Book Reviews / Passion Based Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 02/15/2018 · Last modified 11/17/2019
In “The Passion-Driven Classroom: A Framework for Teaching and Learning” Angela Maiers and Amy Sandvold provide an inspiring and practical resource for educators who embrace or want to explore the student-centered focus of passion-based learning, says Jacie Maslyk.
Mary Tedrow makes a strong case for daily student writing that generates ideas and wonderings not only in English but all content areas. Sarah Cooper finds Tedrow’s detailed guide to using Daybooks and her recommendations on grading and indexing particularly helpful.
With sensitivity and practicality, Sarah Cooper takes on the heightened challenge of teaching civics and governance to today’s adolescents. Fellow middle grades teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron finds practical strategies and lessons that can be used across the curriculum.
Teachers will want to keep Pernille Ripp’s Passionate Readers as a “forever resource,” says former reading teacher Mary Langer Thompson. This practical book, full of bold ideas and ready-made resources, centers on helping students become life-long lovers of reading.
Jennifer Taylor-Cox is back with a 2nd edition of Family Math Night K-5. If that’s your idea of a good time, you’ll find everything you need to plan and present an opportunity for your students and families to enjoy learning math together, says reviewer Linda Biondi.
K-12 and higher education veteran M. Scott Norton has written a book about the human resources role of principals. Retired principal Mary Langer Thompson finds the resources on school climate helpful, but disagrees that principals should take on major HR responsibilities.
The strength of John Strebe’s book is that it offers practical solutions for teachers who want to better engage, allow for a collaborative culture, include student voice, and deepen student content knowledge. Rita Platt expects most will find his enthusiasm contagious.
In Gallup surveys, students report increasing levels of classroom boredom, topping out in high school. How do teachers counter the trend? Harris and Bradshaw offer strategies in their 2nd book on Battling Boredom. Rita Platt finds lots to use with her own students.
Book Reviews / Social & Emotional Learning
by MiddleWeb · Published 10/26/2017 · Last modified 11/18/2019
Amber Chandler’s The Flexible SEL Classroom marries SEL with academics in a way that feels fresh, best-practice based, and perhaps most importantly, very practical, writes educator Rita Platt, adding that each chapter offers ready-to-use classroom strategies.
From Texting to Teaching: Grammar Instruction in a Digital Age by Hyler and Hicks led teacher Desiree Tabor Carter to think about technology tools strategically and inspired her to overhaul her website, adding a grammar and vocabulary page to each course section.
