Classroom, Classroom Structure, Education, High School, Middle School, Professional Development, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, student needs, Teacher, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

Classroom Screen: Where Has This Been All My Life? Adding Structure to my Schedule

You know when you find something, and it becomes the best thing that ever happened? Then you realize you'd seen it years ago and missed the boat on using it all this time? Yeah, that's where I'm at. Enter Classroom Screen Before spring break, I attended five days of training. I learned SO many things… Continue reading Classroom Screen: Where Has This Been All My Life? Adding Structure to my Schedule

Assessments, Classroom, Education, High School, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, student needs, Teacher, Teachers Pay Teachers, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

Thematic Art Project: Teach Your English Students to Speak Without Saying a Word

For the second year, I assigned a Thematic Art Project as the summative activity for Night. I have to admit, when I first assigned it, I was super nervous about what the kids would come up with. This year, I was just excited because the last group did such an amazing job. Well, they did… Continue reading Thematic Art Project: Teach Your English Students to Speak Without Saying a Word

Classroom, Education, High School, Middle School, Professional Development, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, student needs, Teacher, Teaching, teaching writing, Texas, Uncategorized

Gettin’ My Learn On- Part Three of a Week of Professional Development

An English Teacher's Rock ConcertI would like to thank whatever English teacher fairy blessed me with the knowledge of the existence of the TALE Conference. TALE is the Texas Association for Literacy Education, and before this school year, I had never heard of it. How is that possible? I've been a secondary English teacher in… Continue reading Gettin’ My Learn On- Part Three of a Week of Professional Development

Assessments, Education, High School, Middle School, Professional Development, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, state assessment, student needs, Teacher, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

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

Classroom, Education, Grammar, Middle School, Secondary ELA, Secondary English, student needs, Teacher, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

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