I let students socialize the first day of school. Read on to find out why... After reading this important article by Write On with Miss G (which I highly recommend you read), I thought back to my first day of school, last year. Here's what's written in my plan book 8/14/2017: introduce self, read My Name by Sandra Cisneros, go over routines/procedures and record … [Read more...] about What I’m doing the very first day of school might surprise you…and why you should try it too.
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10 Reasons Secondary Teachers Should Try Reading & Writing Workshop
Don't have time to read this article? Listen to in on iTunes instead! We all have our own curriculum, our own teaching teams, our own way of doing things but it's summer vacation and time to ponder other options! This article is meant for secondary teachers who are on the fence about whether to try reading and writing workshop in their class next year. Below you'll find ten … [Read more...] about 10 Reasons Secondary Teachers Should Try Reading & Writing Workshop
My Students Don’t Write During Writing
So, some of your students aren't writing during writing? Maybe they are just sitting there staring off into space. Or maybe they are sneaking onto their phone, they'll probably tell you they were looking up a word on thesaurus.com. Or maybe they are whispering with a friend, about...who knows what? It is aggravating, isn't it!?! You work so hard and these rascals could care … [Read more...] about My Students Don’t Write During Writing
Whole Class Novels Reading Workshop Style
English teachers struggle to fit it all in. We want to teach the novels we love while also allowing the freedom and choice that reading workshop provides. Can we do both? Yes! Keep reading to find out how... First a bit of background about my interpretation of what reading workshop and whole class novel teaching looks like: A Reading Workshop System Looks … [Read more...] about Whole Class Novels Reading Workshop Style
Encyclopedia Memoirs: The Best Way to End a School Year!
The end of the school year can be chaotic, so keeping students engaged and having fun is incredibly important. I have used the project detailed here every year I've taught and it never fails to keep students loving their school work and writing until the very end. Here are the steps to get this project rolling... 1. Activate Prior Knowledge Explain that it is fun to … [Read more...] about Encyclopedia Memoirs: The Best Way to End a School Year!