ELA teacher Amber Chandler is in a quandary. She wants to give her students time each week to “read for enjoyment” but knows the research on Sustained Silent Reading reveals little impact on fluency. Can she bridge these muddied waters? All ideas welcomed!
In a dialogue with Kevin Hodgson, educator-authors Debbie Zacarian and Michael Silverstone share ways to energize teaching and learning by reaching out to students’ families and communities, all with the goal of building partnerships that help students become confident learners.
Dionne V. McLaughlin’s process of continually directing the reader through the decision making process with guidance from 21 expert principals is what makes this book a useful tool for any novice or aspiring principal, says assistant principal Bret Olson.
Most educators who teach propaganda use examples from the World Wars, says media literacy expert Frank Baker. “But propaganda is happening today—all around us.” Baker introduces a new resource that can help teachers and students exert their “minds over media.”
Long-time middle grades teacher Mark Overmeyer brings his techniques for successful student writing conferences – one-on-one, peer, and small-group – to “Let’s Talk.” Drawing on the modeling Overmeyer provides, Tyler McBride plans to launch regular conferences this fall.
A New School Year / Kids on the Cusp
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 09/08/2015 · Last modified 11/26/2019
For years Mary Tarashuk engaged her students in a rule-making exercise that felt democratic but produced her desired outcomes. Now her strategy is to help kids think more deeply about respect and have them use their insights to guide the classroom community.
Book Reviews / Teaching for the Future
by MiddleWeb · Published 09/03/2015 · Last modified 11/14/2019
“Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World” by David Perkins zeroes in on curriculum, pursuing “lifeworthy” learning pursuits, fresh approaches to content and less preoccupation with technology. Principal Matt Renwick likes Perkins’ flexible outlook on the “what” of teaching.
Jake Wizner has done what few teachers would ever attempt – teach memoir writing to eighth graders. Reviewer Mary Langer Thompson admires the book for its use of models and plentiful prompts, Wizner’s ability to relate reading to writing, and his call for teachers to write too.
Close Reading for the Whole Class is easy to follow and designed for “real life classrooms.” Research based and with practical lesson plans, the book takes the angst out of close reading. Great for individual or group study, says reviewer Linda Biondi.
Book Reviews / Vocabulary Instruction
by MiddleWeb · Published 08/27/2015 · Last modified 02/03/2024
A multitude of authentic classroom examples and strategies make “Vocabularians” a must-have book, says ELA teacher and word nerd Amber Chandler. Author Brenda Overturf also provides realistic ways to bring schoolwide vocabulary immersion to the middle grades.
