Jeffrey Benson draws from his 40-plus years of experience as a teacher and an administrator to provide explicit, step-by-step guidance on how to incorporate social and emotional learning (SEL) into K-12 lesson planning--without imposing a separate SEL curriculum. The book identifies SEL skills in three broad categories: skills for self,…

The teacher leaders who get the best results are the ones who explore the role's full potential, but it can be a challenge to get beyond a basic understanding of the responsibilities involved. The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) wants to make it easier. "Unleashing Teacher Leadership" presents best practices and…

Far too often, our students attain only a superficial level of knowledge that fails to prepare them for deeper challenges in school and beyond. In "Teaching for Deeper Learning," renowned educators and best-selling authors Jay McTighe and Harvey F. Silver propose a solution: teaching students to make meaning for themselves. Contending…

How do you take the passion and chatter that K-5 students bring to the classroom and turn it into conversation skills that make them better learners? Academic conversation can help hone speaking and listening, critical thinking, and social-emotional skills, as well as deepen content knowledge. But despite its effectiveness, this kind of…

If a fundamental goal of schooling is to prepare young people for the unknowable future, why do we assign students so many clearly defined tasks with predetermined solutions? According to educator and creativity expert Ronald A. Beghetto, the best way to unleash students' problem solving and creativity--and thus prepare them to face real-world…

In a world awash in technology, what EdTech skills and strategies should educators focus on to ensure they are making the best use of online spaces for classroom learning? How can they navigate through the overwhelming number of options in digital tools and spaces? How can they guide students in learning best practices? EdTech consultant Monica…

Conversations between administrators and teachers take place every day, for many reasons, but what can we do to elevate them so that they lead to better professional relationships, more effective school leaders and teachers, and improved learning for students? "C.R.A.F.T. Conversations for Teacher Growth" offers the answer, demonstrating…

Mastering the basic facts for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division is an essential goal for all students. Most educators also agree that success at higher levels of math hinges on this fundamental skill. But what's the best way to get there? Are flash cards, drills, and timed tests the answer? If so, then why do students go into the…

What is the secret to making schoolwide SEL [social-emotional learning] "work"? Growing numbers of people recognize that social-emotional learning (SEL) is central to a well-rounded education and to success in life outside and beyond the school building. What is missing is the know-how and framework for weaving SEL into the fabric of the…

While social and emotional learning (SEL) is most familiar as compartmentalized programs separate from academics, the truth is, all learning is social and emotional. What teachers say, the values we express, the materials and activities we choose, and the skills we prioritize all influence how students think, see themselves, and interact with…

"Literacy Strong All Year Long: Powerful Lessons for Grades 3-5" equips intermediate educators with engaging lessons that motivate students and help them develop the solid foundation of literacy skills that are essential to learning. Thoughtfully designed lessons linked to specific literacy standards create a seamless flow of learning…

In the first years of life, as children observe, imitate, and interact with people and their environment, the brain is structuring a foundation for vocabulary, values, cognitive processes, and social skills. Educators, you can help influence that development by teaching the skills and dispositions of intelligent, creative, effective decision…

Student learning communities (SLCs) are more than just a different way of doing group work. Like the professional learning communities they resemble, SLCs provide students with a structured way to solve problems, share insight, and help one another continually develop new skills and expertise. With the right planning and support, dynamic…

For success in school and in life, students need more than academic proficiency and good test scores. Author Tom Hoerr shows how to foster the "Formative Five" attributes that today's students need: (1) Empathy: learning to see the world through others' perspectives. (2) Self control: cultivating the abilities to focus and delay self…