On the day after school was declared closed, ELA teacher Brent Gilson greeted students from behind a “desk wall” as they came by to pick up personal gear and borrow books from his class library. One girl’s wonderful note inspired him to write a hopeful message of his own.
Leading Learning for ELL Students is a helpful resource for all school and district leaders looking to evaluate and strengthen their EL services. ESOL educator Jordan Walker-Reyes explains how EL teachers can also use the book to improve their programs.
Developing a schoolwide culture of reading, like any change initiative, takes commitment, leadership, collaboration, communication and consistency. Literacy leaders Laura and Evan Robb describe a model middle school that is “full of reading” and share 10 starter ideas.
Can Dr. Suess’ 70-year-old allegory The Sneetches still have an impact on children’s social and emotional learning? Surprisingly, some star-bellied creatures made a lasting impression in Mary Tarashuk’s fourth grade class during her NON-fiction research unit this winter.
It’s amazing to think – with all the digital tools we have at our disposal – that genuine communication is more difficult today than ever before. Yet that’s our reality, says middle grades teacher Jeremy Hyler, at school and at home, with students, parents and colleagues.
Math teacher Robert Kaplinsky wanted his students debating about the best way to solve a problem, using strategic thinking and not just the formula. He also wanted to know when students had misconceptions so he could reshape his lessons. His solution? Open Middle Math.
Whether your classes dive into poetry in April or throughout the year, teacher Megan Kelly has lots of activities to enrich your students’ experience. Her latest unit has kids collaborating on visual analysis, horoscope haiku, matching teachers to their poems, and more.
Should culturally responsive teaching include “pop culture” as a unifying interest in multicultural classrooms and schools? A.P. Andrew Canlé makes that argument, singling out online competition-based gaming as his example of the engaging pedagogy Generation Z wants.
In addition to using brain science and psychology to help students overcome test anxiety, Logan Thompson’s Beyond the Content offers ways to put mindfulness practices to work in support of student and teacher self-awareness, writes middle grades teacher Laura Von Staden.
Teacher Social Media has had a powerful positive effect on Brent Gilson’s professional growth. That’s the plus, he says, but there are also the minuses, including too-safe and comfortable conversations, edu-celebrity, and frequent failure to give credit where it is due.
