Rigor in Your Classroom: A Toolkit for Teachers

by Barbara R. Blackburn

How can you ensure students are engaged and learning at deeper levels? This book from bestselling author Barbara R. Blackburn is a treasure chest of more than 250 practical and effective tools that can be used across grade levels and subject areas to increase rigor, leading to higher levels of learning and success.

Topics include scaffolding, differentiation, higher-level questions, high expectations, gradual release of responsibility, and more. This essential second edition offers more than 50 additional tools, updated research, and new topics such as teaching academic discourse, creating an environment of respect, and building students' social and emotional learning.

Rigor in Your Classroom will be your go-to resource throughout the school year, as you continually use new tools with your students. Bonus: The tools are accompanied by graphic organizers, charts, templates, and reproducibles for easy implementation.

Genres: Education

258 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains really brief summaries of a lot of different educational strategies for questioning, assessment, and feedback all designed to make sure assignments are rigorous. Much of it would be review for veteran teachers, but I was reading it as a possible book to use with PLCs and I think it would be a good tool for stirring conversations and trying new techniques. Educators would be able to take some of these strategies and look up the original sources for more in-depth information.

[Cassie Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are few books that I've rated so poorly. I started reading this book with great hopes and expectations. After about 20 or 30 pages, I was disappointed and this disappointment only grew as I progressed through the book. Most of the ideas in this book are ones I've seen before. Too much information was merely breezed over without being given its due attention. Perhaps if I were a new teacher and approaching this book with fresh eyes, I would feel differently.

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually find her work well researched. I was looking for a well-organized series of techniques for building rigor. Instead, topics were addressed briefly, without much coherence, and without depth. I'm really disappointed.