Read To Your Students (No Matter How Old They Are)

Teach Better TeamBlog, Lesson Planning, Student Engagement

TL;DR: All students benefit from being read to. All content areas can find engaging books to read. Connecting the book to your content makes your subject area AND reading fun! I am a former middle school science teacher. I taught 8th-grade physical science and earth science. Even though I was not an ELA teacher, I read to my students almost … Read More

The 3 C’s of Curriculum Leadership

Steven WeberBlog, Differentiation, Grading & Assessment, Leadership, Lesson Planning, Reflect Better, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Our world is changing and we need to stay relevant. Curriculum leaders help us narrow our focus. School leaders should be able to curate resources to help with various situations. Allow student choice. Make sure to have common formative assessments. Our Changing World The world is changing and the rapid pace of change is impacting teaching and learning. A … Read More

The Uncomfortable Truth About School

Teach Better TeamBlog, Grading & Assessment, Innovation, Lesson Planning, Mastery Learning, Reflect Better, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Students forget most of what they “learn” in school. Acknowledging this gives us the freedom to focus on powerful learning experiences. Wrestling with the impermanence of some school “learning” challenges our core values as educators. What is Learning, Really? Educational thought leader Will Richardson loves to invite teachers to share their definitions of learning. His observation: most of us … Read More

Emotional Turbulence: Living Life on FAST FORWARD

Jami Fowler-WhiteBlog, Classroom Management, Leadership, Lesson Planning, Reflect Better

TL;DR: We are all still in recovery from the difficulties of the past couple of years. Even leaders make mistakes, have bad days, and need grace. Take time to reflect on your strengths and what you know works. Slow down and think about your impact on the individual student, classroom, school, and community. Emotional Turbulence: Living Life on FAST FORWARD … Read More

Kids Do Better When They Are Engaged

Bobbie FrenchBlog, Differentiation, Leadership, Lesson Planning, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Everyone wants to be engaged. What are some hooks you use in lessons to capture kids’ attention? Use the ATLAS strategy to think about engagement—attention, transition, lesson, activity, and summation. Engagement Engagement! We can’t get away from it. This is only the 3rd post of my new series—Kids Do Better When…and I’m already talking about engagement again. Do you … Read More