I am a great admirer of eloquent speakers. I watch TED Talks in awe, closely examining the speaker’s wardrobe, hand motions, and movement across the stage. What I do the...
Students love stories. Whether they are telling a story or they are listening to a story, students become engaged with the plot line and interested in the characters....
It’s that time of year when the weeks are long, the days are colder (especially if you live where I live), and the students are in their school routine. That routine is great...
A top priority in reading for my primary grade-level readers is to be able to retell a story and state its most important details. The details that I want my students to be...
I love sticky notes. If you were to look at my desk or at my planner or at my laptop lid, you would see sticky notes filled with information. A reminder to talk to a teacher....
It’s back-to-school for teachers! I know that each year our school starts earlier, and each year I begin panicking about all the things I want to do in my room. Although we...
One of the most exciting parts of the school year occurs at the beginning with classroom setup. Whether you get to work with new materials or you have the opportunity to...
Commas are a common punctuation mark that can spice up any writing.Because there are so many different ways to use commas, students have countless chances to use them...
Assessment is a daily part of the educational landscape, and students often express dismay that they “don’t test well.” Whether it is a classroom assessment or a high-stakes...
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) require upper elementary grade students to have a clear understanding of literary elements and text structures. ...
I love a great library, whether it it’s my school library or my classroom library, and I have found that the best way to get students the books they want is to organize the...
When an English Language Arts standard focuses on developing and strengthening writing skills, students can also focus on grammar usage. One way to edit and revise writing is...