I teach middle school, and mixing it up is really important to keep the kids on their toes especially when it comes to test prep. One of the best things when I was a kid was seeing the TV and VCR set up and ready to go for the class period. Movie day! We don't… Continue reading Games for the Win- Using Games to Spice Up STAAR Test Prep
Surviving the fall- and other tough tasks
I usually use my blog to promote a TpT product or two. This is not one of those posts. Fall is a tough time for some teachers. There's the whole DEVOLSON thing (if you don't know what this is, look it up on Pinterest- you'll find some funny, and very true, stuff), plus the excitement… Continue reading Surviving the fall- and other tough tasks
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
Annotation Academy- Teach your kids to annotate right!
I can't believe we've been back in school for four weeks already. That was fast! I'm very pleased with the way this school year has started. The kids have been great so far, and everything seems to be running smoothly (knock on wood). One thing that has really helped is the way I decided to… Continue reading Annotation Academy- Teach your kids to annotate right!
Fighting Back to School Anxiety- One Day at a Time
It's that time again It's that time again, back to school. Whether you've already started back, like me, or you still have a few weeks of summer, back to school can be a stressful time for teachers. All kinds of things can start working in your brain, and if you have anxiety, it can be… Continue reading Fighting Back to School Anxiety- One Day at a Time