Month: July 2018

Assessments, Classroom, Education, High School, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, student needs, Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

It Only Takes One Page- Assessing English Students with a One Pager

johnstonselagems

How do you assess? Do you go by how much time it takes to grade? Do you make your students write an essay because you need a writing sample for data? Do you give them a project you can glance at, use a rubric, and assign a grade? Full Disclosure Full disclosure- in my 19… Continue reading It Only Takes One Page- Assessing English Students with a One Pager

Assessments, Classroom, Education, High School, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, student needs, Teacher, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

Students Don’t Need to Write- Assessing Theme and Symbolism with Art

johnstonselagems

  Whoa! An English teacher writing a blog post about not writing? What kind of alternate dimension have we entered? But it's true. I learned a valuable lesson last year, and I know it's one that could benefit other teachers, so I thought I'd share my experience. First off, if you don't know me, I… Continue reading Students Don’t Need to Write- Assessing Theme and Symbolism with Art

Classroom, Education, High School, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, Self reflection, student needs, Teacher, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

I Don’t Even Know Why I Teach: Defining My Teaching Philosophy

johnstonselagems

This coming school year will be my 20th as a teacher. Wow. I came to education in a very unconventional way. I was a psychology major at A & M, and I had my sites firmly set on a degree in psychology which I would then use to become an FBI profiler (I was heavily… Continue reading I Don’t Even Know Why I Teach: Defining My Teaching Philosophy

Anxiety, bloggers, Classroom, Education, High School, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, Teacher, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

Are you in an abusive relationship…with your job?

johnstonselagems

Guys, it's about to get real. I have been sitting on this blog post idea for a while, pretty much terrified of writing it, but knowing that it's one of the most real things I can talk about- how teachers are treated by other teachers and administration. Yikes. DISCLAIMER- my current job is the end… Continue reading Are you in an abusive relationship…with your job?

Classroom, Education, Flexible Seating, High School, Hygge, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, student needs, Teacher, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

Hygge and Harry Potter: Marrying my Love for HP with Flexible Seating in the Classroom

johnstonselagems

  For several years, I had been wanting to change up the furnishings in my classroom. I kept seeing these cool "cafe/coffee shop" rooms that seemed to be a much nicer environment to learn in, never mind the hours I spend in my room as well. So I started collecting pieces from parent donations, garage… Continue reading Hygge and Harry Potter: Marrying my Love for HP with Flexible Seating in the Classroom