The BEST, most engaging way to introduce a novel that will have students literally BEGGING (no joke, no hyperbole here) to read the book already is with a simple, zero-prep game of “20 Questions” you can pull out of your back pocket (figuratively speaking) anytime you wish. I absolutely love
It’s the life of a Middle School ELA Teacher, wanting to grow your classroom library. . . getting great-fit books into the hands of kids at this age is a dream AND a reality once you figure out how to connect them with books or genres they discover they love!
One of the most commonly-asked questions that pops up on a weekly basis in our super-active Middle School ELA Teachers FB group is “What are your favorite books to teach?” Another variation of that comes something like this: “What books do your middle school kiddos love?” As English teachers, we
Fun Children’s Books for the First Day of School— Yes! Especially for Your Middle School ELA Classroom! We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco Squids Will be Squids “The Grasshopper Story” by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith First Day Jitters by
Poetry, like song lyrics or drama scripts, is actually meant to be read aloud. And just like music, it’s definitely meant to be read and heard more than once! These 6 strategies below will help ensure that you always have something to pull from so you can help your students
Today’s post is a teaching tool for class practice. At the conclusion of a unit or really anytime you are ready to practice a group of related skills, it’s time for batching the learning! I’ll explain step by step so that you can use this tool in your classroom tomorrow!
Today I have a slew of resources for you to help with test prep! Whether your students have access to technology or not, I have you covered! I’ll share several creative ideas to review for the test and include some notes to help you gauge whether or not each idea
“We don’t remember days. We remember moments.”Cesar Pavese, Italian Poet (1908 – 1950) It’s nearing the end of the school year, and we are all searching for an engaging and interactive activity for those last weeks to wrap up the year with intention. I created the Year-End Memory Book Project
Teaching middle school ELA is tough. There’s no getting around that. That’s why, every once in a while, it’s good to read an inspiring book to revive your passion for teaching writing and reading. There’s something about reading books for ELA teachers and by ELA teachers that reminds you… “Oh
If you’ve been wondering how to organize your classroom library, I promise you’re not alone. I’ve had middle school teachers from my free Facebook group ask about this very topic… while desperately trying to hide their frustration about it. Hey, no judgment from me!! I get it… it’s frustrating to
I’ve been hearing tons of teachers rave about Gimkit, especially the Trust No One game. Some teachers absolutely swear by this game and say it’s their class’s favorite learning activity. But is Gimkit’s Trust No One game all it’s hyped up to be? I’ll let you decide for yourself. In
OK, so you’ve got a nonfiction text you need your class to study this year. But you don’t want to assign ANOTHER book report. Your students think book reports are boring. Or you’re sick of grading work that clearly shows they didn’t understand the assignment. (Been there…) Or you really
If your Middle School ELA students struggle with reading, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed as their teacher. What do you do when your 7th grader is reading at a 3rd or 4th grade level? How do you pull that up by several grades when you only get 40 minutes a
I get this question a LOT from Middle School ELA teachers in my lesson plan membership and in my free community … What do you do with finished essays? I know, I know… it’s an overwhelming question. Especially after all the hard work you’ve put into helping your students write
What is ELA? Well, for starters, it might help if I instead asked, “What does ELA mean to you?” You might be surprised to know that what you refer to as ELA might not be how a teacher from another state defines it. There are (very!) diverse opinions about this