Discover effective ways to incorporate reflective writing into your ELA classroom to help students develop critical thinking skills and self-awareness. Explore techniques like journaling, response journals, progress reflections, goal setting, and peer feedback reflections.
I think we can all agree that as reading teachers, we’re constantly looking for ways to enhance our students’ understanding and engagement with the texts they read. While individual reading exercises are essential, collaborative groups can be a game-changer. Peer work helps foster a deeper comprehension and discussion of complex texts. Students are exposed to …
While traditional assessments have a place in the classroom, I always look for innovative ways to assess my students’ learning. In my search, I’ve found that poetry encourages students to think deeply and analyze text. It’s also a way for them to articulate their thoughts in a manner that goes beyond traditional tests and quizzes. …
“Needs more elaboration. Add details.” How many times have you written those words when grading student papers? Teaching students how to elaborate on their thoughts and in writing can be a challenge, but there are a few simple strategies I’ve used that can make your job easier. Elaboration in writing means to choose and add …
As teachers we all know that giving students the opportunity to write regularly is key to improving their writing ability and stamina. With shorter class periods and so many standards to cover, how can it be done without creating more grading on your part and still be effective? I knew it wasn’t enough for students …
Back-to-school is a busy time for teachers. You’ve decorated your classroom, planned exciting lessons, and put routines and systems into place. Many of you have already welcomed your students to a new year. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a personal assistant freeing you up to do nothing but teach? While you’re waiting for …
I clearly remember the days when I would introduce a list of vocabulary words on Monday, have students look up the definition and write a sentence using the word during the week, and then test on Friday. Bet you can guess how miserable the results were for most students, right? To be honest, I didn’t …
Writing as a response to reading benefits students in several ways. It allows them to reflect on the ideas presented in text, become familiar with patterns in language, and share opinions about what they’ve read. When I first introduced reading response journals, it was out of a need to replace the traditional reading log and …
Are you looking for easy ways to increase student engagement and assess learning without spending a ton of time grading and working through complicated rubrics? Let me introduce 5 quick-win activities I’ve used successfully in my ELA classroom. Try out these ideas at the beginning of class for morning work or use them at the …
When I started my career as a teacher, I made a lot of assumptions about students’ ability to write. After many years in the classroom, I’ve learned that teaching kids to write well is no small task. What I now understand is that we should be intentional about our instruction and lessons. Nurturing good writers …
