Teaching Unscripted

The use of different formats helps authors shape the same information in different ways. As a result, diverse sets of sources promote critical thinking.

How do we create learning conditions where kids can ask the questions they want to ask and have tough conversations? Author Sara Ahmed says it begins with discomfort and not trying to save the moment.

This blog comes to us from Terrence J. Roberts, PhD., member of the Little Rock Nine. He is currently Principal of the management-consulting firm Terrence Roberts Consulting. The following is his encouraging and reflective forward for Sara Ahmed's upcoming book Being The Change.

In order for students to learn and understand mathematical concepts, they must live in classrooms that support cooperative learning and mathematical discourse. Students develop an understanding of mathematics when in an atmosphere where they feel safe to learn, take risks, make mistakes, and grow.

Even the most disengaged student is passionate about something, and we can leverage that passion to help nurture their writing life.

Engaging students in lines of inquiry and independent projects of their choosing is a way to teach into transferable skills and to give students practice with the kind of learning that is lifelong.

Students of color make up over 50 percent of the population in today’s U.S. schools, yet adopted curricula rarely includes histories of minoritized populations.

Look inward to understand how we develop empathy, so we can integrate experiences that foster empathy in students, as well as lead us toward more inclusive decision-making in our schools.

Poetry is something that is happening now, everywhere, and we need to bring it into the classroom. In Poems Are Teachers, Amy introduces the skills and techniques involved in writing a poem and how it connects to writing across all genres.

From the first days of school to the last, Kids First from Day One walks you through how to put your deepest teaching beliefs into action; from building community and designing your classroom spaces; to matching instruction to students' needs, and engaging students in curriculum.

Congratulations to Kelly Gallagher, this year's CATE Distinguished Service Award recipient.

On the podcast today, something different. A story from author Sara Ahmed. A story about compassion, empathy and most importantly, identity.

This is what we want for our students: the ability to look at multiple sources and triangulate meaning from a variety of perspectives.

Teaching questioning skills is not an easy process. It involves patience, scaffolding, and focused instruction. Asking a question is not something that a lot of our students know how to do innately, especially at the primary level.

In this video, Kate walks you through what you can expect to find in her new book, A Novel Approach, and shows you how you too can find a student-centered, balanced approach to teaching reading.

I believe we can teach whole class novels in ways that increase independence, ability, and engagement. We can keep our novels, but we may need to change the way we do them.

Curriculum should be meaningful, engaging, relevant, and relatable to our students. We want all children to be engaged and to learn.

In the upper grades, students don’t often move up reading levels as quickly as they do when they are younger. But that said, it’s still important to take note when a student has been in the same level for what seems like too long.