Teaching

The 3 Rs for Middle School Success

The importance of focusing on relationships, reflection, and retakes Is great teaching rocket science? No. It’s actually far more complicated. Maslow & Bloom The middle school years can be some of the most exciting, yet nerve-racking phases in life. Recent studies have identified the vast differences between the young and mature brain and the implications

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Magic in the Classroom

The power of reflections and experiences for a professor returning to the classroom At last year’s AMLE Annual Conference for Middle Level Education, I was surrounded by passionate, knowledgeable preservice and inservice teachers, veteran and new administrators, and early career and retired professors. We were enlightened with lively discussions that captured our hearts and minds

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Let It Go

Create an instructional shift by letting go of these dated mentalities “Student-centered” is just one set of new buzzwords in the education world. I remember sitting in a professional development session watching a video of students conducting the class with very little input from the teacher. I remember staring at the screen with disbelief. I

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Getting Homework Right

Designing homework with students of poverty in mind Homework, like taking a daily vitamin, is supposed to be good for us. So why all the angst over a seemingly benign antidote? For teachers, homework is frequently just another piece of paper to grade; for parents, another evening chore to be done; and for students, a

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The Power of Group Work

Strategies for developing collaboration skills As a robotics teacher at Pickerington Ridgeview STEM Junior High, one of the major skills I focus on building in my students is collaboration. Being able to work well with others to accomplish a shared goal is not just an academic skill, but rather a life skill. Life skills are

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