When teachers design classrooms around how students think and engage – not just what they’re expected to know – we unlock a learning environment where curiosity replaces compliance, and excitement replaces dread, writes middle grades educator and NBCT Kathleen Palmieri.
Each year our mission is to build community so that middle schoolers can make friends, learn, and thrive. Megan Kelly shares activities that are breaks in the routine to allow students to enjoy themselves and work together, building trust for the more complex tasks ahead.
Karin Hess’s new book exploring cognitive rigor and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge framework provides clarity and practical tools for teachers seeking to design learning experiences that truly deepen understanding. A resource for review, reflection, and refinement of practice, says Kathleen Palmieri.
Writing short form stories is all about revising and playing with your ideas, Kim Culbertson told the sixth graders. “Move things around. Cross things out and add others. See where the exploration of it takes you. The most important part is that you’re finding your own voice.”
Are you ready to accept that you are the learning key for each student you teach? Barbara Blackburn has experienced the multiple challenges teachers face each day. Here she offers strategies and inspiration as we reach beyond the negatives to center students and their learning.
Just back from a week-long workshop on the U.S. Constitution, Sarah Cooper shares five things she learned about being the student, not the teacher, in the classroom. The event underscored that human connection is paramount for creating the conditions necessary to learn content.
By time-blocking her summer calendar and intentionally carving out space for professional growth, this year NBCT Kathleen Palmieri was able to stay focused, reduce procrastination, and produce some of her best lesson plans ever. She shares some strategies that worked for her.
For an eye-opening read that will reinvigorate your approach to teaching math, NBCT Kathleen Palmieri recommends Developing Mathematical Reasoning: Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms, a valuable resource offering fresh insights to engage students with diverse math experiences.
With the next school year not too far over the horizon, 7th grade teacher Laurie Hornik has tips for getting off to a strong start. She suggests skipping traditional ice breakers and instead introducing the class community by exploring what you will be learning together.
Articles / Artificial Intelligence / Reading
by MiddleWeb · Published 07/13/2025 · Last modified 07/15/2025
Fiction that explores AI through characters that are robots or humans who interact with AI can spark discussions about the future and engage readers with stories grounded in real ethical and scientific questions. ELA teacher Kasey Short shares titles and ideas for discussion.
