Enhancing Student Learning in Middle School


Book Description

A comprehensive introduction to middle school teaching, this textbook focuses explicitly on instructional strategies that encourage adolescents to become active participants in their own learning within a world of accountability and standardized testing. The author, an experienced middle school teacher and teacher educator, takes a constructivist approach to teaching that considers the whole child, including the emotional, psychological, social, and cultural variables uniquely associated with adolescence. The text examines the full range of middle school topics, from the development and diversity of middle school learners, to the structures, curriculum, and management of the classroom itself. Special features include: "Empowering Middle School Students to Take Ownership of their Learning," "Teaching Scenario," "Key Points," and "Creating an Anti-Oppressive Atmosphere in Your Classroom" textboxes help teachers gain a clearer understanding of content presented and encourage them to become reflective practitioners. Callouts throughout explicitly link chapter content to NMSA standards. Discussion of the unique challenges of actively engaging bilingual students, special needs students, and students exhibiting antisocial behavior. Accounts about middle school students illustrate the ways adolescents think about school and learning. A chapter that focuses on ways teachers can apply the general teaching strategies to specific subject areas. Sample Lesson Plans, Focus Questions, Chapter Summaries, Journal Entries, and Student Activities/Assignments are included throughout to encourage readers to actively participate with the text.







Inclusion Strategies for Secondary Classrooms


Book Description

"This updated text provides a wide range of instructional tools that are cleverly introduced, well-referenced, and clearly presented. The book gives preservice teachers an informative and practical introduction as they prepare to work with older students. As an excellent refresher for practicing teachers, it offers new approaches that can be incorporated into everyday inclusive classrooms. This resource will become bookmarked and dog-eared from both initial use and subsequent reference by serious educators." —Jean Lokerson, Faculty Emerita, School of Education Commonwealth University Keys for unlocking the doors to learning for ALL students! This updated edition of the best-selling book Successful Inclusion Strategies for Secondary and Middle School Teachers identifies "locks" to learning and provides targeted strategies, or "keys," that unlock learning barriers for adolescents with disabilities and other learning challenges. Based on empirical research, this basic guide is packed with field-tested, teacher-friendly approaches that support struggling students at various stages of academic development. Inclusion Strategies for Secondary Classrooms examines input locks (attention, perception, discrimination, and sequencing), processing/retention locks (confusion, organization, reasoning, memory), affective locks (frustration and motivation), and output locks (persistence and production), and explains why the key strategies work. This updated edition also discusses: What current research reveals about the unique teaching environment of secondary school classrooms The reauthorization of IDEA 2004 The impact of NCLB on special education How the key strategies can work at all levels of a Response to Intervention program Expanded applications for Universal Design for Learning Discover solutions that will help every student overcome obstacles to learning and develop the skills for academic success!







Writing Pathways


Book Description

Originally published as part of the bestselling series: Units of study in opinion/argument, information, and narrative writing [Grades K-8].







Middle School Journal


Book Description