Ready, Set, Learn Keeping up with changing state standards can be tough. They usually stay the same for a time, but when the state overhauls them, it usually means teachers need to start rewriting or retooling their curriculum. Though I've been teaching for 20 years, I'm too ADD to be one of those teachers who… Continue reading Gettin’ My Learn On- Part Two of a Week of Professional Development
Category: Teacher
Gettin’ My Learn On- Part One of a Week of Professional Development
Who goes to these things?There are two types of teachers: 1) Actively avoids any type of PD and 2) Seeks out opportunities to learn. I feel like the first teacher hasn't been to many good sessions, and I feel their pain. Bad PD is like the fourth circle of Hell. Who wants to sign up… Continue reading Gettin’ My Learn On- Part One of a Week of Professional Development
ELA Student Handbook for Middle School
The Struggle is Real Do you ever begin a lesson and realize your kids have no idea what you're talking about? Even though they should have background knowledge from previous school years? Yeah, me too. The biggest problem we have had at my middle school lately is the serious lack of grammar knowledge. I mean,… Continue reading ELA Student Handbook for Middle School
Anchoring Your Instruction: Using Anchor Charts in Secondary English
Do you ever go on Pinterest (of course you do) and see some of the incredibly adorable anchor charts for the elementary classroom? They are so colorful, and they have little drawings of people and fish, and they rhyme and stuff. Can you imagine hanging something like that up for your middle or high schoolers… Continue reading Anchoring Your Instruction: Using Anchor Charts in Secondary English
Censoring in the Middle- These Kids Laugh at the Craziest Stuff
The other day, I gave one of my fellow teachers my Magnetic Poetry Kit because I've never found a place for it, and she has some on the side of her metal desk. I figured she'd get more use out of it, you know? Well, we teach middle school kids, so of course I warned… Continue reading Censoring in the Middle- These Kids Laugh at the Craziest Stuff