Enhancing Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
Project-Based Learning PLUS Social and Emotional Learning equals student and educator success Imagine not only helping kids reach their potential academically but as citizens in society as well. In this groundbreaking new book, you will learn how! Take project-based learning (PBL)-in which students develop educational skills like research, ......
Lessons to Ease Students Into Text Analysis, Reading Response, and Writing With Craft
Teach students the architecture beneath a successful story-and boost their reading comprehension and writing skills for a lifetime Writing instruction can sometimes seem scattershot, as teachers try to cover a galaxy of craft techniques, ideas, intentions, and genres. The possibilities are endless-and that's the problem. In Text Structures from Picture Books, elementary and middle grade teachers tap into a well-ordered universe of inspiring and illustrative stories to help students frame their thinking and focus choices. Using the bite-size format of picture books as a starting point, the authors share 50 low-prep, quick-access lessons to help you teach students seven concrete ways to respond to text in any genre. Through these lessons, students will be able to: Generate their own writing, using a text structure harvested from the work of professional authors Retell a story, using the text structure from the story Generate reading responses, using structures that support clarity Analyze a story to construct thematic statements, capturing the author's message and bigger themes Write about a theme or big idea demonstrating empathic and evidence-based interpretation Answer open-ended questions by selecting a technique that reflects the text and their engagement Experiment with author's craft in their own writing Based on master writing teacher Gretchen Bernabei's instructional model, the lessons offer a lively, high-impact mix of reading aloud, discussion, modeling, student writing, and peer share. Plus, readers have access to a complete companion website full of text structure reproducibles, reading response prompts, additional lessons and extensions, students samples, and links to demo videos. State tests are now assessing reading and writing together. And that's a good thing-but we've got some catching up to do. Written for students beginning in second grade, Text Structures from Picture Books will help your students swiftly and surely become text-savvy readers and writers.
What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms
Raise standards and improve learning for all students through equitable grading Grading-one of the most important responsibilities of teachers with major implications for students' academic and life trajectories-is ironically also among the most enigmatic and frequently avoided topics in education. Although most teachers sense that common grading practices are often ineffective, there is limited understanding of how those practices can undermine effective teaching and harm students, particularly those historically underserved. It is long past due to implement grading practices that are more accurate, bias-resistant, and motivational, and which improve student learning, empower teachers, and transform classrooms as a result. In this newly updated edition of the best-selling Grading for Equity, Joe Feldman provides a valuable resource for anyone invested in grading and its impact on students' education, mental health, and future opportunities. Offering a research-based alternative to the status quo, this practitioner-friendly guide provides Extensive revisions that reflect how the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement shifted traditional grading systems New data from both academic research and classrooms that demonstrate the benefits of equitable grading for all students Clear approaches to implement equitable grading practices Updated information on several equitable grading practices, including proficiency scales A new concluding chapter that explores implementing equitable grading system-wide With a down-to-earth style driven by the author's own curiosity as a teacher, principal, district administrator, and university instructor, this book will invite and challenge you to think about how more equitable grading, when implemented effectively, creates a more rigorous, humane, and positive school experience for all.
Improve grading practices with support from families Educators seeking to transform age-old grading practices face numerous challenges, particularly when it comes to gaining support from students' families. This practical guide from a world-renowned expert on grading and assessment practices offers concrete strategies to turn parents and families into trusted partners in grading reform efforts. The book enables educators to anticipate, understand, and effectively address families' concerns over grading reforms and build trust through authentic engagement. With clear and actionable strategies that educators can implement right away, the easily digestible chapters unpack the complexities of the change process, clarify the purpose of grading, and show how to enhance the use of computerized grading programs. Other features include: Strategies to ease opposition to grading reform from parents and families Insights into how to improve report cards Guidance on how to effectively communicate student performance with parents and families A must-have resource for educators navigating the challenging journey of grading reform, Engaging Parents and Families in Grading Reform is a comprehensive guide to grading reform that emphasizes family engagement to ensure success.
Antibias Literacy Instruction for Stronger Readers, Writers, and Thinkers
What would it mean to truly "get free" as an educator? How can we identify and challenge bias in our reading and writing curriculum and instruction? How can we support students in becoming empathetic, engaged individuals who can communicate with the world through reading and writing skills developed with compassion and critical thinking? Answering these questions requires deep personal reflection and intentional daily practice -- and it's crucial today more than ever, when students are overwhelmed with misinformation and disinformation. Drawn from decades of classroom experience and founded on the scholarship of social justice educators, Tricia Ebarvia provides a framework that can help teachers implement transformative, anti-bias literacy instruction in middle- and high school classrooms Get Free offers educators Strategies for scaffolding literacy instruction in ways that center students' identities and experiences, and help them develop a more inclusive understanding of literature and writing Classroom structures and routines that support critical listening and open, authentic conversation and writing responses Invitations for teachers to re-examine curriculum and instructional practices, based on a deeper sense of who we are and what we bring to every reading and writing experience To develop stronger reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, antibias literacy instruction is essential. This is the book for teachers, new and experienced, who know that classrooms can be transformative, liberatory spaces where students better understand themselves, others, and the world. Imagine the possibilities if we could just get free...
Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching in Elementary Classrooms
Help students see their whole selves in the math they're learning with culturally responsive teaching. Cultivating Mathematical Hearts: Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching in Elementary Classrooms, aims to re-center mathematics as a humanizing endeavor because putting children and their humanity at the heart of mathematics education can result in more engaged, meaningful, and joyful learning. This book introduces a model and a tool for Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching, constructed to create a safe, inclusive space where all learners can come together in their own educational journey and develop a love for math that centers their experiences and comes from the heart. Implementing the Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching Tool (CRMT2) will help you cultivate and sustain meaningful, rich, and rigorous mathematical learning spaces for all your students-experiences that foster mathematical curiosity and joy. The book walks you through each aspect of the framework and tool, guiding you to consider how your classroom structures, lessons, tasks, and assessments: Honor the existing cultural strengths, experiences, and lived realities of all your students Elicit diverse mathematical thinking and ideas Support equitable access to rigorous mathematical learning and discourse for all students Invite a sense of agency in each student's learning experience Promote high engagement and excitement while learning mathematics Nurture an understanding that mathematics is a powerful tool for making sense of the world By weaving these strategies into classroom lessons, teachers can humanize mathematics instruction to successfully build a love for math while providing equitable learning opportunities that empower student voice and promote success in mathematics.
Harness the power of nature to nurture minds and hearts Youth spend anywhere between four and nine hours on screens every single day. Meanwhile, a growing body of research shows how detrimental excessive screen time is on physical and mental health. The antidote? Green time. Written by bestselling author and science educator Emily Morgan, Balance Screen Time With Green Time gives teachers and school leaders practical, evidence-based strategies that seamlessly incorporate the restorative power of nature into the school day. Transform learning experiences and improve student and educator well-being with: Research-based strategies that improve attention, engagement, pro-environmental behaviors, and mental and physical health while reducing stress Dozens of easy-to-implement "green breaks"-short, invigorating experiences with nature-that help students and teachers renew and refocus throughout the school day Stories of innovative educators who connect students with nature and offer meaningful ways to integrate green time while enhancing learning A curated collection of resources to support educators of all grade levels, content areas, and school environments-urban, suburban, and rural With green time, we have an opportunity to create a generation of students who are not only more connected to the natural world, but are also the environmental stewards our future so desperately needs. Balancing screen time with green time is an investment in student well-being, our collective future, and a healthier planet.
Essential Shifts for Multilingual Learners' Success
Your guide to culturally and linguistically sustaining practices in your dual language classroom and school. It's time to set the record straight: Multilingualism is a tremendous asset that must be nurtured and valued and the most effective pathway to multilingualism is dual language education. Despite significant evidence attesting to the cognitive, social/emotional, and economic benefits of multilingualism, the majority of our classrooms and schools are monolingual. Encouragingly, recent shifts in state policies have increased the demand for dual language programming in our schools. This increased momentum brings new challenges, including the need for more bilingually authorized teachers, high-quality instructional resources, and accurate assessment and accountability in the target languages of instruction. With contributions from ten experts in multilingual education, Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall outlines the systemic and pedagogical approaches necessary for successful multilingual and dual language programs. The book supports educators to: Shift the paradigm from one that is subtractive and deficit-based to one that is additive and assets-based Embed culturally and linguistically sustaining practices in their instruction Understand how to promote multilingualism in the context of teaching academic content Develop assessments as, for, and of learning in multiple languages. Lead high-quality dual language schools and programs Recruit and retain highly qualified bilingual educators Offering a comprehensive overview of bilingual policies and historical context all educators should understand, Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall is an invaluable guide to creating dual language learning environments that build on the precious assets of our multilingual students and families.
Empowering multilingual learners, families, and teachers With its emphasis on relationship building as the backdrop for linguistically and culturally sustainable assessment, the bestselling second edition of Assessing Multilingual Learners significantly impacted the field of language education. Applying the groundbreaking assessment "as," "for," and "of" learning model to new contexts, this updated third edition offers educators welcoming and encouraging ways to support multilingual learners to succeed in school and beyond. Through eight thoroughly revised chapters, Dr. Margo Gottlieb ties assessment to teaching and learning to foster agency and empowerment for multilingual learners, families, and teachers. This book envisions assessment as a process integral to and embedded in curriculum and instruction through: Assets-based language Student-centered activities Classroom assessment tools Portraits of practice illustrating authentic assessment practices References and resources for stimulating discussion Deep questioning for thinking through processes, dilemmas, or challenges Assessing Multilingual Learners explores the realities and possibilities of classroom assessment as a road to inspire multilingual learners, their families, and teachers to reach great heights.