Like many teachers during last year’s “post-Covid” return to school, middle school veteran Sarah Cooper slipped into the fog and funk and wondered if the joy in teaching was gone for good. Here’s how she wrenched herself through the dark time and found her groove again.
Math and ELA rule in the early middle grades. Kathie Palmieri asked her 5th graders to reflect on the science and social studies wedged into her class this year. She’s amazed at all they retained and their ideas to blend in more. Now she’s plotting to put their ideas to work.
As we close the 2022-23 school year many educators are asking, “How do we reset the positivity and passion we once had in our profession?” It’s a good question, writes educator and speaker Dr. Debbie Silver, author of Deliberate Optimism. She shares four rallying principles.
Is reading a treat or a chore? The answer depends on the reader’s experience. In preparation for summer reading opportunities, literacy interventionist Kelly Owens suggests some favorite strategies teachers and parents can sneak in to give under-motivated readers a reboot.
Math teacher Michelle Russell remembers her own anxiety each year when the time came to teach statistics to middle schoolers. She shares two fun activities she’s discovered that address 6th and 8th grade standards: cup stacking and the candy grab! Student handouts included.
Learning Transformed offers a still timely blueprint of practical ideas to reinvent schools so all students receive a useful education, all teachers are treated as professionals, and all families and community members are welcome and value the role schools play, says teacher Theresa Wood.
Resources / Summer Reading & Learning
by Susan Curtis · Published 04/11/2023 · Last modified 05/08/2023
How can teachers help students enjoy reading and learning during summer following another challenging year? Visit MiddleWeb’s expanded resource for Summer 2023, where you’ll find teacher ideas and heaps of book and online suggestions.
What would it be like to spend time together with colleagues on a regular basis to learn and improve our teaching skills? To investigate that question, Anne Jolly embarked on a year-long, onsite action research project to design and test a middle school teacher collaboration process.
If educators are serious about teaching critical skills and serving the whole child, they need to get serious about SEL education and “make it a core and central organizing principle for middle school programs,” writes teacher, principal and leadership mentor Jason Ablin.
Educator Amber Chandler’s feel-good Movie Magic in the Classroom prepares any teacher to guide students through 10 films that address a range of SEL topics, from creating a sense of belonging to building an inclusive community, writes Sarah Cooper. For ELA, history and more.
