NGSS, next generation science standards.

Instructional Sequence Matters, Grades 3- 5 is a one-stop resource that will inspire you to reimagine how you teach science in elementary school. The book discusses two popular approaches for structuring your lessons: POE (Predict, Observe, and Explain) and 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate). It also shows how simple shifts in the way you arrange and combine activities will help young students construct firsthand knowledge, while allowing you to put the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) into practice. Like its popular counterpart for grades 6- 8, the book is designed as a complete self-guided tour. It helps both novice teachers and classroom veterans to understand * Why sequence matters. A concise review of developmental psychology, neurosciences, cognitive science, and science education research explains why the order in which you structure your lessons is so critical. * What you need to do. An overview of important planning considerations covers becoming an " explore-before-explain" teacher and designing 5E and POE instructional models. * How to do it. Ready-to-teach lessons use either a POE or 5E sequence to cover heat and temperature, magnetism, electric circuits, chemical changes, ecosystems, and earth processes. Detailed examples show how specific aspects of all three dimensions of the NGSS can translate into your classroom. * What to do next. Reflection questions will spark thinking throughout the sequencing process and help you develop the knowledge to adapt these concepts to your students' needs. Instructional Sequence Matters will give you both the rationale and the real-life examples to restructure the hands-on approaches you are now using. The result will be a sequence for science instruction that promotes long-lasting understanding for your third- fourth-, or fifth-grade students.

Instructional Sequence Matters, Grades 9- 12 is the one-stop resource that will inspire you to reimagine your approach to high school physical science. The book discusses the 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate) as a specific pathway for teaching and learning. It also shows how simple shifts in the way you arrange and combine activities will help your students construct firsthand knowledge as you put the three dimensions of contemporary standards into practice. Like its popular counterparts for grades 3- 5 and 6- 8, the book is designed as a complete self-guided tour. It helps both novice teachers and classroom veterans understand the following: * Why sequence matters. A concise review of cognitive science and science education research explains why the order in which you structure your lessons is so critical. * What you need to do. An overview of important planning considerations covers becoming an " explore-before-explain" teacher and designing 5E instructional models. * How to do it. Planning templates include reflection questions to spark your thinking and develop your knowledge. Model lessons encourage you to teach in ways that allow for active meaning making-- precisely what is called for in three-dimensional instruction. You' ll learn to engage students as they tackle engineering design problems, use algebraic and mathematical reasoning, read technical texts, develop their own inquiries, and write argumentative essays. Instructional Sequence Matters, Grades 9- 12 will help you stimulate teacher thinking and cultivate the skills necessary to take your students to higher levels of learning.

This book is a resource for both prospective and practicing elementary teachers as they learn to teach science in ways which foster the development of a community of science learners with multiple perspectives and diverse approaches to problem solving. It includes cases that feature dilemmas embedded in rich narrative stories which characterize the lives of teachers of science, and by extension their students, and serve as tools for discussion, critique, and reflective practice. The introduction to the book explores changing contexts for elementary science teaching and learning, and describes how case-based pedagogy can be used as a tool for both instruction and research. Each subsequent section of the book includes cases that are organized around topics such as contemporary approaches to teaching elementary science, new roles for technology, and the creation of inclusive learning environments for all students in elementary science. Each case is followed by reflective commentaries and concludes with questions for reflection and discussion. Teachers will benefit from these cases as they explore the complexities and ambiguities of elementary science teaching and learning in today’s classrooms.

So What Do They Really Know? Cris Tovani explores the complex issue of monitoring, assessing, and grading students' thinking and performance with fairness and fidelity. Like all teachers, Cris struggles to balance her student-centered instruction with school system mandates. Her recommendations are realistic and practical; she understands that what isn't manageable isn't sustainable. Cris describes the systems and structure she uses in her own classroom and shows teachers how to use assessments to monitor student growth and provide targeted feedback that enables students to master content goals. She also shares ways to bring students into the assessment cycle so they can monitor their own learning, maximizing motivation and engagement. So What Do They Really Know? includes a wealth of information: Lessons from Cris's classroomTemplates showing how teachers can use the workshop model to assess and differentiate instructionStudent work, including samples from linguistically diverse learners, struggling readers, and college-bound seniorsAnchor charts of student thinkingIdeas on how to give feedbackGuidelines that explain how conferring is different from monitoringSuggestions for assessing learning and differentiating instruction during conferencesAdvice for managing ongoing assessmentCris's willingness to share her own struggles continues to be a hallmark of her work. Teachers will recognize their own students and the challenges they face as they join Cris on the journey to figure out how to raise student achievement.

One day I was 12 years old and broke. Then Grandma gave me Grandpa's old riding lawnmower. I set out to mow some lawns. More people wanted me to mow their lawns. And more and more. . . . One client was Arnold the stockbroker, who offered to teach me about "the beauty of capitalism. Supply and Demand. Diversify labor. Distribute the wealth." "Wealth?" I said. "It's groovy, man," said Arnold. If I'd known what was coming, I might have climbed on my mower and putted all the way home to hide in my room. But the lawn business grew and grew. So did my profits, which Arnold invested in many things. And one of them was Joey Pow the prizefighter. That's when my 12th summer got really interesting.

Effective and practical coaching strategies for new educators plus valuable online coaching tools Many teachers are only observed one or two times per year on average—and, even among those who are observed, scarcely any are given feedback as to how they could improve. The bottom line is clear: teachers do not need to be evaluated so much as they need to be developed and coached. In Get Better Faster: A 90-Day Plan for Coaching New Teachers, Paul Bambrick-Santoyo shares instructive tools of how school leaders can effectively guide new teachers to success. Over the course of the book, he breaks down the most critical actions leaders and teachers must take to achieve exemplary results. Designed for coaches as well as beginning teachers, Get Better Faster is an integral coaching tool for any school leader eager to help their teachers succeed. Get Better Faster focuses on what's practical and actionable which makes the book's approach to coaching so effective. By practicing the concrete actions and micro-skills listed in Get Better Faster, teachers will markedly improve their ability to lead a class, producing a steady chain reaction of future teaching success. Though focused heavily on the first 90 days of teacher development, it's possible to implement this work at any time. Junior and experienced teachers alike can benefit from the guidance of Get Better Faster while at the same time closing existing instructional gaps. Featuring valuable and practical online training tools available at http://www.wiley.com/go/getbetterfaster, Get Better Faster provides agendas, presentation slides, a coach's guide, handouts, planning templates, and 35 video clips of real teachers at work to help other educators apply the lessons learned in their own classrooms. Get Better Faster will teach you: The core principles of coaching: Go Granular; Plan, Practice, Follow Up, Repeat; Make Feedback More Frequent Top action steps to launch a teacher’s development in an easy-to-read scope and sequence guide It also walks you through the four phases of skill building: Phase 1 (Pre-Teaching): Dress Rehearsal Phase 2: Instant Immersion Phase 3: Getting into Gear Phase 4: The Power of Discourse Perfect for new educators and those who supervise them, Get Better Faster will also earn a place in the libraries of veteran teachers and school administrators seeking a one-stop coaching resource.