“Whether you are new to the profession or in need of a reminder why you entered it in the first place, Stories is a collection of vivid, heartfelt, eye-opening recollections” -Tamera Cruz, educator “This book is a gift ... not just for educators, but for everyone!” -Kenyon and Taccara Martin, co-authors (Soul-Ties Personal Growth Collection) After 23 years as a teacher, coach and counselor, California educator John Smeby offers us Stories from the Classroom. Set in a city emerging from bankruptcy and still recovering from a 2015 terrorist attack. John uncovers a more human, compassionate side of San Bernardino that many might miss. In this down-to-earth, sometimes heartbreaking and often humorous collection of stories, he recounts both the struggles and victories he found inside the classrooms and hallways of Cajon High School and beyond. Whether you are (or have ever been) an educator, student or parent, Smeby’s journey will resonate with unflinching honesty. The anecdotes and stories he shares offer a unique look inside our educational system, both public and private. A teacher will often see a student seated at a desk. In Stories, John challenges us to look beyond the student, and recognize the human being within. “I would like to thank you not as a student to a teacher but as a friend to a friend. I will forget little by little my high school experience, but I promise I will never forget what you have taught me “–Juan Andrade, former student

"How to flexibly organize school book rooms in service of instruction-aligned classroom libraries"--

Academic study of children's literature has explored various aspects of diversity; however, little research has examined Canadian books that portray characters with disabilities. This relevant and timely text addresses the significant dearth of research by exploring the treatment of disability in Canadian literature for young people. Engaging and highly accessible, this text will assist teachers, teacher educators, and teacher candidates in finding and using books about characters where disability is a part of their characterization, supporting the development of curricula that reflect critical literacy and social justice issues. Stories for Every Classroom explores the historical patterns and trends, theoretical frameworks, and critical literacy methods used to understand and teach children's literature and its portrayal of characters with disabilities. It provides educators with curriculum ideas and enriches the body of resources shared with children in K-12 settings for the purposes of developing imagination, empathy, and understanding of self and others. Featuring author portraits, comprehensive annotated bibliographies of contemporary Canadian children's books that depict characters with disabilities, and read-on bibliographies that provide connections with other books in the field, this unique text will be an invaluable resource for educators.

Help students use their voices to build an equitable and just society. Years of political violence and protests against injustice have revived interest in teaching civics in schools. The problem? Civic education—as it currently exists—privileges systems, not students. It promotes incremental change within a broken democracy rather than responding to the youth-led movements that call for the abolition of inequitable social structures. What will it take to prepare young people for the just future they are fighting for? Civics for the World to Come offers educators a framework for designing the critical civic education that our students deserve. Synthesizing perspectives on democratic life from critical race theory, ethnic studies, Afrofuturism, and critical literacy, the book presents key practices for cultivating youth civic agency grounded in equity and justice. The authors explore five world-building civic skills (Inquiry, Storytelling, Imagination, Networking, and Advocacy) and introduce readers to real learning communities where students and educators are transforming themselves and society.

This book presents a practical model and specific unit- and lesson-planning ideas for enhancing students' reading comprehension in any 2-8 classroom. The authors provide innovative suggestions that help teachers construct a comprehension curriculum organized around literature, informational texts, or a basal reading program. Vivid case examples and vignettes bring to life ways to build the knowledge, strategies, and motivation that children need to engage with different types of texts and become proficient, enthusiastic readers. Graphic elements throughout the volume link instructional and assessment practices directly to the Common Core standards.

In recognition of the potential of sport, six international partners (UNESCO, the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, the World Anti-Doping Agency, Agitos Foundation, the International Fair Play Committee and the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education) collaborated to create this resource which engages youth through movement-based classroom activities while helping teachers instil some of the core values synonymous with sport : respect, equity and inclusion. This toolkit contains for each value practical activity cards to assist teacher in their work with their students.

Formative assessment is one of the best ways to increase student learning and enhance teacher quality. But effective formative assessment is not part of most classrooms, largely because teachers misunderstand what it is and don't have the necessary skills to implement it. In the updated 2nd edition of this practical guide for school leaders, authors Connie M. Moss and Susan M. Brookhart define formative assessment as an active, continual process in which teachers and students work together—every day, every minute—to gather evidence of learning, always keeping in mind three guiding questions: Where am I going? Where am I now? What strategy or strategies can help me get to where I need to go? Chapters focus on the six interrelated elements of formative assessment: (1) shared learning targets and criteria for success, (2) feedback that feeds learning forward, (3) student self-assessment and peer assessment, (4) student goal setting, (5) strategic teacher questioning, and (6) student engagement in asking effective questions. Using specific examples based on their extensive work with teachers, the authors provide - Strategic talking points and conversation starters to address common misconceptions about formative assessment; - Practical classroom strategies to share with teachers that cultivate students as self-regulated, assessment-capable learners; - Ways to model the elements of formative assessment in conversations with teachers about their professional learning; - "What if" scenarios and advice for how to deal with them; and - Questions for reflection to gauge understanding and progress. As Moss and Brookhart emphasize, the goal is not to "do" formative assessment, but to embrace a major cultural change that moves away from teacher-led instruction to a partnership of intentional inquiry between student and teacher, with better teaching and learning as the outcome.