I mentioned in a previous post that through my blog I would be sharing with you 'inspiring reads.' These are books that 'inspire' my students that typically do not enjoy...
It’s so easy to put ourselves down and give up when challenges arise; I know, I sometimes feel defeated by the innumerable ways that I could be a better teacher, librarian,...
One of my favorite parts of being an English teacher/librarian is going to conferences and meeting authors. Over the years, I have honed my “author meeting techniques” so I...
I love the idea of combining writing with speaking as much as possible. Speaking what you have written is a great revision strategy. In addition, hearing the words allows the...
If you read last week’s post, you know that your vocabulary instruction is most critical to your students’ success on high-stakes testing. Unfamiliar high stakes assessment...
There is a strong relationship between grammar, writing instruction, and student achievement. Effective grammar instruction across grade levels and content areas is key to...
High-stakes standardized testing is not going away. With the newly redesigned SAT® and the fact that many states’ are focusing on both the ACT® and SAT® as a part of high...
Helping your students learn to write clear, concise sentences using fewer words is an important part of grammar instruction! Wordiness not only obscures ideas, but causes...
One constant for me—no matter what grade level I am teaching—is having my students create portfolios for themselves. There is nothing more rewarding for students (and their...
Now that we've all gotten through the crazy back-to-school season and have established our classroom routines, I thought I'd take the opportunity to discuss differentiated...
I have always been fascinated with brain research. What helps to stimulate a brain? How and why do the two sides of our brain work independently of each other at some times...
If you’re like me, I learned how to plan lessons using a day-to-day, period-by-period schedule. Lessons were chunked into 40-50-minute segments on Monday through Friday...