Tools to Help You Teach Middle School ELA
Reading skills are crucial in middle school. We really have such a short time to get students reading, comprehending, and on level. One way to do that is through graphic novels. Graphic novels have been growing in popularity for a long time, but many teachers tend to shy away from bringing them into the classroom. […] Read more…
Books talks are a great way to invigorate reading in your classroom. Students enjoy talking about the books they’re reading, and this can create a reading “buzz” in your class. Here are the steps to creating successful book talks with your students: What are book talks? Before you launch into them, what are they? Book […] Read more…
What is blackout poetry? How can you use it? To start with, it’s poetry that your students will love creating. This guide will show you exactly how to teach blackout poetry — and why you should at it to your poetry writing unit — or as an activity for any time of year. You know […] Read more…
Wondering what graphic novels for teens that you should have on your bookshelf? Graphic novels can be a great way to introduce topics or concepts to your students. Plus, they are engaging. Even the most reluctant readers will be drawn into the story. They are great additions to your independent reading program. Here are some […] Read more…
Late assignments, missing work, partially completed tasks. We all struggle with how to deal with these issues. And, especially at the end of a grading period. Work that you may have assessed weeks ago now appears on your desk. Or, you are chasing after a student to get that last item turned in. And it […] Read more…
Do your students need examples of a hook for an essay? If you’ve ever read a student paper that starts “In this essay, I will…” you know your students need help with hooks. If your students struggle with writing an intro, here are simple strategies and hooks that will make this easier for them. What’s […] Read more…
Here are 12 poems that seem to be written specifically for middle school students, along with suggestions for teaching. 1. “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” by Emily Dickinson Reasons to love this: Lesson focus: 2. “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost Reasons to love this poem: Lesson focus: 3. “The Cremation of Sam McGee” […] Read more…
You may already have a scope and sequence provided for you by your department or district. But if you don’t, or if you want to custom create your own — here’s how. What is a scope and sequence? First, it’s important to understand what it is. What is a basic scope and sequence definition? The […] Read more…
What is one of the best ways for students to learn close reading skills? Annotation. But, how do we avoid the dreaded entire-page-is-highlighted syndrome? Have no fear, because these easy steps will have your students writing amazing annotations in no time. What is annotation? The quick answer is that annotation means taking notes on what […] Read more…
Descriptive writing seems like it should be easy to teach, yet it is one of the most popular posts on my site, and I receive the most questions about teaching it. We know what we want our students to do, but they still struggle. There are plenty of reasons for this, but let’s start by […] Read more…