To develop student-centered classrooms, Laura and Evan Robb believe schools and districts must build teams to both lead and empower teachers as they adapt to new demands. The Robbs outline strategies to support the shift, from redefining roles to fostering teacher agency.
Book Reviews / Proficiency-Based Instruction
by MiddleWeb · Published 09/05/2019 · Last modified 11/23/2019
Proficiency-Based Instruction breaks down the deeply flawed, longstanding approach to lesson design and delivery, and walks readers through reimagining their planning and instruction to develop the proficiency of every learner, says a totally-sold Jennifer Savery.
Family Engagement / The Unstoppable ML Teacher
by Valentina Gonzalez · Published 09/02/2019 · Last modified 11/24/2019
Middle graders, especially ELs and newcomers eager to blend in, may not want to involve families at school. Yet partnering with families leads to greater achievement, lower absenteeism, and better behavior. EL expert Valentina Gonzalez shares her favorite strategies.
First Days of Math Class / Meaningful Math
by Michelle Russell · Published 09/01/2019 · Last modified 11/25/2019
From get-acquainted activities like “Superhero registration” to first-week math games like “Four Fours,” teacher Michelle Russell takes readers through the steps of a new plan to start slow, welcome her students individually, and reassure the anxious ones that math can be fun.
How We Read / Teaching with a View
by Brent Gilson · Published 08/28/2019 · Last modified 11/25/2019
Brent Gilson teaches grades 7-9 in rural Alberta. “I’m a believer in balanced literacy, voice and choice, and the need to use literacy studies to help students explore what it means to be human.” In a new blog, Brent details how these ideas shape his yearly reading plan.
Just how do you build a STEM lesson around a real-world challenge? While there’s no single answer to that question, STEM expert Anne Jolly shares a STEM lesson she and a math colleague designed around a local environmental challenge. Helpful tips and resources included!
In the new school year ELA teachers are looking for fresh ideas to encourage students to read closely and think deeply. Here are five adaptable activities from teacher-author and NBCT Marilyn Pryle to add to your toolbox and keep students creatively interacting with texts.
Book Reviews / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/22/2019 · Last modified 01/17/2020
Creating Strong Kids Through Writing is an easy-to-use book of 20 fully resourced lessons lasting 30 minutes to help adolescents grow socially and emotionally. Consultant Anne Anderson notes the lessons are not just for ELA classes and include topics in math and science.
Literacy Strong All Year Long: Powerful Lessons for Grades 3-5 is crammed with so many literacy ideas and resources that you will want to try each one, writes teacher educator Linda Biondi. She predicts that it will be a “go to” book for the rest of your teaching life.
A.J. Juliani discusses the way we learn, how brain connections are changing in our “connected” world, and how we can be intentional with our innovation to help students become risk takers and bring creativity to their learning, writes teacher leader Laura Von Staden.
