The authors of Shifting the Balance (Grades 3-5) invite literacy educators in the upper elementary and early middle grades to “engage in both the headwork and the heartwork required to ensure our practices are science-aligned and student-centered.” And do it in a safe space.
Adolescents are particularly susceptible to circadian rhythms – the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle – writes principal Mike Gaskell. Educators can do more to plan academic lessons and other content to take advantage of peak learning times.
Author and master teacher Debbie Silver begins her case for spirit-building humor and laughter in classrooms and schools with a personal story from her years as a middle level educator. “Pay attention to how much you laugh together. Teachers and school leaders who laugh, last.”
Ready to leave Granny’s snooze-inducing grammar lessons behind? Three simple yet powerful changes in grammar instruction can make a big difference in how students use grammar as a creative tool to shape their writing, says literacy coach and teaching consultant Patty McGee.
This fall with some tweaks and fresh online tools and resources, Halloween can be fun and packed with learning. Check out MiddleWeb’s updated resource collection for ideas across the content areas.
Lesson design differs from lesson planning, says this teacher/coach/consultant team. While both are essential, design is a creative process that makes sure we consider the learning needs of both students and teachers. Included: design template; questioning and feedback charts.
Nancy Akhavan’s Literacy Walks is well organized, concise and thorough in its explanation of the walk-through process at school and district levels. Its insights about trust, judgment and effective collaboration will also be valuable to coaches and PLCs, writes Beth Hassinger.
As educators search for the best instructional approaches and resources to address the effects of disrupted and unfinished learning, they should reject remediation and identify strategies that accelerate the learning experience of students, write Sonya Murray and Gwen Turner.
Patty McGee invites teachers to infuse some “Harry Styles magic” into social-emotional learning. In countless ways, Styles’ lyrics can be surprisingly fun and effective to build emotional IQ, acting as springboards for exploring and learning about our emotional landscape.
What teachers do the first weeks of school has a dramatic effect on student engagement and achievement the rest of the year. Building a classroom culture of learning and questioning – co-created with students – paves the road to success. Jackie Walsh and colleagues show us how.
