In my incredibly messy classroom, behind my desk are my personal books- novels ranging from Pride and Prejudice to Splintered. They are worn underlined, and some have sticky notes in them. About six weeks into the school year, one of my students wanders over there to look at my pictures, then they pick up a […]
Literacy
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Parents
Parent Tips: Helping Your Beginning Reader Select Books
When your child begins to read it is a thrilling moment. Then the press to rush their skills begins. We have this desire to move them up the ability ladder ASAP. As parents we want them to be in the highest reading group. We hope for high test scores. We picture Harvard or Stanford in […]
Posted inEducational Apps, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
The Treasure Trove of Language: In Praise of the Thesaurus
All hail.…extol.…laud the mighty Roget’s Thesaurus! Any one struggling with trying to find the right word can attest to the support that he or she may have found in the pages of Roget’s Thesaurus, a reference book that celebrates its birthday every April 29th. Writers pour through its pages in the hunt to find an alternate to “said” (articulated, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Literacy
Choosing the Right High School Reading Intervention Program
Helping students to overcome reading obstacles can be tricky at any age, but it is especially challenging with high school students. Older students find it more difficult to get caught up to their peers. They must deal with feelings of shame, inadequacy, and anger. The teachers who oversee these students’ reading intervention already have a […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Good Writing vs. Great Writing: Leading the Way
Have you ever been frustrated between grading pieces of writing that were good (had all the “bones,” all the structures, all the requirements), and grading really great, well-written, interesting pieces of writing? Both had all the meat, but only one had real substance. As an English Language Arts teacher, the question has been raised in my mind numerous times, […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Make Them Laugh: Why We Should Teach Shakespearean Comedies
I love Shakespeare. I would love nothing more than to teach Shakespeare all day long. One thing I dislike about Shakespeare (and it is not his fault), is that we only teach his tragedies in high school. When I was in school, Shakespeare’s plays were taught in this order, freshman year was Romeo and Juliet, […]
Posted inChild Development, Common Core, Current Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten, Literacy, Mathematics, New Teacher Bootcamp, Opinion, Parents, Science, Social Studies
Engaging Parents From School To Home
The school to home link is very important to me. Many people view today’s education as starting and stopping in the classroom. Learning is an ongoing process and needs to continue from the classroom to home and back again. But parents tell me all the time that they don’t know how to ‘teach’ their children, […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, Literacy, Mathematics, Opinion, Parents, Science, Social Studies
Bridging the Summer Gap
I am always looking for ways to make the school-to-home link. I think all too often we expect our parents to follow through, but forget that they are not always equipped with the necessary tools needed to do so. A lot of times parents don’t know where to look or even what to look for […]