Teachers Of The Year Speak Out

Based on over 1000 nationwide student surveys, these 10 deep engagement strategies help you implement achievement-based cooperative learning. Includes video and a survey sample.

Few skills are as critical or as rare today as the ability to hear and comprehend what other people are saying. The authors of' Hands Down, Speak Out' argue that we need new tools to teach the art of listening and they' ve put forward a simple yet transformative model for encouraging student conversations that are inclusive, empowering, and rich in content. This classroom guide for grades K-5 is particularly needed in the aftermath of two disrupted school years.' ' Teaching Foundational Skills Across Subjects:' Hands Down, Speak Out' is a practical guide for teaching listening and talking skills that span both literacy and math instruction and can be applied to a multitude of curriculums. K-5 Classroom Management Focused on Dialogue: Too often, the practice of hand-raising favors the performance of answers by a few students over the construction of meaning involving the whole class. Help' all' students develop dialogue skills that will deepen their understanding of literacy and mathematics, as well as of themselves, their communities, and the world. 28 Student-Centered Micro Lessons: Each of these short, incremental lessons build specific skills during content instruction rather than taking time away from it. Students will be energized by a discourse structure in which their ideas and voices take the lead while teachers focus on listening and facilitating. Nurturing Disagreements: The authors' provide guidance for managing difficult conversations by teaching students to engage in debate and discussion in a way that values listening equally with talking. Students are able to spend time developing active listening and speaking skills in a constructive environment. When we build talk communities with children, our greatest hope is that what they learn through talking about reading, writing, and math is matched by what they learn about living in the world with others, write Kassia Omohundro Wedekind and Christy Hermann Thompson.' Hands Down, Speak Out' demonstrates how teachers and leaders can run inclusive and accessible classrooms that respect each student' s level of participation.

Another powerful story in the Logan Family Saga and companion to Mildred D. Taylor's Newbery Award-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. A drive South becomes dangerous for ‘lois and her family. 'Lois and Wilma are proud of their father's brand-new gold Cadillac, and excited that the family will be driving it all the way from Ohio to Mississippi. But as they travel deeper into the rural South, there are no admiring glances for the shiny new car; only suspicion and anger for the black man behind the wheel. For the first time in their lives, Lois and her sister know what it's like to feel scared because of the color of their skin. "A personal, poignant look at a black child's first experience with institutional racism."--The New York Times

How can teachers make their literacy classrooms a place of joy? Fun, caring, and passion are the keys to a shame-free, healthy classroom that nurtures students in mind, body, and spirit. Full of simple strategies and activities for building community, this practical book is committed to promoting strong literacy skills. It illustrates concrete ways to build mindful classrooms where students are free to speak with compassion, write with conviction, and read with joy.

A bold, brain-based teaching approach to culturally responsive instruction To close the achievement gap, diverse classrooms need a proven framework for optimizing student engagement. Culturally responsive instruction has shown promise, but many teachers have struggled with its implementation—until now. In this book, Zaretta Hammond draws on cutting-edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain-compatible culturally responsive instruction. The book includes: Information on how one’s culture programs the brain to process data and affects learning relationships Ten “key moves” to build students’ learner operating systems and prepare them to become independent learners Prompts for action and valuable self-reflection