Tools to Help You Teach Middle School ELA
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…
We often use starting points during the school year to encourage our students to set goals for themselves. But how can we make goal-setting activities useful tools for middle school students? Goals that aren’t abandoned after they’re written. Ready to find out more? Read on! Goal-setting for students: a hierarchy If you have read […] Read more…
Student engagement is critical in moving the needle on learning, but sometimes you need to shake things up. Here are some easy strategies to try. What is student engagement? You don’t need me to tell you when your students are engaged –you can usually tell, but it can be helpful to look deeper. According to […] Read more…
Do you have the classroom tools that you need to streamline teaching, organize papers, and keep you and your students focused on content? Here are some best bets for classroom organization This post includes affiliate links. You can read more here. Affiliate links help me fund my blog, but at no additional cost to you! […] 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…
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…
A “perfect” class doesn’t just happen. It is created through consistent, compassionate, and well-planned classroom management strategies. Here are five tips to help you get started! When you’re studying to be a teacher, you dream of a classroom filled with eager, well-behaved children enraptured by your carefully-crafted lessons. Then you step into your first classroom…and […] Read more…
No matter how entertaining you are, your students still need to move around and talk during class. Here are some great ways to get students moving, talking, problem solving, and interacting with different classmates. What’s the perfect size for grouping students? Students often struggle in groups. One student make take over and do all the […] Read more…