Newsletter: December 2019

Newsletter: December 2019

Jaclyn Siano

Welcome to Inspired Instruction’s monthly newsletter. We share the most relevant articles, blogs, videos, and classroom resources related to all aspects of education.

For Administrators

Last month, we shared our blog on the principal benefits of PLCs. To build on that, here is Inspired Instruction’s Action Plan Worksheet that you can share with your staff to help them create focus areas/problems of practice in their own PLCs.

We have all heard the saying that “boys are better at math than girls.” National Public Radio shares a new study that shows this may not be true in their article, “Math Looks the Same in the Brains of Boys and Girls, Study Finds.”

As digital devices become more prevalent with students, many spend more time in front of screens than in front of books. Education Week’s article, “Screen Time Up as Reading Scores Drop. Is There a Link?” explores the possible connection.

students working in a classroom

For Teachers

Most teachers have been in that situation where they ask a whole group question and the same students raise their hands, leaving the majority of the class left out of the conversation. In their article on increasing student engagement, Edutopia shares “3 Ways to Ask Questions that Engage the Whole Class.”

Educators have varied opinions on homework. How much is too much? Is it effective? Our friends at Mindshift polled thousands of teachers to see where they stand on the question, “Is Homework Valuable?

At Inspired Instruction, we know that incorporating social emotional learning (SEL) into content areas is crucial for student development. Our SEL Math Lesson Plan incorporates accountable talk and can be modified for use in multiple grade levels.

School Spotlight

Atlantic County Community Charter’s teachers have been partnering with our consultants to encourage student engagement!  Teachers learned best practices for supporting rigorous instruction and student accountability.  Check out some of the strategies and resources our consultants shared during these coaching sessions.   

Accountable talk stems
Think time
Stop and Jot


Interested in these resources?  Just email michele.regan@inspiredinstruction for a copy and directions on how to use them.

Professional Learning Communities Webinar

Did you miss our December 10th webinar on Effective Use of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)? Don’t stress!  Email michele.regan@inspiredinstruction.com and we will send you a link to the recording!

Don’t Miss It!

Supporting positive behavior webinar


Our upcoming webinar will be on Supporting Positive Behavior through Mindfulness. Interested in joining us on January 14th? Email michele.regan@inspiredinstruction.com to reserve your spot!

What’s Next?

We’d love to discuss how we might help you with your most pressing priorities.  Need a place to start?  Contact us for a free Needs Assessment to determine the strengths and opportunities of your curriculum, assessment and instructional practices. Email jaclyn.siano@inspiredinstruction.com.

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