So, it's the end of your writing unit, your students have worked their tails off on their work, and you know they need some way to get their writing in front of eyes other than yours. Writers write for a million reasons, but most don't write just to be graded. Let's be real, though: coming ... READ the POST
What to Do for Writers Who Refuse to Write
Just like you have reasons that you don’t do certain things, reluctant writers have their own reasons for not writing. Personally, I do not sing in front of people. Reason? I had a friend tell me I was terrible when I was very young, and ever since I’ve been terrified of criticism about it. ... READ the POST
The Summer To-Do List for First Year Teachers
You’ve probably got about 80,130 things swirling around in your head that you want to do before the school year starts. It’s such an exciting time! I remember the summer before my first year teaching obsessing over EVERYTHING #anxiety. I thought I needed to make my plans incredible and have my ... READ the POST
How to Teach Students to OWN that Speech
I don’t remember gleaning much from going up and giving speeches during school, other than that I hated it. I know it’s the same for my students. Literally the ONLY thing I remember from my 8th grade social studies class was the nausea I felt as I walked up to give a speech one day. This ... READ the POST
Slam Poetry Day 1: Speak. Your. Truth.
So, you’re intrigued by slam poetry, and you want to know how to start using it in the classroom. I get it; slam poetry is so awesome, sometimes I am intimidated by teaching it. But, the good news is that more than likely, your kids are going to love it. And when that happens, you’ve got ... READ the POST
How to Get 28 Teachers to Teach Alongside You
Do you wish you could just have one more teacher in your room helping you? ...or how about 28 other teachers? Introducing, the video mini-lesson: your new co-teacher. It’s just as simple as it sounds, but will change the way you look at differentiation in your classroom. In this post, I’ll ... READ the POST
A Lesson on Integrating Text Evidence that my Secondary Students Loved
Want some ideas on how to teaching students how to integrate quotes and textual evidence in to writing? I've got you. A couple weeks ago, a colleague and I were planning a lesson to teach how to properly cite and analyze textual evidence (or integrate a quote into your paper), as students were ... READ the POST
25+ Slam Poems Appropriate for Middle School and High School
Interested in using slam poetry examples in your classroom, but not sure which poem would best? I've got you. Slam poetry is a little bit of an obsession of mine, and as a teacher that has taught grades 6-12 ELA, I'm always scrolling through slam poems to find ones that are both inspiring, ... READ the POST