#Education

We Belong: 50 Strategies to Create Community and Revolutionize Classroom Management by Laurie Barron; Patti Kinney The secret to every positive learning environment? Belonging. When students feel that they belong in their school and classroom, commitment to learning goes up and behavioral disruptions subside. And when teachers embrace an SEL-infused approach to classroom management that helps every student feel valued, safe, and competent, belonging soars. We Belong offers 50 targeted strategies to increase students' sense of belonging and reinforce the habits that support classroom harmony and learning success. Authors and award-winning educators Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney explore the dynamic partnership of belonging and classroom management and share specific ways to * Build authentic, positive relationships with students and among students * Create spaces that feel physically and emotionally safe for all * Teach and foster social-emotional competence * Increase student engagement and motivation * Foster a sustaining sense of community Covering a range of key topics--from behavioral expectations to conflict resolution to more effective collaboration--this practical guide for elementary and secondary teachers includes downloadable forms and templates to support strategy implementation. Use it to revisit your priorities and reshape your practices so that all students in your classroom can say of themselves and their peers, "We belong."

Tomorrow's High School: Creating Student Pathways for Both College and Career by Gene Bottoms How do some high schools produce graduates that consistently achieve at high levels? Would you believe there's a set of proven strategies that could help you deliver similar impressive results and better prepare students for the world after high school? High schools in the United States face a startling reality: many graduates are unprepared for success in postsecondary studies or for high-demand, well-paying jobs in a rapidly changing economy. Although this situation is alarming, the high schools that have embraced new ways of learning show us what is possible. Drawing from his experience with the High Schools That Work initiative, Gene Bottoms offers educators a path forward by urging them to pursue bold goals and outlining bold actions for achieving those goals. His vision is clear: replace the traditional model of secondary education with one that engages students in a rigorous curriculum that combines a solid academic core with intellectually demanding career pathway courses. The notion that nearly all students can achieve at high levels is borne out by numerous examples of high schools--including those with traditionally underperforming student populations--that have used key strategies to help all students realize their potential. Bottoms explains the root causes of the current shortcomings in high school education and then specifies critical components of successful transformation: * Shared leadership; * Powerful assignments--especially in math, literacy, and career/technical education--planned and executed by academic and career pathway teachers working together; * Strengthened connections between middle school and high school; * A redesigned senior year; and * Comprehensive counseling and advisory programs. Provocative and persuasive in its sense of urgency, Tomorrow's High School offers proven and practical solutions to finally make high schools a rich and rewarding experience for all students, whatever their future college and career goals may be. This book is a copublication of ASCD and SREB. It includes access to nine downloadable appendixes.

Transforming education: innovation for the 21st century by Cristóbal Torres Fernández