School’s out for summer! Well, not quite. But, the thought of summer break typically stirs butterflies in both teachers’ and students’ stomachs. Those flutters of excitement are nothing to feel…

You’ve just asked one of the most thought-provoking questions of your teaching career, and you look out upon a sea of faces with anticipation. Fully expecting students to exude wonder…

Ever wish you could add more student motivation and critical thinking to your independent reading program? Depending on the year or the class, it’s normal for students to show varying…

MLA is fussy. When teaching students to cite quotations in MLA format, it can feel like we are really nit-picking at details. And, I suppose we are. Students need to…

Does the thought of starting a new semester have you ready to dive under a blanket, binge-watch your favorite Netflix series, and cuddle up with a bowl of popcorn? A…

What is meaningful homework? In middle and high school, stereotypical visions of students weighed down by heavy backpacks and up all hours of the night completing packets and studying for…

The world is disagreeing, and people feel disconnected. In the middle of what sometimes seems like chaos, we need to provide opportunities for students to converse…to share their ideas. Students…

Inside: Teaching with photographs is powerful. With just a single image, educators can convey complex ideas, helping students make deep connections. In an age of digital literacy, students need to…

If you are a middle or high school teacher, and you’re not incorporating picture books in your curriculum, why not!? Creating mini lessons with short texts is one of the…

So you want students to do something…to show thinking…to process learning…and to communicate information. But, maybe you’re tired of recycling the same approaches and just need something refreshing. Enter sketchnotes.…

Inside: Looking for collaborative class discussion strategies that work across settings? This post is full of a variety of engaging technology and formatting options for blended learning, online teaching, and…

Inside: Students need to learn how to take charge of their learning. This involves developing independence and metacognition…along with some focused classroom norms that give students a voice. I taught…

Inside: Teaching writing online is challenging. This post outlines simple strategies to make it more efficient, effective, and engaging.  Overwhelming. That’s the first thought that comes to mind when I…

Inside: There’s no secret ingredient to building a virtual classroom community. Every teacher will find approaches that work best for his or her own personality and teaching style. Hopefully, these…

Inside this post: Whether you’re teaching in a virtual, blended, or brick and mortar setting, middle and high school students NEED digital citizenship lessons. In this post, find some of…

Inside this Post: Ready to elevate your literary analysis lessons? This post is full of engaging and effective activities to help students master literary analysis topics. Literary analysis has become…

Inside: A fresh, powerful way to structure a meaningful vocabulary program for middle and high school students. Vocabulary instruction should be more than an afterthought! Read about making it an…

Trying to fill out that silly classroom supply list request form? Teachers in many schools are asked to complete one every year, but – for many reasons – these forms…

Looking for a daily ELA plan? Perhaps a weekly ELA plan? In this post, you’ll find some ideas for both. I hope they provide a starting point or spark your…

Have you ever had so many tabs open at once that you can’t even tell which tab is which? Yeah, me neither (cough). No one wants their brain to feel…