Browsing Tag
If you had asked me earlier in my career whether I wanted my students to use a tool to correct their grammar, such as Grammarly, my answer would have been heck no. However, after a few years, I have seen the benefits of Grammarly as an excellent tool for students in my high school English …
Today Miss K is kicking off our quarter of posts on teaching reading. Reading is a built-in norm in all our English classrooms. She continually tells students that reading makes you a better writer and writing makes you a better reader; they go hand in hand. It is most likely a similar discussion in your …
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. …
Writing is hard. Teaching writing is even harder. For some, it comes naturally. For others, it is quite a struggle. My favorite writing strategy is using a joint construct to help students understand what I am expecting in their writing. What is a joint construct? Let’s start from the beginning. A joint construct is when …
For many of us, the idea of running a marathon within the next week will likely evoke a feeling of paralysis. We haven’t spent the past six months purposefully training for that volume, so our feelings of incompetence, overwhelm, and terror are entirely justified. Believe it or not, when it comes to writing essays, poems, …
Engaging middle school students in the creative writing process can be a challenge. Often, emphasis is placed on non fiction and essay writing skills. Because of this, creative writing is often pushed to the wayside. However, providing students opportunities to practice creative writing strategies is crucially important. In Writing: Teachers and Children at Work, Donald …
If you’re looking for an engaging way to get your students writing daily while supporting your students’ Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), give daily gratitude writing a try. What is Gratitude Writing? Gratitude writing is simply the practice of spending time each day physically writing down the things we’re grateful for. Some people use bullet lists, others …
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 …
I love using picture books. Anytime I can, I do. I find that they engage and excite my students instantly. As teachers, we have the students who love writing and the ones who would rather be doing anything else. This year, my class is filled with students who despise writing. I am constantly trying to …
Are you looking for some fun Halloween writing activities to add to your unit this October? Maybe you’re in the middle of a narrative unit that could use a few skill-building tasks that incorporates the spooky season or maybe you run a creative writing elective (lucky!) that could use some fun this season. No matter …
