We often focus on “getting-to-know-you” activities during the first weeks of school yet what are some ways I can develop community and encourage students to build positive relationships with one another throughout the school year? Developing and maintaining a positive, safe learning environment and community is essential during the middle school years. The young adolescents
Tag: Student Engagement
One student’s enthusiasm can open new doors to teaching and learning. My son’s birthday party this year was at one of those bounce house places with children hopped up on orange soda and birthday cake. In the midst of the chaos, one of the workers approached me—not with the news of some disaster, as I
Read More… from Show What You Know: From PBL to Digital Portfolios
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Weaving the fun of cosplaying with social studies gives history a life of its own. Every summer, thousands of comic book fans make the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, for HeroesCon. During this three-day convention, hundreds of fans dress up like Batman, Stormtroopers, Spiderman, Iron Man, taking on the persona of their favorite superheroes. The
Read More… from History Alive: Engaging Students in Cosplaying
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Make introductory lessons opportunities for higher-level critical thinking. One of my favorite administrative responsibilities is visiting classrooms and observing lessons. I view those visits and the follow-up conversations with teachers as opportunities to share ideas and expand our thinking about what good teaching entails. Recent conversations with teachers got me thinking about introductory lessons—the lessons
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Graffiti murals promote comprehension and student voice. Some see graffiti as vandalism; others see it as a work of art. Urban artists use graffiti to send political messages—as a form of meaning making in the larger society. Indiana University Professor David Hanauer suggests that graffiti offers marginal groups the opportunity to express themselves publicly. In the middle
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With more testing than ever in years past, I realized that I was forgoing the most important part of my job description, which was getting to know my students. One lazy Saturday morning, an idea came to me while watching Inside the Actors Studio. Why not hold an interview for my students and allow their
Read More… from Getting to Know Your Students: Inside Room 801
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