highly recommends the book.

Building SEL Skills to Lessen Summer Slide

Every summer educators ask these questions: (1) How can we lessen summer learning loss? and (2) How can we help build students’ SEL skills? Sarah Tantillo and Meredith Murray share the story of a Summer Bridge program and some useful resources to address both questions.

Creating an Inviting Classroom Environment

New school year? Time for a fresh classroom environment! Consultant and author Barbara Blackburn shares ideas and resources we can use to create a learning space that will be positive for all students, build strong relationships, and offer a pleasing place to gather.

Stop Boring Nonfiction Writing. Save the World.

Writing interesting nonfiction is a valuable student skill. So why is most of it so boring? A focus on content and conventions isn’t sufficient, says teacher Angie Miller. See her strategies to help kids read like writers and engage audiences with writing that fascinates.

Achieving More Depth of Knowledge in Literacy

Reading, Writing, Rigor by Nancy Boyles offers practical tools to increase student learning in reading and writing. Boyles packs 199 pages with information, including numerous resources, strategies, and techniques to support teachers, writes consultant Anne Anderson.

50 Best Practices for Classroom Management

Serena Pariser’s book offers best practices for creating a classroom community where the teacher is respected, students are valued and engaged, and isolation is reduced. Like chatting with a colleague who has funny stories and great advice to share, writes Stacy Thorpe.

The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Reader

Igniting passion in someone, especially an adolescent, is no small task. Throughout Passionate Readers Pernille Ripp takes on the task of describing how we might create conditions in which students feel a deep interest and desire to read, writes educator Claire Stein.

Techniques and Tools to Teach Vocabulary

When it comes to vocabulary instruction, teachers have many, many questions, for example: “How can I fit vocabulary in? How should I pick the words? What should my quizzes look like?” Literacy consultant Sarah Tantillo provides answers to these questions and more.