Tag: language arts
Learning Stations In Secondary ELA Classrooms
Learning stations are no longer just found in elementary classrooms. They are a sound instructional strategy that can be found in many secondary classrooms as well. They provide student choice and a variety of ways to demonstrate understanding. Plus, they can be a great way to build in time for conferencing,
6 Benefits of Independent Reading in High School
Independent reading allows students time to read whatever they want to every day. You might remember it as SSR or DEAR, catchy acronyms that originated in the elementary grades, but there are tremendous benefits to allowing students time to read books that they select themselves at the high school level. Here’s
Sociograms: An Alternative to the Essay
Sociograms are visual representations of the interaction of characters in a novel. They are a wonderfully flexible assessment tool and can be used in all grade levels. Best of all, they require the same sort of critical analysis that you would use in writing an essay. If you’re looking for
Adding Free Choice Reading to Your Classroom
In a previous post I discussed the reasons why you should add free choice reading to your English class – even if you teach upper level AP classes like I do. There’s a good chance that over the course of their high school careers they have lost a lot of
Annotation: Why Students Hate It (And How To Fix It)
Annotation is a common reading strategy used to promote active reading. Annotation is a skill that helps students comprehend what they are reading and leaves a trail of “bread crumbs” for students to follow if they have to respond to the text in writing. Ideally, it will help students
Online Discussions: Make Them Sizzle With These Ideas
Teachers have been using online discussions for a while, way before the “flipped classroom” was even an idea. They can be a valuable tool for extending learning and allowing kids to interact outside the classroom. But how do you get the most out of online discussions? Here are some ideas.
My Emergency Sub Plans (And You’ll Love Them Too)
Most of the time when I’m absent I can plan ahead and design an activity that goes right along with what we’re doing in class. However, there are those times where I’m out and don’t have time to come up with anything or it’s just a weird time to
Mini-Timed Writings: Getting Students to Write More Without More Grading
We all know that the best way to improve our students’ writing is by having them write more. However, it’s no fun to think about grading all of those extra papers, especially when you already have piles of stuff already to grade. The back log can get pretty unmanageable and
How to Grade Faster
I don’t know a single teacher who would rather grade than teach (and if you do, give me your address. I’ll send you a large package with a self-addressed stamped envelope with some essays. Thanks!) However, grading essays, tests, and homework is part of the responsibility of being a teacher.
