It’s not even a month into the school year and already it’s clear that my 7th period has a problem. Overall, they seem like a nice group of kids. They participate, they ask questions, and they are pretty easy to redirect if we get off task…but still, there is a problem. The problem is that […]
Literacy
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Series
Close and Critical Reading: What’s the Point?
This is the fourth post in a series about teaching Close and Critical Reading. The first post explaining what CCR is can be found here, the second on summary is here, and the third on writer’s craft is here. The third portion of Close and Critical Reading (CCR) asks the students: Why did the author write this? […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Why We Write from Day 1
On the first day of each new school year, after introductions and a syllabus review, I make a promise to each of my classes. “I can promise that other than the state tests over which I have no control, you will never take a test in my class.” (Queue nods of approval and general happy […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Some Advice on Writing College Essays
The SAT and ACT are taken, scores received. The transcripts bundled with a plethora of application pages. The FAFSA and other financial information finally finished after hours of telephone calls, online services, old receipts and bank statements gathered. Yes, one of the most exciting and stressful elements of senior year is the college application […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Labor Day Informational Text: “Work is a Blessing” from This I Believe
Of all the national holidays, Labor Day is the most passive. It floats as the first Monday in September. It lacks a symbol, a song or ritual, but maybe that is not so strange for a holiday established to be a collective celebration of rest. Labor Day is set aside to recognize the importance of labor in our lives. That sentiment […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Close and Critical Reading: Author’s Craft
This post is the second in my series on strategies for teaching students to do Close and Critical Reading (CCR). The first post defining it is here. The next one, about strategies for teaching summary, is here. The second CCR question is How does the author say it? Students need to understand what rhetorical devices are and […]
Posted inClassroom Management, High School, Literacy, Opinion
"I'm Her Favorite Student!"
“I’m her favorite student!” I’ve heard that phrase over and over in the eighteen years I’ve been working around schools and the short seven years of my teaching career. I never deny it, or even acknowledge whether or not it’s true. I usually just smile and nod, yet students still say it. Since I’ve heard it a […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, High School, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Maybe the Film Credits Are the Best Lesson
Twice this summer, I found myself thinking that maybe educators are not taking advantage on how we could show films in class. We seldom, if ever, show the film’s credits. Perhaps the lack of attention to film credits is because there is not enough time already for what many educators might consider a passive activity […]