Helen Keller was real, despite what some TikTok’ers posted in 2021. Help history students uncover and affirm actual history using gaming techniques to spur engagement. Rochelle Melander shares how she has tweaked research to include questing with allies, power-ups and more.
Amid all the other challenges of pandemic education, principal Rita Platt has noticed an uptick in communication breakdowns between teachers and parents this year. Platt relates several stories that prompted her to share some parent/teacher do’s and don’ts with staff.
What if a STEM project became a product kids make for actual use? Anne Jolly shows how industry’s Product Design Process (PDP) expands upon the familiar engineering design popular in STEM classes, giving students new skills as they move from prototypes to the marketplace.
Coteaching / Learning Styles / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 04/20/2021 · Last modified 08/02/2023
When it comes to learning preferences, NBCT Elizabeth Stein recommends finding a flexible balance. Encourage students to let teachers know how they feel they can best learn in a given situation, while also challenging them to strengthen their ability to learn in other ways.
Teaching poetry can give students a sense of connection, collaboration, and creativity as they express themselves and read the expressions of others. During National Poetry Month, teacher-author Marilyn Pryle shares fun activities from her classroom that touch on all three.
Principal and NBCT Rita Platt shares advice for a paradigm shift away from obsessive coverage of content and toward deep and differentiated learning for students who have lived through the months of pandemic schooling. Three questions help us understand what’s essential.
Supports for ELs / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Tan Huynh · Published 04/04/2021 · Last modified 05/09/2021
Discover what educators and students can do when they believe success is possible for language learners. Tan Huynh highlights five research-based principles developed by Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld, whose essential book includes effective teacher strategies from around the world.
Collaboration / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Tan Huynh · Published 03/23/2021 · Last modified 03/28/2021
Every co-teaching partnership has a story. One of language specialist Tan Huynh’s partnerships started off rough but became the most collaborative team-up in all his years teaching. Why? They created a schedule that included co-planning time and used the time strategically.
Similar to the benefits of class read-alouds and independent reading, podcasts can be incorporated as a way to increase students’ understanding of stories and information, with kids often making “text to self” connections. Kathie Palmieri includes sources and favorites.
Middle schoolers share what they think teachers need to know about hybrid learning, with tips for improving learning in the mix of in-person and online classes. It’s the experiences at home – being heard, having time to use tech properly – that garner the most criticism.
