I know that the thought of teaching students how to write seems so daunting. But it’s simple—you just teach them to think. If I can engage my students, get them writing about a new idea or an idea that they care about or an idea that they don’t quite understand but want to—then usually, […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inThe Student Teacher Diaries
Student Teaching Diaries: Before We Start
Teaching is about learning. Teachers take classes to learn about content, strategies, behavior, classroom management and more. In order to move our educational system forward, however, the knowledge, experience, and expertise of master teachers needs to be shared with those entering the profession. Each college has its own path for how this learning takes place; […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What Every (New) Principal Needs to Know
For some principals, the 2019-2020 school year will be their first time taking the helm of a school. Yesterday, we asked a question from a new principal to our 100,000+ subscribers about what a new principal should NEVER do and here are the answers they gave: New principals should NEVER… talk data on the first […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Part 2: Adventures in Real World English/Language Arts: Making Them Care
I’ve always had a high-stakes class. English III has been an EOC(end-of-cours)e since my second year in education, and while it has always been a lot of pressure teaching a high-stakes class, there has been a certain amount of comfort because the kids knew they had to pass a state test. I also teach AP […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Challenges of Indifference: A Unit Genocide Using Night and Left to Tell
“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What We Need to Teach Our Students to Think About America’s “Greatness”
When I teach poetry to my sixteen- and seventeen-year-old students, I often think about the fact that many of them will be voting soon. I know that most people don’t see the connection here, but for me, teaching them to be critical readers of a poem is the best way to get them to be […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Using Literature For Relevancy
Many English classrooms have gotten away from using classic literature, opting for more current material, which seems to ring truer across our youth. Although current material is important to teach, it’s amazing to see the relevance that classic literature parallels with today’s world. Material like The Picture of Dorian Gray is a perfect example. We […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Making All Students Feel At Ease
It is so important to make our students feel comfortable upon the first day of school. We need to remember the backgrounds that our students come from. And we can’t assume that just because we have kids from middle-class homes that they are coming from places that have everything together. We also need to remember […]