Three instructional coaches share more than 200 of the most helpful problem-solving strategies they've used in their decades-long work with teachers, administrators, and coaches. "The Instructional Coaching Handbook" is not a new model of coaching. It addresses common hiccups that prevent productive coaching conversations from happening…

Professionals throughout the education system are recognizing that standardized testing is holding students back. Schools tend to view children as "outcomes" rather than as "individuals" who require guidance on thinking critically and creatively. "Awesome Math" focuses on team-based problem solving to teach discrete…

Only by shifting away from a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning can every student achieve self-efficacy and true success in the classroom. In this resource, authors Eric Twadell, Mark Onuscheck, Anthony R. Reibel, and Troy Gobble provide educators with a comprehensive strategy implementation process for proficiency-based…

Debates remain popular in English language courses, and this activity gives students a low-stress opportunity to develop their speaking debating skills. This lesson plan is appropriate for upper intermediate or advanced students. Goals of the activity are to present an oral argument using evidence and use functional language related to agreeing,…

This article describes a scavenger hunt for Business Law students. Specifically, students compete in this scavenger hunt to identify accessible design features on campus to undergird their study of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations from discriminating on the basis of…

The "Testable Question Relay" was created as part of a fourth-grade unit on conducting science experiments. In the relay, student teams raced to "outfit a scientist" by correctly categorizing questions as testable or untestable and earning scientific tools. This activity assists upper-elementary students in recognizing the components of good…

This paper defines correlation, describes the Mix It Up program, discusses the teachers' beliefs about the value of correlating mathematics and science prior to program participation, and identifies problems teachers associated with correlation before and during the program. Teachers' beliefs about the value of correlation and about the problems…

The present study deals with a school-based professional development trajectory for secondary science teachers, aiming at scaffolding teachers in open-inquiry teaching for the topic of water quality. Its design was based on the leading principle of "guiding by scaffolding". Seven experienced teachers participated in institutional…

Social-interactive Writing for English Language Learners (SWELL) is collaborative writing based on Topping's Paired Writing Method. The method was changed to meet the needs of English language learners. In both methods, pairs are formed according to proficiency, pairing a more advanced student (a Helper) with a less advanced one (a Writer). The…

This publication is an instructor's manual to a course on developing empowered management teams for higher education, teamworking skills, and team role evaluation skills. The course itself takes a hands-on approach to learning about quality, introduces continuous quality improvement principles, asks students to apply these in a structured…

This two-day institute examines the basic concepts of effective classroom management techniques as well as the use of effective instructional strategies for all students that will help paraeducators to support effective learning and teaching environment. This module addresses two goals: (1) to provide participants with an awareness of basic…

Cooperative lesson plans are presented for the following: current events for middle and high school; lessons on group process for elementary school; cooperative collage making to summarize a unit; group thank-you letters after an excursion; a team-building/language development lesson; and a values lesson on "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." (JD)

This section includes (1) "Time Saver Options" (Dishon and P. W. O'Leary), which outlines ways to teach cooperative skills; (2) "Getting Started--Tips from Teachers," a collection of ideas for all levels; and (3) "Cooperative Mathematics Lesson Plans" for developing problem-solving skills, fractions, word problems, and number concepts. (JD)

The following ideas are presented: (1) working together in calculus, including a handout for a jigsaw lesson; (2) a lesson on water and ecology from the USSR using the collective teaching technique; (3) the Israeli Havruta "Companionship" method for peer teaching; and (4) an origami lesson outlined and illustrated. (JD)

This article outlines the development of a nine-week communication skills program for elementary grades using a collaborative/consultative model. The program emphasizes social skills training and the importance of using good communication skills. The article outlines program development and procedures for teaching each concept. (DB)