My No-Bunk Letter to Parents
Middle school teacher Marsha Ratzel wants parents to know exactly what their children can expect in her classroom: challenge, support and concern.
View ArticleNew Year: Co-Teacher Harmony
In the first of two posts about co-teaching in the new school year, Elizabeth Stein identifies her top priority for 2013-14: building strong co-teacher relationships.
View ArticleTweenTeacher’s Four Startup Tips
Amid all the exciting teaching plans for a new year, Heather Wolpert-Gawron (TweenTeacher) shares her list of must-do-firsts to establish a solid classroom culture.
View ArticleOur 1st Day & New Teacher Resources
We featured a popular "1st Day Resources" section on our old website. We have captured some of the best content and added more, including links for new teachers preparing for their first year.
View ArticleDigital Housekeeping for a New School Year
Digital housekeeping is becoming part of every teacher's back-to-school preparation. As Kevin Hodgson spruces up his classroom websites for the new term, he reflects on the year just past and revs up...
View ArticleTo Be or Not to Be: That’s Our Question This Year
"What we choose to BE defines us." That's the message Mary Tarashuk's students found as they arrived at her door this year. Her bright red bulletin board is filled with possibilities she hopes will...
View ArticleBack to School Resources
What’s waiting for you on the other side of the door? Lots of excitement, a few nervous moments, and faces filled with questions. Welcome back! We've rounded up lots of useful resources for your first...
View ArticlePreflight Checklist for a New School Year
Mary Tarashuk is packing for her trip back to Room 106 and her new class of fourth graders. She shares her pre-flight checklist and her new student-centered theme for the year: "In Class 4-T We DO...
View ArticleRespect Grows When We Value Kids’ Ideas
For years Mary Tarashuk engaged her students in a rule-making exercise that felt democratic but produced her desired outcomes. Now her strategy is to help kids think more deeply about respect and have...
View ArticleOn the Very First Day (Be the Best You Can Be)
It's the first day of school and your middle level students are acting like, well, adolescents. You've got to hook them quick, says teacher Elyse Scott. Forget the pre-tests and paperwork. Jump in and...
View ArticleThe 7 Questions Your MS Students Ask First
First day routines evolve over the years, says veteran teacher Cheryl Mizerny, but she has found that addressing 7 questions most students bring to class will help them feel welcome and excited about...
View ArticleFirst Days of Math Class: Fractions and Equations
Michelle Russell anticipates her math students will arrive in a few weeks with predictable gaps in their understanding of operations involving fractions and equations. To be more proactive, she'll...
View ArticleUse Community Builders to Help Set Expectations
Building classroom community through fun and engaging activities is important at the beginning of school and throughout the year. Author/educator Walton Burns urges teachers to be sure you’re setting...
View ArticleApps to Help Teachers Hit the Ground Running
As the new school year approaches, explore a selection of digital tools recommended by teacher educator Curtis Chandler that can help you streamline lesson planning, create secure class websites,...
View ArticleBring Your Personality and Humor on Day One
We might think a new school year should start off with solemnity. But that's not the message teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron has garnered from her survey of 6-12th graders across the country. Students...
View ArticleUsing Fiction to Launch Our 4th Grade Science
Mary Tarashuk is counting on Peter Brown's fiction picture books to enliven her 4th graders' adaptation to their new classroom and their first science unit on animal and plant adaptation. The Global...
View ArticleFirst-Week Activities My Math Classes Loved
Michelle Russell's first week back in math class went great. Learn how she launched her classroom communities, thanks to teachers whose activities and ideas she scouted out online. Michelle has...
View ArticleMiddleWeb’s Latest Back to School Posts
At MiddleWeb central in North Carolina, late summer means fresh back-to-school ideas from our bloggers and guest writers. July and August 2017 have overflowed with teacher wisdom we want to highlight...
View ArticleTrue Partnerships Grow from Family Engagement
Practical and conversational, the ideas in Powerful Partnerships will inspire teachers and school leaders to examine family engagement practices and build partnerships that are collaborative,...
View ArticleStart the Year Sharing Two Apps with Students
Including a few new tools for students in your first few weeks of school will pay dividends throughout the year. In her new MiddleWeb blog "Wide Open Learning" Megan Kelly describes two apps your kids...
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