Growing up, I believed there were only two seasons – baseball season and the off-season. Whether you lean towards Field of Dreams or the Natural, baseball and life were beautifully intertwined. But it is never that simple, is it?
Currently, the months of May and June welcomes anther season that has become a different “American past time” related to education. Across the US, schools are presently engrossed in testing season. Instead of hot dogs and popcorn, this season is often marked by stress and anxiety.
For students, high stakes tests end of the year assessments correlate to grade advancement and GPA. For parents, exam results dictate summer – and future – plans and their involvement. For teachers, professional evaluations are directly connected to their students’ performances and, quite possibly, their salary levels. In short, testing season is a very tangible reality!
Preparing for May and June begins at that the start of the school year – if not the summer before. Discussions regarding what resources to use result in important educational decisions. I have found that relevant and impactful resources can be hard to come by. When you discover a program that supports contemporary education it is important to share that resource far and wide.
Mentoring Minds is that resource! Take a look at their mission statement:
“Before choosing classroom resources, you need to be confident that they’re based on research and—most importantly—effective in the classroom. That’s why Mentoring Minds stays up to date on ever-changing standards and conducts extensive research on the alignment and efficacy of our products, ensuring that they’re scholastically 
sound and of the highest quality. We’re the partner you need to stay ahead of the curve.”
I originally wrote about Mentoring Minds in a previous blog : https://cperrier.edublogs.org/2015/02/17/read-this-and-write-that-6-tools-that-engage-and-build-your-students-literacy/ emphasizing the potential of 21st century teaching and learning.
But there is more. Overall, Mentoring Mind’s resources are focused, detailed, and support a range of classroom settings and students. In short, the resources represent my two favorite aspects of good education – Explicit and Intentional teaching! Here are my favorite resources from Mentoring Minds.
The Master Instructional Strategies Flip Chart is an easy-to-use resource that offers hundreds of instructional strategies from the major instructional schools of thought
Handy prompts help teachers integrate critical thinking into their lesson plans for all subjects and all grade levels.
Total Motivation Reading is a rigorous and comprehensive supplemental resource that integrates critical thinking and prepares Level 2 students to excel in English Language Arts. Designed from the ground up to address 100% of the Common Core Standards.
Each student edition for Math and ELA incorporates vocabulary, problem solving, critical thinking, and journaling 
activities to complement Common Core and any other programs.
Strategies and techniques will be shared to assist in personalizing instructional practices to ensure the success of diverse learners. Designing and implementing differentiated instruction can facilitate progress in ways that meet the needs of all learners.
Prevent Academic Failure Support students with learning and behavioral needs with the Response to Intervention (RTI) process. Prevent academic failure through early intervention, frequent progress monitoring, and increasingly intensive research-based instructional interventions for students in general education classrooms who continue to exhibit difficulty in learning.
Develop and implement specific strategies to increase parent involvement at school and at home. Hundreds of strategies to build powerful parent partnerships, prepare for parent-teacher meetings, communicate better with parents, and more.
I eagerly await a line of social studies and history resources. But until then, Mentoring Minds offer a range of resources that makes it, well, simple.
They make learning the only season!