Now, you can easily stop reducing students to a number, letter, or any label that misrepresents learning and assessment in education. Now, you can help children see the value in every single assignment. Today, you can make assessment a rich, ongoing conversation that inspires learning for the sake of learning, rather than as a punishment or a reward. All you have to do is go gradeless. Throw out your grade book tomorrow! In Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School, award-winning teacher and world-renowned formative assessment expert Starr Sackstein unravels one of education's oldest mysteries: how to assess learning without grades -- even in a school that uses numbers, letters, GPAs, and report cards. While many educators can only muse about the possibility of a world without grades, teachers like Sackstein are reimagining education. In this unique, eagerly-anticipated book, Sackstein shows you exactly how to create a remarkable no-grades classroom like hers, a vibrant place where students grow, share, thrive, and become independent learners who never ask, "What's this worth?" Learn what formative assessment really looks like. Summative assessment is typically an end-of-unit exam or standardized test, but what is formative assessment? Many teachers struggle with the concept. Hacking Assessment not only explains what formative assessment is, it provides blueprints for implementation and examples from educators around the world, who use this strategy successfully every day. Read It and You Can Take These Actions Immediately: Shift everyone's mindset away from grades Track student progress without a grade book Communicate learning to all stakeholders in real time Maximize time while providing meaningful feedback Teach students to reflect and "self-grade" Deliver feedback in a digital world Create e-portfolios and cloud-based learning archives Inspire Students to share their work openly This is not your average assessment book Hacking Assessment won't bore you with outdated research or unrealistic strategies. In her captivating, conversational style, Sackstein provides practical ideas woven into a user-friendly success guide with actionable steps for creating an amazing conversation about learning that does not require a traditional grade. Each chapter is neatly wrapped in this simple Hack Learning Series formula: The Problem (an assessment issue that plagues education) 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)

    Thomas Armstrong confronts America's obsession with Attention Deficit Disorder. With more than one million children diagnosed with ADD, the condition has gained national attention on talk shows, magazine covers and The New York Times bestseller list. Dr. Armstrong, well-known for his writings on parenting and education, presents the very real argument that ADD may, in fact, not exist. He believes that many behaviors labeled as ADD are simply a child's active response to complex social, emotional, and educational influences, and that by tackling the root causes of a child's attention and behavior problems?rather than masking the symptoms with medication and behavior-modification programs?parents can help their children begin to experience fundamentally positive changes in their lives. This groundbreaking book provides parents and professionals with 50 innovative and proven strategies they can use to help children overcome their attention and behavior problems. His checklist helps parents decide which strategies are most appropriate, and hundreds of resources, including books and organizations are included. The Myth of the A.D.D. Child offers much needed practical help to both parents and professionals.

    And when his Oprah appearance shot the book onto the New York Times bestseller list, he kept the heat on. We can expect the same tenacious commitment to promoting his follow-up book, The Excellent 11.The Excellent 11 contains eleven sections, with each one focusing on a theme directly related to teaching and raising children. Ron Clark draws from his own experience to give advice, telling personal stories that demonstrate the significance of each theme within the learning environment--an environment that extends beyond the classroom and into the larger world. Using themes ranging from Adventure, Ingenuity, and Humor to Dedication, Creativity, and Love, Clark provides a road map for both parents and teachers who want to enrich their children's learning experiences.

    And not just during playtimes. We believe there is play in work and work in play, they write. It helps to have practical ways to carry that mindset into all aspects of the curriculum. In Purposeful Play, they share ways to:optimize and balance different types of play to deepen regular classroom learning teach into play to foster social-emotional skills and a growth mindset bring the impact of play into all your lessons across the day. We believe that play is one type of environment where children can be rigorous in their learning, Kristi, Alison, and Cheryl write. So they provide a host of lessons, suggestions for classroom setups, helpful tools and charts, curriculum connections, teaching points, and teaching language to help you foster mature play that makes every moment in your classroom instructional.Play doesn't only happen when work is over. Children show us time and time again that play is the way they work. In Purposeful Play, you'll find research-driven methods for making play an engine for rigorous learning in your classroom.

    They explore the world around them through play, imagination, and discovery. They build meaning, they create understanding, and they unabashedly share their learning. It's in this process that they find joy in life and relevance in the world around them.Why, then, do some of our students become disconnected from their learning in school? Where does this natural curiosity go? And how, as educators, can we ensure all of our students experience a meaningful and wonder-filled journey through their education?It's these questions that Trevor MacKenzie, author of the critically acclaimed book Dive into Inquiry, answers in Inquiry Mindset. Co-written with kindergarten teacher Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt, Inquiry Mindset offers a highly accessible journey through inquiry in the younger years. You'll learn how to . . .Empower your learners, increase engagement, and accelerate achievement. Harness the wonderings and curiosities of your students and leverage them into powerful learning opportunities. Cultivate an inquiry mindset both as a teacher and in your students! Adopt an inquiry approach that results in the most authentic and inspiring learning you've ever experienced!

    The point is, it's a level of understanding that students of any age can achieve with the right kind of instruction. In Rigorous Reading, Nancy Frey and Doug Fisher articulate an instructional plan so clearly, and so squarely built on research, that teachers, schools, and districts need look no further:Purpose & Modeling Close & Scaffolded Reading Instruction Collaborative Conversations An Independent Reading Staircase Performance

    Rebecca brings us back to our better selves! -Naomi Shihab NyeIt's no secret that reading aloud to children every single day is one of the most important things any teacher, parent, or grown up can do to help children become better readers, thinkers, and frankly, better human beings. There are many resources available-scores of books, articles, web sites, videos, podcasts, and more that highlight the research on why reading aloud to kids is so vital, how to incorporate it into the day, and lists of texts to choose from for each grade level.The Artful Read-Aloud is a user-friendly guide that builds a bridge between the artistic world and the classroom, providing a deeper dive into the artistry of reading aloud. Rebecca Bellingham draws on her experience as a performer, teaching artist, classroom teacher, and literacy coach to make explicit connections between the arts and reading aloud, providing dozens of easy moves teachers can make that can enhance, elevate, and deepen the impact of interactive read-alouds.Each chapter focuses on a specific guiding principle that is drawn from the arts and is meant to spark engagement, provoke inquiry, and inspire deep thinking. She includes practical tips for how to bring each principle to life in the classroom, including:how to embody the text by making small shifts with your body and voice to bring the words to life, helping kids envision different characters and their actions more completely learning when to slow down, pause, and read in an deliberate and careful way to give kids time to think, feel, process, and connect when and how to create opportunities for talk, giving kids the space to ask questions and reflect on what they notice, wonder, and predict how to give kids a chance to move around as they try on characters, recreate scenes, learn about new concepts, and live inside the book prioritizing read alouds that give students practice listening to and learning from diverse voices while creating space for meaningful conversation about important issues relating to injustice, identity, inequality, and more ways to be intentional in your choices, from matching books to the students in front of you to choosing passages that support instructional goals and teaching points. Reading aloud to your students supports a balanced, rigorous, and joyful literacy curriculum that not only feeds the souls and minds of your students but your own as well. Dip into The Artful Read-Aloud and see what's possible inside your daily read-alouds. By learning to make simple moves that model what real reading looks and sounds like you can help your students become the kind of readers all of us hope they will become: engaged, thoughtful, lifelong ones.

    Instead of fueling the debate, Dr. Jan Burkins and Kari Yates have immersed themselves in the research and produced Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom . This concise and practical guide integrates effective reading strategies from each perspective. Every chapter of Shifting the Balance focuses on one of the six simple and scientifically sound shifts reading teachers can make to strengthen their approach to early reading instruction in these areas:Reading ComprehensionPhonemic AwarenessPhonicsHigh-Frequency WordsCueing SystemsText SelectionPractical Instruction for Primary Grades: Whether your students are just learning to read or building more advanced reading comprehensive skills,  Shifting the Balance  is designed to help teachers meet the instructional needs of K-2 students.Six Manageable Shifts: Each chapter focuses on a key shift that helps educators understand common misconceptions and adjust their thinking around some common instructional practices that teachers have been using for decades.Evidence-Based Instruction: Burkins and Yates offer busy educators a blueprint for integrating finding from brain research, cognitive science, and child development into their daily instruction, while keeping meaningful experiences with books a priority.Classroom Applications: Shifting the Balance is full of sample activities and classroom vignettes that paint a picture of what these shifts look like in action with roomful of learners.The book has already helped countless educators by taking the guesswork out of how to blend best practices with the latest research while keeping students at the forefront of reading instruction. "We've written this book to support you in making sound decisions anchored in the best of science, the truth of responsiveness, and a relentless focus on providing all children learning experiences saturated with meaning," the authors write.

    A special emphasis on the needs of new and struggling teachers includes practical actions for earning student respect and teaching them behavior management skills. The author also introduces a real-time coaching model and explains how to establish a schoolwide Assertive Discipline(r) program.

    

     When we tell kids to complete an assignment, we get compliance. When we empower kids to explore and learn how to make an impact on the world, we inspire problem solvers and innovators. This required change in education involves more than providing training for administrators and teachers to implement new curriculum or programs and resources; it demands that we, as teachers and leaders, create an environment where learners at every level are empowered to take risks in pursuit of learning and growth rather than perfection. This book is for you if you are wondering . . . What if learners were valued for their diverse talents and not just our traditional model of “smart”? What if I could create new and better experiences for those I serve? What if I could inspire students to learn, to discover their passions, and to share their ideas with the world? “This must-read book will inspire you to create experiences that develop learners, workers, and citizens who will thrive in a changing world.” —Linda Darling-Hammond, president, Learning Policy Institute “Katie not only provides an analysis of what's (glaringly) wrong in education, she also paints a bright vision for what's possible and provides a practical roadmap for how we might get there.” —Kaleb Rashad, director, High Tech High, San Diego “In Learner-Centered Innovation, Martin eloquently shares evidence-based, practical ways to ignite curiosity, develop passions, and unleash student genius through the types of learning experiences that today’s modern learners need to thrive in tomorrow’s world.” —Thomas C. Murray, director of innovation, Future Ready Schools “Learner-Centered Innovation is an inspirational call to action for all educators who dream of a brighter future for our children.” —Devin Vodicka, chief impact officer, AltSchool

    Her willingness to be vulnerable and share the moments she has experienced inclusion, and exclusion, power, and need allow all of us to see the connection between our own lives and the experiences of our students. Shelley is passionate and inspirational – she will cause you to think, to cry, to laugh, and to dream.—JENNIFER KATZ, PhD, AUTHOR OF TEACHING TO DIVERSITYIn One Without the Other: Stories of Unity Through Diversity and Inclusion, Shelley Moore explores the changing landscape of inclusive education. Presented through real stories from her own classroom experience, this passionate and creative educator tackles such things as inclusion as a philosophy and practice, the difference between integration and inclusion, and how inclusion can work with a variety of students and abilities. Explorations of differentiation, the role of special education teachers and others, and universal design for learning all illustrate the evolving discussion on special education and teaching to all learners. This book will be of interest to all educators, from special ed teachers, educational assistants and resource teachers, to classroom teachers, administrators, and superintendents.

    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

    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.