Feeling overwhelmed-constantly, on a daily basis-has unfortunately become the status quo among educators. But it doesn't have to be. Schools need to stop adding more programs, strategies, activities, resources, projects, assessments, and meetings. Though they are often implemented with the best intentions, these things ultimately end up as clutter-that which inhibits our ability to help students learn. Instead, teachers need more clarity, which emerges when we prioritize our efforts to do less with greater focus. This isn't simply a matter of teachers doing less. Rather, teachers need to be intentional and prioritize their efforts to develop deeper understanding among students. In Teaching with Clarity, Tony Frontier focuses on three fundamental questions to help reduce curricular and organizational clutter in the interest of clarity and focus: * What does it mean to understand? * What is most important to understand? * How do we prioritize our strategic effort to help students understand what is most important? By prioritizing clear success criteria, intentional design, meaningful feedback, and a shared purpose, teachers can begin to clear away the curricular clutter that overwhelms the profession-and embrace the clarity that emerges.

What does it mean to teach with empathy?Whether it's planning and delivering instruction or just interacting with others throughout the day, every action you take is an opportunity to demonstrate empathy toward your students, your colleagues, and yourself. "I'm already empathetic to my students and their stories," you may be thinking. But a teacher's actions, even unintentional and especially uninformed, can be implicitly shaming, compounding any disconnect students may already feel and undermining your efforts to create a safe and positive classroom environment. Rather than try to identify who needs empathy, start with the premise that all learners deserve empathy because it is a prerequisite for learning and growth. In Teaching with Empathy, Lisa Westman explores three types of empathy-affective, cognitive, and behavioral-and clarifies how they intertwine with curriculum, learning environment, equity practices, instruction and assessment, and grading and reporting. Through her own experience as an instructional coach, Westman shares tips and tools, real-world classroom examples, powerful stories, and even a bit of herself as she guides you to a better understanding of yourself and others. Ultimately, you'll learn what's possible when you let compassion and acceptance inform all aspects of your daily practice.

Tamera Musiowsky-Borneman and C. Y. Arnold have developed a way to bring a minimalist mindset to the classroom and shed the burden of too many initiatives, strategies, and "things" in general. Their Triple P process helps teachers declutter in three steps: identify something's purpose, prioritize what is important, and pare down to essentials. Because the Triple P process emphasizes structured and candid self-reflection to determine what is essential, meaningful, and useful-and then discard what is extraneous-The Minimalist Teacher can be adapted to the physical classroom environment, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and more. Each chapter provides sample reflection questions and brainstorming activities to help teachers * Reduce mental and physical waste. * Manage burnout and stress. * Advocate for minimalism in the school. * Prioritize resources that best support student learning.Teachers face countless decisions every day, few of which are easy, but they don't have to be overwhelming. No matter the classroom, you can take control of your daily decisions in a way that reduces educator stress and builds a better learning environment for students.

Participation in a short sensory motor circuit prepares children to engage effectively with the day ahead. Behavioural clues such as fidgeting, poor concentration, excessive physical contact or overall lethargy can indicate that a child is finding it difficult to connect with the learning process. "Sensory Circuits" are a great way to energise or settle children into the school day.

One of the best ways to learn how to be a better teacher is by watching, listening to, and experimenting with the practices of great teachers, including those in your own school.The PD Curator is about how professional learning experiences can become more inclusive, participatory, cohesive, and effective-and about the role teachers and leaders can play in creating those experiences. That role isn't so much administrative as it is curatorial. Just as art curators can legitimize artists by including their work in a gallery or exhibit, PD curators have the power to legitimize the work of an array of teachers. They help create immersive intellectual, emotional, and social experiences-all while caring for the professionals and the profession. In this book, Lauren Porosoff explains how PD curators * Structure teachers' schedules to make time for in-house professional learning. * Select content and create a process for how people interact with it. * Fit the often disparate pieces together into a meaningful whole. * Discover whether the event has been successful. The practical tools and protocols in each chapter will help you plan professional learning that taps into the expertise and interests of a diverse staff. Canned sessions that don't connect with teachers' actual needs will be a thing of the past. Instead, you'll discover ways to support teachers in sharing ideas and trying out new practices that advance student learning. In doing so, you'll empower teachers and students alike.

"Learner-centered classrooms rely on teachers who are willing to change and grow, and on school leaders who are willing to intelligently support them. Change is never easy, but teaching has never been easy, either. Its goal is too grand for ease."Carol Ann Tomlinson's role in defining and popularizing differentiated instruction has made her one of the most influential voices in modern education. In So Each May Soar, she illuminates the next step forward: creating learner-centered classrooms to help all students gain a deeper understanding of themselves, others, and the world. Join Tomlinson as she explores principles and practices of learner-centered classrooms, including * What it means for teachers to honor themselves, each learner, and the content they teach. * How to assemble a curriculum that ignites students' imaginations and drives discovery. * How to guide classroom experiences that develop the mind of each learner in accordance with that learner's marvelous individuality. * How to shape curriculum, assessment, and instruction to support both equity and excellence. Use this book's curated collection of strategies to reconnect with professional and personal aspirations, build an energized and mutually respectful classroom community, and deliver instruction that feels alive to you and your students. Examples from all kinds of learner-centered classrooms clarify what this approach looks like across grade levels and subject areas and confirm its viability in schools with budgets both big and small. A must-have touchstone for veterans, a beacon for middle-career educators, and a mission statement for those just beginning their careers, So Each May Soar celebrates the commitment of teachers and the opportunity they have to help each young person in their care build a better future and lead a wonderful life.

The moment is right for critical reflection on what has been assumed to be a core part of schooling. In Ungrading, fifteen educators write about their diverse experiences going gradeless. Some contributors are new to the practice and some have been engaging in it for decades. Some are in humanities and social sciences, some in STEM fields. Some are in higher education, but some are the K-12 pioneers who led the way. Based on rigorous and replicated research, this is the first book to show why and how faculty who wish to focus on learning, rather than sorting or judging, might proceed. It includes honest reflection on what makes ungrading challenging, and testimonials about what makes it transformative.

With foreword by Harry K. Wong Change is coming at us from all angles: technological, cultural, social, and environmental. This presents a great challenge (and a great opportunity) in schools and in the teaching profession. With Owning It, you'll discover an array of easy-to-implement strategies designed to help you excel in the myriad of modern-day responsibilities of teachers and educators: classroom leader, mentor, colleague, team member, and public professional. This book will empower teachers to own their careers, teach effectively, and develop strong relationships: Acquire straightforward strategies for dealing with everyday situations found in classrooms, schools, and communities. Understand the multifaceted role of a teacher in today's schools and how to balance the numerous responsibilities -- from classroom management to relationships with colleagues. Feel inspired and motivated to bring out the best in yourself as well as in your students. Observe creative approaches to improve teaching strategies and student engagement. Answer reflection questions to connect with and relate to the strategies covered in the book. Contents: Part 1: Owning It in Your Classroom: Strategies for Creating an Environment of Achievement Chapter 1: Revisit Your Personal Philosophy's Value Chapter 2: Make the Most of the First Five Minutes of Any Class Chapter 3: Increase Your Classroom Presence to Seem Like You're Everywhere at Once Chapter 4: Never Sabotage a Teachable Moment Chapter 5: Help Students Learn Out Loud and Still Keep a Handle on Your Classroom Chapter 6: Transform Your Perception of Data and Help Your Students Succeed Chapter 7: Think Outside the Bubble on All-Important Standardized Tests Part 2: Owning It With Your Most Challenging Students: Strategies for Succeeding With At-Risk and Struggling Student Populations Chapter 8: Bring Ethnic Identity and Culturally Relevant Curriculum Into Your Classroom Chapter 9: Close the Achievement Gap With At-Risk Students Chapter 10: Succeed With At-Risk Youth Chapter 11: Manage Disruptive Classroom Behavior Chapter 12: Establish a Negotiation With At-Risk and Struggling Students Chapter 13: Reel Parents in With Three Basic Strategies Chapter 14: Empower Students by Putting Them in Charge Part 3: Owning It at Your School and District: Strategies for Succeeding as a Member of a Staff Team Chapter 15: Turn Not Another Meeting Into Let's Get to Business! Chapter 16: Help Your School's New Teachers Succeed (and Stick Around) Chapter 17: Improve Schools by Minding Collegial Generation Gaps Chapter 18: Approach a Colleague About a Conflict Chapter 19: Five Ways to Make Shared Positions Work for Teachers, Students, and Administrators Part 4: Owning It in Your Community: Strategies for Making a Positive Impact Beyond Your School and Classroom Chapter 20: Turn Potential Foes Into Supportive Allies Chapter 21: Put the Spotlight on Your School Chapter 22: Get Teachers Into the Community and the Community Into Teachers Chapter 23: Step Up and Share Your Ideas With Fellow Educators Chapter 24: Make Blogs an Essential Support Mechanism for Teaching

Research-based insights and practical advice about effective learning strategies In this new edition of the highly regarded Why Don't Students Like School? cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham turns his research on the biological and cognitive basis of learning into workable teaching techniques. This book will help you improve your teaching practice by explaining how you and your students think and learn. It reveals the importance of story, emotion, memory, context, and routine in building knowledge and creating lasting learning experiences. With a treasure trove of updated material, this edition draws its themes from the most frequently asked questions in Willingham's "Ask the Cognitive Scientist" column in the American Educator. How can you teach students the skills they need when standardized testing just requires facts? Why do students remember everything on TV, but forget everything you say? How can you adjust your teaching for different learning styles? Read this book for the answers to these questions and for practical advice on helping your learners learn better. Discover easy-to-understand, evidence-based principles with clear applications for the classroom Update yourself on the latest cognitive science research and new, teacher-tested pedagogical tools Learn about Willingham's surprising findings, such as that you cannot develop "thinking skills" without facts Understand the brain's workings to help you hone your teaching skills Why Students Don't Like School is a valuable resource for both veteran and novice teachers, teachers-in-training, and for the principals, administrators, and staff development professionals who work with them.

If there's one thing teachers can agree on, it's that social and emotional learning is a hot topic in education. But beyond this, questions still remain. Many educators find themselves wondering, what exactly is SEL? How should it be taught? What does it look like in the classroom? And, is it our job as educators to teach students non-academic life skills? Based on author Dr. Amy Cranston's experiences with implementing SEL from a practical standpoint, this book defines SEL and digs into the real work of how to incorporate SEL in K-12 schools. It makes the connection between research and practical application and the real-life examples and testimonials of SEL in the classroom will help educators effectively implement SEL programming. Featured case studies demonstrate real-world applications of SEL in different types of K-12 learning environments. It addresses students' different interests and varied learning styles and features Mindful Moments that encourage understanding, learning, and reflection. By supporting the emotional needs of students, educators will not only address issues such as discipline problems and absenteeism, but will help their students to be more mindful and self-aware. By encouraging spaces where intrapersonal and interpersonal skills are celebrated and cultivated, educators will set the foundation for all students to succeed.

Aimed at the growing number of educators who are looking to move beyond covering the curriculum, Designing Authentic Performance Tasks and Projects provides a comprehensive guide to ensuring students' deeper learning-in which they can transfer their knowledge, skills, and understandings to the world beyond the classroom. Readers will learn how to: Create authentic tasks and projects to address both academic standards and 21st century skills. Apply task frames to design performance tasks that allow voice and choice for students. Design and use criterion-based evaluation tools and rubrics for assessment, including those for students to use in self-assessment and peer assessment. Incorporate performance-based instructional strategies needed to prepare students for authentic performance. Differentiate tasks and projects for all students, including those needing additional support or challenge. Effectively manage the logistics of a performance-based classroom. Use project management approaches to facilitate successful implementation of tasks and projects. Develop performance-based curriculum at the program, school, and district levels. Authors Jay McTighe, Kristina J. Doubet, and Eric M. Carbaugh provide examples and resources across all grade levels and subject areas. Teachers can use this practical guidance to transform their classrooms into vibrant centers of learning, where students are motivated and engaged and see relevance in the work they are doing.

In this thoughtful guide for novice and veteran educators alike, Baruti K. Kafele takes readers on a reflective journey designed to reignite their passion for teaching. Kafele's 50 questions and penetrating insights reveal how you can: Inspire students of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds to strive for academic excellence. Develop strong relationships with students, their parents, and the greater community. Address the challenges and promises presented by millennial learners. Boost your motivation and excitement about teaching despite entrenched obstacles and daily frustrations. Replete with ideas for strengthening your practice and investing in student success, this book is an indispensable companion for teachers who want to give their absolute best in the classroom at all times and under all circumstances.

Students can succeed in school-but they must be in school to do so. Addressing absenteeism is as important as addressing problematic behavior and academic difficulties in the classroom. To address the pervasive issue of chronic absenteeism-that is, missing 10 percent of school days for any reason-educators must begin to move away from a model of reliance on reactive and punitive approaches and toward one that is preventive and positive, and that uses proven principles of behavioral change. Teacher's Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges, by nationally known educators Jessica Sprick and Tricia Berg, provides teachers with the information and resources they need to build a strong classroom-based initiative to improve the attendance of all students, creating a classroom culture of attendance with easy-to-implement strategies. Sprick and Berg provide concrete and practical strategies for teachers to implement in their own classrooms to address chronic absence and improve the attendance of all students, including: A framework for implementation. Sample lesson plans. Examples and reproducibles for reinforcement systems. Talking points for use with students and families. Real-world examples of successful classroom-based approaches. Handouts for parents on establishing routines, dealing with technology and more. When teachers apply the easy-to-implement and minimally invasive presented, they will see significant improvements in student attendance. This book is a copublication of ASCD and Ancora Publishing.

For every teacher it's different, but you know who they are for you-the students who are "hard to teach." Maybe they're reading far below grade level. Maybe they're English learners. Maybe they have diagnosed learning disabilities or behavioral issues. Maybe they're underachieving for reasons that are unknown. They have been overlooked or underserved or frustrated, and they're not learning as they should. Until now. Until you. How to Reach the Hard to Teach presents a thoughtful and practical approach to achieving breakthrough success with linguistically and culturally diverse students who struggle in school. Combining elements of the SIOP (R) Model and the FIT Teaching (R) approach, authors Jana Echevarria, Nancy Frey, and Douglas Fisher take stock of what we know about excellent instruction and distill it into five guiding principles: Set high expectations. Provide access to the core curriculum. Use assessment to inform instruction. Attend to language development-both English and academic. Create a supportive classroom climate. You'll learn specific practices associated with each principle and see how real-life teachers are employing these practices in their classrooms so that all students have the opportunity to learn and receive optimal support for that learning. Every teacher has had the experience of seeing a "hard to teach" student in a new light and realizing all he or she might achieve. This book is about shining that light of possibility on the students who challenge us most, interrogating our beliefs, and taking action to ensure they receive the best instruction we have to offer.

Do you sense that some students have mentally ""checked out"" of your classroom? Look closely and you'll probably find that these students are bored by lessons that they view as unchallenging and uninteresting. In this follow-up to The Highly Effective Teacher: 7 Classroom-Tested Practices That Foster Student Success, Jeff Marshall provides teachers with a blueprint for introducing more rigor to the classroom by: Reorienting themselves and their students toward active learning-and establishing the habits that allow it to flourish. Creating a classroom culture where students aren't afraid to take risks-and where they grow as learners because of it. Planning the same lesson at different levels of challenge for different levels of development-and designing assessments that gauge student progress fairly without sacrificing expectations. Implementing inquiry-based activities that push students beyond their comfort zones-and that result in well-rounded learners with stronger character and sharper thinking skills. Leveraging the latest research in the field as well as years of hard-won classroom experience, this book offers practical strategies, replicable examples, and thoughtful reflection exercises for educators to use as they work to help students embrace the mystery, complexity, and power of challenge.

Teach Like a Champion 3.0 is the long-awaited update to Doug Lemov's highly regarded guide to the craft of teaching. This book teaches you how to create a positive and productive classroom that encourages student engagement, trust, respect, accountability, and excellence. In this edition, you'll find new and updated teaching techniques, the latest evidence from cognitive science and culturally responsive teaching practices, and an expanded companion video collection. Learn how to build students' background knowledge, move learning into long-term memory, and connect your teaching with the curriculum content for tangible improvement in learning outcomes. The new version of the book includes: An introductory chapter on mental models for teachers to use to guide their decision-making in the classroom. A brand new chapter on Lesson Preparation. 10 new techniques Updated and revised versions of all the technique readers know and use A brand new set of exemplar videos, including more than a dozen longer "keystone" videos which show how teachers combine and balance technique over a stretch of 8 to 10 minutes of teaching. Extensive discussion of research in social and cognitive science to support and guide the use of techniques. Additional online resources, and supports Read this powerful update to discover the techniques that leading teachers are using to put students on the path to success.

If a fundamental goal of schooling is to prepare young people for the unknowable future, why do we assign students so many clearly defined tasks with predetermined solutions? According to educator and creativity expert Ronald A. Beghetto, the best way to unleash students' problem solving and creativity-and thus prepare them to face real-world problems-is to incorporate complex challenges that teach students to respond productively to uncertainty. In this thought-provoking book, Beghetto explains: How to foster ""possibility thinking"" to help students open up their thinking in creative, sometimes counterintuitive ways. The process of lesson unplanning, a way of transforming existing lessons, activities, and assignments into more complex classroom challenges. Four basic action principles that teachers and students can use to design and solve complex challenges both inside and outside the classroom. The steps for creating legacy challenges, which require students to identify a problem, develop a solution, and ensure that their work makes a lasting contribution. With planning forms and detailed sample activities, this practical guide will enable teachers at every grade level to design a full range of challenges in any subject area. Invite uncertainty into your classroom-and discover what your students are capable of.

It's no secret that in today's complex world, students face unparalleled demands as they prepare for college, careers, and active citizenship. However, those demands won't be met without a fundamental shift from traditional, teacher-centered instruction toward innovative, student-centered teaching and learning. For schools ready to make such a shift, project-based learning (PBL) offers a proven framework to help students be better equipped to tackle future challenges. Project Based Teachers encourage active questioning, curiosity, and peer learning; create learning environments in which every student has a voice; and have a mastery of content but are also comfortable responding to students' questions by saying, ""I don't know. Let's find out together."" In this book, Suzie Boss and John Larmer build on the framework for Gold Standard PBL originally presented in Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning and explore the seven practices integral to Project Based Teaching: Build the Culture. Design and Plan. Align to Standards. Manage Activities. Assess Student Learning. Scaffold Student Learning. Engage and Coach. For each practice, the authors present a wide range of practical strategies and include teachers' reflections about and suggestions from their classroom experiences. This book and a related series of free videos provide a detailed look at what's happening in PBL classrooms from the perspective of the Project Based Teacher. Let's find out together. A copublication of ASCD and Buck Institute for Education (BIE).

Explore the web of factors that influence your power as a teacher-and how you can better use that power to foster student agency and empowerment. What kind of power do teachers have? What influences their instructional decision making-and how does that affect students, particularly Black students and other students of color? How can educators move away from practices that oppress and devalue students to practices that support and empower them? These are just a few of the questions that author Tanji Reed Marshall answers in Understanding Your Instructional Power. Countering the notion that teachers are powerless in the classroom, she introduces the Power Principle to help teachers unpack how they understand and use the power associated with their authority and responsibility as an educator. Drawing from her own experience as a classroom teacher and coach, Reed Marshall explains how the Power Principle reveals itself through various elements, including language use (by both students and teachers), "hidden curriculum," and classroom culture. She identifies four levels of curricular autonomy that teachers have (Unfettered, Calibrated, Restricted, and Minimal) and four dimensions of instructional power that characterize their classroom environment (Empowering, Agentive, Protective, and Disenfranchising). Reflection exercises throughout the book guide readers through a deep analysis of their personal and professional histories and ideologies, including how these influence students' learning experiences. Reed Marshall shares her own journey of setbacks and progress as she offers support and encouragement to K-12 teachers seeking to use their power in productive ways so that all students can bring their full selves to class and receive the education they deserve.

Some great teachers are born, but most are self-made. And the way to make yourself a great teacher is to learn to think and act like one. In this updated second edition of the best-selling Never Work Harder Than Your Students, Robyn R. Jackson reaffirms that every teacher can become a master teacher. The secret is not a specific strategy or technique, nor it is endless hours of prep time. It's developing a master teacher mindset-rigorously applying seven principles to your teaching until they become your automatic response: Start where you students are. Know where your students are going. Expect to get your students there. Support your students along the way. Use feedback to help you and your students get better. Focus on quality rather than quantity. Never work harder than your students. In her conversational and candid style, Jackson explains the mastery principles and how to start using them to guide planning, instruction, assessment, and classroom management. She answers questions, shares stories from her own practice and work with other teachers, and provides all-new, empowering advice on navigating external evaluation. There's even a self-assessment to help you identify your current levels of mastery and take control of your own practice. Teaching is hard work, and great teaching means doing the right kind of hard work: the kind that pays off. Join tens of thousands of teachers around the world who have embarked on their journeys toward mastery. Discover for yourself the difference that Jackson's principles will make in your classroom and for your students.

In building an equitable and quality education system, South Africa has embraced an inclusive education approach in which the diverse needs of all learners must be accommodated. This move, as well as the additional pressures that a fast-changing world places on education, requires teachers constantly to adapt their instruction, the curriculum and the classroom environment (physical and virtual) to increase learner involvement and to minimise the exclusion of those learners who experience barriers to learning. Learner support in a diverse classroom provides a good balance between the theoretical knowledge needed to understand what takes place when a child learns, and the hands-on provision of assessment and support for the learner. Learner support in a diverse classroom offers creative solutions and solid foundations to any teacher wishing to bring out the best from his or her learners. It can serve as a manual on the practical ways to provide quality education, especially to those learners who experience special challenges in an inclusive environment. Learner support in a diverse classroom is aimed at all teachers and student teachers, and will also be of great use to parents.

Since the start of the pandemic, educators all over the world have been learning on the fly how to use the power of digital texts, tools and technologies for "remote emergency instruction". As teachers quickly discovered, conducting nearly nonstop Zoom meetings, in an effort to replicate in-classroom learning in an online environment, is both ineffective and exhausting. In this series of three guides, Renee Hobbs and her colleagues at the Media Education Lab introduce central principles to guide instructional planning for real time (synchronous) and anytime (asynchronous) learning. Each guide unpacks the application of these principles-to connect, guide and create-with specific lesson examples and technology tips tailored to one level of schooling: elementary, middle or high school.

Research on the brain has shown that emotion plays a key role in learning, but how can educators apply that research in their day-to-day interactions with students? What are some teaching strategies that take advantage of what we know about the brain? Engage the Brain answers these questions with easy-to-understand explanations of the brain's emotion networks and how they affect learning, paired with specific suggestions for classroom strategies that can make a real difference in how and what students learn. Readers will discover how to design an environment for learning that: Makes material relevant, relatable, and engaging. Accommodates tremendous variability in students' brains by giving them multiple options for how to approach their learning. Incorporates Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and guidelines. Uses process-oriented feedback and other techniques to spark students' intrinsic motivation. Author Allison Posey explains how schools can use the same ""emotional brain"" concepts to create work environments that reduce professional stress and the all-too-common condition of teacher burnout. Real-world classroom examples, along with reflection and discussion questions, add to the usefulness of Engage the Brain as a practical, informative guide for understanding how to capture the brain's incredible power and achieve better results at all grade levels, in all content areas.

Since the start of the pandemic, educators all over the world have been learning on the fly how to use the power of digital texts, tools and technologies for "remote emergency instruction". As teachers quickly discovered, conducting nearly nonstop Zoom meetings, in an effort to replicate in-classroom learning in an online environment, is both ineffective and exhausting. In this series of three guides, Renee Hobbs and her colleagues at the Media Education Lab introduce central principles to guide instructional planning for real time (synchronous) and anytime (asynchronous) learning. Each guide unpacks the application of these principles-to connect, guide and create-with specific lesson examples and technology tips tailored to one level of schooling: elementary, middle or high school.

Since the start of the pandemic, educators all over the world have been learning on the fly how to use the power of digital texts, tools and technologies for "remote emergency instruction". As teachers quickly discovered, conducting nearly nonstop Zoom meetings, in an effort to replicate in-classroom learning in an online environment, is both ineffective and exhausting. In this series of three guides, Renee Hobbs and her colleagues at the Media Education Lab introduce central principles to guide instructional planning for real time (synchronous) and anytime (asynchronous) learning. Each guide unpacks the application of these principles-to connect, guide and create-with specific lesson examples and technology tips tailored to one level of schooling: elementary, middle or high school.