Reading should not be presented to a child as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift. ~Katie DiCamillo One of my biggest challenges for the past thirteen years as an English teacher has been getting my students to read, and I know I am not alone in this frustration. Getting teenagers […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why I Lend Out My Personal Books to My Students
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 […]
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 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 inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum
High School Students and Common Core
Common Core has been a controversial topic in education since it was first mentioned in 2012, then fully implemented in 2013, despite plans for a two-year transition. Personally, I have no problem with it. Standards are standards after all and it puts all the states on an equal playing field. One of my students arrived […]
Posted inChild Development, Common Core, Elementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten, Mathematics, Science
Hands-On Science For Young Learners
My elementary class and I have begun my most favorite science unit of all: plants and life cycles. I look forward to this unit every year. There are five concepts that I want to drive home with this unit. First, that everything has a life cycle and what that means. Next, that not everything looks […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Educational Apps, Elementary School, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten, Social Studies, Technology
Field Trips are Better with iPads
Every year I collaborate with colleagues to host a high school field trip to a local college campus. We explore art collections, tour the campus and give students time to explore the nearby downtown for a brief respite. The goal of connecting artistic perspective to their interpretations of world history is tangential to the elation students enjoy with a […]