Authors Susan Koba and Carol Mitchell introduce teachers of grades 3-5 to their conceptual framework for successful instruction of hard-to-teach science concepts. Their methodology comprises four steps: (1) engage students about their preconceptions and address their thinking; (2) target lessons to be learned; (3) determine appropriate strategies;…

The purpose of this study was to obtain data on United States K-5 elementary school teachers' self-reported instructional practices with graphical representations. Via an electronic survey, 388 elementary teachers, from throughout the US, reported about their teaching of the interpretation and the production of graphics within science. The main…

Based on a first grade teacher's search for approaches to promote successful reading acquisition in her first grade classroom, the authors present a curricular engagement in which the teacher explored using music, specifically singing songs, as a fun and motivating way to accelerate reading progress. The premise is that singing (while at the…

This paper researches how teachers can successfully incorporate Theater Arts into their daily schedules and lesson plans without necessarily teaching a lesson on the subject itself. A common problem that teachers face is not being able to engage students in the learning process; likewise, the students do not retain much of what they are taught.…

This is a self-study wherein we, two teacher educators who are both former public school elementary-grade teachers, sought increased understanding of our professional identities as teachers. We asked, "How is the professional identity of teacher educators mediated by their prior experience as teachers?" We independently created retrospective…

Anyone who spends time with children knows that praise works. It is a powerful motivator--praising children for good behaviour or good work builds self- esteem and self-confidence. Children love to collect stickers, certificates and rewards--so what better way is there to shape behaviour, encourage good work habits and produce confident learners?…

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Practice Guide, "Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers," offers educators four specific, evidence-based recommendations that address the challenge of teaching writing in elementary school. This summary focuses on recommendation 2a of the four recommendations: Teach students the…

Network for Astronomy School Education, NASE, is a project that is organizing courses for teachers throughout the entire world. The main objective of the project is to prepare secondary and primary school teachers in astronomy. Students love to know more about astronomy and teachers have the opportunity to observe the sky that every school has…

Imagine two fourth-grade classes. Both contain students of comparable demographics and highly respected teachers each with four to five years of experience. Both classes engage in science curricula that emphasize science and engineering practices as outlined in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013). Both classes…

The dissemination of good practices in MLE requires a more rigorous definition of their characteristics, including criteria and indicators to measure their quality. This article -- after reflecting on the meaning and function of identifying good MLE practices -- presents a systematic framework of 35 indicators for good MLE activities in Italian…

One author shares the unique opportunity to be immersed in the science of "sound at work" through participation in NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Teacher at Sea Program. A third- through fifth-grade learning outcome within the Nature of Science section of the "Next Generation Science Standards"…

Someday soon, like the pencil, projector, and word processor before them, the smart board and smartphone will simply be things that teachers and students use on the way to learning. Until then, teachers will struggle to answer a myriad of difficult questions about a wide range of new digital tools that have burst forth on the educational…

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Practice Guide, "Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers," offers educators four specific, evidence-based recommendations that address the challenge of teaching writing in elementary school. This summary focuses on recommendation 2b of the four recommendations: Teach students to…

Highly accessible and user-friendly, this book focuses on helping K-12 teachers increase their use of classroom management strategies that work. It addresses motivational aspects of teacher consultation that are essential, yet often overlooked. The Classroom Check-Up is a step-by-step model for assessing teachers' organizational, instructional,…

Despite pressures to narrow the curriculum and focus only on testing, there are teachers who continue to work social justice issues into their elementary lessons through the subject of social studies. These teachers speak of education as an instrument for the public good. In this day and age, it can be hard to find teachers with such…