Tools to Help You Teach Middle School ELA
Not sure what to teach in January? Here is a list of ideas to get you started! Here are some important events for this month that you’ll want to be sure to include on your calendar: This is International Creativity Month January 17 is Kid Inventor’s Day Celebrate Thesaurus Day (Peter Mark Roget’s birthday) on […] Read more…
Wondering how to teach narrative writing? Whether you’re using writing workshop or whole-class instruction, this post has you covered. Read on to find step-by-step help in teaching your students what narrative writing is and how to write them. Let’s get started! 1. What is narrative writing? You want to make sure that your students understand […] Read more…
Wondering what to teach in November? Here are 12 ideas to help you get started. Let’s check them out! In the U.S., November means cooler temperatures, settling into school routines, voting, and Thanksgiving. Journal Prompts 1. Teaching gratitude. Fall seems to be a natural time to think about gratitude here in the States. I love this gratitude journal. The digital […] Read more…
The best way to learn about your student writers is to perform a diagnostic writing assessment. This can help you analyze what your students need and determine your instructional strategies. When you get a batch of new students, you need to get to know them as human beings, but also as students — and more […] Read more…
I recently received a message from a teacher asking for help with her struggling middle school writers. She knew that all of her plans, units, and writing prompts were not going to be effective teaching tools if her students didn’t grasp the writing fundamentals they needed. Perhaps you spent an entire in-service day planning your […] Read more…
Looking for October lesson plan ideas — or have the have the crazies of October already hit? ? Either way, here are 12 ideas to help you keep students working and engaged for the month (numbers 5 & 6 are my favorites!). Writing Adjust journal prompts. One of my students’ favorites is to write about […] Read more…
What do writing anxiety and a trip to the hospital have in common? As of the date on this post, I’m recovering from a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction. While I was in the hospital, I spent a good part of the day (and nights) discussing, describing and rating my pain. This was facilitated by […] Read more…
Elementary school teachers can get away with wearing all kinds of cute outfits. What about a middle school teacher’s wardrobe? We have the sharp-eyed teens checking out what we wear…and didn’t you wear that blouse last week? Still, we don’t have to wear boring/safe clothes. Just a few fun pieces added to your basic teacher […] Read more…
Are you ready for the end of school? Exciting? Sure… just sometimes too exciting! Keeping students engaged and still learning until the last few days can seem like a herculean task — especially if you’re finished with standardized testing. Here are some ideas to help you make the end of the year fun and productive. What […] Read more…
Looking for a unique gift for a teacher? Most teachers have plenty of mugs and candles — but here’s a list of some thoughtful, fun, unique items that would make wonderful teacher gifts — any time of year. 13 Unique Gifts for Teachers 1.For some reason, students love to stare at the classroom clock. If you […] Read more…