This paper is written to provide ideas and guide faculty who want to design a mathematical modeling course for undergraduate mathematics majors and minors. We discuss course goals, assignments, and projects that can be used to help students gain experience relevant for careers and mathematical modeling opportunities. The authors designed this…

Learn how to differentiate instruction while maintaining a rigorous learning environment. In this practical book, rigor expert Barbara R. Blackburn shows that the differentiated classroom doesn't mean extra work for top students and easy work for others; instead, you can have high expectations for all students and provide scaffolding so that…

The term "flipped" or "inverted" classroom includes a broad range of pedagogical innovations, and has recently received a significant amount of press. Although flipping an entire course might be a more extreme step than most are able to take, we discuss modular ideas for change that can be more easily implemented. This paper…

Each new school year brings high hopes, great expectations and challenges for both new and seasoned educators. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has developed a series called "Classroom Tips" to help educators start the year right and anticipate the year ahead. Over the past 40 years, most research studies on homework have found that…

This article shares thoughts about motivating young adolescents from the perspective of middle level students. The most compelling thread to emerge from the interviews with students was the fact that teachers matter. Teachers have a direct and significant impact on students' motivation to achieve. This article identifies three ways in which…

Described are two methods of classroom management that attempt to optimize the first few moments of the class period. One method focuses on using the prior day's homework, and the other uses new problems presented to the students to work on as they enter the classroom. (MDH)

The practicum was designed to increase the organizational skills of four emotionally handicapped students (aged 13-14) enrolled in a secondary school program, and to increase the quantity and quality of homework completed by those students in a regular English class. A needs survey documented that students, parents, and teachers felt that…

A procedure where homework assignments are collected, graded, and returned each week is suggested. Students were used to grade each other's homework against copies of the solutions according to criteria established at the beginning of the course. Student response has been positive. (MVL)

This practical, how-to guide makes it easy for teachers to incorporate the latest technology in their classes. Employing an informal workshop approach, the book avoids technical jargon and pays special attention to the needs of teachers who are expanding the use of computers in their classroom. The authors focus on what teachers do and how they…

A four-stage model, designed to shape learning disabled students' independent study skills and foster generalization of skills is presented: (1) ease students into a homework routine; (2) focus on time management; (3) teach problem-solving techniques; and (4) conclude in independent study with intermittent parent and teacher monitoring. (CB)

An outline is presented of organizational procedures that teachers can use to maximize the use of classroom time. Specific guidelines are given on how to give homework assignments, how to communicate expectations regarding student work, how to distribute instructional materials, and how to allocate time among various classroom activities. Brief…

This document analyzes responses to questions included in a national assessment of knowledge of U.S. history and geography in an attempt to determine the relationship between study habits and academic performance. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1994 asked 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students specific questions regarding…

This book presents tips, in the form of questions and answers, to help beginning teachers feel less isolated. There are six sections. "Getting Your Act Together" includes "What To Do Before School Opens"; "The First Day of School"; "Open House"; "Goal Setting"; and "Last Day of School.""Getting To Know You" includes "Administrators"; "Board of…