Category: High School

Classroom, Close reading, Education, Freebies, High School, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, student needs, Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers, Teaching, Teaching annotation, Teaching tools, Test Prep, Texas, Uncategorized

Seeing Red: Teaching Symbolism by Close Reading Text and Film

johnstonselagems

Last week I got to do one of my very favorite lessons of all time. Don't you love those days? You can go to school knowing that you're going to get to teach something way cool that you feel good about all day long. In my case, I got to teach it for two days… Continue reading Seeing Red: Teaching Symbolism by Close Reading Text and Film

bloggers, Classroom, Education, Family, Gratitude, High School, Humor, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, student needs, Teacher, Teacher Tribe, Teaching, Texas, Uncategorized

Yeah, I Saw That: The Crazy Stuff I’ve Seen Teachers Do

johnstonselagems

Teachers are insane. Factor in the public scrutiny, the low pay, the extra hours, the grading, and the enslavement to standardized testing, and you have to ask yourself what college-educated professional would sign up for that? Crazy ones, that's who. You would not believe some of the things I have seen teachers do in the… Continue reading Yeah, I Saw That: The Crazy Stuff I’ve Seen Teachers Do

bloggers, Classroom, Education, Family, High School, Humor, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, Self reflection, Teacher, Teaching, Texas, Uncategorized

The Long Walk to Thanksgiving: Surviving School in the Fall

johnstonselagems

It's raining. Again. I think we've all mutated and developed webbed feet because it. never. stops. Seriously, shout out to people that live in Seattle. You guys must have superhero levels of optimism and happiness to deal with as much rain as you do. Added to that, it's cold, like record-breaking cold. Don't get me… Continue reading The Long Walk to Thanksgiving: Surviving School in the Fall

bloggers, Education, High School, Humor, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, Self reflection, Teacher, Teaching, Texas, Uncategorized, Vacation

I Don’t Wanna: Saying No is Teacher Self-Care!

johnstonselagems

I'm sitting here, having just wolfed down my lunch in record time, trying to get inspired to write a post. Lately, I haven't had much to say. It's been one of those weeks where every time I cross something off my to do list, two or three things get added. Finalizing first quarter grades. Setting… Continue reading I Don’t Wanna: Saying No is Teacher Self-Care!

Classroom, Education, High School, Humor, Middle School, motivation, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, Teacher, Teaching, Texas, Uncategorized

Did Someone Hit Fast Forward? The Speed of the School Year

johnstonselagems

Seriously? Did someone hit fast forward and not tell me? I feel like yesterday was the first day of school, and now we are one week away from nine weeks exams. How did that happen? How is it almost OCTOBER? Is someone drugging my coffee? Does anyone else feel like it's been difficult to hit… Continue reading Did Someone Hit Fast Forward? The Speed of the School Year