Tools to Help You Teach Middle School ELA
Congratulations! You’ve decided to adopt a writing workshop class! Now, you might be wondering: now what? Here are some tips to get you headed in the right direction. Let’s jump in! How Are Your Class Management Skills? Let’s be honest. One of the most important skills for a teacher is to know how to effectively […] Read more…
Wondering how to include book clubs or literature circles into your distance learning? This post includes tips, suggestions, and ways to create digital book clubs that will engage your students — even when they aren’t in your classroom. Let’s get started! Your distance learning platform First, look at what your distance learning platform can do. […] Read more…
Video and narrative writing go hand in hand. As you prepare your students to begin writing narratives, you’ll want to teach them the elements of the genre. But before they even put pen to paper, you can use videos to teach narrative writing. Why? We are surrounded by stories. Commercials, TV shows, movies, video games, […] Read more…
Schools are turning to distance learning to help keep students learning and progressing during the corona virus. While distance learning can be a bit intimidating if you’re new to it and are suddenly forced to make changes to the way you teach, that doesn’t have to be the case. This post will help you get […] Read more…
The granddaddy of poems: the sonnet. Of all the poetry forms we can teach, it’s the most intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be! Teaching the sonnet is challenging, but a great way for students to practice critical thinking skills. Let’s dive in! What’s to love about sonnets? Sonnets provide the “whole enchilada” for poetry […] Read more…
Looking for a fun way to engage students? Try hosting a Scrabble Tournament. Great for pre-Christmas craziness, year-end, or before break excitement. Here’s how to do it: First steps Your students may or may not know how to play Scrabble. Those who have played “Words with Friends,” “Bananagrams” or similar games will catch on quickly. […] Read more…
Are you teaching your students self-assessment skills? Teaching this life skill is so important in helping our students gauge their growth. This post takes you through many ways to teach this. Let’s get started! When should students self-assess? Looking back at our accomplishments over time is so gratifying! We can bring that same joy of […] Read more…
Ready for Parent Night? These tips can help make it a breeze. “Meet the Teacher,” “Curriculum Night,” “Parent’s Night” whatever you call it, it can be stressful. Parents you might not see for the rest of the year are going to visit with you for maybe just a few minutes…yet they’ll be judging what kind […] Read more…
Why will your students love writing weather poems? There is one thing we can agree on…the weather outside our classroom windows can be fascinating! No matter the time of year, the weather can be a source of distraction (“I see a snowflake!”) or inspiration. Use what’s happening outside your classroom to engage students in meaningful […] Read more…
There is nothing like a top ten list for back to school to get you ready for the start of a new year! Whether you’re a new or seasoned teacher — or somewhere in the middle — you’ll find you’re quickly caught up in the current of the school year. Don’t forget to take a […] Read more…