During the middle school years young adolescents not only become aware of the changes associated with physical and emotional maturity, but they also adjust to new learning standards and expectations. The goals of...

"Everything seems cheap—when was this book made?" asked one student as we embarked on an activity to engage students in a meaningful exploration focused on mathematical modeling and connections using the...

It didn't take long to realize Marissa was not going to be focused on the day's lesson. Shortly after arriving in class, she took her seat, placed her head in her hands, and started crying. She shared that her best...

Teaching literacy skills through the story of Anne Frank has evolved for me—I've learned so much through my students and what they like in the music world! Their creativity and insights show academic progress,...

Most studies in education are observational studies. This means that investigators pore over data previously collected by others. They seek correlations between different variables. This approach is far less expensive...

I hated middle school. It seemed like a cruel joke almost 20 years ago that the only job I could find was teaching remedial English to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. When I tell my students that I hated middle...

"There's no way I'm taking honors biology next year," Katie told me. "It's going to wreck my GPA." She was in eighth grade and contemplating the high school course options. I knew Katie collected insects for fun...

Much of the writing we assign our students is public writing: writing to communicate with others. Writing-to-learn is personal writing, writing that helps students increase comprehension of texts—fiction and...

Once we've learned to read, reading becomes a tool that helps us learn. Creating a learning experience that incorporates reading deeply, however, can be a challenge for today's teachers. How can we make reading...

One of the many reasons teaching is a unique profession is that there is a finite beginning and end to each year. After bidding farewell to outgoing students, we have a summer vacation that provides us with time to...