The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Instruction
Margo A. Mastropieri - 1999
The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Instruction provides a wealth of practical and proven strategies for successfully including students with disabilities in general education classrooms. The text is unique for its three-part coverage of fundamentals of teaching students with special needs (including legal and professional issues, and characteristics of students with special needs); effective general teaching practices (including such topics as strategies for behavior management, improving motivation, increasing attention and memory, and improving study skills); and inclusive practices in specific subject areas (including literacy, math, science and social studies, vocational and other areas). This approach allows readers to understand students with special learning needs, effective general practices for inclusive instruction, and content-specific strategies. The overall approach is one of effective instruction, those practices that are most closely aligned with academic success.
Forged by Reading: The Power of a Literate Life
Kylene Beers - 2020
Probst explore why independent reading is vital to the intellectual and developmental growth of students as citizens of our world and as architects of the future. Forged by Reading explores historic and timely topics through the context of literacy—literacy being the gateway to power and privilege—while serving as nothing short of a call to action. One that reminds educators of their critical hand in empowering readers to think, to seek curiosity and skepticism, to shape themselves and their ideas through evidence and reason, vision and imagination, and in doing so to forge themselves and our world through reading. “This book will open the door to an understanding of literacy like no other. But, it’s not a how-to-use-literature-to-empower-our-kids-book. It’s a why-haven’t-we book. It’s a we-must book. Forged by Reading is filled with hard truths, and the inspiration needed to walk towards a new world—one where relevant reading rules. So, put your walking shoes on, get ready for the hard, necessary work, and let Kylene and Bob show us the way.” —Kwame Alexander, poet, educator, and New York Times bestselling author of Light for the World to See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope “If you haven’t read a single Beers & Probst educational bible to date, read Forged by Reading. It’s all right here…at the time of American education’s greatest need. There may well be no creative power greater than that of language…reading language, writing language, understanding language, embracing language. With Forged by Reading, Kylene and Bob hand us a roadmap to unleashing that power. Read it. Revel in it. Use it.” —Chris Crutcher, bestselling author and recipient of the American Library Association Margaret Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement and the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Award. “Forged by Reading is scholarship that shows us not only how our literacies link us to each other, but also, how reading links to our uniquely human souls.”–Jennifer Ochoa, middle school teacher, NYC Public Schools, and award-winning educator “Beers and Probst, who explore the moral imperative of liberatory pedagogy, remind us that those who read and discuss books hone literate minds—the key to transforming their own their lives, as well as our greatest hope for transforming our democracy—bending its arc toward equity and justice for all.” —Ernest Morrell, Coyle Professor of Literacy Education, University of Notre Dame “This timely book is a call to action for educators to embrace the languages, cultures, and identities of our students, disrupt the oppressive reading and writing practices in classrooms across this nation—and replace them with humane, equitable instruction for all.” —Yalitza Vasquez, VP of Multilingual Education, Trinity Education Group, and Former Senior Executive Director Division of English Language Learners, NYC Department of Education “Literacy is an essential element of freedom and the ways in which it is withheld contributes to oppression. This book will shift how you regard your teaching: abolish harmful pedagogies, confirm just practices, and travel with your colleagues on an epic journey of literacy justice.” —Kate Roberts, author, consultant, and guest teacher “Kylene and Bob show us why student compliance is not our goal and why testing and standards too often interfere with our bigger goals for literacy. They also ask us to be brave and to anchor our work in these understandings so we can achieve the ultimate aim: students who live the power of reading.” —Franki Sibberson, teacher, librarian, author, past president of NCTE “Consider the intimate connection between education and our democratic ideals. Forged by Reading is a powerful and timely reminder that when we are equipped with insight and the truth of who we are, we can be what’s right.” —Cornelius Minor, educator and author of We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be
Black Ants and Buddhists: Thinking Critically and Teaching Differently in the Primary Grades
Mary Cowhey - 2006
Her students learn to make connections between their lives, the books they read, the community leaders they meet, and the larger world.
Black Ants and Buddhists
offers no easy answers, but it does include starting points for conversations about diversity and controversy in your classroom, as well as in the larger community. Students and teachers investigate problems and issues together, in a multicultural, antiracist classroom.
Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments and Learning Progressions, Grades K-8
Lucy Calkins - 2014
-Lucy Calkins, Writing Pathways Lucy Calkins' groundbreaking performance assessments offer instructional tools to support continuous assessment, timely feedback, and clear goals tied to learning progressions that have been aligned with world-class standards. Originally published as part of the bestselling Units of Study in Opinion/Argument, Information, and Narrative Writing, grades K-8, Writing Pathways is ideal for writing workshop, but suitable for any writing instruction context or curriculum.This practical guide includes:Learning progressions for opinion/argument, information, and narrative writing, which map the specific benchmarks students will master for every grade levelOn-demand writing prompts that support schoolwide performance assessmentStudent checklists to help students set goals and integrate crucial self-assessment into their workRubrics to support individual teachers and professional learning communities as they evaluate mastery and plan instruction within and across grade levelsStudent writing samples that illustrate different ways students have exemplified standards and highlight essential features of each writing genreAnnotated exemplar pieces of writing on the same topic for every grade level that highlight the traits you can expect to see at each level of the learning progressions. Who needs Writing Pathways?Educators who are not yet ready to implement the full Units of Study curriculum can use Writing Pathways to get started with Lucy Calkins' proven approach to writing assessment and instruction. Coaches and administrators who are supporting implementation of Lucy Calkins' Units of Study will find Writing Pathways to be an ideal resource to guide their work. Who doesn't need Writing Pathways?The content in this stand-alone edition is the same as in the previous editions found in Lucy Calkins' Units of Study (K-5 and 6-8 are combined in this new edition). Teachers who have the Units of Study do not need this new edition. For more information, visit UnitsofStudy.com.
The Unstoppable Writing Teacher: Real Strategies for the Real Classroom
M. Colleen Cruz - 2015
Real hard. In The Unstoppable Writing Teacher she takes on the common concerns, struggles, and roadblocks that we all face in writing instruction and helps us engage in the process of problem solving each one.From dealing with writing workshop skeptics to working with students both gifted and challenged, and of course combating that eternal barrier-lack of time-Colleen offers tried-and-true strategies to address and overcome obstacles.For the struggles unique to you, she includes a "Name Your Monster" section that helps you identify your own individual roadblocks and even offers sustainable support through her blog, colleencruz.com. "We can't solve all the problems we're faced with in writing instruction," Colleen promises, "but we can choose how to respond to them. And our responses will make all the difference."What makes you unstoppable, or what's stopping you? Connect with Colleen on her blog at www.colleencruz.com/blog.htm or on Twitter, #unstoppablewritingteacher.
Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes for Every School
Mark Barnes - 2015
You're tired of philosophy, research and piles of data. You want practical solutions that you can implement immediately. You don't need a committee or another meeting. You need Hackers-experienced educators who understand your school's problems and see quick fixes that may be so simple that they've been overlooked. Hacking Education is the book that every teacher, principal, parent, and education stakeholder has been waiting for--the one that actually solves problems.Read it today-fix it tomorrow!In Hacking Education, Mark Barnes and Jennifer Gonzalez employ decades of teaching experience and hundreds of discussions with education thought leaders, to show you how to find and hone the quick fixes that every school and classroom need. Using a Hacker's mentality, they provide one Aha moment after another with 10 Quick Fixes for Every School--solutions to everyday problems that any teacher or administrator can implement immediately.Imagine being able to walk into school tomorrow and eliminate: Hours of wasted meeting time Classroom management issues Interruptions in planning time The need for more books Negative attitudes Technology issuesIf you want to improve teaching and learning at your school now, learn how to develop a Hacker's mentality.Discover How to Solve Problems with Pineapple Charts The 360 Spreadsheet Glass Classrooms Track Records Marigold Committees The TQZ More Impactful HacksNot Your Average Education BookHacking Education won't weigh you down with outdated research or complicated strategies. Barnes and Gonzalez provide brilliant ideas woven into a user-friendly success guide that you'll want to keep nearby throughout the school year. Each chapter is neatly wrapped in this simple formula: The Problem The Hack (a ridiculously easy solution that you've likely never considered) What You Can Do Tomorrow (no waiting necessary) Blueprint for Full Implementation (a step-by-step action plan for capacity building) The Hack in Action (yes, someone has actually done this)Are you ready to fix your school and your classroom?Get Hacking Education now, and solve your biggest problems tomorrow.
Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It
Kelly Gallagher - 2009
Reading is dying in our schools. Educators are familiar with many of the factors that have contributed to the decline—poverty, second-language issues, and the ever-expanding choices of electronic entertainment. In this provocative book
Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It
, author and teacher Kelly Gallagher suggests it is time to recognize a new and significant contributor to the death of reading: our schools. InReadicide, Gallagher argues that American schools are actively (though unwittingly) furthering the decline of reading. Specifically, he contends that the standard instructional practices used in most schools are killing reading by:Valuing standardized testing over the development of lifelong readersMandating breadth over depth in instruction Requiring students to read difficult texts without proper instructional support and insisting students focus on academic textsIgnoring the importance of developing recreational readingLosing sight of authentic instruction in the looming shadow of political pressures
Readicide
provides teachers, literacy coaches, and administrators with specific steps to reverse the downward spiral in reading—steps that will help prevent the loss of another generation of readers.
Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed
Debbie Silver - 2012
Award-winning teacher and best-selling author Debbie Silver explains motivational theory and provides down-to-earth—often humorous—real life examples that demonstrate what to say when giving feedback to students.
Reading Without Nonsense
Frank Smith - 1978
In his extensively revised fourth edition, Frank Smith brings teachers and teacher educators up to date on how reading should not be taught. It is a necessary reminder that reading and learning to read are natural activities.There is a massive assault on the independence of teachers of reading, mandated under the No Child Left Behind legislation, which regards reading as an unnatural act requiring contrived systematic instruction. Now more important than ever, Reading Without Nonsense, Fourth Edition provides the evidence and arguments that teachers need to resist this mechanistic view. As Frank Smith emphasizes, the act of reading has never changed despite all the changes in materials, procedures, and methodology proposed by people with an interest in how reading is taught.Reading Without Nonsense remains one of the most authoritative, influential, informative, and accessible texts on reading and learning to read. This bestseller is popular with classroom teachers and university professors as well as administrators, parents, and everyone concerned with literacy and education.
EDrenaline Rush: Game-changing Student Engagement Inspired by Theme Parks, Mud Runs, and Escape Rooms
John Meehan - 2019
Organized Teacher, Happy Classroom
Melanie S. Unger - 2011
Keeping themorganized can be a challenge, but an organized classroom is essential and allows students and the teacher to fully focus on learning by eliminating distractions. Organized Teacher, Happy Classroom provides practical, proven methods for maintaining an organized classroom throughout the entire school year.Inside you’ll find:• Strategies for managing students’ papers, curriculum material, and essential paperwork• Time management tips to maximize your instruction time and lesson planning• Organizing systems you can teach your students to improve self reliance andaccountability• Checklists for starting and ending the year well organized• Helpful forms and templates you can use in your classroom• Plans for arranging a classroom that promotes positive student participation• Support to simplify your classroom• Efficient storage solutions for all teacher and student materialsWhether you teach primary, intermediate, middle school or high school, this bookwill help you organize your time, paperwork, and classroom spaces.
Look at My Happy Rainbow: My Journey as a Male Kindergarten Teacher
Matthew Halpern - 2014
Halpern is funny. He is handsome. He likes to laugh. I love Mr. Halpern. How can I top that? Who doesn't want to be funny, handsome, laugh all the time, and be loved by their students? What they don't know is I left a dreary cubicle job for the exciting, never boring life of a kindergarten teacher eight years ago and never looked back. I have seen and heard some crazy, hilarious, and even touching moments. Look at My Happy Rainbow is my account of the first few years working in a kindergarten classroom experiencing the day to day trials and tribulations and trying to see the world a little more through the eyes of a five-year-old. From the first time a child reached up to take my hand to learning the true value of zipping a coat, being a 'rooster in a world of hens' my unique perspective on teaching and children will (hopefully) warm your heart, make you laugh, and might even help you remember what it felt like to be in kindergarten. Warning: I have a very short attention span (this is why I'm so well suited to teach kindergarten). Some of the chapters are short. One is less than one page. I think this makes the book 'charming', but please know - this is not War and Peace.
Coaching Conversations: Transforming Your School One Conversation at a Time
Linda M. Gross Cheliotes - 2010
With these proven, practical coaching-conversation techniques, school leaders can engage their school communities to work collaboratively toward total transformation. This research-based handbook helps school leaders:Develop open, reflective conversations with staff members Motivate staff Adopt new habits for working with teachers, staff, and students Utilize the power of committed listening and non-judgmental feedback Create positive changes in how people think and interact
Best Practices in Literacy Instruction
Lesley Mandel Morrow - 2003
The field's leading authorities present accessible recommendations for best practices that can be tailored to fit specific classroom circumstances and student populations. Provided are strategies for helping all students succeed—including struggling readers and English language learners—and for teaching each of the major components of literacy. The book also addresses ways to organize instruction and innovative uses of technology. Chapters include concrete examples, Engagement Activities, and resources for further learning. New to This Edition*Incorporates the latest research findings and instructional practices.*Chapters on motivation, content-area teaching, new literacies, and family literacy.*Addresses timely topics such as response to intervention, the new common core standards, English language learning, and policy issues.
Best Practices in Literacy Instruction
Linda B. Gambrell - 1999
Offering practical guidance for literacy educators, curriculum development specialists, and other education professionals and policy makers, this volume considers how we can most effectively improve the quality and content of reading and writing instruction. Leading researchers and practitioners address the eight principles of best practice, providing the most current information on how to enhance students' ability to construct meaning from text independently, draw upon texts to build conceptual understanding, effectively communicate ideas orally and in writing, and develop an intrinsic desire to read and write. This timely book blends state-of-the-art theory and research with workable suggestions based on extensive hands-on experience in the field.