Tools to Help You Teach Middle School ELA
Your principal tells you that you need a yearlong plan or a year-at-a-glance (YAG)…great. Now what is that and how do you create it? Here’s the easiest way to do that. Just read on. What is a yearlong plan? A yearlong plan is an overview of what you’ll be teaching all year. It will save […] Read more…
Students often struggle with poetry writing because, as the narrator of Love that Dog says, “anything can be a poem if you write short lines.” Teaching students how to write poetry can also help you teach the elements of poetry. Poetry Writing with Four Fun Forms 1. The Blackout Poem Students can hardly resist this poetry […] Read more…
Decoupage a boring stool or chair to create an author’s chair that will give your students a special place to sit and share their writing. Here are author’s chair ideas for creating your own: A few summers ago I made this stool for my classroom. My students loved it but were only allowed to use […] Read more…
What are types of propaganda? It surrounds us. And teaching our students to be critical thinkers is more important than ever. One (fun!) way to do this is to teach about how propaganda is used in popular culture. Examples are everywhere! Let’s get started: Start with propaganda they know There are so many modern propaganda […] Read more…
Need to engage your students? Whether you are teaching a creative writing class or a traditional one, here are fun, quick writing activities you can use to any time to get your reluctant writers — writing! They are great when: It’s great to have quick, fun creative writing exercises and lesson plans to turn to […] Read more…
You need easier and faster ways to grade. When you teach English Language Arts, assessing never ends! While you can’t always eliminate grading, there are ways to save time. Here are 11 tips you can use to reduce your workload. When you were getting certified to teach ELA, they didn’t tell you the unspoken secret: […] Read more…
Ready to host a reading challenge with your class? Whether you want your students to read 4 or 40 books this year, here are some ideas that will help you be successful. The Problem with a Reading Challenge It’s no secret that middle school students aren’t spending as much time reading as they are on […] Read more…
Often, we’re so busy teaching grammar, writing, and reading skills that we miss the opportunity to use poems. Teaching poetry offers opportunities to teach writing skills, grammar concepts, and reading comprehension skills. How? Use poems as mentor texts to help teach students more complex genres and reading skills. Poems as Mentor Texts Think about a […] Read more…
Use RAFT prompts engage students in creative writing responses to engage students in writing that is exciting and imaginative. All writing should be creative — no matter what the subject. But, too often the prompts we provide our students are dull. No wonder we’re nodding off as we grade! By using RAFT as a formula […] Read more…
Teaching creative writing? Not sure where to start? I’ve got you! Let’s get planning! How to Teach Creative Writing All writing is (or at least should be) creative. However, if you are teaching a specific creative writing class, here are some tips to keep it moving: Let’s look at each of these in more […] Read more…