So how can you effectively teach vocabulary? How can you help students learn and take ownership of the unfamiliar words they encounter? Below are a few ideas Carolyn from Middle School Cafe incorporates in her class throughout the year to increase student knowledge of vocabulary. Word of the week Students need multiple authentic exposures to …
This year for Teacher Appreciation week, we here at ELA Matters want to THANK YOU for your commitment to your students. We are gifting to you several ideas and freebies throughout this post to help you finish the year strong!
As we approach the middle of the school year, it is the perfect time to take stock your classroom library. When is the last time you’ve changed the display books? Updated your book review bulletin board? Added a new title to the shelf? Keeping your library looking fresh will keep students coming back to check out new books.
This school year has been a trying one for sure – new expectations, student trauma, Tik Tok challenges, COVID restrictions, quarantining, teacher and sub shortages, large gaps in student learning and the list goes on… There is much we can’t control, so in our first post for 2022, we want to provide you with some encouragement.
Book clubs are my go-to strategy for engaging students in authentic conversations about reading. It has been my saving grace this year as students have struggled to return to the classroom. Why do I love book clubs so much? Book clubs help put students in the driver seat of their own learning! I have found …
At the beginning of the year, do you get so excited about sharing books you love that you forget to take the time needed to get to know your students as readers? I know when I first started teaching, I made assumptions about what my students knew about books and what I thought they should …
Next to building student relationships, establishing consistent routines and procedures are the best classroom management tools you can introduce to your students. Creating predictable routines for students decreases behavior issues and increases student engagement in class. After a year where many students were online for most, if not all of their learning experience, it will …
The ELA Matters team would like to help you keep your students engaged in learning until the last day of class. We’ve put together these easy to implement ideas to help you plan and wrap up your school year.
Journal writing is a great way to incorporate more writing into class, but is it enough to improve student writing skills? I love journal writing for a variety of reasons but mostly because it gets students writing and writing often. We all know the more students write, the better they can develop their skills but …
Have you ever been in a teaching rut and weren’t sure were to start looking for inspiration? Let’s face it, this year has been challenging and many of us have slipped into survival mode. As we finish this school year, let’s finish strong. Spring break is right around the corner and the perfect time for …
