Book Reviews / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 11/02/2017 · Last modified 11/17/2019
The content of “Teaching Kids to Thrive” will help teach students positive ways to think, practice executive functioning skills, and create a culture of caring and responsibility. Linda Biondi describes why she found it to be one of the most empowering books she’s read.
Restorative Justice / Two Teachers in the Room
by MiddleWeb · Published 10/31/2017 · Last modified 03/04/2024
Restorative justice practices put students in control of behaviors, writes Elizabeth Stein. Rather than being separated from peers in punitive ways, students gain a collaborative perspective and feel more accepted, supported, and capable of making positive decisions.
It’s scary to think how much misinformation about STEM one famous individual can put out, and how many people might be misled, writes author-consultant Anne Jolly, who critiques the STEM comments of WaPo columnist and CNN host Fareed Zakaria in a recent PCMag article.
Future of History / Historical thinking
by Lauren S. Brown · Published 10/17/2017 · Last modified 11/17/2019
There’s no perfect teaching recipe that balances patriotism and civic responsibility, says middle school history teacher Lauren Brown. But if educators attempt to ignore the low points in America’s past, they’ll insult students’ intelligence and lose their trust.
Debbie Silver’s worst mistake? She managed to teach middle level science classes for too many years without ever fully embracing the practice of pre-assessment. See how her teaching changed and how yours might too with her simple go-to pre-assessment tools.
Close Reading the Media / News Literacy
by Frank Baker · Published 09/26/2017 · Last modified 11/16/2019
No one knows for sure whether there will be actual war with North Korea, but talk about the potential conflict abounds on TV and in social media. Media literacy expert Frank W. Baker calls on teachers to help students learn how to identify trustworthy news sources now.
Future of History / History and Spoken Poetry
by Sarah Cooper · Published 09/24/2017 · Last modified 11/24/2019
History teacher Sarah Cooper is enthusiastically barreling into the year with a totally untried project. It asks eighth graders to research a current issue in the news that they’re passionate about, then write and film their own spoken word poem. What could go wrong?
National Bullying Prevention Month begins October 1. Throughout the year MiddleWeb’s collection of anti-bullying resources from educators, nonprofits and agencies can help teachers and schools respond to bullying and cyberbullying, both of which peak in middle school.
Book Reviews / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 09/21/2017 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Debbie Silver and Dedra Stafford offer a detailed look at social-emotional learning in Teaching Kids to Thrive. Veteran teacher David Bever finds the up-to-the-minute research coupled with extensive strategies a winning combination for boosting SEL practice.
By creating an environment that kindles intrinsic motivation, and ensures that the professionals in our schools see the value of the work and chance for success, we can increase teachers’ support for and willingness to change, say the authors of Rigor in Your School.
