The Thursday Three: Expanding Your Teacher Toolbox

Welcome to the Thursday Three! Traditionally sent to our email subscribers on Thursday, we felt this content was too good not to share again with a little bit extra!

In each Thursday Three, we share three tools, techniques, and/or tidbits for your toolbox designed to help educators engage students, elevate classroom practice, and take learning to new heights!

Let’s fly! ✈️

Last week’s edition of the Thursday Three - our e-mail newsletter about recommendations, musings, and ideas to add to your teaching toolbox was all about hitting the books. 

As educators, we know that there’s tons of reading material out there about anything and everything related to teaching and learning. And if we’re keeping it real, we know that sometimes it’s hard to know which ones to choose when your time (and bandwidth) is limited - especially at this time of the year. 

If You Have a Few Minutes...

With over 50% of Propello's team comprising former teachers, they bring a wealth of experience cultivated from extensive reading of educational literature throughout their careers.

Last year, our former teachers shared some of the best titles they’ve read when it comes to topics ranging from building classroom culture, to working with English language learners, to working with students in poverty.  This year, our team has added more titles to that list. 

Check out the blog post here with our 2024 book recommendations, and feel free to share your own with us on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.  

If You Have A Day or So...

In addition to reading and recommending books written by other educators and thought leaders, Propello’s team has also talked to quite a few of them to create our own ebook.  And it’s free to download for anyone who wants to read it. 

“Deepening Learning with Discourse” takes a deep dive in how to get students talking in class. No, not that kind of talking 😄. Instead, the kind of talking we as educators want them doing. Talking such as: 

• Asking questions. 
• Collaborating. 
• Debating ideas and wonderings. 
• Analyzing. 
• Troubleshooting.

Basically, the kind of talk that learners engage in when they are learning. When they’re actively engaged in the content to where the conversation centers around their efforts to discover. 

But we know that getting students to do that kind of talking is easier said than done. But the payoff in terms of learning is well worth the effort. So the goal of “Deepening Learning with Discourse” is to help educators help students level up their learning by leveling up their talking. 

But don’t just take our word for it. Get your free copy at this link…and let us know what you think! 

If You’re Looking To Put It Into Practice…

As always, Propello’s Thursday Three wraps up with a lesson from our library of over 700 student centered activities.

Whether you’re reading about a topic from one of our crew’s book recommendations, or are looking for opportunities to get students to practice the kind of discourse discussed in our e-book, this lesson determining the melting and boiling points of water does just that.

By tapping into student background knowledge (liquid melting and boiling) and giving them an investigation built around that knowledge, this lesson provides an ideal way to get kids speaking and listening to each other.

• You must be logged into your Propello account to access the lesson. If you do not have an account, you can sign up for free by clicking here. 

Get The Lesson Here

Ready To Take Learning To New Heights? 

Sign up for a free Propello account to discover a world of possibilities for enhancing your students' learning. With inquiry-based, student centered activities available at a click, Propello is here to support you on your journey to creating engaging and effective science lessons that inspire young minds.

• For Teachers: Click here for a free account to get access to the Propello library of inquiry-based, phenomenon-grounded, student-centered activities. 
  
  
• For Administrators: Click here to book a call to learn how you can bring Propello's lessons, assessment tools, training options, and more to your district or campus...and for less per student than the price of a latte. ☕

Together, the sky’s the limit! ✈️