Williamson and Blackburn highlight four good reasons to be optimistic about the future of America’s public schools. Community approval is the highest in nearly 50 years; teachers are better prepared for the future, and the resilience of public educators remains remarkable.
Whether your school year ends in May or you teach into the hot days of June, student engagement begins to fade. How do we liven things up? For math class, NBCT Kathie Palmieri recommends a pair of hands-on geometry activities that sparked curiosity and excitement as summer beckons.
Curious about what students may have learned this year that traditional assessment may not uncover? Deep learning expert Dr. Karin Hess shares five activities and explains how two key elements of learning – metacognition and reflection – can team up to reveal hidden understanding.
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.
Ramp up poetry positivity with the Peel the Fruit activity from Project Zero. Throughout the year NBCT Kathie Palmieri helps her fifth graders uncover layers of poetry understanding and then invites them to write their own. Their current favorite: the Intimate Object Poem.
The number one frustration Barbara Blackburn hears from educators is TIME! “I just don’t have time to do everything I need to.” Try her seven strategies to cope with constant planning and overflowing calendars. And remember this: perfectionism can be the enemy of completion.
Taylor Swift is back on stage with her 2023 New Eras tour, rekindling the fervor of her school-aged fans. You can bring Tay Tay to ELA class with ideas from Patty McGee: selecting TS songs to understand a fictional character, analyzing her lyrics in several formats, and more.
Book Reviews / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 03/16/2023 · Last modified 04/01/2023
Social-Emotional Learning Starts with Us by DiFazio and Roeser offers SEL stories from educators, experts, and students, along with grade-level activities. The authors not only share their knowledge and expertise, writes consultant Anne Anderson, they share their hearts.
“Ultimately book talk videos recorded by peers are beneficial if we want to inspire middle grades reluctant readers. They need to witness peers having fun with books. It nurtures the idea that reading is worth a try.” School librarian Kristen Day shares how her “EGGs” are doing it.
5th grade teacher Kathie Palmieri has been exploring ways to better infuse mathematics in other subject areas and help students gain a more positive attitude about math’s central place in their lives. She shares some ideas about SEL and two examples from her science lessons.
