Curriculum & Lesson Design

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…

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: 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…

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…

If you’re not personally experiencing it, surely you can sense it. Teachers are stretched thin. Distance learning has brought a whole different level of questions and kind of stress. This…

As a new teacher, I had no idea how to engage students in learning. That’s not to say my class was a bore, but there were definitely days I knew…

What if you could blend differentiation, brain-based learning, collaboration,  and student engagement all into one power-packed lesson? It’s possible! In this post, you’ll find ideas for how to create learning…

Do you ever feel like there is something missing from your vocabulary instruction? Traditionally, students are given a list of words, and they memorize the definitions. Lists of words are…

Structuring an ELA curriculum is similar to wardrobe shopping. We all have our personal preferences, our go-to pieces, and our timeless shirts, skirts, or pants. Yet, shopping with friends is…