Book Snap #6 Lessons from the book

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snorth 7 months ago

When asking students to use transitions, don't just give an expansive transition list because students might overuse some or use a transition incorrectly. Give a few and a paragraph to complete.

jobradley 7 months ago

Do not "over support" students.

mrs-sklar 7 months ago

This sentence goes on to say, "the other measures in school are now taking, combined, to improve the mental health of children." Two things schools can do are more free play and phone free schools. As I said before, I am happy the district adopted a phone free school policy, but I'd like to know how we can allow for more free play, especially in elementary school. I find that students really struggle with free play- some don't know what to do without adult input, others argue and look for adults to solve. I think that by somehow finding the time for more free play, students would learn to overcome these challenges and it would become more natural for them. Obviously, parents can encourage this at home, but it seems that many after school hours are jam packed with activities and there may not be the time.

gyanuk 7 months ago

This part about improvisation is so fascinating. I’m always over prepared. Rehearsed almost. I have noticed that more authentic things have come out when my script wasn’t as planned.

adri22 7 months ago

Lessons from the Book

Chapter 4: “The single most important thing a teacher can do to create a motivational climate is to build a relationship with each student.”

It sounds simple, but it’s something that’s easy to overlook, especially in a subject like math where we’re often focused on covering the material and keeping up with the pacing guide. In our Math 7 classroom, I’ve noticed that students are more likely to try, speak up, or even just stay focused when they feel like their teacher sees and respects them. That doesn’t mean we have to be best friends with every student, but it does mean making an effort asking how their day is going, noticing when they’ve improved, or just saying “I’m glad you’re here.” These small moments can build trust.

I’ve seen students who normally shut down start to participate just because I made a point of checking in with them or giving them a little encouragement. It doesn’t fix everything overnight, but it creates a classroom where students feel safe enough to try and that’s huge, especially in math, where fear of being wrong can hold so many kids back. This line reminded me that relationships aren’t just helpful they’re the foundation.

derekrichards 8 months ago

I loved this idea of small group instruction being more fluid, with specific goals and a specific time frame being established.

emily-kraeger 8 months ago

Another great visual to show how many of the strategies in the book all work to bring students back to center and ready to learn

tammy-thomas 8 months ago

It is very important to have high expectations for all of our students. I like how these middle school students are referred to as scholars and are taught the meaning of this word as intellectual learners. Also, I like the SPARK acronym which is utilized school wide. I feel that using the same terminology in all school settings such as classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms can help raise both academic and behavioral expectations.

kevin-bovi 8 months ago

Teachers can help students enlarge their vocabulary networks by guiding them through semantic mapping of related words. This is an informational text example.

kate-sfeir 8 months ago

Teachers can help students enlarge their vocabulary networks by guiding them through semantic mapping of related words. This is a literary example.