Current research around the middle grades has brought a heightened attention by teachers, policymakers, and researchers recognizing that this stage is a time when a students' health and social and emotional well-being directly impacts their academic progress. To date, school leaders and teachers have not been well served by explicit resources for…

The author offers practical strategies to introduce and maintain a mindfulness practice with middle-grade students and discusses ethical implications of employing mindfulness in the classroom.

Featuring tools, activities, and insightful stories from a CIA analyst and instructor with 30+ years' of experience, this practical and engaging book supports busy educators to teach the lifelong skills of news and media literacy to their students. Based on existing curriculum and teaching standards, this guidebook shows how social studies and…

Julia Kearney and Lori Bingham (pseudonyms), two middle school social studies teachers in a large urban school, have a problem. They want to have their students asking and exploring important questions about American history, and they want them to have the vocabulary knowledge needed to do so. While Julia and Lori recognize the rich linguistic…

In using wordless picture books, teachers enhance the reading experience while fostering, nurturing, and broadening students' reading and writing skills. Wordless picture books are accessible to "all" students. They encourage and require readers to slow down as they inhabit and comprehend the story told through art, symbolism, and…

This case study illustrates the perspectives of leaders and teachers regarding professional development and learning transfer as they relate to school improvement. The case study is set in a Midwestern middle school that is representative of many other American schools. It encourages future administrators to participate in meaningful conversations…

The Mathematics Teaching Practices identified by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics are eight research-based practices that promote mathematics teachers' implementation of specific knowledge to support student understanding. We wondered which practices mathematics teachers perceived as most characteristic and least characteristic of…

Declining academic performance, along with a growing apathy of students toward the value of education, demonstrates that students in the United States public education system do not recognize the value of a positive experience in middle schools. A plethora of research and writing has been done on elementary schools and secondary schools, but…

Filling a vital need, this is the first comprehensive guide to supporting K-12 teachers in effective implementation of classwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (CWPBIS). The book presents a roadmap for designing and delivering professional development based on behavioral principles. Procedures are outlined for providing data-driven…

In their ongoing professional development project, the authors had an opportunity to work with a group of teachers who were particularly insightful. These teachers shared written reflections about their thinking, prior experiences, and changing self-awareness of their mathematics practice. In one session, teachers were provided the…

In education, "dialogue protocols," or "protocols," are structured guidelines that were developed to promote meaningful and efficient communication and learning. They are "vehicles for building the skills--and culture-- necessary for collaborative work. The authors share protocols that were found to transform practices…

With international exams (PISA and TIMSS) producing results every three or four years, there is near continual talk of East Asian dominance in mathematics education. Beyond the reporting of scores, some studies have compared mathematics teaching in these countries with U.S. instruction. However, researchers are not (usually) grade school math…

Low teacher engagement and retention are challenges faced by many schools, especially in high poverty contexts. In this case study, readers will draw on feedback and reflections provided by teachers that reflect realistic concerns current and aspiring school and districts leaders are faced with today in an endeavor to respond to these challenges.…

When beginning music teachers enter a new classroom for the first time, they start a journey toward understanding a new context and community. Place consciousness develops as they become embedded in their community and begin to recognize how its culture and environment interact with their teaching practices. By mapping the objects, people, and…

In 2010, the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) founded the Sabah Al Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC). The Center supports Kuwait's Strategic Development Plan and the country's commitment to nurture gifted and talented youth. The Center also supports the work of talented adult inventors and entrepreneurs by…