Teaching Strategies
Recent Newsletter Articles
Using Video to Develop Effective Communication Skills
If you practice listening and speaking skills with your students, check out the Film English website - a resource that combines funny, poignant, powerful video clips with ready-to-use ESL lessons to support language teaching. Read More
Attention Strategies
Many adults have trouble with sitting still, getting distracted, paying attention, or being impulsive on occasion. It becomes troublesome when inattention problems are consistently occurring and impacting student learning. Read More
What Do You Notice? What Do You Wonder? Getting Students Thinking – and Talking – About Math
Bring a new routine into your math instruction! "Notice and Wonder" provides an opportunity for deep thinking and rich conversation for all students. Read More
Getting Started, Moving Forward: An Explicit Plan for Teaching the Writing Standards
An explicit instructional plan for teaching the Writing Standards in a way that cultivates both students’ reading and writing capacities, plus examples of reading-writing tasks for cross-implementation of the Writing Standards at Levels A-C. Read More
Boosting Critical Thinking Skills with the New York Times Learning Network
Help your students develop the essential critical thinking skills that they need, such as analyzing and synthesizing information, with a very timely resource: the New York Times Learning Network! Read More
Numberless Word Problems: Creating Opportunities for Better Thinking
Introduce yourself to the powerful idea of numberless word problems as a way to create an entry point for every learner. Read More
Minneapolis Institute of Art Introduces ESL Tours
We tend to focus on practical, survivalist content in our ESL classes.... [A]rt can seem superfluous, but in truth art is a text that learners can do a close reading of. On art tours we use visual thinking strategies, engage participants in effective communication and critical thinking, and welcome them into our community. Read More
Universal Design for Learning Principles in Action
The “Altered Shoes and Life Journey Project” utilizes the arts to enable immigrant and refugee students to create visual metaphors that reflect their personality and life experiences - and helps them process those experiences. Read More
It’s All About Hitting the Target!
Learning target statements empower students, provide a common focus, communicate what is important, build community and engagement, and increase motivation and confidence. Read More
Managing Stress to Improve Learning: A Self-Management Resource
Some of the biggest obstacles that our adult learners face are often not academic, but social and emotional in nature. The Managing Stress to Improve Learning project has an array of resources to help teachers create safe, stable classrooms and promote positive mental health and stress reduction techniques. Read More