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
For the most part, my students put up with poetry. Many of them don’t really like it. They find it difficult and it makes them feel dumb. And most of the common strategies that we use, like “SOAPS,” give them too much to manage and make them feel
What does a piece of writing need to do in order to be called a poem? This is the question I asked my seniors at the beginning of class this week. We had just finished up a poetry unit on lyric poetry and to finish off I wanted them
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
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.
I’ve been using reader’s workshop over the past few weeks and had good success with it. However, the biggest challenge comes from getting good books in the hands of students, especially those who have little experience reading independently. I don’t have a classroom library, but we have a wonderful media
Teaching can be a demanding job. Every teacher goes through times where they feel like they have too much on their plate and it will never get done. And if we’re not careful, it can consume our lives because there is always more work to do. I made turkey tetrazzini
One of the biggest problems my students face with writing essays is that they don’t do enough planning before they sit in front of the computer to begin writing. Also, even though I tell them that I’m willing to look at drafts before they hand in the final copy, most
I can’t say that I’ve ever been invited to a cocktail party. I don’t think it’s because I’m not popular (although that could indeed be the case.) I don’t think that it’s because I’m an English teacher and people don’t want to watch the way they talk after a few
Writing suspenseful stories in the Language Arts classroom can be a fun way to teach students how stories work. In previous posts I shared model texts that I use to teach kids how suspense works. In another post I discussed how you can teach literary devices while creating the suspenseful story. In
