There are so many discussion tech tools available to teachers these days! Parlay, Jamboard, Back Channel, Voxer and even Google Slides and Docs can be used to facilitate discussions among students virtually. But, what always gets me thinking is…these tools are great, but how do we get students to actually have meaningful conversations with each […]
I’m a goal setting master. However, like many other humans out there (maybe you?), I lose motivation quickly and eventually my goals disappear into the ether only to be heard of again when it’s time to make a change and set a new goal…and the cycle continues. A few years ago I did Whole30 […]
Our classrooms are microcosms of the society we live in. The sad reality (that many have a hard time admitting) is race matters in our society and it matters in our classrooms. The majority of teachers in America are white and female. Schools and neighborhoods are segregated by race. Students socially group themselves by race […]
Amanda Write Now · How To Quit Grading So Much And Make It More Meaningful So, you want to know how to quit grading so much? Or maybe you just want your grading process to be more systematic and meaningful for students. Well, reading this blog post is the first step to making both of […]
Amanda Write Now · How To Teach Reading And Writing Workshop From A Distance Many teachers are wondering, can I still teach reading and writing workshop from a distance? The quick answer is… absolutely! Whether you want to admit it or not, the current state of the world requires we simplify what we normally […]
Amanda Write Now · 15 Community Building Distance Learning Activities Middle Schoolers Will LOVE! Students in our class need to feel that their unique voices, opinions, and experiences matter. In this article, you’ll get inspiration and ideas for distance learning community building activities for middle school and high school students. We can do this by […]
Managing a book club unit is tough! Some teachers may feel so overwhelmed by all the moving pieces that they avoid book clubs altogether. This is completely understandable. During a book club unit, students are reading different books, analyzing a wide range of literary elements and many discussions are happening all at the same time. […]
Does this sound like you? You learn a new idea, a new way of teaching, a new strategy and you’re all in. You become so convinced THIS is the way to go about things from now on! But, this energy to change everything all at once eventually wears off and you’re left with a lot […]
I teach 4 sections of English with a total of 128 students. Grading that many papers every few months is a huge endeavor and can overtake a person’s life! In my 13 years as a teacher, I’ve never been able to kick that nagging feeling that there’s always more to do. I decided to […]
Teachers are SUPER busy during the school year and need to be efficient when planning new writing units. It is absolutely necessary to find ways to save time. The thing is you are most likely missing one huge step before you even begin planning your lessons. Listen to the podcast episode above or watch the […]