If you're like me, as soon as you return from holiday break you begin really thinking about STAAR prep, especially if you have an early test like I do. This 3rd quarter is down-to-business time for me because we don't have much time after spring break before we take our reading test. It's the same… Continue reading STAAR Prep for Secondary English- It’s never too early!
Category: Secondary ELA
Grammar, Grammar, and More Grammar
It's been a while since I talked about grammar, so I thought I'd revisit it now. It might be because I'm smack in the middle of trying to run through topics my 8th graders should already know like subjects and predicates, but it's also something that some teachers struggle to get into their plans. Maybe… Continue reading Grammar, Grammar, and More Grammar
The Results are In: Classroom Management is Scary
This past week I posted a survey on Facebook that asked just one question: What back to school topic concerns you the most? I was actually kind of shocked when I got my answer- classroom management. This got me thinking about how I felt about it. I recently wrote a blog post about this very… Continue reading The Results are In: Classroom Management is Scary
Lesson Planning- Big Picture to Daily Schedule
Are you a planner? Or do you like to fly by the seat of your pants? In my 20 years of teaching, I've seen all kinds of planning personalities, and I've learned a lot about what works for me and what doesn't. Most people will tell you that I'm a planner extraordinaire. During our end… Continue reading Lesson Planning- Big Picture to Daily Schedule
Taming Summer Anxiety- What I Do During the Summer to Combat Teacher Guilt
Being a teacher is great. I've always loved that I get summers off from going to school to be with my daughters. Notice I didn't say "I like having summer off from work" because as most teachers I know will tell you, they work during the summer. Even if they swear they aren't going to.… Continue reading Taming Summer Anxiety- What I Do During the Summer to Combat Teacher Guilt