I've always been a teacher that likes to make my classroom a bit more homey than most. Even in my first year of teaching, I wanted to add lamps, a couch, and a papasan chair to my room to give it that little something extra. Well, my first year was 20 years ago, and there… Continue reading My Flexible Seating Journey in the Secondary Classroom
Tag: secondary
Using Songs and Their Videos to Teach Perspective and Poetry in Middle School
I'm a genius sometimes. No, really! I have lesson ideas come to me at the most random moments during the day. And they always surprise me because it happens when I'm not thinking about lessons. You know what I mean? So anyway, back to my genius. This is a little trip into the inner-workings of… Continue reading Using Songs and Their Videos to Teach Perspective and Poetry in Middle School
Literature Circles in the Secondary Classroom: Student-Choice Novels Made Easier
Have you ever wanted to let students choose their own novel to read, but you couldn't figure out the best way to assess all those books? Don't want to write 20 tests? Tried to find literature circle materials that weren't for elementary kids? Well I might be able to help! How This All Started Originally… Continue reading Literature Circles in the Secondary Classroom: Student-Choice Novels Made Easier
The Character Study One Pager- An Assessment for Any Novel
We need the bigger, better deal Every English teacher I know is looking for the bigger, better deal when it comes to assessing novels. We've moved WAY beyond the simple book report (I hope), and into the realm of critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis. In recent years I've tried the mandala (which you can read… Continue reading The Character Study One Pager- An Assessment for Any Novel
The 7th Circle of Hell: Is This the Way my Students Feel About my Class?
It's summer. This means my life is a whirlwind of oil changes, vet visits, dance practices and camps, college orientation...and then there are the REALLY awful ones. Like Discount Tire. And doctor's offices. In case you're still getting to know me, I should be very frank. Patience is not a virtue with which I have… Continue reading The 7th Circle of Hell: Is This the Way my Students Feel About my Class?