Middle level teachers are unique not just by virtue of the level of students they teach but also by the ways in which they teach. This monograph emphasizes strategies that actively engage students of all ability levels, promote collaboration, provide for various levels of concrete and abstract thought, and foster student inquiry. The monograph presents approaches to assessing reading and writing, cooperative learning, vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and critical thinking and to other topics that are directly reflective of current research. It provides step-by-step procedures along with classroom examples in a convenient and serviceable format, and its research-based teaching strategies are applicable to all subject areas. The introduction offers an overview of the research on prevailing versus preferred instructional practices in middle schools and discusses what can be done to improve instruction in five basic areas: (1) approaches to teaching; (2) lesson planning and implementation; (3) classroom instructional resources; (4) instructional activities and arrangements; and (5) promotion of higher order thinking. The monograph emphasizes the following groups of strategies: 1 and 2 are concerned with assessing reading and writing performance; 3 through 9 center around cooperative learning as it relates to various topics; 10 through 13 show practical ways to develop students' vocabulary with example spanning curricular areas. The remaining strategies deal with improving students' comprehension and appreciation of what they read. (NKA)

The best way to help students succeed is through deliberate and careful lesson planning focused on the end result of increasing student achievement. Whether you are a new teacher or an experienced educator, this book will help you get started by providing a practical, step-by-step guide to designing lessons that will lead to student mastery of any objective.

Promoting Rigor Through Higher Level Questioning equips teachers with effective questioning strategies and:

Lead for efficacy in these disruptive times! Cultivating a school culture focused on the achievement of students while anticipating change is imperative, but it’s tough to keep up with varying leadership demands when it seems like society and technology are constantly changing as well! Moving beyond the skills and tools introduced in the first edition, this revamped second edition features: New organization emphasizing the interconnectivity of the Pillars of Digital Leadership Innovative strategies and leadership practices that enhance school culture and drive learning improvement Updated vignettes from digital leaders who have successfully implemented the included strategies New online resources, informative graphics, and end of chapter guiding questions

Empower students with proven strategies for brain-friendly instruction! This revised fourth edition offers more than 1,000 brain research–based teaching strategies along with reflections, affirmations, sidebars, bulleted lists, quotable quotes, and a wealth of instructional tools. The author shows how to improve instructional effectiveness, plan standards-based lessons, and optimize student learning with practical techniques such as: Matching instruction with learners' developmental stages Responding to unique learning styles with differentiated techniques Using assessment as part of instruction Addressing the learning needs of students in poverty Managing students' emotions with music and energizers Practicing positive teaching mind-sets to enhance student results

Unleash powerful teaching and the science of learning in your classroom Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning empowers educators to harness rigorous research on how students learn and unleash it in their classrooms. In this book, cognitive scientist Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D., and veteran K–12 teacher Patrice M. Bain, Ed.S., decipher cognitive science research and illustrate ways to successfully apply the science of learning in classrooms settings. This practical resource is filled with evidence-based strategies that are easily implemented in less than a minute—without additional prepping, grading, or funding! Research demonstrates that these powerful strategies raise student achievement by a letter grade or more; boost learning for diverse students, grade levels, and subject areas; and enhance students’ higher order learning and transfer of knowledge beyond the classroom. Drawing on a fifteen-year scientist-teacher collaboration, more than 100 years of research on learning, and rich experiences from educators in K–12 and higher education, the authors present highly accessible step-by-step guidance on how to transform teaching with four essential strategies: Retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and feedback-driven metacognition. With Powerful Teaching, you will: Develop a deep understanding of powerful teaching strategies based on the science of learning Gain insight from real-world examples of how evidence-based strategies are being implemented in a variety of academic settings Think critically about your current teaching practices from a research-based perspective Develop tools to share the science of learning with students and parents, ensuring success inside and outside the classroom Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning is an indispensable resource for educators who want to take their instruction to the next level. Equipped with scientific knowledge and evidence-based tools, turn your teaching into powerful teaching and unleash student learning in your classroom.

Master proactive teaching skills that motivate students to learn! Written by a nationally known teacher coach, this thought-provoking book helps educators bring their teaching skills to a new level of excellence and build a partnership with their students. With a focus on the “three Rs”—routines, rules, and relationships—the author helps readers: Create and sustain a classroom community that promotes respect and achievement Fully involve students in learning while addressing a wide range of cognitive styles Strengthen collaboration with students, colleagues, and parents Use feedback and assessment to develop professionally and improve students’ academic performance